Line 1:
{{Short description|Extinct dog breed}}{{Infobox
{{Copy edit|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox
| title = Argentine polar dog
| subheader =
Line 9 ⟶ 6:
| below = An Argentine polar dog
}}
The '''Argentine polar dog''' is an [[Extinction|extinct]] breed of [[dog]]. It was created by the [[Argentine Army]] in order to facilitatehaul transportationfreight around its [[Argentine Antarctica|bases in Antarctica]]. The breed emergedwas througha thecross crossingbetween ofa [[spitzSpitz]], which were traditionally used as sled dogs., Theseand several other breeds, includeincluding the [[Alaskan Malamute]], the [[Siberian Husky]], the [[Greenland Dog]], and the [[Samoyed dog|Samoyed]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grodsinsky |first=Sergio |date=2003-05-31 |title=La extinción del perro polar argentino - Tecnicas de Adiestramiento Canino Deportivo, Manual Educacion Cachorros |trans-title=The extinction of the Argentine polar dog |url=http://www.voraus.com/v2/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=136 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080403010342/http://www.voraus.com/v2/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=136 |archive-date=2008-04-03 |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=Verous |language=es}}</ref> The breeding practice of thebreeding Argentine polar dogdogs came to an end in 1991, when Article 4 of the [[Antarctic Treaty System|Antarctic Treaty]] forced the removal of all non-native species from the continent.<ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://documents.ats.aq/recatt/att438_e.pdf |journal=Annex II to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty| title=Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora}}</ref>
== Origins ==
The origins of the Argentine polar dog can be traced back to 1949, when the then colonelColonel [[Hernán Pujato]] approached presidentPresident [[Juan Perón]] with a projectproposal that sought to bring Argentina closer to its Antarctic territorial claims throughby establishing the creation of a [[Instituto Antártico Argentino|scientific institute]] and the establishment of moreother science-oriented bases with a year-round populationpopulations. Perón's interest led to Pujato visiting [[North America]] and taking a "Polar Survival Course", dictatedrequired by the [[United States Army]] in both [[Alaska]]n and [[Greenland]]ic territoryterritories.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |last=Maida |first=Carlos |title=Breve Historia del Perro Polar Argentina |trans-title=Brief History of the Argentine Polar Dog |url=https://www.someve.com.ar/images/revista/2015/revista02_2015_articulo3.pdf |url-status=dead |language=es |issn=1852-771X | journal=La Comisión del Servicio de Veterinaria "San Francisco de Asís" (Ejército Argentino |pages=15–18)}}{{dead link|date=April 2024}}</ref> There, he came to learnlearned about efficient methods of survival, construction and transportation. FromOn that trip, he broughtgathered 40 dogs with himself, which, throughhe selectivebrought breedingwith inhim to the southernmostAntarctica. continent,These endeddogs upwere giving[[Selective originbreeding|selectively bred]] to ancreate entirelythe Argentine newpolar breeddog. On 21 March 1951, the [[San Martín Base]], was established as the first Antarctic base below the [[Antarctic Circle]],. was established and, thus, theThe Argentine polar dog became a key piece in the logistics of the Argentinian presence on the continent.<ref>{{cite book |last=Tahan |first=Mary R. |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5af237831aef1d2dc3807031/t/61bc775fc06f423f32d46a16/1639741290797/ANTARTIC-IN+1950-INGLES.pdf |title=Antarctica in the 1950s. Perspectives from the Southern Cone |publisher=LW EDITORIAL |year=2021 |isbn=978-956-404-940-3 |pages=39–63 |language=en |chapter=The Jim Franks Story: Fids and Argentines in Antarctica in the Late 1950s}}</ref>
== Temperament and behavior ==
A wide spectrum of temperaments have beenwere reported onwithin the breed; while some specimensindividuals have shown ashowed great tolerance and compassion towards theireach kindother, others have beenwere prone to fighting and turning to aggression with ease. Generally speaking, Argentine polar dogs were loyal and tender when it came to their human masters, but rathermore theaggressive opposite in regards toaround other dogs. Fights werebetween notArgentine rarepolar to ensue whenever a dog or more freed themselves from their harnesses. Such fightsdogs were reported to be particularly violent, usually culminating in the death or severe injury of one or both dogs involved. The moment a dog went down, mostothers ofin the pack would surround it and attack it, with a tendency to bite the lower abdomen and the genital area with powerful jaws.
Hauling heavy freight was their strength and they frequently expressed eagerness to do it, as well as showing a tamer and more collaborative side while performing their intended labor. Explorers and personnel who have worked side by side with the dogs have reported themthat havingthe dogs have an innate intuitionsense that allowed them to see or sensedetect obstacles that were invisible forto the human eye, such as cracks and holes in the ground that were covered by thin ice or frost. TheWithout canidsbeing wouldcommanded, withoutthe beingdogs commanded to,would stray from the previously planned path andto getavoid backany inunseen trackobstacles onceand return to the unnoticedpath obstacleonce wasit leftwas behindsafe.
