Greenland Huskies; Itilleq, Greenland

I admit it – I’m not a dog-lover.  But I found these Greenland Huskies to be among the most alluring animals I’ve ever seen.

This photo was taken in Itilleq, Greenland, a village of about 100 people a few hundred yards north of the Arctic Circle.  In some of these towns in this sparsely populated country, it’s not uncommon for dogs to outnumber people.

As much as I wanted to pet these adorable creatures, we were warned not to go near them.  In Greenland, Huskies are working dogs, not pets.  They do not possess a docile temperament and Greenlanders normally don’t bring the dogs into their homes, even during the dark and frigid winters.  The dogs remain chained outside.

Huskies, known for their strength and endurance, are used to pull sleds across the snow and ice.  They eat meat and fish provided by their owners.  Looks like the pair above are fervidly eyeing the day’s buffet.

I visited Itilleq during the summer, when most of the snow and ice had melted.  So there isn’t much for Greenland’s beautiful dogs to do during this time of year other than relax, munch on some fish, and in the rare instance in which a tourist comes along — pose for pictures.

Copyright © Dan Fellner 2012