The 2005 Yukon Quest...

[Glacier]

Originally posted by MariaM
That looks so neat! How many teams are entering?

There are 21 teams this year. There were more but a couple mushers dropped out before the start.

[LabradorLover]

Great pictures

I also always wondered if it was fair to the dogs, It must be so cold for them, but they look happy running.

I've always wondered why most groups do not use purebred Huskies?? What are most of the dogs mixed with?

[Glacier]

Originally posted by Samantha Puppy
Cool, thanks for the reply. I'm just curious - how are they not treated like 'pets'? And how come?

Most sled dogs aren't like mine. Mine are spoiled pets who work a couple times a week. Most serious mushers have way more dogs than I do. The dogs are kept outside, usually on chains, with their own houses, close enough that they can play and interact with their neighbor dog, but far enough apart that they can't fight or breed. (mushers aren't great about spay and neutering! but that's another post!) The dogs aren't allowed inside, they don't sleep on the couch--all that stuff that many pet dogs get to do. Some mushers let their favorites inside or move their retired dogs to the house.

I have a friend who does "dog of the day"--every day one of his dogs gets to be in the house with him, goes for truck rides and gets free roam of the yard, treats ect.

[Glacier]

Originally posted by LabradorLover
Great pictures

I also always wondered if it was fair to the dogs, It must be so cold for them, but they look happy running.

I've always wondered why most groups do not use purebred Huskies?? What are most of the dogs mixed with?

RIght now the trend is to mixing them with German Short-haired pointers, Coonhounds or Eurohounds. Border collie mixes are also pretty common. Most Alaskan Huskies are so mixed now it's hard to tell what breeds are mixed in. An Alaskan Husky can be any breed combination that was intentionally bred to pull a sled.

There's a couple reasons that most mushers don't use purebreds....the mixes are faster usually. Most mushers want to keep enough husky in their dogs that the coat, ear protection, feet and drive to pull are maintained. But they mix in faster racing breeds to increase speeds. The Siberian was bred to pull a long distance at moderate speed--not at a sprint pace. As well, I've been told that mushers try to bred the Husky stubborn streak out. Additionally, unfortunately, breeders have in many ways ruined the Siberian Husky. The average show dog these days couldn't do the job Huskies are meant to do!

[cali]

lol they all look so happy! I never understood why people think the dogs are forced to run, its what they were bred to do, saying huskys are forced to pull is in my mind is like saying border collies hate to herd and they they hate their lives because most strictly working BCs are kept in kennel outside in in a barn, not in the house. lol but all one has to do is watch a dog doing what it was bred to do to know that they are hardly unhappy lol

[Vette]

Yeah thats what i was going to say. 'they look happy!"
and they do! i see big grins on their faces,, and the ones that dont look like they are concentrating on their work. all of them have excellent looking coats and bright spirited eyes

great pack of poochies!