Iditarod 45!

Less than two weeks from now the Iditarod will kick off in Downtown Anchorage for an 11 mile mush through the state's largest city in their annual Ceremonial Start. Many moons ago, this was the start of the actual race, but as the city grew, the trails were destroyed to make way for expansion. Too dangerous to run a race, they now just quickly parade across town. Then they pick up the teams and truck them to the start.

Due to crazy weather that dumped a ton of snow on Anchorage but forgot to put much down in the Alaska Range, the race has been moved much further North to restart in Fairbanks! This has only happened 2 other times: in 2003 and 2015. They will use the same trail as they did two years ago. This trail offers more snow, a lot more time running the teams on the Yukon River and EXTREME cold (last time they ran teams saw temps of -45 to -60! Fahrenheit) To make this possible, the restart begins on Monday March 6 instead of the traditional Sunday restart. The Ceremonial Start will take place as normal on March 4 (which happens to be 4 time and reigning Champion Dallas Seavey's 30th birthday).

As of right now 72 teams plan to make their way to Nome. That number was higher but there have been quite a few teams withdrawing in the last few days for a number of reasons.

My first blog post about the race is up - http://tonichelle.blogspot.com/2017/02/iditarod-45-my-top-ten.html - just a little fun trying to predict who has the best chance of winning the thing.

Got questions about the race/mushers/dogs? I will try to pop in and answer them Hope you'll all follow along with me this year. It's been a while since I've posted race updates on GS haha.

My friend and former employer Danny Seavey created the Fantasy Iditarod game a few years back. It's great fun to keep people invested in the outcome of all the mushers not just the winning team. It's free to play, and you don't have to have a ton of knowledge. If you're even just casually interested I suggest at least coming up with a team and seeing how you do! You can learn about all of the mushers here, and then go to http://www.fantasyiditarod.com you can join "my league" if you want to play along with me just search for the group "Iditafans".

I know next to nothing about this sport but I am interested in the dogs...
What breed is used for these races? Can they withstand such distances and extreme cold?
I am sure they are fine but I worry.... Dogs are never happier than when they are doing the job they were born and bred to do.. I posted in the Animal Fun thread a while ago video of an Alaskan Malamute (I think that was his breed) named Thor who was talking back to his owner/parent... Very funny & cool but I was amazed at his level of communication... The tenor and pace of his voice exactly matched hers and he made it clear he was her equal!! Would this be a characteristic important in this sport?
I read a haiku poem once called
"Sled Dogs"....
In the back, steady dogs
In the middle, idiot dogs
In the front, one very strong smart dog.

Cannot help but think this is not entirely accurate so more metaphoric; I imagine all dogs in team must work together as a seamless unit....
Have a wonderful time and I hope the teams all do well.

I think the dogs involved in sled races are Siberian Huskies, Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes or Alaskans (breed of Alaskan Malamutes and Huskies). Also hunting dos breeds can participate. Mushers have to submit 20 dogs and all their information to take part of Iditarod, but if I read wright, 16 dogs are used and at least 6 have to surpass the winning post.

Please correct me if there is some mistake with this info.

^^
I've even heard of Standard Poodles as sled dogs! But generally, I think there are mostly Huskies and Malamutes.

elbkup said:

I know next to nothing about this sport but I am interested in the dogs...
What breed is used for these races? Can they withstand such distances and extreme cold?

Click to expand...

Most teams are Alaskan Husky (which is a hybrid mutt dog, there's not a "standard" for the breed, it will never be accepted into the world of show dog). They are bred specifically for long distance mushing (races), and can deal with extreme temperature. They enjoy running at -10F, that's kind of the sweet spot for the dogs. Colder and they may need to run with dog jackets on (not the fancy ones we see at pet stores, but well insulated capes). The dogs are checked out at every checkpoint along the trail by vets, and dog care is of the utmost importance for everyone involved. They eat between 25,000 and 30,000 calories a day when racing. That's not just dry dog kibble, they use beef, chicken, pork, moose, beaver... lots of good fats. And LOTS of fish.

Siberian Huskies also run the Iditarod, however because of their size and their fur, they are unable to keep up the speed of the smaller hybrid. They need to rest more often. (I hesitate to say they are slower because their mushers tend to hate it explained that way.)

Alaskan Malamutes are great pulling dogs, but not very good racing dogs. They're just too big and lumbering to really be competitive. They USED to run Iditarod, but we haven't seen Mals in a very long time in the race. However they are the classic Alaskan "freight dog" and are amazing animals. I worked with a malamute in high school that had dreams of running Iditarod, though!

I posted in the Animal Fun thread a while ago video of an Alaskan Malamute (I think that was his breed) named Thor who was talking back to his owner/parent... Very funny & cool but I was amazed at his level of communication... The tenor and pace of his voice exactly matched hers and he made it clear he was her equal!! Would this be a characteristic important in this sport?

Click to expand...

Sassiness? If it's from confidence, oh yeah. A confident sled dog will do just about anything asked of it and then some. There are some dogs that actually encourage their musher to keep going when the trail gets rough. Those are the dogs that become "legend" within the sport. Susan Butcher's dog Granite, Dallas Seavey's dog Reef, Mitch Seavey's dog Tread, Lance Mackey's dog Larry, Hugh Neff's dog George... those are just a few that come to mind.

I read a haiku poem once called
"Sled Dogs"....
In the back, steady dogs
In the middle, idiot dogs
In the front, one very strong smart dog.

Cannot help but think this is not entirely accurate so more metaphoric; I imagine all dogs in team must work together as a seamless unit....
Have a wonderful time and I hope the teams all do well.

Click to expand...

