Prior to the formation of sled dog racing as a formal sport, sled dogs
were bred and used by native peoples of the polar regions of the world
in their everyday lives for survival in harsh climates. Two dogs
commonly employed in sledding are Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian
Huskies. These two breeds had quite different origins and uses.
Alaskan Malamutes originated with a group of Eskimo people known as
the Mahlemiut. The dogs of that time were very large freighting dogs,
capable of pulling heavy weight. The Mahlemiut people inhabited the
region in the upper part of the Anvik River in Alaska, and were spread
out over a large area. The Mahlemiut people used these dogs for
hauling food back to the villages. The gold rush in 1896 created a
high demand for these dogs. On the other hand, Siberian Huskies
originated with the Chuckchi people of northeastern Siberia. These
people had a Stone Age culture and used their dogs for a variety of
things, like herding reindeer and pulling loads. These dogs were
smaller and faster than their Mahlemiut counterparts. These dogs were
exported to Alaska at around the time of the gold rush. Thus the gold
rush played a very important role in the development of our modern day
sled dog breeds.
Sled dog racing began as a formal sport with the first All-Alaska
Sweepstakes race in 1908. Prior to this, Alaska's mushers had little
opportunity for recreation and they used their teams primarily for
work and transportation. Rules for the races were established, and
they provided a good diversion to the difficult living conditions. In
the 1920's, airplanes were gradually replacing sled dog teams for
transportation, freight hauling, and mail delivery. In 1925, sled dogs
proved that they were invaluable during the "Great Race of Mercy to
Nome." In Nome, an outbreak of diphtheria threatened to become a fatal
epidemic. A 20lb package of antitoxin serum needed to be relayed from
Nenana to Nome. Twenty drivers and more than 100 dogs were recruited
for the run. Planes were ruled out due to extreme cold (40 below and
colder) and if the plane crashed, the serum would be lost. Serum was
transported from Anchorage to Nenana by train. The drive was a
success, the serum was delivered and lives were saved. The drive
covered some 674 miles in less than five and a half days. This, along
with the simple commemoration of the uses of the Iditarod trail, is
the origin of the Iditarod sled dog race.
Types of sled dogs
Naturally, most northern breeds were used as sled dogs. Alaskan
Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, Eskimo Dogs, Greenlands, Samoyeds,
Norrbottenspets, and Hokkaidokens are all sled dogs. However, lots of
different breeds of dogs have been and are used to drive sleds and
carts.
People use Irish Setters, Dalmations, Golden Retrievers, etc., to
enjoy mushing sports. In fact, most modern day speed and endurance
mushers use mixed breeds (often Siberian crossed with Greyhound). So,
if you do not have a "sled dog," but still want to enjoy the sport,
fear not, for most any type of dog can be used. Mushing is fun, both
to take part in and simply to watch.
Mushing terms
Contrary to common belief, the word "mush" is not used to drive sled
dogs. Mush comes from the French word "marche" which is from the verb
"marcher" which means to walk. Undoubtedly, the French used this
during gold rush days. The word "mush" is felt to be too "soft" a
sound to be used as a command. Below is a short list of common
commands and terms associated with dog driving sports.
Hike : Get the dogs moving
Gee : Turn right
Haw : Turn left
Easy : Slow down
Musher : One that drives sled dogs
Mushing : The act of driving sled dogs
Lead dog : Dog that steers the sled dog team and
regulates speed
Wheel dog : Dogs closest to the sled
Sled : Wooden rig the dogs pull in the snow and
on which you stand
Snowless rigs : Also called training carts. Take the
place of the sled when there is no snow.
There are many other terms common to dog driving sports. One book that
has a very good glossary in it is _Dog Driver_, by Miki and Julie
Collins. See the references section for a complete citation.
Mushing equipment
The types of mushing equipment alone could cover many pages: only the
main points are covered here. The references listed at the end of this
section provide additional information.
There are two main types of sleds -- basket sleds and toboggan sleds.
Basket sleds (also called stanchion sleds) are popular among sprint
racers and recreational mushers. They are fast on glare ice and hard
pack trails, and are also good in high wind conditions. They are
lightweight, and the basket is set high off the runners, which can
keep gear dry. Toboggan sleds are more durable and stable than the
basket sleds, and they are capable of carrying bigger loads. They are
more rigid and generally less maneuverable than basket sleds. The bed
of the toboggan rides two inches above the snow. These sleds handle
soft snow better than their basket counterparts. Both types of sleds
are equipped with a brake, which is a vital item. The brake is very
simple, consisting of a spring loaded wood plank attached to the sled
bed at one end and a metal hook at the other. When riding the sled,
standing on the runners, one simply pushes down on the brake, driving
the hook into the snow. It is an effective method of slowing and
stopping the sled.
