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I'm currently watching the Discovery Channel show "Iditarod: The Toughest Race." I'm really enjoying it. There seems to be about 15 dogs on the running teams.
I have a few basic questions:
- It seems like they have more reserve dogs at their kennel (?). Does anyone know how they assemble a "team." Like, I assume there's team chemistry, and is it just lots and lots of rotating to figure out what works? Or do you just know your dogs so well that it takes few times to try what works?
- Does anyone know how (in a little more detail) they know which dog will be great for which kind of position?
- Like I said, they seem to have more reserve dogs in the kennel, who takes care of ALL the dog droppings???? I know, don't respond with something mean like, "are you stupid, the sledder, duh." What I was wondering was, do these kennels have apprentices or help that takes care of the dog droppings?? I doubt they would hire someone JUST to clean the poo (note: there are businesses that do this, they come and clean dog poop and charge per dog). But it's possible they may have apprentices or other workers that might adopt it as part of their responsibilities.
- How do they decide which dogs aren't "suitable" for sledding? I've heard they try to keep their friendliest, smartest, and most people-attached dogs for lead dogs. In general, is there a "general" reject-sled-dog? And are they most suited to a very active individual then that goes on crazy long runs with them?
Thanks for any responses Just curious!
Last edited by soci3tycat; 05-06-2013 at 10:35 AM..
Many sledders take care of their own dogs. Some have families that help take care of the dogs.
Yes, many sledders keep large numbers of dogs. They train the dogs every day and know their dogs well. At race time, I suspect that the team is made up of the dogs who are in peak condition and ready to race on that day.
The "large kennel" of dogs isn't going to contain many dog teams. There will be puppies growing up for the race in 2 years. There will be well-loved retirees. There will be a few "substitutes" who will step in on race day if one of the team members is injured or feeling off.
The dogs for sled dog racing are supreme athletes, doing what they love. They are extremely well cared for, with lots of exercise and training (and people time). They get the best diets and the best care.
The human part of the team might be spending all his time with the dogs and might have a sponsor instead of a job.
Also, there are many sledders who have very small kennels. It is just the serious contenders who have large kennels. I know a couple of people who race who only have 1-2 dogs more than the number in their team. At local level, there are divisions for 4 dog teams. There is lots of racing that isn't at Ididerod level.
That's really interesting. Check out how many responses she got in the Alaska forum. Lots of information there.
9 pages of resposnes in two days! I don't have time to read them all now, but I will, because it is actually a very interesting topic; with (obviously) many informed posters.
I'm currently watching the Discovery Channel show "Iditarod: The Toughest Race." I'm really enjoying it. There seems to be about 15 dogs on the running teams.
I have a few basic questions:
- It seems like they have more reserve dogs at their kennel (?). Does anyone know how they assemble a "team." Like, I assume there's team chemistry, and is it just lots and lots of rotating to figure out what works? Or do you just know your dogs so well that it takes few times to try what works?
- Does anyone know how (in a little more detail) they know which dog will be great for which kind of position?
- Like I said, they seem to have more reserve dogs in the kennel, who takes care of ALL the dog droppings???? I know, don't respond with something mean like, "are you stupid, the sledder, duh." What I was wondering was, do these kennels have apprentices or help that takes care of the dog droppings?? I doubt they would hire someone JUST to clean the poo (note: there are businesses that do this, they come and clean dog poop and charge per dog). But it's possible they may have apprentices or other workers that might adopt it as part of their responsibilities.
- How do they decide which dogs aren't "suitable" for sledding? I've heard they try to keep their friendliest, smartest, and most people-attached dogs for lead dogs. In general, is there a "general" reject-sled-dog? And are they most suited to a very active individual then that goes on crazy long runs with them?
Thanks for any responses Just curious!
I'm from the birthplace of the Iditarod, so maybe I can shed some light, although I'm not a musher lol.
1) There are "sideline" dogs that are maybe on a different level on the training totem pole. These dogs are mutts that have been bred for mushing. Many people think sled dogs are purebred huskies, which isn't true. Mushers know their dogs very well, at least their characteristics and personality.
2) The lead dog is the alpha male or pack leader. The other dogs respect him and somewhat fear him. The dogs are sorted out in groups such as lead dogs, then swing dogs, then team dogs, and finally wheel dogs. Lead dogs give directions. Swing dogs give speed. Team dogs are for endurance/stamina. Wheel dogs are for strength.
3) Most mushers take care of the dogs themselves. However, some will hire dog handlers for help. It really depends if the person is a 100% musher or if they also do tours.
I'm from the birthplace of the Iditarod, so maybe I can shed some light, although I'm not a musher lol.
2) The lead dog is the alpha male or pack leader. The other dogs respect him and somewhat fear him.
Not necessarily. The quality looked for in a lead dog is intelligence. They also set the pace of the team so they need to have natural motivation to run (as all sled dogs do). Smart leaders remember trails and can even read trail markers, they can tell where ice is thin, and a myriad of other things. One of our best leaders was a tiny little 35 lb female.
Thanks for the info, guys! The other post largely turned into discussing whether culling was legal or not, which is an interesting topic in itself, but I didn't get too many answers as to my original questions on there. The post in this section came up with some of those answers. Both posts together are interesting in discussing the topic.
I made sure to go through and give you guys all positive ratings
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Just curious!
