Mush On! Keep Moving Forward

A sled dog is a dog which has been trained to pull a land vehicle over snow. These highly trained and well-tempered dogs are used for a variety of purposes, from transportation to hunting to racing.

Some of the most well-known of the sled-dog breeds are the Samoyed, the Alaskan Malamute, the Siberian Husky and the Chinook.  The Alaskan Husky is the most commonly used dog in dog sled racing. Today, working dogs are bred for endurance and speed. 

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race held annually in Alaska is one of the most famous sled dog races in the world. The Iditarod covers over 1,000 miles of rugged Alaskan wilderness, including mountains, rivers and frozen tundra.  The Iditarod Trail was used as a mail and supply route between coastal towns and gold mining camps in the early 1900s.

The Iditarod race starts in Anchorage and finishes in Nome, with a mandatory 24-hour layover at one of the checkpoints along the way.  The race takes between 9 and 15 days to complete. Iditarod 2023 is set to start on March 4, 2023.  This will be the 51st anniversary of the “Last Great Race’. 

The dogs that compete in the Iditarod are bred specifically for their endurance, strength, and intelligence.  They are trained from a young age to pull sleds and to work together as a team.  Each dog has a specific role in the pack. The training process is extensive and can take several years to complete.  The sled dogs must learn to work in harsh conditions and to navigate through the difficult terrain. Each dog must pull their weight and respond to the commands of the musher.

The musher is the human leader of the sled dog team.  He or she is responsible for directing the dogs and making decisions during the race.  The musher must have extensive knowledge of the trail and be able to make quick decisions during the changing conditions.  The musher must also be able to care for their dogs, provide them with food and water, and give them medical attention when necessary.

Mushers use a dogsled whip as a guiding tool. It is never used for punishment.  The musher cracks the whip so the dogs run away from the sound.  If the musher wants the dogs to go to the left, he or she will crack the whip to the right so the dogs will run in the opposite direction.

The average career of a sled dog is probably 8 to 10 years.  Most dogs live to 14-16 years after they retire. The sled dogs make great indoor pets.  Sled dogs can go from barking and pulling with excitement to cuddling on a couch in a matter of minutes.  Most are great with children and other pets as long as they are socialized appropriately.

In Greenland the sled dog was never bred for racing.  It was bred to hunt polar bears and pull heavy sleds on a long hunt. Dog sledding is a way of life in Greenland and is an important part of the cultural heritage. Taking a sled dog ride is a popular tourist activity in Greenland. Ilulissat is a small town on the west coast of Greenland that offers a variety of sled dog rides.  There are short rides or longer multi-day trips that take tourists across the rugged terrain of Greenland’s backcountry. Sled dog rides in Kangerlussuaq, a village in western Greenland, take visitors through the landscapes of the Arctic tundra.  The sled dog rides here range from shorter trips to longer overnight adventures as well.

In Canada, there are a number of companies that offer sled dog rides for tourists in Banff National Park in Alberta. These rides take visitors through the stunning winter landscapes of the Canadian Rockies. These rides range from short 30-minute rides to longer overnight trips.  In the Yukon Territory of Canada, visitors can take multi-day trips or choose shorter rides that take them through the winter landscapes of the Yukon wilderness. Dog sled rides are a unique and thrilling way to experience the winter landscapes of the north.

Here are the sayings I found on the bookmark call Advice from a Sled Dog.

• Work as a team

• Pull your weight

• Love what you do

• Be warm hearted

• Keep moving forward

• Howl with your friends

• Mush on!

These are my comments on each of these sayings.

• Work as a team - Teamwork is the process of working with a group of people in order to achieve a goal.  Work well together and try your best in every circumstance.

• Pull your weight - Do your fair share.

• Love what you do - Enjoy the process of doing what you love.

• Be warm hearted - A warm-hearted person is friendly and affectionate.

• Keep moving forward - Don’t allow external circumstances stop you from pursuing your goals. 

• Howl with your friends - Enjoy a good laugh with you friends.  Take time to have fun.

• Mush on! - Mush is a command given to the dog sled team!  Get going! Mush on!

Have a great day everyone!  Mush on! Keep Moving Forward.

# living life abundantly  # published author  # travelling tuesdays