| Sled dogs, known also as sleigh dogs, sledge dogs or | | | | pairs of sleddogs pulling on tuglines attached to a |
| sleddogs are dogs that are used to pull a wheel-less | | | | central gangline. Trappers in deep snow conditions |
| vehicle on runners (a sled or sleigh) over snow or ice, | | | | using the toboggan will hitch their dogs in single file |
| by means of harnesses and lines. It is not certain | | | | with traces on either side of the line of dogs. Dog |
| when this unique form of transport was first thought | | | | teams of arctic natives are usually run in "fan hitch", |
| of by humankind nor where it originated, but it may | | | | each dog having its own tow line tied directly to the |
| well have been in eastern Siberia, whose tribes have | | | | sled. |
| a long history of nomadic winter travel. | | | | Driving sleddogs has become a popular winter |
| Several distinct dog breeds are in common use as | | | | recreation and sport in North America and Europe; |
| sleddogs, although any medium-sized breed may be | | | | sleddogs are now found even in such unlikely places |
| used to pull a sled. Purebred sleddog breeds range | | | | as Australia and Patagonia. |
| from the well-known Siberian Husky and Alaskan | | | | A dog sled (or dogsled) is a sled pulled by one or |
| Malamute to rarer breeds such as the Mackenzie | | | | more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through |
| River Husky. Dog drivers, however, have a long | | | | snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending |
| history of using other breeds or crossbreds as | | | | on their function. |
| sleddogs. In the days of the Gold Rush in The Yukon, | | | | A basket sled has a bed raised several inches above |
| mongrel teams were the rule, but there were also | | | | the surface of the snow. This type of sled is used in |
| teams of Foxhounds and Staghounds. Today the | | | | dogsled racing. Sprint sleds are often short-bodied |
| unregistered hybridised Alaskan husky is preferred | | | | basket sleds. A toboggan sled has a lower carriage |
| for dogsled racing, along with a variety of | | | | and uses a closed bed, allowing the sled to slide or |
| crossbreds, the German Shorthaired Pointer often | | | | float over deep snow. Freight sleds, which are |
| being chosen as the basis for crossbreeding. Some | | | | heavier and sturdier than sprint sleds, may be |
| years ago, a team of Standard Poodles participated | | | | toboggan or basket sleds. Both of these types of |
| in the Iditarod long-distance race. | | | | sleds have runners which stick out behind the sled, |
| Sleddogs are expected to demonstrate two major | | | | on which the musher can stand. Older sleds relied on |
| qualities in their work (apart from basic physical | | | | hooks attached to the sled with a rope, whereas |
| capability to pull the sled). Endurance is needed to | | | | modern sleds usually include drag and claw brakes |
| travel the distances demanded in dogsled travel, | | | | built into the sled. |
| which may be anything from five to eighty miles (8 | | | | A recent innovation in sled design was introduced in |
| to 130 km) or more a day. Speed is needed to travel | | | | the 2004 Iditarod by Jeff King, who used a split sled |
| the distance in a reasonable length of time. Racing | | | | for the race. This sled, the Tail Dragger, has a |
| sleddogs will travel up to an average twenty miles | | | | basket-style body with a freight-holding back end, |
| per hour (32.2 km/h) over distances up to 25 miles | | | | and an open middle. The musher can sit on the back |
| (40 km). Over longer distances, average travelling | | | | part or stand in the middle. |
| speed declines to 10 to 14 miles per hour (16 to 22 | | | | The komatik is a traditional Inuit sled, used in Canada |
| km/h). In poor trail conditions, sleddogs can still usually | | | | and Greenland, low-slung and on which the hunter or |
| average 6 or 7 miles per hour (10 or 11 km/h). Sled | | | | racer sits or lies down, facing forward. The runners |
| dogs have been known to travel over 100 miles in a | | | | do not stick out as in basket sleds. |
| 24 hour period. | | | | A pulk is a short, flat sled used in the Scandinavian |
| Sleddogs pull various sorts of sleds, from the small 25 | | | | sport of pulka. The dog is hitched to the sled and the |
| pound (11 kg) sprint-racing sleds, through the larger | | | | sled to the skier. The pulk is used to carry supplies or |
| plastic-bottomed distance racing toboggan sleds, to | | | | equipment, but not usually a person. |
| traditional ash freighting sleds and the trapper's | | | | The expedition led by the Norwegian explorer Roald |
| high-fronted narrow toboggan. Sleddogs are also used | | | | Amundsen used dog sleds when they reached the |
| to pull skiers and to draw wheeled rigs when there is | | | | South Pole before Robert Falcon Scott's party did. |
| no snow. A team of sleddogs may consist of | | | | A dog sled race was included at the 1932 Winter |
| anywhere from three to two dozen animals. Modern | | | | Olympics in Lake Placid, New York as a |
| teams are usually hitched in tandem, with harnessed | | | | demonstration event. |