The dogs may travel over 90 miles in a 24 hour period while pulling up to 85 pounds apiece! When air travel became commonplace in the s and 30s, sled dogs began to lose their role as a means of commercial transportation. The advent of major highways in the s, as well as the invention and increasing use of snowmobiles, further rendered the dogs an object of the past.
The majority of mushing, however, is recreational or for sport. The most common dog used for mushing today, as we mentioned earlier, is the Alaskan husky. The Alaskan Husky is not actually a unique breed but rather a mix of several breeds, including the Native Village dog of yore and oftentimes one or more hound or husky breeds such as the Siberian or Malamute ; however, pointers and even greyhounds have also been added to the mix in recent years.
This has become more commonplace with the popularity of racing; racing dogs are being bred for speed, at the sacrifice of some of their natural hardiness and endurance. Alaskan huskies range in weight from 50 to 80 pounds for working sled dogs, and 35 to 60 pounds for a racing dog.
They are intelligent, affectionate dogs with an independent streak; while loyal to their pack and people , they are prone to wandering and adventuring if not kept occupied or engaged.
They are also avid diggers and renowned escape artists, so if you are planning to have one as a pet, a DogWatch Hidden Fence is the way to go. Generally, a team in a long distance race will average around 8 miles per hour.
Perhaps the most famous dog sled race is the Iditarod , the 1,mile journey between Anchorage and Nome, Alaska. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs pull a racer's sled through grueling conditions, including blizzards, fog, ice, strong winds and temperatures as cold as 40 degrees below 0 Fahrenheit.
It takes a team of dogs more than a week to course the Iditarod, averaging approximately 8 miles an hour. A sled dog's speed depends on a variety of factors, including weather, the planned travel distance and the condition of the trail.
For shorter distances, sled dogs may average 10 to 14 miles per hour during the course of a day of mushing. If conditions are poor, such as extreme cold or fresh snow, the dogs' speed can drop to 6 or 7 miles per hour. Dog sledding gives you very good chances to see the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, is a natural phenomenon, and so of course displays can never be guaranteed.
In general, the best chances for displays of the Northern Lights during your dogsled tour are, as the name suggests, in the far north, close to or inside the Arctic Circle, though displays do also occasionally occur further south.
Displays can be seen in the far north from late Autumn to around early April and so are visible during almost the whole the dogsled season, except for the latest part of the "spring winter" from mid-April to May which is nevertheless a wonderful time for dog sledding!
To see the Northern Lights you need three things: the sky must be clear with little or no light pollution around , there must be Aurora activity, and you must be awake!
Many guests travelling with for dog sledding have an interest in the Northern Lights. However, we recommend that you see the excitement of the activity and the beauty of the landscapes as the main motivation for travelling and regard a display of the Northern Lights as a bonus.
Even in areas with excellent chances, it is possible that it will be cloudy, there will be no activity, or very common you will be fast asleep after a long day of mushing adventure! For this reason, we strongly recommend that you also consider our tour options located in areas not normally within the "Northern Lights zone". These areas offer fantastic possibilities for dog sledding, beautiful scenery, and may even be quicker or more affordable to travel to than locations further north.
This depends very much on personal taste and what you are looking for from your dog sledding holiday. Certain tours are only available later in the season, from late February to April, when weather conditions are suitable for dog sledding in the mountains, while others are possible throughout the season. December and January are deep winter, when hours of daylight are shortest and temperatures tend to be lowest, but this time of year has a magical atmosphere and a special blue quality to the light.
Later in the season towards March and April, the days are lengthening and the mountains have the "best of both worlds", with good snow cover but also the warming rays of the spring sunshine. Browse our full range of dog sledding holidays in Sweden, Finland and Norway. Opening hours: Mon-Fri Photo: James Cartwright. How fast does a dogsled go? Find out here! See also: Compare our range of dogsled tours When to go dog sledding Everything you ever wanted to know about dog sledding but were afraid to ask!
How many dogs are there in a dogsled team? Can I drive my own dogsled if I haven't been dog sledding before? What happens on a typical day during a hut-to-hut or winter camping dog sledding tour? What distance do you cover in a day of dog sledding? What is the accommodation like on a multi-day dog sledding tour?
Is dog sledding suitable for solo travellers? How many people will be in the group during my dog sledding tour? Is dog sledding suitable for children? How fit or strong do I need to be to go dog sledding? Is there a maximum age limit for dog sledding? What clothing will I need to go dog sledding? Where are the best places to go dog sledding? Will I see the Northern Lights during my dogsled tour?
What is the best time of year to go dog sledding in Sweden, Norway or Finland? Photo: Jonathan Lamb. Photo: James Padolsey. What happens on a typical day on a hut-to-hut or winter camping dog sledding tour? Photo: Corinne McManus.
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