Dogsledding

Author: Kathleen Seiler Neary

Rating: ****

Throughout history dogsledding has been used as an effective mode of transportation, whether it be a search and rescue, an arctic expedition or simply to carry goods.  However in modern day it can be done recreationally, there are even dogsledding races! The race events vary from endurance to sprints to weight pulls.  Some rules for endurance races are that a musher must enter 12-16 dogs, and at the end there must be at least six dogs when crossing the finish line. During these races the team might run 5 to 12 miles per hour, for 6 to 8 hours straight! Sled dogs are usually a mix between Eskimo dogs and Alaskan Huskies, and are bred for leadership qualities, mental stamina, strength and speed. The last quality is largely valued, as well as intelligence, because they can create excellent lead dogs, who run in the front of the pack. Next, after the lead dogs, are the swing dogs that turn the pack, the rest are team dogs, and then at the very end are wheel dogs with the brut strength. When race day comes, the dogsledding team eats up to 2,000 pounds of food! Equipment for this sport includes: appropriate clothing for the musher, a sled, collars, harnesses, rigging (a series of lines) and fabric booties to protect the dogs feet from the elements, in one race a dog sledding team may go through 2,000 booties!  Although there are ropes connecting the dogs, they do not respond to the reins, they respond to vocal commands given by the musher. For instance, “hike” means to go, “easy” to slow down,  “straight on” to continue straight and “whoa” to stop.  Bred from a young age and conditioned in to strong sled dogs, when they reach the age of retirement they are often adopted in to loving homes, as they are gentle animals and are wonderful companions.  Overall this article has encouraged me to try dogsledding, as it has long been a dream of mine. Additionally, it gave me insight in to the extensive training, physical and mental, that the dogs complete in order to work well as a team, musher included.  One thing I did not realize prior to reading this article was that the dogs also require equipment to protect them from the harsh terrain. This sport takes time, stamina and technique to master, while also fostering companionships with your dogs. Dogsledding appears to be a completely unique escapade that I would love to one-day experience.    

Seiler Neary , Kathleen. "How Sled Dogs Work." HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. <http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/snow-sports/sled-dog.htm>.