Dogs Used in Dog Sleds

A top-notch sled dog needs the endurance to travel up to 80 miles in a single day, the speed to travel more than 20 miles per hour and the strength to pull more than 85 lb. across unforgiving arctic landscapes.

Sled Dog Breeds

For dogsled racing, the most popular breed is the Alaskan husky, but several different dog breeds can get the job done, including Alaskan Malamutes, Canadian Eskimo dogs and any number of crossbreeds. From 1988 to 1991, a team of poodles even managed to compete in the famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Teamwork

Teams of sled dogs are usually harnessed and hitched in pairs to a sled or sleigh so that they can work in tandem. Teams consist of anywhere between three and 24 dogs. The human driver of the team is know as the "musher."

The Iditarod

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual sled dog competition through the Alaskan wilderness. Officially launched in 1973, the Iditarod pits teams of mushers and dogs against one another in a 1,161-mile race from Willow to Nome.

Balto, the World's Most Famous Sled Dog

The course of the Iditarod traces the trail blazed by Gunner Kassen and his lead sled dog, Balto, who, in 1925, traveled the 1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome to deliver the medicine needed to quell a potentially disastrous outbreak of diphtheria. Balto instantly became a national hero.

Fun Facts

Native Americans relied on sled dogs to haul food and protect herds of reindeer. In 1896, sled dogs helped fuel the Alaskan Gold Rush by transporting supplies and bonanza gold.

References

• Sled Dogs and Dog Sleds

Resources

• Official Site of the Iditarod