Sled dogs, known also as
sleightman dogs, sledge dogs, or
sleddogs are
typesDog types are broad categories of dogs based on function; dog types are not identical to modern dog breeds but dogs identified primarily by specific function or style of work rather than by lineage or appearance, including ancestral forms that arose undocumented over a long period of time...
of
dogThe dog is a domesticated form of the Gray Wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The domestic dog has been one of the most widely kept working and companion animals in human history...
s that are used to pull a wheel-less vehicle on runners (a
sledA sled, sledge, or sleigh is a vehicle that moves by sliding. Usually runners or a smooth underside enable a sled to slide. Sleds are used for transport on surfaces with low friction, usually snow or ice...
or sleigh) over
snowSnow is a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by external pressure. Snowflakes...
or
iceIce is a solid phase, usually crystalline, of a non-metallic substance that is liquid or gas at room temperature, such as carbon dioxide ice , ammonia ice, or methane ice. However, the predominant use of the term ice is for water ice, technically restricted to one of the 15 known crystalline phases...
, by means of
harnessesA dog harness is piece of equipment for dogs, generally similar to harness tack for horses. There are various designs depending on the type of use, whether it be for assistance to a disabled person, hauling a cart or sled, or pulling a human being, such as in skijoring or pulka...
and lines. The origins of this arrangement are unknown.
Several distinct dog breeds are in common use as sled dogs, although any medium-sized breed may be used to pull a sled.
Sled dogs, known also as
sleightman dogs, sledge dogs, or
sleddogs are
typesDog types are broad categories of dogs based on function; dog types are not identical to modern dog breeds but dogs identified primarily by specific function or style of work rather than by lineage or appearance, including ancestral forms that arose undocumented over a long period of time...
of
dogThe dog is a domesticated form of the Gray Wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The domestic dog has been one of the most widely kept working and companion animals in human history...
s that are used to pull a wheel-less vehicle on runners (a
sledA sled, sledge, or sleigh is a vehicle that moves by sliding. Usually runners or a smooth underside enable a sled to slide. Sleds are used for transport on surfaces with low friction, usually snow or ice...
or sleigh) over
snowSnow is a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by external pressure. Snowflakes...
or
iceIce is a solid phase, usually crystalline, of a non-metallic substance that is liquid or gas at room temperature, such as carbon dioxide ice , ammonia ice, or methane ice. However, the predominant use of the term ice is for water ice, technically restricted to one of the 15 known crystalline phases...
, by means of
harnessesA dog harness is piece of equipment for dogs, generally similar to harness tack for horses. There are various designs depending on the type of use, whether it be for assistance to a disabled person, hauling a cart or sled, or pulling a human being, such as in skijoring or pulka...
and lines. The origins of this arrangement are unknown.
Overview
Several distinct dog breeds are in common use as sled dogs, although any medium-sized breed may be used to pull a sled. Purebred sled dog breeds range from the well-known
Siberian HuskyThe Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family...
and
Alaskan MalamuteThe Alaskan Malamute is a generally large breed of domestic dog originally bred for use as an Alaskan sled dog. It is sometimes mistaken for a Siberian Husky, but in fact is quite different in many ways.-Appearance:...
to rarer breeds such as the
Mackenzie River HuskyThe term Mackenzie River Husky describes several overlapping local populations of arctic and subarctic sleddogs, none of which constitutes a breed. Most prominent and current of these are the sleddogs of Donna Dowling and others in the interior of Alaska. These dogs are described as standing in...
or the
Canadian Eskimo DogThe Canadian Eskimo Dog is an Arctic breed of dog , which is often considered to be North America’s oldest and rarest remaining purebred indigenous domestic canine. Other names include Qimmiq or what is considered to be the more politically correct Canadian Inuit Dog...
(Canadian Inuit Dog). Dog drivers, however, have a long history of using other breeds or crossbreds as sled dogs. In the days of the
Gold RushThe Klondike Gold Rush, sometimes referred to as the Yukon Gold Rush or Alaska Gold Rush, was a frenzy of gold rush immigration to and for gold prospecting, along the Klondike River near Dawson City, Yukon, Canada after gold was discovered there in the late 19th century...
in
The YukonYukon , or The Yukon, is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River, Yukon meaning "Great River" in Gwich’in....
