In Maine dog-sled race, a quiet and frosty finish

I have not seen a dog race in person. But , it sounds grueling! I can imagine, what the team members muscles must feel like after finishing the race!

Just curious, what happens to the dogs that don't finish with the team? Are they set free along the way...do they die along the way?

Kate, sled dogs are some of the best cared for animals on the planet. I can assure you they are better off than most middle class families! They love to run, and they love the cold. That is what they do.

These races have check points along the course where you must check in. At which time the dogs are checked by a vet, and the musher decides for whatever reason to drop a dog there. They are not set free to roam the woods they are taken care of and reunited with there owner's after the race.

Animal cruelty

Kate, I can assure you, these dogs LOVE to run and in my personal observation are very much loved and well-cared for by their owners and those who race them. These are big-hearted, intelligent and high-energy canines. I am in love with them myself and wish I had been in a position to participate in some sled dog racing in upstate New York when I had the chance twenty-five years ago.

There is no animal cruelty. The dogs love it. When a musher starts to rig a sled all the dogs go crazy because they all want to go so badly. Only people who no nothing about sled dog racing make the ignorant judgement that is is cruel. But that seems to be the way of the world now. Get involved in things you know nothing about. All mushers know that their dogs must be kept happy to win. That is all there is too it. There are no reins or whips. The lead dog is in charge and when he (once in a while a she) stops, the team stops. There is nothing the driver can do. They (the dogs) love the racing. And BTW, the Iditarod is by no means the most difficult race as the reporter incorrectly states, it is the Yukon Quest by a long shot.

I have to agree with Bobbie. I am happily owned by two sled dogs myself, and I can attest to their inbred desire to pull and run. The merest hint of any action that MIGHT preclude being taken out sends them both into howling frenzies. I'm certainly not going to state that every person who has ever run a dog team has taken care of their animals, but I will confidently state that the instances of animal cruelty among mushers and their dog teams is significantly lower than the average, and much more so than say, pit bulls or rotties. Not even considering that the dogs truly LOVE to run, think logically about the idea. If you were several hundred miles into the wilderness and a team of dogs were your only ticket home, wouldn't you take the absolute best possible care of them? Here are a few rules that the sled dog community operates by.
1) You run at your dog's pace, not your own.
2) Injured animals are taken off the gangline immediately and transported to the nearest veterinary facility or checkpoint in the basket of the sled.
3) When stopping at a checkpoint, you feed, water, rub down, bed up and otherwise love on your dogs. THEN you consider eating and sleeping.
4) For that matter, dogs in competition eat steak, salmon, bones, and natural vegetables, at a cost that can be staggering. Mushers eat ramen.
5) Any musher worthy of the name will stop to aid an injured dog, even if it isn't theirs, and even if it costs them a victory.

I think these races are great for the dogs. I don't think it's animal cruelty. If you've ever been around sled dogs, they are very happy when they are this active, like race horses at the track. They like to race...in many cases, they are rarin' to go and want to do it again and again. I think this is a great sport...the mushers love their dogs.

It is not only the more recognized Huskies and Malamutes
who run in these races. There are many other breeds as well.
The vast majority of them receive far more respect and loving
care than many family pets or racing dogs at the greyhound tracks.
Sled dog racing is not so much a race of speed as it is one of endurance.
No it is not a cruel sport. The owners and handlers care very much for
their dogs. Any who do not are soon expelled from the racing circle.

Untrue -- there is a LOT of animal cruelty. My cousin in Canada adopted a husky that was abandoned, emaciated and starved, along the trail. There are entire organizations dedicated to helping abused sled dogs. (But there are well-cared-for animals, and abused animals, in ANY industry, of course - - and among pet owners as well).

i agree with shelley thier is SOME animal cruelty involved but that just goes hand in hand with any sport involving animals. Im willing to bet that the percentage of racing dogs abused is lower then the average household dog abused.

I have served as an assistant race marshall for a sled dog race. Sled dogs receive great care. The animal rights people who believe everything anyone does with an animal is cruel need to get a life. Siberians don't get abandoned. If you look at the history of the breed and know anything about them, you would know that they can take off. They can take off and live off the land and they generally come back eventually. If someone found a Siberian running loose, it most likely took off when it got the chance. Sled dogs are valued by mushers. I have known many of them. They are dedicated to their dogs and their dogs love to run. Dogs that don't want to run don't run.

For anyone who has ever been privileged to witness a dog doing what it was breed to do, knows the art and beauty that exists. It brings tears to your eyes to see the joy in the retriever out hunting and bringing back fowl in their mouth – oh that tail carriage and body swagger is not to be missed. To see the herding dog working a flock of sheep with a smile – yes a smile on their face, so intense but every gene in that dogs body rejoicing at the chance to do what it was bred to do, will bring tears to your eyes. And to see the smiles on these sled dog’s faces as they head out onto the trail, finally getting a chance to release the pent up excitement to go for a run … will bring tears to your eyes. If you truly know dogs and know the joy they feel, not the joy us humans feel, they will bring tears to your eyes as you see them participate in the sports they love, the ones they were bred to do. I thankfully have been lucky & blessed to see many smiling dogs, all were in the act of doing something, none were on the couch or eating – they were actively participating in something. If you have never seen a dog smile and be truly content, then you need to get out and do things with your dog, so you can find out what makes him/her smile. I will give you a hint, start with something related to what it was bred to do. And go have fun and put smiles on both your faces!

It's cruel to lock a animal in your home for your own selfish needs. You people need to grow up.

I am a veterinary professinal. I also spend time volunteering at sled dog races where my skill and my knowledge is used to help keep the dogs healthy during these races, and to help educate mushers. I can attest that these animals are among the happiest creatures I have ever worked with and that includes housepets. These dogs are bred to run, and they love it. To NOT let them run would be a huge diservice to them. And, you don;t get involved in this sport if you don;t love animals, and if you don;t love dogs. Mistreated dogs won;t run, won't work. If you spend 5 minutes around these animals you will immediately see how happy and well-cared for they really are...certainly better cared for than many of the unvaccinated, wormy, unspayed or unneutered animals we see at people's homes, peoples' beloved "pets" that are allowed to harbor and succumb from infectious diseases because their owners don';t get them vaccinated, or get hit by cars, etc I can go on and on. Sled dogs are well-cared for, races are monitored by veterinarians, and health issues are addressed immediately. Mushers are grateful for our input, always concerned, always wanting to do things better and they are down to earth people. And, durng the race, they work as hard or harder than their dogs often sacrificing their own well-being (no sleep, no food, forst bite) as they are on the trail caring for their dogs. Trust me, these dogs are loved, and have a wonderful life.

hi my name is matt carstens and my dogs ran the can am and they spent 250 miles smiling