Lupan (Siberian Huskey) @5 weeks old

During a day of i was sent on an errand by my mother in law, the task was to drive down to Kilkenny to collect a young pup whom at the time was known as Baxter. He was to be an early birthday present for my mother in law’s partner. Once i collected him, i fell in love with the dog and was very tempted not to hand him over on my return. His name was later changed by his new owner to Luipan, derived from the Latin word “lupus,” meaning “wolf.”

The Siberian Husky (Russian: Сибирский хаски, Sibirskiy haski, “Siberian husky”) is a medium-size, wolf-like, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family. It is recognisable by its thickly furred double coat, sickle tail, erect triangular ears, and distinctive markings.

Huskies are an active, energetic, and resilient breed whose ancestors came from the extremely cold and harsh environment of the Siberian Arctic. Siberian Huskies were bred by the Chukchi of Northeastern Asia to pull heavy loads long distances through difficult conditions. The dogs were imported into Alaska during the Nome Gold Rush and later spread into the United States and Canada. They were initially sent to Alaska and Canada as sled dogs but rapidly acquired the status of family pets and show dogs.