So, which sled? It depends on what you want to do. Basket sleds are
lighter and more suitable for racing. Racing trails are groomed and
hard packed for speed. They can be used for longer trips and camping.
However, to carry more gear and run in softer snow conditions, a
toboggan sled would be better. For the novice and/or once-in-a-while
musher, the basket sled is the best choice. They are generally cheaper
and easier to learn on.
In order to have your dog pull the sled, it must have a proper
harness. There are many, but two main types of harnesses are the
x-back and the freighting, or weight pulling harness. For speed or
recreational mushing, the x-back harness is the harness of choice. The
harness is extremely important as it properly distributes the weight
of the load across the dog's muscular-skeleto system. Of all the
components of mushing, the harness is the most important. The x-back
harness is sometimes referred to as a racing harness, but it is NOT
strictly used for racing. As long as the load is not too heavy, the
x-back is used for a wide variety of dog driving activities. The
harness should should be padded around the front and fit the dog very
well. Unfortunately, a picture is not possible, and without that, it
is a little difficult to visualize. See the references for additional
details.
The weight pulling harness is used to haul heavier loads. Therefore,
one would expect to see freighting harnesses used in conjunction with
toboggan sleds. They are also used in competitive weight pulling. They
are similar to the x-back harness, except that they are constructed to
give the dog different freedom of movement and different distribution
of the load. The freighting harness has one very important feature
that the x-back harness does not. At the rear of the harness, there is
a "spacer", usually a wooden rod that is about as long as the dog is
wide. While pulling heavy loads, the rod is well away from the back of
the dogs rear legs. For recreational mushers, this wooden rod can be
somewhat irritating for the dog as it will hit the back of the dogs
legs when not loaded. Consider what you are going to do with the
dog(s) before purchasing or making a harness.
The line that runs from the sled to the dogs is called a _gang line_.
They are simple to construct yourself once you understand their
function and geometry. The gang line consists of three components. The
first is the _tow line_, which is typically 3/8 inch polyethelene
rope. It connects to the sled and runs up _between_ the dogs which are
hitched side by side on either side of the towline. To this, the _tug
lines_ are attached. These lines are typically 1/4 inch poly rope and
are "braided" into the tow line. The tug lines attach to the harnesses
(which are on the dogs!). The final component is the _neck line_. The
neck line is also 1/4 inch poly rope and is braided into the tow line.
The end of the neck line attaches to the dog's collar. The dog does
NOT pull from this under ANY circumstances. The function of the neck
line is to keep the dogs close to the tow line, thereby maximizing
their pull strength. When out on the trail, you always want to have a
spare gang line, as the dogs may break theirs, or a tangle may become
so severe that the line must be cut to free the dogs!
The next component of mushing equipment is the snow hook. The snow
hook is essentially an "emergency brake" for the sled. When you stop
the sled, and must get off to untangle dogs or rest or something, you
can set the snow hook in the snow and it will hold the dogs (and
therefore the sled) in place. They are remarkably effective. They are
simple: a large, heavy, metal hook, weighing a couple of pounds and
about 12 inches in length. These can be purchased from a variety of
places. It is very important to attach the hook to the rear of the
gangline, not the sled. A strong team of dogs can very easily tear a
sled to pieces if the sled is between the hook and the dogs.
The last pieces of equipment to mention are the sled bag and dog
booties. The sled bag can be used to carry an injured dog or gear. In
an ISDRA sanctioned sled dog race, sled bags are a required piece of
equipment. They can be made or purchased. Dog booties are used to
protect the dogs feet from injury, particularly on long journeys. They
are typically used when mushing on rough ice, when mushing along
roadways where chemicals from de-icing can be present, or when driving
the dogs on a snowless rig on a hard surface. Booties can be made or
purchased.
How about the cost? Well, it varies, of course. The numbers below are
typical.
Sled : $300.00 - 500.00
Harness : $15.00 - 18.00
Ganglines : $10.00
Sled Bags : $25.00
Snow Hook : $10.00
Booties : $1.00 (per paw)
The references section includes the names, addresses, and phone
numbers of some outfitters that sell this type of equipment.
Skijoring equipment
Skijoring really only requires six simple components. A skier (you!),
a dog (or dogs!), an x-back harness, a tow line, padded belt, and
cross country skis. You MUST know how to cross country ski VERY well
to do this. The harness has been discussed previously, there is no
need to discuss the skis, and the tow line is just that -- a line that
connects you to the dog(s). This leaves the padded belt. These can be
purchased or made. The idea is that you put the belt on, attach the
tow line to it, attach the dogs to it, and go! Some people prefer to
use a handle to hang on to rather than attach the dogs to them. The
handle can then be dropped if the dogs pull you into trouble! Others
feel that it is best to use a belt and execute a controlled fall in
case of trouble rather than risk having the dogs injure themselves in
a tangle when a handle is dropped.
