Cross Breeds

What kind of dogs are mostly used for sled racing?

I know some people will say like "husky, duhh!" but whenever they show a team on t.v., most of them don't even look like huskies at all. I'm guessing they're mutts maybe mixed with huskies? I've also heard that malamutes don't make good racing dogs because they aren't nimble or fast enough. What do you guys think?

Public Comments

1. Alaskan Malamutes and Husky are commonly used for sled racing, though some people do used mixed breed dogs.
2. The term I hear most is "Alaskan Huskies" They are crossbred dogs that the mushers /breeders have bred down from succesful race dogs. "The Alaskan Husky is not so much a breed of dog as it is a type or a category. It falls short of being a breed in that there is no preferred type and no restriction as to ancestry; it is defined only by its purpose, which is that of a highly efficient sled dog. That said, dog drivers usually distinguish between the Alaskan Husky and “hound crosses”, so perhaps there is informal recognition that the Alaskan Husky is expected to display a degree of northern dog type. Specializations in type exist within the breed, such as freighting dogs (Mackenzie River Husky Malamute), sprint Alaskans (Eurohound), and distance Alaskans. Most Alaskan Huskies have pointy ears, meaning they are in fact classified as a spitz-type dog. The Alaskan is the sled dog of choice for world-class dog sled racing sprint competition. None of the purebred northern breeds can match it for sheer racing speed. Demanding speed-racing events such as the Fairbanks, Alaska Open North American Championship and the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous are invariably won by teams of Alaskan huskies, or of Alaskans crossed with hounds or gun dogs. Hounds are valued for their toughness and endurance. Winning speeds often average more than 19 miles per hour (31 km/h) over three days' racing at 20 to 30 miles (32 to 48 km) each day. Alaskan huskies that fulfill the demanding performance standards of world-class dogsled racing are extremely valuable. A top-level racing lead dog can be worth $10–15,000. Alaskans that fail to meet the performance standards of the musher who bred them often go on to be sold to less competitive mushers, allowing them to continue to run." It is very unusual for there to be purebred dogs or a purebred seld dog team. However THIS Kennel runs with a Purebred team- Siberians-and has done well in the Iditarod- North Wapiti Kennels has successfully completed the 1000+ mile Iditarod Sled Dog race in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2008 using only purebred Siberian Huskies. The North Wapiti team finished the 2001 race with more dogs than any other Iditarod 2001 team, being the only team to finish with 15 of the 16 dogs that started the race. During the 2008 race the team was able to better their personal best finish time by a few hours. Their finish time was the third fastest in Iditarod history for a purebred Siberian Husky team. http://www.northwapiti.com/
3. They are mutts. I watched a special on sled dogs I can't remember what it was called but it was all about that big race they have and They said on the show that all their dogs were mutts. They take their dogs with the best qualities and mix them together to make the ultimate sled dog... I'm not an expert on sledding but that is what i seen on that show and those were sledders talking about it so. Edit: I found this... i was semi wrong... they are alaskan huskies but he states they are a mixed breed dog http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BUJ3pVxKHM i hope that link works
4. siberian huskies are the commonly used ones, although samoyeds are also used. people often use Alaskan huskies, which are basically a mutt, crossbreeds bred for sledding. Malamutes are sometimes used as wheel dogs, the dogs closest to the sled, as they are stronger. However they are better at weight pulling and freighting (long haul sledding carrying a large weight) rather than racing.
5. snow dogss, duhhhhh! lol
6. Siberian Huskies are very good sled dog racers. Also Alaskan Malamutes are very good. They are also a lot bigger. They actually are fast enough and will go slow when you need them to. They do make good sled dog racers.
7. Siberian Huskies are most often used, but Alaskan Malamutes are also used. I hope this helps!
8. Most of them are a husky mix. They need to be able to handle the cold, so they need an extra thick coat. Huskies usually have this type of coat, so they are ideal. They usually breed them with other dogs to get the qualities that they need and want. Each dog in the pack has a special position and they each perform a certain task. Some of the dogs are leaders, some are needed to be fast, some are needed to be able to pull the load.
9. The information Uhave2B copied from NorthWapiti Kennels website is correct. And she along with mushers Mike Ellis and Blake Freaking are some of the exceptions in that they run Siberian teams. But as far as competitive racing teams Alaskan Huskies are the dog of choice. As explained earlier the Alaskan Husky is a type, not a recognized breed. But it is a well established type. Many people mistakenly think that the Husky is just a mix of a Siberian and Malamute or other northern breed. But that is completely untrue. At one time the Husky was, like every breed, developed by mixing various dogs. But like other breeds once established now people breed Alaskans to other Alaskans. With occasional mixed breedings as part of well thought out breeding programs by competitive mushers. Bloodlines are well documented and as with show dogs champions are well known amongst competitive mushers. Of course they define champion as being part of an exception dog team with a winning record. I am told by friends who run dogs in the lower 48 that there are races with sportsman or special classes for pure breed teams. But generally these breeds can not compete with a competitive team of Alaskan Huskies. Research has actually been done to try and understand how these dogs can preform such amazing athletic feats. Some fell they may be the greatest extreme endurance athletes on the planet. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123655651750166135.html Also the dogs you see on TV (if you are referring to coverage of events like the Iditarod that was aired on Discovery) are Alaskan huskies. the problem is Disney movies and made for TV specials don't actually use Alaskan huskies so people have the wrong idea of what the real Iditarod dogs look like. The dogs from Snow Dogs or 8 Below are not really what racing mushers run. it is hard to define whata racing sled dog has to look like, becuase racing mushers don't judge them that way or breed for looks at all. It is all about performance. This article explains it well. http://www.flickr.com/groups/28214111@N00/discuss/115432/ To see wonderful footage of some of the best of the best racing sled dogs I recommend the Discovery Iditarod series, it is really well done.