There is a lot of literature decrying the Iditarod as an inhumane race that kills dogs. Those who want the race to end are disseminating information that can be misleading at best and inaccurate at worst.
I have worked at a dog sledding operation for the past three years. The company, Grizzle-T Dog & Sled Works is open to the public and conducts tours for guests. We encourage people to come and meet the sled dogs and to see how excited they are to do what they do. This year Kris Hoffman, owner of Grizzle-T will be racing in the Iditarod and I look to him to show the world how a musher who cares for and loves his dogs runs this race.
Iditarod Myths - Part 2:
1. Sled dogs live apart from other dogs. In fact, the dogs at Grizzle-T do live on chains, but have contact with the dogs next to them. They often run around and play together or snuggle and nuzzle one another. They are pack dogs. My dog who was born at Grizzle-T and spent two years at work their with me every day, either on a line with the dogs or in a cage, still gets more excited to go there every day than anywhere else.
2. Dogs are starved to reach race weight. This is counter-productive. A hungry dog will not be able to run as well as a well-fed dog. In fact, in winter the dogs are fed up to 10,000 calories a day when they are racing to ensure they have the nutrients they need. Their diet consists of raw meat as well as kibble for a balanced diet.
3. Sled dogs are way too thin. Most housedogs do not get enough exercise. The norm of what we see with dogs that are pets are overweight dogs. Sled dogs are elite athletes. They appear skinny or thin because they are all muscle. When a dog, any dog, gets the amount of exercise a sled dog gets, they will lose weight and they will be healthy. People always comment on how thin my dog is. She runs off leash for two-three hours a day on different hikes. She eats as much food as she wants throughout the day. These dogs are not skinny they are in shape.
4. Sled dogs do not get human attention. Not true. Dogs are checked up on every day. They are handled as they are hooked up and for a run and they are rewarded with pets and encouragement when they get back. These dogs often get more interaction with people than most house dogs who are left in solitude for 8-10 hours a day while their owners work.
5. Dogs get lost during the the race. They don't. Dogs that slip a collar are tracked with chips that are mandatory for any Iditarod dog. Most dogs don't go far and usually return to the last place they were with their pack.
6. Dogs are forced to run too fast. Race times have diminished from 11 days to 8 days. What people don't realize is that the time was reduced to just over 9 days in 1999. In the last 11 years race times have only decreased by about 3 hours.
7. Tying a dog to a line breeds aggression. This may be the case in residential areas because the leashed dog sees free dogs and becomes aggressive in order to get the free animals to move out of their territory. With sled dogs, they are all in same boat; they are all tied up until they get to run. All of our dogs are friendly to people and very loving. As for tying dogs to a line, a leash is a line and studies also prove that dogs on a leash are more aggressive than dogs who are allowed to run free.
8. Pregnant dogs are forced to run. This myth comes from reports of dogs who are bred right before the race. This myth is similar to saying that a woman who is a week pregnant should not undergo any type of strenuous exercise. Most women do not even know they are pregnant for the first month or two of their term. They are perfectly capable of undergoing rigorous exercise until later in their pregnancy.
9. Puppies are forced to run. The most recent studies show a dog's development over the first two years to be comparable to a human aging 24 years. These puppies are actually in their prime when they are running similar to an athlete between 18 and 24 years old.
10. Sick dogs forced to run. Dogs can pick up viruses from other dogs by sleeping on the same hay. It's true. Kennel cough can be common. However, some bugs, like kennel cough do not affect the energy levels of the dogs. I know because my dog picked up kennel cough from the local dog park and I could not keep her from running. We went out before dawn or to remote places so she could run without encountering other dogs. The energy levels of these dogs are so often underestimated by people who don't know them.
Sled dogs are wild dogs. They are incredibly strong animals with unbelievable endurance. My dog has hiked a fourteener over 10 hours and still wanted to run. These dogs are used to living outdoors and in a pack. Because we think all dogs should be housedogs, many people are not fully able to understand these dogs. They want to run. They love to run and anyone who has been on our tour will know that you never need to force these dogs to run, it's trying to get them to stop that is a challenge. Unfortunately the media highlights the tragedies with sled dogs because those are the stories that sell. Most sled dog owners and Iditarod mushers love their dogs and give them the same care and love they would to someone in their family. At Grizzle-T, we like to say that the 100 dogs out there are some of the best friends we've ever had.
