Jane Goodall Was Wrong.

The exceptional Dr. Jane Goodall once admitted that contrary to popular belief, her favorite animal was not the chimpanzee, it was the dog. "My favorite animal altogether is a dog because dogs have taught me so much and dogs are so faithful, and dogs give unconditional love, and I don't like to think of a world without dogs,” she said in an interview. That’s true to a point, except Goodall likely never owned huskies. Anyone who has is chuckling right now. I love them precisely because they are so independent—prone to their own whims. They see you as their equal or maybe even their subordinate. They’re “faithful” to you when it suits them, and their love, unlike that of say, a golden retriever, is absolutely conditional. Look one in the eye when you command it to come to you, and you know it’s asking, “What’s in it for me?” Following that, it will say, “I have a better idea, watch this,” before taking off at bullet speed and returning when it feels like it. As for husky love, it’s definitely conditional. You can earn it, and you can lose it, and it’s tough to win it back. Huskies make you work for it—respect.

I write this because I miss Jane Goodall terribly and think she would have laughed about my observations. Also because I've been editing our March issue of Alaska magazine, which comes out just prior to the famed Iditarod Sled Dog Race in Nome. In the issue, there's a feature on sled dog history and culture. The author, Tim Lydon, does a great job revealing the Alaskan husky as more than an Iditarod athlete or a transporter of goods. He also deftly illustrates the complexity, teamwork, and mutual appreciation between human and dog, a relationship that's existed for millennia. Readers will also enjoy Seth Kantner’s enlightening images because they provide a glimpse into remote life in northwestern Alaska in winter. Finally, the issue highlights March as one of the best months to view the auroras. Alaska’s dark night skies yield fantastic opportunities to stargaze and dance beneath the auroras.

Unless of course you own huskies, in which case you’ll be too busy chasing them across the frozen tundra as they dart past the outstretched beam of your headlamp.

See you in the wild...