Wheel Dogs
Wheel dogs are those nearest the sled, and a good wheeler must have a relatively calm temperament so as not to be startled by the sled moving just behind it. Strength, steadiness, and ability to help guide the sled around tight curves are qualities valued in dogs. Think of wheel dogs as the offensive linemen […]
Swing and Team Dogs
Swing Dogs in a dog sledding team help the leaders set the pace and aid in turning the team. If only the leaders wanted to turn in the direction of the musher’s commands, the team may not turn, so the swing dogs back the leaders up in these cases. The job of the Team Dogs […]
Lead Dog Position
Most people think that every dog team has one dominate “alpha” dog that is the Lead Dog. Jack London writes about this in his books; White Fang and Call of the Wild. History is replete with famous lead dogs such as Leonhard Seppala’s famous Balto, and the lesser known Togo who ran in the now famous serum […]
Iditarod 2011: Iditarod coverage on Mush! You Huskies
I want to give a public thanks to my co-host, Michele Forto and our Iditarod expert, Jason Barron for all their help during our 11 day coverage of the race on Mush! You Huskies. I think we did a great job giving expert analysis and some great info on the Last Great Race. I also […]
Iditarod 2011: John Baker wins the 2011 Iditarod
Well it’s official: John Baker of Kotzebue, Alaska is the winner of the 2011 Iditarod Sled Dog Race and it could not have happened to a better guy. Baker is now in select company with a group of individuals that make this sport what it is today. From the likes of Lance Mackey, Susan Butcher, […]