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Whether this is your first introduction
to sled dogs, or you have visited a sled  dog
kennel or attended a sled dog sporting event, you may be interested in some of
the facts about sled dogs that mushers (dog team trainers & racers) don't
seem to have the time to explain because of their preoccupation with their
dogs. This is especially true oat sled dog races where the driver's entire
attention is on his dogs...prior to, during and following the race. The
come first, last and always.
Although many sled dogs make good pets,
they are not exactly like other domesticated breeds. They come from a long
tradition of running in harness. being part of a team fulfills their
"pack" instinct, and to the sled dog's way of thinking, this is the
most important, most exhilarating part of his life.
Other sled dogs are the sled
dog's "best friends", and he enjoys nothing better than to run with
his friends. He and his teammates naturally accept the leadership of
the dog which has proven its capability at the front of the team. Unlike
old tales that would have you believe that lead dogs fight for their
superior position...they don't. The earn it in training by
exhibiting their enthusiasm and intelligence.
The "ultimate" leader if the
dog team is the human being on the runners of the sled...the one who cares for
the dogs, protects them, houses them, feeds them and best of all, takes them out
as a team for training and racing runs. A team of dogs is much stronger
than any single person can control physically, but by being fair, consistent and
considerate, the driver earns the respect of his dogs which willingly respond to
his every command.
In order to earn a team's trust, the
driver must truly love and appreciate his dogs and share in their joy as
"partners" on a running sled dog team. Otherwise, the
responsibility of maintaining and training a team of dogs can be pure
drudgery. Even for the most conscientious dog driver and kennel owner,
there are no guarantees of glory and awards awaiting him at the end of the
trail.
There are sled dog teams all over the
world, some composed of as little as one dog. Others number in the teens
and twenties, and whether it is a one-dog team or a twenty-two-dog team, each
animal demands individual attention and care. Only the person who loves
and respects dogs can provide that kind of time and dedication.
Everything that the driver does for his
dogs will determine what they will do for him. If he does not earn their
trust as their leader, the dogs will elect "their own" leader...one of
their own kind. When that happens, the dogs become a "pack"
instead of a "team", so it is the wise trainer who does all that he
can to maintain a healthy kennel of happy dogs that can place their confidence
in him.
Competitive sled dogs are among the
best housed, trained, fed and conditioned canine athletes in the
world. They receive veterinary care that
compares with the medical care offered to Olympic athletes. Each dog on
the team plays an important, individual role, so every effort is made to keep
each one in top physical and mental condition in order to keep the team
together.
All rules governing sled dog
competition -- whether it is team racing, skijoring, weight pulling or
cross-country trekking -- are designed to maintain the well-being of the dogs as
a top priority and secondly, to provide a fair contest. All competitors
belong to one sled-dog organization or another, and all of them were created to
promote humane contests where "the best team wins," but actually, none
of them are losers.
As you look at all sled dogs in kennels
and at sports arenas, you are looking at some of the best, most cared-for
athletes in the world. And unlike many other dogs who don't have a choice,
they can do what they like to do most under the safe supervision of a "good
master".
It may be a dog's life...but sled dogs
wouldn't have it any other way.
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