Carol Kaynor adds that the use of a shock cord (aka bungee cord) is
recommended in the skijoring line. It is an important enhancement over
a regular towline and is easier on both the dog's back and the skier's
back. Also recommended is a quick-release system of some sort between
the belt and the line, for safety's sake. In Fairbanks, a "quick point
of detachment" is actually written into the race rules for skijoring.
Weight pulling equipment
The name of the game here is truly the harness. As discussed above,
the weight pulling harness is completely different from the x-back
harness, and THEY ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE! The weight pulling harness
has side lines that connect to a spreader bar at the hock, instead of
continuing up to the hips. This is important, because a single dog
weighing 60 lbs may pull 2000 lbs!
Other equipment
Many mushers have a wheeled cart for training in the fall prior to
snow fall. In areas with insufficient snow, these carts are used in
competition. These can be purchased or made by a good welder. Carts
are a lot of fun, but are difficult to come by, they can be difficult
to control, and they go _very_ fast with enthusiastic dogs.
Some people use pulks in the snow and carts in the summer to work
their dogs. Carts are small "wagons" that are used to haul small loads
or children. Pulks are carts for the snow (they are like small sleds).
They are used to carry equipment. Carts and pulks can be made or
bought.
Training the musher
Dog driving is not merely riding on the back of the sled issuing
commands to steer the dogs. It is work! If you start doing it in
earnest, you will pull muscles, fall off the sled and have to pull
yourself back on the runners with one hand, run yourself ragged
chasing after the team (because you fell off of the sled), run into
trees, and so on. In addition to these things, a musher must "peddle"
the sled. This too can be tiring since it is repetitive. Peddling is
pushing the sled forward with one foot while riding the sled. This is
helpful to the dogs, particularly when tired. You may also frequently
get off to run alongside when the dogs are tired. Therefore, to
successfully drive sled dogs, the musher must train his or her body as
well. Conditioning of the musher is to a small extent a function of
the type of mushing to be done. The key is endurance and flexibility
over muscle bulk. Running, biking, cross country skiing and downhill
skiing are all good ways to build strength. You must remember that at
all times, you are alpha. If you are tired, hesitant, and uncertain,
your team will pick this up and become confused and unresponsive. This
can be particularly dangerous on longer journeys into the wilderness.
It should be clear from this that dogs in a sled dog team must be very
well bonded to the driver. Not only does it make training much easier,
but well socialized, well bonded dogs make a very good sled dog team.
The dogs are looking to you as their undisputed leader, and you and
they work together as a _team_. If you are careful to bond to each of
your dogs as individuals, and socialize them very well with each
other, other dogs, and other humans, your dogs will be willing to do
virtually anything for you.
Training dogs to pull
There are many aspects to training dogs to pull. Probably the most
fundamental is _start young_. Get a puppy used to its harness, just as
you would a collar and leash. Also let the puppy get used to pulling
things. Start out with a small 2x4 (6 inches long) and let it drag the
2x4 around behind its harness for a while. The emphasis is NOT on
weight, just on having fun dragging a VERY LIGHT weight behind it. It
is important to realize that one can injure a puppy's bones,
structure, and spirit by doing too much!
To train adult dogs, or continue the puppy training as an adult, is
relatively simple. Some dogs are natural pullers, others are not. Some
dogs take right to the harness the first time, and other dogs, even
ones from reputable breeders, may take extensive training. You just
never know.
It is vital to get the dog to lean out and keep the line between it
and you taut. Some dogs have a real problem with this, others do not.
For problem dogs, the cause usually is due to the dog not liking you
to be behind it. If you do have trouble, there are a variety of
methods you can use. As long as you make training a fun game, and you
make the dog understand what you want it to do, training will progress
quickly, even for stubborn dogs, like Siberians. Fortunately, they
LIKE to pull, so their stubbornness is not a problem here. Sometimes
getting them to STOP pulling is!
Some mushers feel that it is best to train dogs to pull lots of
weight, then speed comes naturally in a race without the weight.
Others feel that speed and endurance training is best. Still others
feel that a combination works best, similar to the combination
training for the musher. Training for speed and endurance by mushing
shorter distances (under 10 miles, sometimes even 3 or 4 miles) at top
speed and up hills is beneficial. Loping along at 3 or 4 miles an hour
for 15 or 20 miles is also beneficial. Both of these build strength
and endurance. Pulling heavy weight for short distances is also quite
good, particularly for wheel dogs (the ones hitched closest to the
sled). For this, try a plastic tub to which you can add plastic
weights (the ones from barbell sets will have the weights printed on
them).
