The Role of Sled Dogs

Today's sled dogs compete in races instead of hauling cargo.

The role of sled dogs has changed over the years due to the emergence of other transportation systems that can contend with the icy terrain that these dogs once claimed as their exclusive territory. While the older type of Alaskan Husky required tremendous strength to move heavy cargo for many miles, Yukon Quest states that the modern breed optimized for racing instead of hauling weights 35 to 70 lbs. and must possess speed and athleticism as well as strength.

Origins

Modern sled dogs can trace their occupation back thousands of years to the ancient worldwide practice of using dogs to haul people or cargo, according to Yukon Quest. In North America, natives bred the Athabascan Indians’ dogs with Eskimo dogs that lived along the Pacific Coast to create their traditional sled dog, the Alaskan Husky. Russian traders of the 1800s found these dogs to possess greater strength and stamina than their own sled dogs and began using the Husky exclusively for sled dog teams.

Significance

Sled dogs played a vital role in the transportation of people, goods and information across the frozen Yukon, especially during the Gold Rush period of the 19th century when prospectors flocked to possible gold sources, unwilling to wait for the river passages to thaw. Sled dogs allowed for continuous transportation throughout the winter months, and, according to Yukon Quest, they represented the only way to get vital information or supplies from one town to another in many areas.

Jobs

As a principal means of transportation, sled dogs often moved heavy cargo loads as well as drivers, with the drivers adding more dogs for heavier loads. These dogs might find themselves transporting medicines, mail, food and other supplies or items for trade, accompanied by doctors, trappers, workers or merchants. A famous series of sled-dog relays saved a remote village with no incoming roads from a diphtheria outbreak in 1925, according to Northern Wilds.

Changes

The rise of modern transportation methods forced an evolution in the sled dogs’ role. Beginning in the 1920s, mail planes took on the task of conveying written communications to remote snowbound areas, according to Yukon Quest. Sled dogs lost further significance in the mid-20th century with the development of highways, trucks and snowmobiles. People who loved the tradition and wished to preserve it decided to remodel the role of sled dogs into a recreational one with the development of sled dog races and wilderness tours.

Modern Role

Today’s sled dogs must have speed as well as strength and stamina to compete in the many sled dog races held every year. Yukon Quest states that when the role of sled dog teams shifted toward racing, team owners began breeding for speed by introducing the smaller Siberian Husky into the ranks of the traditional Alaskan Huskies, which still sees general purpose in its new cross-bred form. These dogs thrill racing audiences with displays of their teamwork and spirit in running under the harness of a skilled “musher.”

References

• Yukon Quest: The Modern Sled Dog
• Yukon Quest: Sled Dogs in the North
• Northern Wilds: Dog Sledding History