Let's talk about these dog that have been labeled "Sled Dogs". Sled dogs have been a part of Alaska's history longer than the white man. Some of the first dogs used by the native Inuits on the very north shores of Alaska were the malamutes. They were used for hauling and babysitting village children. Often the dogs were taken out on the ice for seal fishing to pull the catch through the hole cut into the ice, out of the ocean and across the ice to the sled. They are historically unchanged for the past 1000 years. Their feet are webbed which prevents snow from balling up in their pads. They also have long thick nails which combined with their webbed feet allow them to grip the snowy and icy ground surface. They are double coated with a very thick and soft undercoat which provides insulation. The outer coat tends to be somewhat oily to repel moisture. They are heavy-bodied and known for their strength and endurance rather than speed.
Natives used their dogs to haul kills such as whales, seals, bears, caribou, reindeer, and the like from their hunts. The natives had a subsistence lifestyle and many of the remote villages still survive in that manner today. The dogs became a vital part of survival in that they had the endurance to survive in the extremest of cold weather, and they could travel long distances.
When gold was discovered in Alaska, the white man came from other parts of the world to try to strike it rich. While the white man recognized and respected the use of the dogs for pulling and hauling, they became concerned about speed in order to haul equipment and supplies in and out of the mined areas. They then introduced the Siberian Husky. These doges were smaller, faster and also adapted to cold weather.
Initially, the dogs which were used for pulling sleds were larger, stockier and heavier than the current recreational sled dogs. We took the opportunity to visit the Nome Alaskan Museum. (Suggested donations were $1 per person which we were happy to give!) While the museum is quite small, it is full of artifacts, photographs and written memorabilia about the area, the culture and history. One of the artifacts in the museum is the preserved dog known as "Fritz". Fritz was a beautiful dog who became the foundation stud of the Siberian Husky as we know them today.
Fritz was a sled dog who was also a competitor. Fritz is pictured above in his present day form and as he appeared below in 1928 when he led Seppela's team on one of the longest relays when the anti-toxin serum was being delivered by dog sleds to Nome to stop the diphtheria epidemic. What a gorgeous hero! We also recognize all the other hero dogs who bravely carried the serum to the ill residents but not all of the dogs' individual histories have been recorded. I confess that after reading The Cruelest Miles, I learned about the history of the sled dog and have a very high level of respect for the mushers who breed, care for, train and love these dogs.
While dogs were a vital part of the natives' survival, they were also kept as pets and became family members. These dogs were also used - and I hate to use the term 'used' - for competitions. This sport became popular around the early 1900's, especially in Nome. The All Alaska Dog Sled Race was a sport that recognized not only the heartiness and strength of the huskies, but also their speed. The race is still run to this day. It is hard to find a picture of the native culture in the 1800 and 1900's without seeing dogs in harness pulling a sled loaded with furs or staples, with the musher all dressed in his parka made of various fur pelts standing on the back of the sled.
Today's sled dogs are direct descendants of the Siberian Husky. They are smaller, generally 40-55 pounds, multi-colored and hearty. While they are bred specifically to run, this trait is actually inherent. The original Siberian Husky was bred with doberman pinschers and Dalmatians. The result is the Alaskan Husky which strongly resembles - a mutt! They are literally born to run! Today's mushers look for and breed for specific traits. For example, a good gait, leadership ability, sense of direction. While we watched the idle and resting dogs prior to the race, we also observed up-close expressions and abilities of the different dogs. Below is a close three-frame sequence of one dog as he was heading out onto the trail.
Today's competitive sled dogs are chosen from the musher's kennel based upon their traits. For instance, the lead dog must be fearless yet trustworthy. Thus the label, lead dog.
The lead dogs must be able to work together with his co-lead, or singly. They must be able to find the trail if it is not marked or visible; they must be able to lead the team around open holes of water across icy lakes, rivers and sea; and, they must be able to make snap decisions while in route - hesitation could be devastating and even deadly.
There may be two sets of lead dogs. The first two in lead and the next two right behind. They can be interchanged, depending on the musher's observations and discretion. The next set of dogs in the team consists of the wing dogs. These dogs follow, who else? the leaders, and they follow and obey the direction in which they are led. They pull the sled in unison.
Below is a shot of #10 Robert Bundtzen's team as it leaves Willow Lake to ascend the trail to Nome.
I do not want to give the impression that the dogs run the show, because they do not. It is the musher who trains these dogs and they in turn, develop into loyal, dedicated machines. They follow the commands of the musher. The musher may not be able to see 40 feet in front of him so he relies on the eyes and senses of the lead dogs especially in snow storms to find the trail, to decide whether to go right or left if the trail splits and the markers are down, and to be able to make sharp turns when the trail suddenly bends. The musher, however, is solely responsible for the care and safety of his animals during the race and must not intentionally put the dogs in peril. The training includes teaching the dogs the directives to which the dogs must respond. "Gee" means 'go right', "Haw" means 'go left', "On by" means 'keep going', "Whoa" means 'stop' and "Hike" means 'let's go'. The dogs also recognize "Gee around" or "Haw around" which mean go around right or left, respectively. It is, therefore, up to the lead dogs to obey and respond to the musher's commands.