, mongrel teams were the rule, but there were also teams of
FoxhoundA foxhound is a type of large hunting hound. Foxhounds hunt in packs and, like all scent hounds, have a strong sense of smell. They are used in hunts for foxes, hence the name. When out hunting they are followed usually on horseback and will travel several miles to catch their target...
s and
StaghoundThe American Staghound is a type of sighthound that is used in hunting to course stag. Although they have been bred for many years, the American Staghound is not currently recognized as a dog breed, nor is there interest in doing so...
s. Today the unregistered hybridized
Alaskan huskyThe Alaskan Husky is not so much a breed of dog as it is a type or a category. It falls short of being a breed in that there is no preferred type and no restriction as to ancestry; it is defined only by its purpose, which is that of a highly efficient sled dog...
is preferred for dogsled racing, along with a variety of crossbreds, the
German Shorthaired PointerThe German Shorthaired Pointer is a breed of dog developed in the 1800s in Germany for hunting.The breed is streamlined yet powerful with strong hindquarters that make it able to move rapidly and turn quickly. It has moderately long flop ears set high on the head. Its muzzle is long, broad, and...
often being chosen as the basis for crossbreeding. From 1988 through 1991, a team of Standard
PoodleThe Poodle is a breed of dog, and is regarded as one of the most intelligent breeds of dog. The poodle breed is found in small, medium, and large sizes, and in many coat colors. Originally bred as a type of water dog, the poodle is skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience,...
s competed in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
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 five to eighty miles (8 to 130 km) or more a day. Speed is needed to travel the distance in a reasonable length of time. Racing sled dogs will travel up to an average twenty miles per hour (32 km/h) over distances up to 25 miles (40 km). Over longer distances, average traveling speed declines to 10 to 14 miles per hour (16 to 22 km/h). In poor trail conditions, sleddogs can still usually average 6 or 7 miles per hour (10 or 11 km/h). Sled dogs have been known to travel over 90 miles in a 24 hour period while pulling 85 pounds each.
Sleddogs pull various sorts of sleds, from the small 25 pound (11 kg) sprint-racing sleds, through the larger plastic-bottomed distance racing
tobogganA toboggan is a simple sled that is a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada. In modern times, it is used on snow to carry one or more people down a hill or other slope for recreation. Designs vary from simple, traditional models to modern engineered composites...
sleds, to traditional ash freighting sleds and the trapper's high-fronted narrow toboggan. Sled dogs are also used to pull skiers and to draw wheeled rigs when there is no snow. A team of sled dogs may consist of anywhere from three to two dozen dogs. Modern teams are usually hitched in tandem, with harnessed pairs of sled dogs pulling on tug lines attached to a central gangline. Trappers in deep snow conditions using the toboggan will hitch their dogs in single file with traces on either side of the line of dogs. Dog teams of some
ArcticThe Arctic is the region around the Earth's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. The Arctic includes the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Greenland , Russia, the United States , Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.The word Arctic comes from the Greek αρκτικός , "near...
natives are run in "fan hitch", each dog having its own tow line tied directly to the sled.
Driving sled dogs has become a popular winter recreation and sport in North America and Europe; sled dogs are now found even in such unlikely places as Germany and Japan.
Sled dog breeds
- Alaskan Husky
The Alaskan Husky is not so much a breed of dog as it is a type or a category. It falls short of being a breed in that there is no preferred type and no restriction as to ancestry; it is defined only by its purpose, which is that of a highly efficient sled dog...
- Alaskan Malamute
The Alaskan Malamute is a generally large breed of domestic dog originally bred for use as an Alaskan sled dog. It is sometimes mistaken for a Siberian Husky, but in fact is quite different in many ways.-Appearance:...
- Canadian Eskimo Dog
The Canadian Eskimo Dog is an Arctic breed of dog , which is often considered to be North America’s oldest and rarest remaining purebred indigenous domestic canine. Other names include Qimmiq or what is considered to be the more politically correct Canadian Inuit Dog...
- Chinook
The Chinook is a rare dog breed of sleddog type, developed in the New England region of the United States in the early 20th century.-Appearance:...
- Eurohound
A Eurohound is a crossbred dog, from the Alaskan husky and a pointer. The Eurohound first successfully entered the competitive sled dog racing world in Scandinavia...
- Greenland Dog
The Greenland Dog or Grønlandshunden is a large breed of husky-type dog kept as a sled dog and for hunting polar bear and seal. This is an ancient breed, thought to be directly descended from dogs brought to Greenland by the first Inuit settlers.-Appearance:The Greenland Dog is a powerful,...
- Greyster
A Greyster is a type of dog that is bred in Norway through a series of crosses between the German Shorthaired Pointer, the Greyhound and the Alaskan Husky for the purpose of sled-pulling, skijoring, pulka races and other such sled racing...
- Labrador Husky
The Labrador Husky is a spitz type of dog that was bred for work as a very strong, fast sled dog; it is a purebred originating from Canada. Although the breed's name may be baffling, it is not a mix between a Labrador Retriever and a Husky; these mongrel dogs are not automatically purebreds simply...
- Mackenzie River Husky
The term Mackenzie River Husky describes several overlapping local populations of arctic and subarctic sleddogs, none of which constitutes a breed. Most prominent and current of these are the sleddogs of Donna Dowling and others in the interior of Alaska. These dogs are described as standing in...
