DOG SLEDDING

Equipment for your dog

What sort of dog is best?

Many types of dog are used for dog sledding. Some of the most common and most associated are the pure breed Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies. Alaskan Huskies which are a cross breed of the more traditional sled dogs and well as hounds and other breeds are becoming more popular for racing.

Siberian Husky
Picture of a typical Siberian Husky The Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family. It is recognizable by its thickly-furred double coat, sickle tail, erect triangular ears and distinctive markings.
Siberian Huskies are generally active, energetic and a resilient breed whose ancestors came from the extremely cold and harsh environment of the Siberian Arctic and were bred by the Chukchi people of Northeastern Asia. They were originally imported into Alaska during the Nome Gold Rush and spread from there into the United States and Canada, initially as a sled dog. Now they are considered family pets, show dogs as well as working/racing dogs.

Alaskan Malamute
Picture of a typical Alaksan Malamute The Alaskan Malamute is a large breed of domestic dog originally bred for use as an Alaskan sled dog and is often mistaken for a Siberian Husky.
The coat is a dense double northern dog coat, somewhat harsher than that of the Siberian Husky. The usual colors are various shades of grey and white, sable and white, black and white, red and white, or pure white. Eyes are almond-shaped and are always brown. The malamute has a plume like tail that is well furred and hangs just over the back like a "plume". The malamutes' tails, well-furred, aid in keeping them warm when they curl up in the snow . They wrap the tail around their nose and face which helps protect them against harsh weather like blowing snow.
The Malamute is generally slower in long-distance dogsled racing against smaller and faster breeds and their working usefulness is limited to freighting or traveling over long distances at a far slower rate than that required for racing. They can also help move heavy objects over shorter distances.

What equipment will the dogs need?

You're likely to see a whole range of equipment if you go sledding. The type of sled can vary from country to country depending on the environment. If you are going dlog sledding on an arranged trip then you can expect this equipment to be provided for you.