Sled Dogs! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kicksled

A kicksled, also known as a spark, is a lightweight, foldable sled that's flexible and great for a small dog team. They're less expensive than competitive racing sleds, and ideal for 1-4 dogs.

Answer: False

The Alaskan husky is not a breed of dog because it does not have a standard set of characteristics to define it. Rather, it's simply a term coined for mutts that pull sleds. A typical Alaskan husky commonly seen in racing is a mid-sized dog of 40-50 pounds, has a short, dense coat, long legs, and a lean build with powerful hindquarters. Usually these dogs are selectively bred to harbor good racing attributes.

Answer: False

By no means must a dog be a purebred or 'designed' for northern conditions to make a good sled dog. Border collies, retrievers, shepherds, poodles, and mutts have all been sled dogs both in the past and currently.

Answer: Good feet

The recreational musher should have dogs with good, tough feet, and preferably no long fur between the paw pads to get balled up with snow. For the dogs that don't meet these paw requirements, though, booties are available to protect the tender paws, and are often a requirement for dogs running long-distance races.

Answer: 1-3 dogs pulling the owner on skis

Skijoring is an increasingly popular sport that can be great fun for both you and your dog. All you need is a pair of cross-country skis, a padded belt, a harness for your dog, and a towline to connect the belt to the harness. It's always recommended that, for your safety, you are already an experienced cross-country skier before trying this.

Answer: False

It might seem like you're confusing your dog when teaching him to pull his heart out in front of a sled and walk beside you politely on a leash, but it's possible. The key is to completely differentiate a collar and leash from a harness. Never allow your dog to pull on a leash, but encourage them to pull in harness. Be consistent, and praise whenever he does something right, no matter how small. If he doesn't get it right away, he will eventually.

Answer: Large size (60+ pounds)

You don't need a great big dog to pull a sled. In fact, in competitive racing, rarely do you see a dog that weighs more than 55 pounds! And while all dogs can get involved in sled pulling, there are some ideal characteristics. The dog should have boundless energy, be healthy and in physically sound condition, and have a suitable coat for cold weather.

The dog should be fast and have good endurance. Dogs with short noses are poor choices for sled dogs because of respiratory problems and low stamina.

Answer: Sled, gangline, harness

All you need to begin mushing is a sled, a harness for the dog, and a gangline to attach the sled to the harness. Typical pricing for these items is generally around $300 for a kicksled and $20-30 for a recreational x-back dog harness in 2006.

Answer: Loyal, intelligent and obedient

A good lead dog should have all the physical traits that make up a good sled dog, but some more special traits as well. It should be confident and willing to run out front, but loyal and obedient enough to listen to your commands- but intelligent enough to ignore a command that could be dangerous. It should also have a stable temperament and be good with strangers and other dogs.

Answer: 3 months

It's a good idea to start getting your dog used to wearing a harness when she's still a puppy. You can teach her early on not to chew the harness, and to respond to some commands like hike (go), gee (turn right), haw (turn left), and on by (pass the distracting object without stopping to investigate). Usually harnesses sized for puppies are less expensive than larger harnesses, so buy one that's specially fitted. CAUTION: Only allow your puppy to pull very light weights.

This will not only boost their confidence and let them have fun, but it's very important that you don't strain their developing bones by giving them a load that's too heavy. Wait until they're fully grown before increasing the weight.