Vocal-wiseTo communicate, the Argentine polar dog made mostly use ofused a prolonged and high-pitched howl that reached great distances. One dog would usually howl once, to which its companions would initiaterespond in a "choir" of sortschorus, howling in return and stopping all at once with a remarkable sense of timing.<ref name=":0" />
== Care and work ==
Different variables were kept in mind when overseeing the feeding and care of the dogs in the continent. Army veterinarians had to take into consideration each dog's particular casecondition inand orderneeds to procureensure the animal's longevity and optimal workingperformance. conditions;The thesevariables that caretakers considered included, amongbut others:were not limited to, rest periods;, pregnancy;, gastrointestinal issues;, and dog's last activity from the dog and its duration;. theThe time of the year and the surrounding temperatures also had to be considered, as the harsh winters took a bigger toll on their health.
Dogs were initially fed exclusively with a balanced feed called "[[Pemmican"]]. This was a concentrated, dried and hyper-caloric food that accounted for 5000 calories per serving. OvertimeOver time, Pemmican began to be intertwinedsupplemented andby evenand/or mixed with seal meat, which was highlygreatly esteemedenjoyed by the dogs, providingand provided extra calories that helped them remain strong. Seal meat was also relatively easy to obtain. Nonetheless, the meat was never meant to replace Pemmican, asand some dogs became sluggish if given more than ⅓ or even ¼ of seal meat in relation to Pemmican. ThisFeeding wouldthe alsodogs seal meat proveproved to be counterproductive, since some animals would reject Pemmican in favor of meat, to which theyoften wouldled eventually showto digestive issues when consumed in great quantities. Later on, these same dogs would have trouble readopting Pemmican as their primary source of food.
A well-trained individualArgentine polar dog was expected to have a working day of approximately 8 to 9 hours, hauling a weight similar to their own at a moderate pace, depending on the terrain, slopes and detours to were traversed. Dogs were trained to obey their master's voice rather than a whip or a similar striking object. EachThe packmost wouldintelligent usuallydog havein aeach "guide"pack amongwould thembe thatappointed wouldto take the lead after each command, usually the most intelligent dog in the group. Behind this individual, dogs would be paired in "yokes", called "first yoke", "second yoke", "third yoke" and "stem yoke". Thus, theThe sleds were pulled by an uneven number of dogs which, depending on the freight, could amount tototal 7, 9, or 13.<ref name=":0" />
== Appearance ==
Due to their genetic pastsimilarities, the Argentine polar dog looked strikingly similar to the dog breeds from which it originatedwas fromderived and which were being used for the same purposes on the opposite side of the globe. A well-rounded animal, it stood at 50–60 cm (19–23 in) tall. Males reached a weight of around 60 kg (132 lb), while females remained at around 52 kg (114 lb). Their heads resembled those of Malamutes, with small and straight ears, with dark brows over their light blue eyes. The tails were arched over their backs, which helped to provide an additional protection from the cold as they rested, bent over their bodies and reaching their faces. Their fur was a blend of light brown, white, black, and grey. This sameTheir fur was built and layered to retain heat and fight the extremely low temperatures to which the dogs were constantly exposed to. The polar dogs' countedfur with a triple furwas composed of complex [[hairHair follicle|follicles]]s that formed three layers, which included the main visible fur, long and simple, as well as a layer of so-called "sub-fur", a kind of cotton-like, dense furundercoat that integrated the second and third layerlayers.<ref name=":0" />
== Extinction ==
In August 1991, the [[Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty]] resolvedrequired that all parties with territorial pretensions disposed ofremove any and every fauna or flora they had introduced to the continent by 1 April 1994.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Environmental Protocol {{!}} Antarctic Treaty |url=https://www.ats.aq/e/protocol.html#:~:text=The%20Protocol%20on%20Environmental%20Protection%20to%20the%20Antarctic%20Treaty%20was,2). |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=www.ats.aq}}</ref> ArgentinaThat year, as a member of the Antarctic Treaty, complied and, towards the end of 1991,Argentina relocated all 22 dogs living in the [[San Martín Base]] to a corps of the [[Argentine National Gendarmerie]] in [[Puente del Inca]], in [[Mendoza, Argentina|Mendoza.]] In February 1993, the very last 13 dogs remaining on the continent, stationed at the [[Esperanza Base]], were relocated to another corps of the Argentine National Gendarmerie, this time in the city of [[Ushuaia]], in [[Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina|Tierra del Fuego]].<ref name=":0" />
Most of these individuals, however, perished shortly after arriving in a continent that was new to them. Defenseless against the diseases that were common to all other dogs, givenGiven the geographical isolation they had lived in since their conception as a breed, combinedthe withdogs thehad lackno ofimmunity attentionagainst giventhe todiseases thisthat issuewere bycommon theamong authoritiesdogs in chargepopulated ofareas. them,The resultedauthorities inresponsible for the impossibilitydogs' care failed to anticipate this issue. This made it impossible to continue any breeding program, and, sooner than foreseen,soon the demiseentire ofbreed thehad entiredied breedout.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Romero |first=Dr Juan |date=2023-09-17 |title=El Perro Polar Argentino: por qué es el héroe de nuestra soberanía antártica |trans-title=The Argentine Polar Dog: why he is the hero of our Antarctic sovereignty |url=https://www.infobae.com/perros-y-gatos/2023/09/17/el-perro-polar-argentino-por-que-es-el-heroe-de-nuestra-soberania-antartica/ |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=infobae |language=es}}</ref>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Argentine dogs}}
{{Spitz}}
{{Extinct dog varieties}}
[[Category:Dog breeds originating in Argentina]]
|
Article Images