Sled dogs, known also as sleigh dogs, sledge dogs or sleddogs are a group of dogs that are used to pull a wheel-less vehicle on runners (a sled or sleigh) over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines. It is not certain when this unique form of transport was first thought of by humankind nor where it originated, but it may well have been in eastern Siberia, whose tribes have a long history of nomadic winter travel. Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog Canis lupus is a type of canine, a mammal in the order Carnivora. ... Scene from winter nearly anywhere snow may fall on a handy hill—Children at play sledding. ... For the cricket meaning, see Sledging (cricket) A sled, sledge or sleigh is a vehicle with runners for sliding instead of wheels for rolling. ... Animation of snowcover changing with the seasons Snow covering a leaf. ... Snowflakes by Wilson Bentley, 1902 Ice is the name given to any one of the 14 known solid phases of water. ... A dog harness is similar to harness for horses, and varies depending on the type of use: assistance to a disabled person, hauling a cart or sled, or pulling a human being as in skijoring. ... Siberian Federal District (darker red) and the broadest definition of Siberia (red) arctic northeast Siberia Udachnaya pipe Siberia (Russian: , Sibir; Tatar: ) is a vast region of Russia constituting almost all of Northern Asia and comprising a large part of the Euro-Asian Steppe. ...

A ten-dog team of Seppala Siberian Sleddogs in tandem hitch on a frozen Yukon lake (Photo by Isa Boucher)

Several distinct dog breeds are in common use as sleddogs, although any medium-sized breed may be used to pull a sled. Purebred sleddog breeds range from the well-known Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute to rarer breeds such as the Mackenzie River Husky. Dog drivers, however, have a long history of using other breeds or crossbreds as sleddogs. In the days of the Gold Rush in The Yukon, mongrel teams were the rule, but there were also teams of Foxhounds and Staghounds. Today the unregistered hybridised Alaskan husky is preferred for dogsled racing, along with a variety of crossbreds, the German Shorthaired Pointer often being chosen as the basis for crossbreeding. Some years ago, a team of Standard Poodles participated in the Iditarod long-distance race. Seppala sleddog team in Yukon Photo taken ca. ... Seppala sleddog team in Yukon Photo taken ca. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Bold text This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The term Mackenzie River husky describes several overlapping local populations of arctic and subarctic sleddogs, none of which constitutes a breed. ... A typical gold mining operation, on Bonanza Creek. ... This article is about Yukon Territory in Canada. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long. ... Country of origin United States Classification and breed standards Not recognised by any major registries The American Staghound is a type of sighthound that is used in hunting to track a variety of game. ... The Alaskan Husky is not so much a breed of dog as it is a type or a category. ... The German Shorthaired Pointer is a breed of dog developed in the 1800s in Germany for hunting. ... The Poodle is a breed of dog. ... Iditarod may refer to: Iditarod (dog sled race), an annual sled dog race in the Alaskan Interior and western coast. ...

Sleddogs are expected to demonstrate two major qualities in their work (apart from basic physical capability to pull the sled). Endurance is needed to travel the distances demanded in dogsled travel, which may be anything from five to eighty miles (8 to 130 km) or more a day. Speed is needed to travel the distance in a reasonable length of time. Racing sleddogs will travel up to an average twenty miles per hour (32.2 km/h) over distances up to 25 miles (40 km). Over longer distances, average travelling speed declines to 10 to 14 miles per hour (16 to 22 km/h). In poor trail conditions, sleddogs can still usually average 6 or 7 miles per hour (10 or 11 km/h). Sled dogs have been known to travel over 100 miles in a 24 hour period.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (R.C.M.P.) hitching sled dogs into their harness

Sleddogs pull various sorts of sleds, from the small 25 pound (11 kg) sprint-racing sleds, through the larger plastic-bottomed distance racing toboggan sleds, to traditional ash freighting sleds and the trapper's high-fronted narrow toboggan. Sleddogs are also used to pull skiers and to draw wheeled rigs when there is no snow. A team of sleddogs may consist of anywhere from three to two dozen animals. Modern teams are usually hitched in tandem, with harnessed pairs of sleddogs pulling on tuglines attached to a central gangline. Trappers in deep snow conditions using the toboggan will hitch their dogs in single file with traces on either side of the line of dogs. Dog teams of arctic natives are usually run in "fan hitch", each dog having its own tow line tied directly to the sled. Two members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (R.C.M.P.) hitching sled dogs into their harness before going on patrol. ... Two members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (R.C.M.P.) hitching sled dogs into their harness before going on patrol. ... Royal Canadian Mounted Police heraldic badge. ... A modern bobsleigh toboggan A toboggan is a simple sled used on snow, to carry one or more people (often children) down a hill or other slope, for recreation. ...

Driving sleddogs has become a popular winter recreation and sport in North America and Europe; sleddogs are now found even in such unlikely places as Australia and Patagonia.

Sled dog breeds

A typical sled dog breed, such as the Greenland Dog, has a very dense double coat, wide padded feet, erect ears, a curled tail, and a muscular build.

• Alaskan husky
• Alaskan Malamute
• Canadian Eskimo Dog (or Qimmiq)
• Chinook
• Eurohound
• Greenland Dog
• Mackenzie River Husky
• Sakhalin Husky
• Samoyed
• Seppala Siberian Sleddog
• Siberian Husky (or Arctic Husky)

Download high resolution version (600x678, 97 KB)Alaskan Sunrise at Kelltara Photo by sannse at the City of Birmingham Championship Dog Show, 30th August 2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (600x678, 97 KB)Alaskan Sunrise at Kelltara Photo by sannse at the City of Birmingham Championship Dog Show, 30th August 2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Greenland Dog is a large breed of dog bred as a sled dog. ... The Alaskan Husky is not so much a breed of dog as it is a type or a category. ... Bold text This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Canadian Eskimo Dog, otherwise known as the Qimmiq, is a larger breed of Arctic dog commonly found pulling sleds fortheir Inuit counterparts. ... Notes The AKC foundation stock service (FSS) is a registration service for breeds not yet recognised by the AKC. The Chinook is a rare sleddog type or variety developed in the New England region of the USA in the early 20th century. ... A eurohound is a cross between an Alaskan husky and a pointer (dog). ... The Greenland Dog is a large breed of dog bred as a sled dog. ... The term Mackenzie River husky describes several overlapping local populations of arctic and subarctic sleddogs, none of which constitutes a breed. ... The Sakhalin Husky, also known as the Karafuto-Ken, is a breed of dog used as a sled dog. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Samoyed The Samoyed dog takes its name from the Samoyedic peoples of Siberia. ... Breed standards (external links) SSSD Breed Std. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

See also

Indian Dog sled near Fort Clark. Watercolor by Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied 1833.

• Dogsled racing
• Dog sled
• Mushing
• Leonhard Seppala
• Balto
• Togo (dog)