About Training Sleds

Present day recreational dog sledding has roots in 3,000 years of necessity.

Few--aside from the steadfast arctic gaze of Northern Siberia--know the true origin of dog sledding. A recent DNA analysis performed at the University of California credits this to the "intervening in the breeding patterns" by humans, which escalated domesticity of dogs over 15,000 years ago. Unlike traditional modern day-sled dogs, which have strayed very little from their original genes, sled designs have changed with the pace of technology.

Aesthetic Changes

The earliest Siberian dog sleds were often composed of either "whale and caribou bones," or various kinds of wood. Though the structural integrity of the modern dog sled stems from its original blueprint, dog sleds are now made of wood, canvas or plastic. The runners, or bottom skis of the sled, have also aesthetically changed since their genesis. Less accepted by mushers are steel and aluminum runners that create the "equivalent of setting an anchor" in their knack of picking up dog droppings and other debris when frozen.

Two Ways to Ride

The Gold Rush Era in the 1900s Alaskan Yukon altered the dog sled's original basket blueprint into a toboggan design capable of slower, but safer hauling. Unlike the toboggan, which does not mount directly on runners, the basket sled sits higher, enabling drier and faster movement. This was especially significant in the Yukon where "everything that moved during the frozen season," including medical supplies and mail, "moved by dog team," according to Yukon Quest, sponsors of an annual International Dog Sled Race.

Dog Sled Anatomy

Whether by toboggan or basket, the anatomy of the dog sled is continuous. Aside from the runners and cargo bed, which holds the musher's supplies, dog sleds have towlines that connect sled dogs to the sled, bumpers, handlebars, and footboards for standing. A foot brake with two metal claws sits near the musher's feet for easy braking; there is no way to steer a dog sled other than using dog commands of "gee" and "haw" and leaning to the left or right.

History

The earliest dog sleds are attributed to the Chukchi tribe of northeastern Siberia, where sled dogs were a constant necessity for survival three thousand years ago due to their ability to perform "hard work" in "very low temperatures." As Siberians settled in Alaska, having crossed the Bering Strait around the first century, they did so with their Siberian Huskies. This accounts for the consistencies of later Inuit dog sled designs and their predecessors.

Dog Sledding Today

Dog sledding is still a valuable resource for many Inuit tribes.

With the advent of the snowmobile, present-day dog sledding is often viewed as sport before necessity. Dog sledding races such as the Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race held in Alaska have gained popularity since the 1970s, inspiring a domino effect across the northern United States, "northern Europe, the United Kingdom, and Japan." Recreational tours and the latest hybrid, skijoring, or being pulled by a dog sled team while on skis, occur regularly in Maine. The indigenous Mahlemiut Eskimos of northern Alaska still rely on sled dogs for daily tasks.

References

• The New York Times: New Finding Puts Origins of Dogs in Middle East
• The Parrins Rainy Pass Lodge: History and Information About the Iditarod
• Village Science: Dog Sleds
• Yukon Quest: Sled Dogs in the North
• PBS: Animal Guide: Husky