Sit. Stay. Speak. Feb. 9th: Arctic Paws Sled Dogs

"Coco" and "Wile E" are pictured above.

What are Sled Dogs?

Sled dogs (or sleddogs/sleigh dogs) are work dogs that are used to pull a sled over snow or ice by means of dog harnesses and lines.This is called "mushing", and the person directing the dog team, a "musher". Today, sled dogs are used mostly for recreation. The practice of using dogs to pull sleds dates back to at least 2000 B.C. It originated in Siberia or North America, where many American Indian cultures used dogs to pull loads. Dog sleds were used for transportation, nature tours, as ambulances in the woodlands and mountains, and to bring supplies to soldiers in the field.

Several distinct dog breeds are in common use as sled dogs, although any sized breed may be used to pull a sled. A typical sled dog breed, such as the Siberian Husky, has a very dense double coat, wide padded feet, erect ears, a curled tail, wedge-shaped head, and a muscular build. Sled dogs are expected to demonstrate two major qualities in their work (apart from basic physical capability to pull the sled). Endurance is needed to travel the distances demanded in dogsled travel, which may be anything from 5 to 80 mi (8 to 129 km) or more a day. Speed is needed to travel the distance in a reasonable length of time. Over longer distances, average traveling speed declines to 10 to 14 mph (16 to 23 km/h). Sled dogs have been known to travel over 90 mi (145 km) in a 24 hour period while pulling 85 lb (39 kg) each.