Quote Originally Posted by Ginger's Mom
Question though, both Sundin and Cookie look kind of small to me (say 50 pounds or less), are they? And if so is that normal in a particular kind of mushing? Do different types of mushing require different body types in dogs, or just different personalities?
They are both small dogs. I'd say 40 pounds tops. That's a fairly standard size for a distance racing dog. I regularly get teased by other mushers about my giant dogs! Chase and Founder are both close to 80 pounds, but they are two of my very best! Most sprint racing dogs are even smaller. Hobo comes from sprint lines. He's actually a little heavy right now--summer fat! He tops out at 40 pounds & he need to loose five or so.

Sprint dogs tends to be extremely lean and small. Distance dogs have a little more weight on them usually since they are asked to do more work in the course of a day. Most working dogs are far leaner than the average house pet. That's why Jimmy was so skinny after five days on his own. He had very limited fat supplies to draw off when he wasn't getting fed. Even the smallest sled dog eats an amazing amount of food though. A distance dog running the I-rod or the Quest needs up to 10,000 calories a day to maintain his weight.

Personalities come into play more with their team positions than with the style of mushing. Some dogs just can't lead. Earle is one of those. Even in a dire emergency, Earle couldn't lead us home. He can't handle the stress. Other dogs thrive on that, like Paxil. Ozzy only runs in the middle of a team. He likes to be surrounded by his buddies. Chase likes to run in wheel(closest to the sled). He's a momma's boy and needs constant reassurance. It's easier for him to get that if he's as close as possible to me. Plus when you are hooking them up you have to consider who gets along with who...I can't run Deuce and Muskwa together, they'd kill each other. Hobo has to run alone as he's a psycho in harness. Ozzy needs a calm dog beside him. It's a bit like running this yard--a constant balancing act of their needs and personalities.