Dog Sledding Articles

Sled Dog Breeds - the Fleet of Foot

Sled dog breeds are characterized by endurance, strength, and intelligence. They are usually medium to larger dogs, with a very muscular build, and have helped mankind transport supplies in times before the automobile.

Nowadays, sled dog breeds are found as pets, as well as trained to participate in sled dog racing.

Sled dogs were developed to withstand very low temperatures. Their coats have a double layer, with the undercoat acting as insulation against the ice and snow. Because they have such thick coats, they need regular brushing and grooming. They also shed a lot, especially at the beginning of summer when they lose a lot of their undercoat. This could be a problem for people with dog allergies.

Traditional sled dog breeds include the Siberian Husky, the Alaskan Malamute, the Chinook, the Sakhalin Husky, the Canadian Eskimo dog, the Seppala Siberian sled dog, the Tamaskan husky, the Samoyed, the Eurohound, the Mackenzie River husky, and the Greenland dog.

Whilst these dogs were purpose bred, many other breeds have been used, including mixed breeds. These days, that tradition lives on in sled dog racing, where the most popular breeds include the Alaskan Husky, and various cross breeds, often based on the German Shorthaired Pointer. However, many breeds have been used, including the poodle!

Alaskan huskies are favored in modern sled dog races because they are faster than traditional breeds like the Alaskan malamute or the samoyed. They are not as strong, but in sled dog racing where speed is important, and the distances are shorter, Alaskan huskies were found to perform better.

Alaskan husky dogs are not a recognized breed. They are bred for their performance, and so they cannot be easily characterized as a breed. Alaskan husky dogs represent a variety of types with different lines. They are hybrid dogs - a husky with another breed, that is determined by the needs and ideas of the breeders. A husky may be bred with a wolf, setters, or any other breed that can bring genetic advantages in speed and endurance.

Sled dog racing is a winter and fall sport where the sled dogs are attached to a sled (or a 3 or 4 wheeled cart in autumn), and pull the driver along. The driver stands on runners. The dogs are harnessed individually, with tug lines attached that are linked into a central gang line. The dogs are linked in pairs, and there are up to 22 dogs in a racing team. Teams race either against the clock, and a winner then announced, or against each other in a seemingly chaotic race. There are dog sled races in three categories - short distance, middle distance, and long distance.

Like the sled dog breeds themselves, the sport of sled dog racing has seen some interesting adaptions to modern times and different climates. In Australia, for example, where there is very little snow, even in winter, sled dog races are held. Here, modified scooters are used, and racing is done on dirt tracks. Australian sled dog racers tend to use all sorts of dogs as sled dogs, including kelpies, english pointers, and red heelers.

By: Rebecca Prescott

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Rebecca Prescott presents this site with information on dogs, with articles on the Alaskan Malamute sled dog breed, and purebred Siberian Husky dogs.

Training a Sled Dog

Sled dogs are a group of dogs that are used to pull a vehicle that has no wheels but is set on runners over terrains of ice and snow. Sled dogs are attached to these vehicles by harnesses and lines. It is said that the origins of sled dogs can be traced back to Siberia as the people that live there have a long history of nomadic travel due to rather harsh winters.

There are certain breeds of dogs that are synonymous with being sled dogs. These dogs being Huskies and Malamutes although just about any medium sized dog would be suitable to be a sled dog.

Dogs that are selected to be sled dogs need to exhibit three main qualities. First of all they need to be in peak physical condition and be able to pull a sled, they need to have the endurance to be able to pull a sled over sometimes great distances and they need to have the speed in order to do the task of pulling the sled quickly. There are many teams of sled dogs that have been able to travel over one hundred miles in a twenty four hour period of time.

Teams of sled dogs can range from three dogs to a team of two dozen dogs. Sled dog teams not only pull several different types of sleds for racing and other transporting purposes they have also been known to pull skiers when there is little to no snow.

Pups that are being trained to be sled dogs are weaned from their mother as soon as possible in order to shift their attentions to their musher. They are at about six weeks old shifted from their mother into their own pen in order to accomplish this.

When pups that are being trained to be sled dogs are around five months old they are already running around with the lope that is characteristic of a sled dog and is also the time when they are first introduced to a harness.

There are many methods in which pups learn to be sled dogs. A very common method is to harness up to a dozen pups behind a pair of experienced older sled dogs and control the speed that they go with the use of an atv. The speed that the older dogs are allowed to go is gradually increased as the pups’ endurance and strength continues to increase.

People are amazed that sled dogs are so excited to be able to pull a sled over long periods of time and generally over very rough terrain. Mushers can attribute this to the very early interactions that they have with the pups that builds such a strong relationship between themselves and the dogs so very early in their lives.

By: Gray Rollins

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Gray Rollins is a featured writer for DogTeachers.com - a great site for dog training. Learn more about training sled dogs and learn which dogs are easy to train - stop by and visit us today.