What are the four positions of a sled dog team?

What are the four positions of a sled dog team?

Dog team members are given titles according to their position in the team relative to the sled. These include leaders or lead dogs, swing dogs, team dogs, and wheelers or wheel dogs.

What is the lead dog in a sled team called?

The dog(s) at the very back of the sled are known as Wheel Dogs, and are typically the largest and strongest of the group.

How many dogs are in a dogsled team?

Since 1973, hundreds of competitors have come from all over the world to make the 1,150-mile (1,850-kilometer) journey from Anchorage to Nome. Usually, between 60 and 100 teams participate in the event. Each team must start with 16 dogs and finish with at least six.

How do dogsled teams work?

The dogs are tied together by a long “gangline” running between them. Many mushers consider the “lead dog,” which stays out front, the most important member of the pack. “Swing dogs” follow behind the lead dog and help it turn the pack. After the swing dogs come the “team dogs,” which provide momentum and speed.

What happens to dropped dogs in the Iditarod?

If a dog is dropped at a checkpoint, the veterinarians take care of the dog while the dog waits for a ride on a plane back to Anchorage. The musher’s team goes on without the dog. Dogs arriving back in Anchorage have a short stay at the Lakefront Race Headquarters Drop Dog Lot. Veterinarians are on duty.

How do mushers say stop?

Whoa. Whoa is the command we use to stop the dogs and it seems like it’s the hardest command to get them to do sometimes. All season long we work with the dogs so that when we say “whoa,” they stop.

What is a gee pole?

The gee pole is common in photos of sled dog freighting from the turn of the century, but extremely rare to see on the trails today. It is a long wooden pole lashed onto the right (“gee”) side of a heavy dog sled and the musher walks, snowshoes or skis in front of it to steer the load.

What do sled dogs eat and drink?

Sled dogs eat their meals as a soupy gruel of various meats, fowl, and/or fish. Even the dry kibble mixed in has a small percentage of moisture content, plus the broth water it soaks up in the cooking process. Treats along the trail, such as chunks of moist frozen meat or fish, also are full of water.

How far can a dog sled team go in one day?

Modern-day sled dogs travel at an average of 20 mph over shorter distances, and 10 to 14 mph on longer distances. Even in poor trail conditions, sled dogs can manage 6 to 7 miles per hour. The dogs may travel over 90 miles in a 24 hour period while pulling up to 85 pounds apiece!