- Northern Inuit Dog
The Northern Inuit Dog breeding began in the late-80's in an attempt to return a domestic dog breed to phenotypically resemble the wolf.-Appearance:...
- Sakhalin Husky
The Sakhalin Husky, also known as the , is a breed of dog used as a sled dog.-Appearance:This breed is a spitz type, related to the Japanese Spitz and Akita Inu...
- Samoyed
The Samoyed dog takes its name from the Samoyedic peoples of Siberia. An alternate name for the breed, especially in Europe, is Bjelkier...
- Seppala Siberian Sleddog
A rare working dog breed, the Seppala Siberian Sleddog is developed for the purpose of pulling a sled in cold country. It is a moderate-sized dog averaging 40 to 50 pounds weight and 22 or 23 inches height. Colours and markings are considered of little importance; eyes may be brown, blue or any...
- Siberian Husky
The Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family...
- Tamaskan Dog
The Tamaskan dog is a breed of domestic dog originating from Finland known to excel in agility, obedience and working trials, along with its ability to pull sleds due to its Husky and Malamute ancestors...
- Utonagan
The Utonagan is a breed of dog that resembles a wolf, but in fact is a mix of three breeds of domestic dog: Alaskan Malamute, German Shepherd, and Siberian Husky.-Appearance:...
According to
Dogs In Britain, A Description of All Native Breeds and Most Foreign Breeds in Britain by Clifford LB Hubbard (1948) there were ten distinct husky breeds differentiated by region, height/weight and colour: Husky proper (Eskimo/Esquimaux Dog), the Alaskan Malamute, the Toganee, the Mackenzie River Dog, the Timber-Wolf Dog, the West Greenland Husky, the East Greenland Husky, the Baffinland Husky, the Chuchi (recognised by the American Kennel Club as the Siberian Husky), and the Ostiak. Clifford wrote that Hudson Bay traders, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, lumber-jacks, doctors, priests and others generally used what the Indians called
white dogs (crossbred dogs) that were half Husky and half Hound, Great Dane or Newfoundland.
The Toganee and Mackenzie River Dogs were closely related to the true Husky and sometimes interbred. The Toganee had longer legs while the Mackenzie River Dog had a longer coat. The Timber-Wolf Dog of the Yukon basin was a first-cross between the true Husky and the timber-wolf and used as a leader or "king" dog. The Baffinland Husky differed from the true Husky in having a black coat with white markings. The West Greenland Husky and the slightly smaller East Greenland Husky both had timber-wolf blood and were sometimes crossed with the Baffinland Husky. The East Greenland Husky (also called the Angmagssalik Husky) was considered the oldest and least diluted type. The comparatively small Ostiak or West Siberian Husky was used not only for sled hauling but also in hunting elk, bear and wolf. The tenth recognised type was the Chuchi (Siberian Husky) first imported into Alaska in 1909.
See also
- American Dog Derby
The American Dog Derby is a dogsled race held in Ashton, Idaho the third weekend of February. It is the oldest dogsled race in the continental United States. The first race was held in 1917. It was tremendously popular in the 1920s through the 1950s. Interest waned in the 1960s and the race was...
- Balto
Balto was a Siberian Husky sled dog who led his team on the final leg of the 1925 serum run to Nome, in which diphtheria antitoxin was transported from Anchorage, Alaska to Nenana, Alaska by train and then to Nome by dog sled to combat an outbreak of the disease. The run is commemorated by the...
- Dog sled
A dog sled is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function.-History:...
- Dogsled racing
Dogsled racing, more accurately referred to as sled dog racing, is a winter dog sport involving the timed competition of teams of sleddogs that pull a sled with the dog driver or musher standing on the runners. The team completing the marked course in the least time is judged the winner...
- Leonhard Seppala
Leonhard Seppala was a Norwegian of Kven descent. Born in Skibotn and growing up on the nearby island of Skjervøy, he eventually emigrated to Alaska during the Nome gold rush of 1900 and, in 1913, inherited a team of imported Chukchi huskies, later to be known as Siberian dogs or Siberian Huskies...
- Mushing
Mushing is a general term for a sport or transport method powered by dogs, and includes carting, pulka, scootering, sled dog racing, skijoring, freighting, and weight pulling. More specifically, it implies the use of one or more dogs to pull a sled on snow. The term is thought to come from the...
- Togo (dog)
Togo was the sled dog who led Leonhard Seppala and his dog sled team as they covered the longest distance in the 1925 relay of diphtheria antitoxin from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, to combat an outbreak of the disease...
- Yukon Quest
The Yukon Quest 1,000-mile International Sled Dog Race, or simply Yukon Quest, is a sled dog race run every February between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Whitehorse, Yukon...
External links