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Sled Dogs: An Alaskan Epic
Introduction

Ironically, the powerful, dedicated canines profiled in NATURE’s SLED DOGS: AN ALASKAN EPIC are little more than mutts. “The dog we call the Alaskan husky isn’t a formal breed,” explains onetime musher Joe Runyan, who won Alaska’s Iditarod sled dog race in 1989. Rather, huskies are mixed-breed dogs that are selected “for performance, not looks,” he says.

In particular, husky breeders are looking for dogs with an instinctive desire to pull long and hard through the toughest conditions. “You’ve got to have dogs that really want to see what is around that next corner,” Runyan says. “They want to be always on the go.”

Still, careful breeding over decades has produced dogs with telltale physiques. For one thing, the best sled-pulling dogs have quick, efficient gaits and remarkable strength for their size. “You rarely see a really good sled dog over about 55 pounds,” says Runyan, speculating that larger dogs are at a physiological disadvantage when it comes to delivering oxygen and blood to the heart, lungs, and muscles. But even small dogs can pull impressive loads. “My daughter had a 43-pound dog that pulled over 800 pounds,” Runyan recalls. With such power, a 16-dog sled team “is like a small pony with 64 legs,” he notes. Bigger teams, including one that included more than 200 dogs, have been known to pull buses and even help move houses. “Their strength can be unbelievable,” Runyan says.

Getting dog teams to pull together, however, takes months of training. In the off-season, for instance, some mushers rope their teams to wheeled carts or four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles, and let the dogs pull the chariots along snowless dirt roads. The dogs are so strong and possess such an inherent drive to pull, that according to Runyan, even brakes have difficulty holding them back.

Dogs running the Iditarod have special abilities — and special requirements, like food. Along with their power comes a huge appetite. While a normal mutt might get by on 1,500 calories a day, sled dogs can easily consume up to 10,000 calories per day. And while they’re tough, huskies can have sensitive feet. To safeguard them, mushers tie on polar-fleece booties that keep paws warm and protected. In the Iditarod, a single musher will use about 2,000 booties. Each usually lasts several hours and up to 100 miles.

Once trained, sled dogs can remain in top form for years. It’s not unusual to see 10-year-old dogs in races. Top dogs are highly sought after by breeders to help sire champion lines. And the prospect of owning one is not to be taken lightly. “They take a lot of love and care,” Runyan points out.

To order a copy of Sled Dogs: An Alaskan Epic, please visit the NATURE Shop.

Online content for Sled Dogs: An Alaskan Epic was originally posted November 1999.

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210 Responses to “Introduction”
  1. Joey says:

    I love sled dogs sooo much! that is my dream! but everyone says i cant! :(

  2. Dabigmoose says:

    Stanley Oday was the man of interior dog racing in Alaska he was a short track marvel . I live in ALASKA and will never leave her. Manley Hotsprings on the TANANA river rocks.

  3. Name(required) says:

    Can you use regular dogs to pull? I have a border collie and a golden retriever, and I want to teach the, how to pull!

  4. Rachel says:

    I love sleddogs. They are so beautiful. The Malamutes look so much like wolves and so do the Siberian Husky. I own one of each and they are just so smart and just great to have, only they do love to dig outside alot. I also sell alot of husky stuffed animals if anyone is interested. They are new and used in great condition from a non-smoking home. Send me a email if you like to buy one from me. All my stuffed huskies are well maintained.

  5. suzie9rox says:

    i love doggies and pups! i have 3 pups 7 weeks old
    and a mama 6 years old and i am getting a pup all of mine are cacapo-peek-a-boo’sthere so cutelook them up on the internet they grow a little lower than your knees
    PEACE!!

  6. Hunter says:

    i have a dog club

  7. kirsten neessen says:

    i love dos soooooooooooooooooo much i have a basset houndmix and a basset hound 2 german shephards and a weiner dog

  8. Anna says:

    MUSH!!!!!!! MUSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. Allison says:

    i think that the dogs have to do most of the work!!!!!!!! Other than the dogs having to do everything in a limited amount of time, I LOVE DOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  10. jane bouregaurd says:

    joey dont give up in ur dreams

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