By the way, it is the experienced dogs who are put in harness to train the puppies. Usually the trainers train the youngsters by acclimating the pups to the harness and then taking them on short runs. As they grow and develop, the pups are allowed to participate in longer training runs. I hesitate to state how old a dog must be in order to race but they train as would a human marathoner. A two year old dog that runs the Iditarod is still considered a yearling and it is not unusual for a 6-, 7- or 8- year old experienced dog to still be able to run the Iditarod!
When the team is harnessed and ready to go, they are visually majestic. This is Ray Reddington, Jr.who is the grandson of the race's founder. Last year, he finished 11th, his best finish yet.
The mushers transport their dogs by truck which has been customized for hauling. The dogs are transported in separate compartments which are constructed for the safety of the dog.
During long races, it is common that a dog must be dropped from the team. This could be due to any number of reasons - injury, health issues, lethargy, dehydration. When the musher removes the dog from harness between checkpoints, he will secure the dog into his sled with the dog's head peering out and then 'drop' the dog at the next checkpoint. For the Iditarod, dropped dogs are then flown by bush plane back to Anchorage, taken to the women's prison for care, then after the race is completed or if the musher scratches from the race, he or she is responsible for retrieving the dog after the race. When they are transported by bush plane after being dropped from the race, the dog is placed in a gunny sack which is comfortably cinched around his neck and securely placed for the ride to his destination. Just a little trivia from Kim! Sorry, but I do not have a picture of that!
The dogs know when it is time to run and they know when it is time to rest. At rest, they are calm, alert and patient as they await their calling. These dogs are noble, respected, loved and being allowed to do what they live to do - and that is, to run. I wish I possessed the serenity these dogs have while playing the waiting game.
These are some of the dogs of the 2011 Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race. I can't wait to see one coming across the finish line! But first, I need to tell you about Nome......
Natives used their dogs to haul kills such as whales, seals, bears, caribou, reindeer, and the like from their hunts. The natives had a subsistence lifestyle and many of the remote villages still survive in that manner today. The dogs became a vital part of survival in that they had the endurance to survive in the extremest of cold weather, and they could travel long distances.
When gold was discovered in Alaska, the white man came from other parts of the world to try to strike it rich. While the white man recognized and respected the use of the dogs for pulling and hauling, they became concerned about speed in order to haul equipment and supplies in and out of the mined areas. They then introduced the Siberian Husky. These doges were smaller, faster and also adapted to cold weather.
Initially, the dogs which were used for pulling sleds were larger, stockier and heavier than the current recreational sled dogs. We took the opportunity to visit the Nome Alaskan Museum. (Suggested donations were $1 per person which we were happy to give!) While the museum is quite small, it is full of artifacts, photographs and written memorabilia about the area, the culture and history. One of the artifacts in the museum is the preserved dog known as "Fritz". Fritz was a beautiful dog who became the foundation stud of the Siberian Husky as we know them today.
Today's sled dogs are direct descendants of the Siberian Husky. They are smaller, generally 40-55 pounds, multi-colored and hearty. While they are bred specifically to run, this trait is actually inherent. The original Siberian Husky was bred with doberman pinschers and Dalmatians. The result is the Alaskan Husky which strongly resembles - a mutt! They are literally born to run! Today's mushers look for and breed for specific traits. For example, a good gait, leadership ability, sense of direction. While we watched the idle and resting dogs prior to the race, we also observed up-close expressions and abilities of the different dogs. Below is a close three-frame sequence of one dog as he was heading out onto the trail.
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| I love looking at this dog! |
The lead dogs must be able to work together with his co-lead, or singly. They must be able to find the trail if it is not marked or visible; they must be able to lead the team around open holes of water across icy lakes, rivers and sea; and, they must be able to make snap decisions while in route - hesitation could be devastating and even deadly.
There may be two sets of lead dogs. The first two in lead and the next two right behind. They can be interchanged, depending on the musher's observations and discretion. The next set of dogs in the team consists of the wing dogs. These dogs follow, who else? the leaders, and they follow and obey the direction in which they are led. They pull the sled in unison.
Below is a shot of #10 Robert Bundtzen's team as it leaves Willow Lake to ascend the trail to Nome.
The last two dogs in the team are the wheel dogs. They are generally somewhat larger and stronger than the other dogs. They also have speed but they are closer to the sled for that last 'pull'! and they turn the sleds around bends and curves on the trail.
By the way, it is the experienced dogs who are put in harness to train the puppies. Usually the trainers train the youngsters by acclimating the pups to the harness and then taking them on short runs. As they grow and develop, the pups are allowed to participate in longer training runs. I hesitate to state how old a dog must be in order to race but they train as would a human marathoner. A two year old dog that runs the Iditarod is still considered a yearling and it is not unusual for a 6-, 7- or 8- year old experienced dog to still be able to run the Iditarod!
When the team is harnessed and ready to go, they are visually majestic. This is Ray Reddington, Jr.who is the grandson of the race's founder. Last year, he finished 11th, his best finish yet.
The mushers transport their dogs by truck which has been customized for hauling. The dogs are transported in separate compartments which are constructed for the safety of the dog.
The dogs know when it is time to run and they know when it is time to rest. At rest, they are calm, alert and patient as they await their calling. These dogs are noble, respected, loved and being allowed to do what they live to do - and that is, to run. I wish I possessed the serenity these dogs have while playing the waiting game.
and this little lady seems to approve of my impressions and has a final grin for all of you!
