Joy of Sled Dogs

Leslie visited us in 2007 and just posted these great videos of her 1.5 mile trip with us on her You Tube channel. Check them out at http://www.youtube.com/user/benjamine128 The four clips are titled "my dog sled ride starts", "dog sledding and passing a beaver dam", "dog sledding and spotting a moose" and "dog sledding". Thanks Leslie for these great clips!

How fast do sled dogs go? This is a question I hear often. The speed at which a sled dog races depends on the distance it is being asked to complete, trail conditions, terrain and the load in the sled. Touring dogs, distance race dogs, middle distance race dogs and sprint race dogs "run" speed is very different.

Tour dogs tend to be the slowest because they are being asked to pull the heaviest loads (i.e. people or cargo). These dogs are usually bigger in weight because they are being asked to pull hard. They are like the "draft horses" of the sled dog world. Their speed is well under 10 miles per hour, usually. They don't go for any real long distances.

Distance race sled dogs are your Iditarod and Yukon Quest types - the ultra marathoners. They can be asked to run up to and beyond 100 miles in a 24 hour period. They can eat well over 10,000 calories in a day (I'm not kidding - they are the epitome of the word "chow hound"). Usually these guys aren't hauling an excessive amount of weight in the sled - hopefully under 200 pounds. They are hauling sled and musher over some of the roughest terrain in the world so their speed is not always consistent. They average between 5-15 miles per hour over the course of the entire 1000 mile race. The speed is averaged with rest breaks included.

Middle distance racing sled dogs are the marathoners. They go distances, 100 to 300 miles, over the course of a long weekend. They have considerably less weight to carry in the sled, because they aren't going as far. The musher can use a lighter weight sled and the speeds are consistently faster than the long distance sled dogs. They are averaging about 8-15 miles per hour over the course of the race. Many middle distance dogs are just in training to be long distance dogs, anyway, so many are just kept to a long distance pace.

Sprint dogs are the fastest of the entire bunch. These guys are the "sports cars" and run at high bursts of speed for not more than 30 miles in a day. They can average 15-20 miles per hour for up to 30 miles in a day. The sleds are lightweight and EMPTY.

Alaska cold can, at times, be unforgiving. Wear layers of loose fitting clothing instead of one heavy layer to better regulate the amount of insulation. If you get warm shed a layer or add a layer if you get cold. A steady flow of warm blood is essential to keep all parts of your body heated.Wear breathable fabrics and avoid cotton. Damp clothing and skin can cause your body to cool quickly leading to frostbite or hypothermia. Your footwear is subject to more exposure and moisture. Athletic shoes and nylon hiking boots do not provide enough insulation. You should wear either mukluks or rubberized insulated boots.At least two pair of warm socks are recommended. Pull trouser legs over top of boots to keep out the snow.Mittens are warmer than gloves, they allow fingers to be in direct contact with one another. Warm gloves are a must however for our mushing school students because the fingers need protection while working with the snaps of the dog lines.Most of your body heat escapes through your head. Wear a hat and bring a scarf, neoprene face mask or neck gator to cover your face from wind.

Another season has begun here at the Sun Dog Express Kennels. We have enough snow on the ground to do very short tours. The long trails are too treacherous to attempt with more than an empty sled. Lot's of big holes to "bridge" and overflow on the trail. Once we get more snow the trails should smooth out and open for all tours. We are busily planning our racing calendar for the upcoming season. We'll keep you posted. Don't forget to check out the first post on how to dress for a dog sled ride - very important to stay warm!!! Happy Trails. Head back to our website http://www.mosquitonet.com/~sleddog/

The first snow has arrived. With those initial white flakes of winter comes the anticipation of a whole new dog mushing season. The first wild runs of the fall have taken place in front of the 4-wheeler and the dogs are settling in to their "base" training time. Still a little hot to ask too much of these furry athletes but they are happy to get out for a run.