Whichever method you use, remember to take it easy with your dogs and
not push them to hard, and never, NEVER, lose your temper with your
dogs. Remember that this is supposed to be fun for both you and the
dogs. George Attla, a famous musher once said, "If the dogs make a
mistake while out on the trail remember that it is not the dogs that
have made the mistake. It is you." For additional training information
(with much more detail than is practical to provide here), see the
references.
Training lead dogs
To successfully mush, one must have a good lead dog (or dogs). This
dog will take your commands for regulating speed and direction for the
entire team. Naturally, if you are driving only one dog, that will be
your lead dog.
Training lead dogs is too complex to really do it justice here. The
basics are you want the dog to learn to turn right, left, speed up,
and slow down on voice command. You also want the dog to bypass
interesting detours and distractions. In addition to the basic
commands already introduced (see section 3), the dog must also be
taught the commands below:
kissing sound : Speed up (or other appropriate sound)
on-by : Go by a fork in the trail, other dogs, or
other distractions without detour
All commands are spoken in a firm, calm, not too loud voice.
During training, you must be certain to use varied turns and trails to
be sure that the dog is really executing the commands rather than
following a well worn path. You must also anticipate the turn and
issue the command at the correct time from the _dog's_ perspective.
Finally, some people get confused when issuing the right/left
commands, particularly in the excitement of a race. Some mushers tape
the commands on the front of their sleds, on the right and left sides.
You may want to do this while beginning on the sled.
To train a dog to execute these commands with regularity is not too
difficult. To train a dog to do this during the excitement of a race
with lots of distractions is more difficult. One possible way to
approach training is to start out on foot when the dog is a puppy.
Keep the lessons varied, quick, and fun. Be certain to do the lessons
in a variety of environments, with and without distractions. When the
dog is old enough to pull weight (about one year to 18 months, get
advice from your veterinarian), you may wish to graduate to cross
country skiis. The dog will learn to execute commands in snowy
conditions, and at higher speeds. Once you have your lead dog well
trained and pulling your sled, you will find that other untrained,
young, dogs can be very easily added to your team as your lead dog
will "correct" the new dog's mistakes, usually faster and better than
you can.
This is one way in which lead dogs can be trained. Consult the
references and experienced mushers (if you can find any) for
additional information.
Training for weight pulling
Here emphasis is on strength and pulling straight no matter how
difficult. Most of the mushing books in the references discuss weight
pulling training.
Training for skijoring
Skijoring is you on cross country skis and the dogs pulling you. YOU
MUST BE A VERY GOOD CROSS COUNTRY SKIER. This is a must. Before
attaching dogs, cross country ski all over the place, on a wide
variety of terrain. Learn to fall in a controlled way. You will
eventually need to do this when skijoring. You will need to learn to
turn quickly and ski in control at high speeds. Skiing downhill in
cross country skis is a good way to simulate skijoring speeds.
The dog(s) must be well trained as well. Train all of them as lead
dogs. They need to know and obey all of the commands very well
(especially whoa!). The references all include information about this
fast growing sport.
Health, diet, and care -- Sled Dog Specifics (briefly)
Sled dogs are athletes. They are also remarkably healthy. It is
important to realize that because sled dogs are athletes, they require
special attention in at least two specific areas.
Probably one of the most important aspects for caring for sled dogs is
the foot. You should inspect your dog's feet regularly. The skin of
the pad should feel tough, but pliable, be resistant to abrasions and
lacerations, and be free from cracks, dryness, or scarring. Also
inspect the nails of the foot carefully. Nails can help the dog grip
ice, but if too long, they can cause serious foot injury. According to
Miki Collins in _Dog Driver_, if the nails are long enough to force
the toes upward when the dog is standing on a hard, level surface,
clip them. Nails that are too long can get caught and ripped out on
the trail, or they can cause toes to break. Both of these injuries can
be quite serious, and they are certainly painful.
The subject of diet should also be touched on here. Most mushers feed
a high stress, high energy diet during mushing season, and switch to a
"maintenance" diet during the "off" season. For example, one
experienced musher mixes Science Diet Performance dry with canned
during mushing season. This is a high fat, high protein food. Some
mushers even mix food in with lots of water hours before a race to
encourage drinking. Dogs must be very well hydrated. During the off
season, the musher in this example feeds Science Diet Maintenance
canned mixed with either Science Diet Maintenance dry or Eukanuba dry.
During the mushing season, the dogs are using all components of the
food that is fed. During the off season, there is no need for such
high energy food, and in fact, high protein foods