I have worked at a dog sledding operation for the past three years. The company, Grizzle-T Dog & Sled Works is open to the public and conducts tours for guests. We encourage people to come and meet the sled dogs and to see how excited they are to do what they do. This year Kris Hoffman, owner of Grizzle-T will be racing in the Iditarod and I look to him to show the world how a musher who cares for and loves his dogs runs this race.
Iditarod Myths - Part 2:
1. Sled dogs live apart from other dogs. In fact, the dogs at Grizzle-T do live on chains, but have contact with the dogs next to them. They often run around and play together or snuggle and nuzzle one another. They are pack dogs. My dog who was born at Grizzle-T and spent two years at work their with me every day, either on a line with the dogs or in a cage, still gets more excited to go there every day than anywhere else.
2. Dogs are starved to reach race weight. This is counter-productive. A hungry dog will not be able to run as well as a well-fed dog. In fact, in winter the dogs are fed up to 10,000 calories a day when they are racing to ensure they have the nutrients they need. Their diet consists of raw meat as well as kibble for a balanced diet.
3. Sled dogs are way too thin. Most housedogs do not get enough exercise. The norm of what we see with dogs that are pets are overweight dogs. Sled dogs are elite athletes. They appear skinny or thin because they are all muscle. When a dog, any dog, gets the amount of exercise a sled dog gets, they will lose weight and they will be healthy. People always comment on how thin my dog is. She runs off leash for two-three hours a day on different hikes. She eats as much food as she wants throughout the day. These dogs are not skinny they are in shape.
4. Sled dogs do not get human attention. Not true. Dogs are checked up on every day. They are handled as they are hooked up and for a run and they are rewarded with pets and encouragement when they get back. These dogs often get more interaction with people than most house dogs who are left in solitude for 8-10 hours a day while their owners work.
5. Dogs get lost during the the race. They don't. Dogs that slip a collar are tracked with chips that are mandatory for any Iditarod dog. Most dogs don't go far and usually return to the last place they were with their pack.
6. Dogs are forced to run too fast. Race times have diminished from 11 days to 8 days. What people don't realize is that the time was reduced to just over 9 days in 1999. In the last 11 years race times have only decreased by about 3 hours.
7. Tying a dog to a line breeds aggression. This may be the case in residential areas because the leashed dog sees free dogs and becomes aggressive in order to get the free animals to move out of their territory. With sled dogs, they are all in same boat; they are all tied up until they get to run. All of our dogs are friendly to people and very loving. As for tying dogs to a line, a leash is a line and studies also prove that dogs on a leash are more aggressive than dogs who are allowed to run free.
8. Pregnant dogs are forced to run. This myth comes from reports of dogs who are bred right before the race. This myth is similar to saying that a woman who is a week pregnant should not undergo any type of strenuous exercise. Most women do not even know they are pregnant for the first month or two of their term. They are perfectly capable of undergoing rigorous exercise until later in their pregnancy.
9. Puppies are forced to run. The most recent studies show a dog's development over the first two years to be comparable to a human aging 24 years. These puppies are actually in their prime when they are running similar to an athlete between 18 and 24 years old.
10. Sick dogs forced to run. Dogs can pick up viruses from other dogs by sleeping on the same hay. It's true. Kennel cough can be common. However, some bugs, like kennel cough do not affect the energy levels of the dogs. I know because my dog picked up kennel cough from the local dog park and I could not keep her from running. We went out before dawn or to remote places so she could run without encountering other dogs. The energy levels of these dogs are so often underestimated by people who don't know them.
Sled dogs are wild dogs. They are incredibly strong animals with unbelievable endurance. My dog has hiked a fourteener over 10 hours and still wanted to run. These dogs are used to living outdoors and in a pack. Because we think all dogs should be housedogs, many people are not fully able to understand these dogs. They want to run. They love to run and anyone who has been on our tour will know that you never need to force these dogs to run, it's trying to get them to stop that is a challenge. Unfortunately the media highlights the tragedies with sled dogs because those are the stories that sell. Most sled dog owners and Iditarod mushers love their dogs and give them the same care and love they would to someone in their family. At Grizzle-T, we like to say that the 100 dogs out there are some of the best friends we've ever had.
About the Author:
Dagny McKinley spent three years working for Grizzle-T Dog & Sled Works in Steamboat Springs, CO. Grizzle-T promotes healthy and loving treatment of sled dogs. McKinley is a published author and photographer and her book, Wild Hearts: Dog S
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