We've had a few hick-ups with our race season this year. Not with dogs, or equipment or training but with the actual races themselves. The two races we had planned on doing BOTH got cancelled. The Interior Stage Race a three day event of 25 miles, 45 miles and 35 miles was cancelled due to .....we don't know what. Our second choice the Chatanika 100 (100 mile race) was cancelled due to lack of volunteers.

Three weeks ago we were looking at the prospect of not doing any races at all this season. We took a look at what was available in the Fairbanks area and decided that this years races would have to be sprint races or nothing at all. Sprint it is then!!!

For distance dogs to change gears and go from a long distance trot to a short distance lope can be a difficult, but the Sun Dog Express crew seems to be up for the challenge. We will only be doing the six dog class in the Alaska Dog Mushing Associations Challenge and Limited races. Some of our tour dogs are too big to be asked to run that fast and it frustrates them to do so. We have a few rescue dogs that have some sprint dog blood in them. We are going to see what they are made of.

So far the dogs really seem to be enjoying the high energy of sprint racing. In Challenge Race #4 we finished 4th and finished "in the money". Not bad for a bunch of distance/tour dogs out of their element. As always our main focus is to have fun because that is what we do best.

As the title states the decision to race does not come easy. Racing sled dogs has always been an unattainable dream for me. Before I had my two kids I dabbled in a little sprint racing - meaning very short, fast races. My career as a sprint musher was never at a fast speed because I have always had "hand-me-down" dogs and we always finished last. There was a reason these dogs didn't make the race teams in their kennels of origin and it usually meant they liked to stop and smell the roses or yellow snow as the case may be.

When my two children where born my priorities took a swift change. My love for running sled dogs was still very very strong yet my loyalty to family was stronger. I couldn't spend the hours required to train up a team to race. I regret to say that some years dog sled training was maybe once or twice a week. My children were babies and toddlers and they required hours and hours of care. Along with children comes more expenses thus the need to work a full time job. Full time jobs and intensive training of sled dogs have an impossible ability to co-exist.

As financial concerns and time constraints began to tighten around my family I would often discuss with my husband giving all my dogs away and getting out of sled dogs all together. But as the old dog mushers will tell you once sled dogs are in your blood - they are there to stay. I would always pull out my sled, go for a run and once again become invigorated to "hang on" for a while longer. I always rationalized being able to buy my next 50 pound bag of dog food. That would last me another week or so (I had a four dog team at this time). When the endless work got to me, dog mushing became my time for peace and tranquility - if that can be obtained when dealing with wiggly, screaming to go, busting at the tug line sled dogs. I squashed my dreams of being an Iditarod or Yukon Quest champion. My priorities were with my husband and children. Dog mushing became a luxury.

As my children grew, money became tighter and tighter. I didn't want to be forced to give my sled dogs up. Thus Sun Dog Express Dog Sled Tours was born. It was a shot in the dark but I had to figure out something to keep my sled dogs fed and with me. I wasn't sure how my "racing dogs" would take to hauling heavy loads in a sled and dealing with lots of people. I was truly amazed and humbled by my "guys". Work is work to a sled dog and comes in many forms. Hauling people around and being friendly is work and sled dogs are working dogs. They had a definite sense of happiness and accomplishment on their faces after every tour. They felt needed and wanted. They know each person that walks into the dog yard is there to see them and they love it!!! Not only did I discover through doing the tour business that I could support my motley crew of sled dogs but that I could also meet interesting people from all over the world and share my love for some of the best animals that God put on this snow covered earth.

My children are now teenagers. The intense demand on my time is still there but I can now rationalize with the two youngsters I have in my home. They help me as much as they can. I made the decision two years ago to follow my dream to return to racing. This time it will be middle distance racing. Middle distance is defined as anything longer than a sprint race yet shorter than the Iditarod or Yukon Quest. Middle distance still has many of the benefits (seeing lots of pretty country) of long distance racing but without the money and training time demands. I couldn't hold a full time job and train for long distance without taking a lengthy leave of absence - that wouldn't go over well with my boss.