Ailsa Harvey

The sport of dog sledding involves racing on sleds pulled by dogs, usually over snowy cross-country courses.

The dogs in the dog sled teams have different roles when racing. Lead dogs, at the front of the pack, must have common sense and be able to find route in bad weather. ‘Swing’ dogs and ‘point’ dogs are responsible for guiding the rest of the team through curves in the trail. They run directly behind the leader. ‘Team’ dogs are primarily used for their power, running in the middle and ‘wheel’ dogs stay close to the sled to pull it out of deep snow.

When practising the sport in countries without constant snow, wheeled carts are used instead of the sleds.  The person who races the dogs on the sled is called the ‘musher’. Their main roles come before the race in taking care of the dogs, preparing them and training them to perform at their best. Continue reading