Built for the cold
Five cold-climate breeds: origin, size, coat and working traits, from Canadian Kennel Club breed standards.
Built for snow On this page
Five cold-climate breeds at a glance
| Breed | Origin (CKC) | Height at withers | Weight | Coat (CKC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siberian Husky | Chukchis of Northern Siberia | Dogs 53.25–59.75 cm; bitches 50.75–56 cm | Dogs 20.5–27.25 kg; bitches 15.5–22.75 kg | Thick, soft double coat |
| Alaskan Malamute | Mahlemut people, Kotzebue Sound, Alaska | Desirable: dogs 63.5 cm; bitches 58.5 cm | Desirable: dogs 38.5 kg; bitches 34 kg | Thick, coarse guard coat over dense, woolly undercoat |
| Samoyed | Samoyed tribes, Northeast Siberia | Dogs 53.25–59.75 cm; bitches 48.25–54.5 cm | In proportion to size | Double coat, weather-resistant |
| Newfoundland | Newfoundland | Average: dogs 71 cm; bitches 66 cm | Average: dogs 68 kg; bitches 54.5 kg | Water-resistant double coat |
| Bernese Mountain Dog | Canton of Bern, Switzerland | Dogs 62.25–69.75 cm; bitches 58.5–66 cm | Not stated in the standard text we read | Thick, weather-resistant coat with a soft seasonal undercoat |
What “built for the cold” means in a breed standard
Breed standards are written to describe what a breed was developed to do. For these five, that work was in cold places: hauling sleds in Siberia and Alaska, driving reindeer herds, working around fishing boats in Newfoundland, or farming in the Swiss canton of Bern. The coat descriptions follow from that, and so does the size.
We kept this guide to what the Canadian Kennel Club says about origin, size, coat and the work each breed was meant to do. We left out health questions and any temperature figures. The CKC pages don’t give cold-tolerance numbers, and a dog that suits snow on paper still needs a plan for your own weather.
Siberian Husky
The CKC says the Siberian Husky was developed “untold centuries ago” by the Chukchis of Northern Siberia, who used their dogs as companions for their children, as hunters for their food and for transportation. The breed came to Alaska in 1909 for racing.
The coat is a thick, soft double coat: a soft, dense, downy undercoat next to the skin and an outer coat of soft, smooth guard hair. The standard also notes that losing the undercoat in the shedding season is normal. It describes a medium-sized working dog that has “an inbred desire to run and an independent spirit,” built to carry a light load at moderate speed over great distances. That is a statement about the breed’s purpose, not a personal exercise prescription.
Alaskan Malamute
The CKC calls the Malamute “one of the oldest Arctic sled dogs,” named after the Mahlemut people who settled along Kotzebue Sound in western Alaska. Their dogs hauled heavy sleds, packed supplies, and were used for hunting seals. The standard says the breed is not intended as a racing sled dog; its function is heavy freighting in the Arctic.
The coat is thick, with a coarse guard coat and a dense, oily, woolly undercoat that the standard says is 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) deep. Malamutes usually have a shorter, less dense coat in summer. For size, the standard gives “desirable freighting sizes” of 63.5 cm and 38.5 kg for dogs, 58.5 cm and 34 kg for bitches, and says there is a natural range.
Samoyed
According to the CKC, the Samoyed was bred and developed by nomadic Samoyed tribes in Northeast Siberia, north of the Arctic Circle. It was bred for versatility rather than a single job: sled, herding, guard and companion dog. The standard says the Samoyed people used the dogs as sled and draught animals and to guard and drive reindeer herds.
The standard calls the Samoyed a double-coated dog, with an undercoat of soft, short, thick, closed wool and longer, harsher hair growing through it. It says that “as their work lies in the cold climate,” the coat should be heavy and weather-resistant, with quality counting for more than quantity. Males stand 53.25 to 59.75 cm at the withers and females 48.25 to 54.5 cm. The AKC page describes the breed as “powerful, tireless.”
Newfoundland
The CKC says the breed originated in Newfoundland from dogs native to the island and from big black bear dogs introduced by the Vikings in 1001 AD. The standard says the large size, heavy coat and webbed feet let the dog “withstand the rigours of the extreme climate and sea” while serving as both a lifeguard and a draught animal.
It describes a water-resistant double coat: a moderately long, straight outer coat over a soft, dense undercoat that is less dense in summer. Average adult height is 71 cm for dogs and 66 cm for bitches, and average weight is 68 kg and 54.5 kg. It is the largest breed in this guide.
Bernese Mountain Dog
The Bernese takes its name from the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. The CKC says it is one of the four Swiss tricolour Sennenhunde breeds and the only one with a long coat. It descends from all-purpose farm dogs that guarded farms and did droving, herding and drafting work.
The adult coat is thick and moderately long, straight or slightly wavy, weather-resistant and easily kept, with a soft seasonal undercoat. Dogs measure 62.25 to 69.75 cm at the withers and bitches 58.5 to 66 cm. The AKC page calls the breed “big, powerful, and built for hard work,” and adds that Berners are “generally placid” but “always up for a romp.”
Questions
Which of these breeds have a double coat?
The CKC standards describe a double coat for the Siberian Husky, Samoyed and Newfoundland. The Malamute’s standard describes a coarse guard coat over a dense, woolly undercoat, and the Bernese’s a weather-resistant coat with a soft seasonal undercoat.
How cold can they go?
The sources we read don’t give temperature figures, so we haven’t either. The Samoyed standard says its coat should be heavy and weather-resistant because its work lies in the cold climate.
Does a breed’s origin tell me what gear to buy?
Not from the pages we read. They cover coat, size and work, not clothing or boots, so we haven’t added gear-fit notes. Use a maker’s own sizing chart for your dog.
How we chose
We picked five breeds whose Canadian Kennel Club standards describe a cold-climate origin or a thick, weather-resistant coat, and read each standard on 26 Oct 2026. We added the AKC breed page where it said something useful about energy. We haven’t met these breeds for this guide, and we’ve left out health, grooming and temperature claims because we didn’t find them in the sources we read. This is a summary of breed standards, not a recommendation for any one dog. No links here earn us a commission.