Middle of the pack on a team are known as team dogs. Originally I'm sure they were just dogs that added strength and not much else, however in a racing team most of the dogs rotate position and there are at least 8 dogs on a team that are good in lead. Your two wheel dogs (ones closest to the sled) are typically the ones that have no desire to be up front, they're all brawn not brain. haha.




Gotta head for church. I will be back later to continue answering questions!

Scrufflet said:

^^
I've even heard of Standard Poodles as sled dogs! But generally, I think there are mostly Huskies and Malamutes.

Click to expand...

Poodles did run the Iditarod in the 80s. It was horrible for the dogs, they just aren't made for it. They made rules to make it a requirement that the breeds be made for pulling and extreme temps to make sure poodles didn't have to go through that again. I will expand upon this after I get home from church.

ETA: Okay, I'm back haha

Poodles are great athletes, the problem is their fur does not do well in snow. Snow grabs onto their fur and becomes snowballs. That means they are not insulated against the cold, and it can rub sores onto the skin. Painful and not healthy. The vets did what they could when the dogs were in the checkpoints, but it was obvious that the musher was doing it to get the attention and not because the dogs were doing something they enjoyed. Iditarod let them enter a couple of times and then said no more. They made rules to insure that it wouldn't happen again with another team of whatever breed.

Here's the musher with the poodles on Johnny Carson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDuBNEF9aXM

Tonichelle said:

Most teams are Alaskan Husky (which is a hybrid mutt dog, there's not a "standard" for the breed, it will never be accepted into the world of show dog). They are bred specifically for long distance mushing (races), and can deal with extreme temperature. They enjoy running at -10F, that's kind of the sweet spot for the dogs. Colder and they may need to run with dog jackets on (not the fancy ones we see at pet stores, but well insulated capes). The dogs are checked out at every checkpoint along the trail by vets, and dog care is of the utmost importance for everyone involved. They eat between 25,000 and 30,000 calories a day when racing. That's not just dry dog kibble, they use beef, chicken, pork, moose, beaver... lots of good fats. And LOTS of fish.

Siberian Huskies also run the Iditarod, however because of their size and their fur, they are unable to keep up the speed of the smaller hybrid. They need to rest more often. (I hesitate to say they are slower because their mushers tend to hate it explained that way.)

Alaskan Malamutes are great pulling dogs, but not very good racing dogs. They're just too big and lumbering to really be competitive. They USED to run Iditarod, but we haven't seen Mals in a very long time in the race. However they are the classic Alaskan "freight dog" and are amazing animals. I worked with a malamute in high school that had dreams of running Iditarod, though!



Sassiness? If it's from confidence, oh yeah. A confident sled dog will do just about anything asked of it and then some. There are some dogs that actually encourage their musher to keep going when the trail gets rough. Those are the dogs that become "legend" within the sport. Susan Butcher's dog Granite, Dallas Seavey's dog Reef, Mitch Seavey's dog Tread, Lance Mackey's dog Larry, Hugh Neff's dog George... those are just a few that come to mind.



Middle of the pack on a team are known as team dogs. Originally I'm sure they were just dogs that added strength and not much else, however in a racing team most of the dogs rotate position and there are at least 8 dogs on a team that are good in lead. Your two wheel dogs (ones closest to the sled) are typically the ones that have no desire to be up front, they're all brawn not brain. haha.




Gotta head for church. I will be back later to continue answering questions!

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That video is hilarious!! And, I guess the poem is not too far off the mark after all... I watched the FB documentary you posted and was gratified to see all the animals are well cared for... not that I thought they were not, but it was nice to see the details. Vet checks, insulated jackets and I noticed their feet were covered too.. so great! Minus 10 degrees sounds very cold to me but these little guys must love it as you say (I can only imagine how my lazy beagle would react to such temps.. he tends to cozy down in front of a warm fire on those cold days....) Thank you for filling me in... I will check back here from time to time to see how things are going.

ines42575 said:

I think the dogs involved in sled races are Siberian Huskies, Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes or Alaskans (breed of Alaskan Malamutes and Huskies). Also hunting dos breeds can participate. Mushers have to submit 20 dogs and all their information to take part of Iditarod, but if I read wright, 16 dogs are used and at least 6 have to surpass the winning post.

Please correct me if there is some mistake with this info.

Click to expand...

Mushers submit up to 20, but can only start with 16. Typically 18 dogs are selected with the top 16 getting to run, but you never know come race day a dog may not be feeling well/acting right, so they have to make sure that they have enough dogs that should one of the top dogs not be able to go there is someone who has been cleared by the Vet team to go in their place. This happens often for a variety of reasons. Last year Mitch Seavey lost one of his best lead dogs because they got the dog out of his dog box the morning of the Race Start and the dog had a limp. I was the one that caught it and brought it to the attention of his crew. Let's just say it was not a good way to start his race, but he ended up 2nd place so he had a strong set of back up dogs (he had several of his top team out due to injury that year). Nothing major, but these are high class athletes so when something is a little off it makes a huge difference. (Injuries can be anything from a small scratch on the pad of their foot, to a sore shoulder or wrist).

To finish one must have 6 dogs in harness pulling. Dogs are "dropped" along the trail for a variety of reasons. This does not mean that they are dying, it's more along the line of the dog has decided it does not want to continue in the race, or they aren't eating like they should be, or that they're showing signs of soreness, etc. Dogs are left in the care of volunteers and vets in the checkpoints (villages along the trail). Any sign of abuse or neglect of a dog by the musher is reported and they are disqualified from the race (this hasn't happened in 10 years, it's taken extremely seriously... by not just race officials and organizers, but the mushing community). Most mushers have some vet knowledge either by taking classes or being taught by vets through the years. Vets and mushers work as a team all year long to make sure the dogs are the healthiest and happiest they can be. Mushers have an incredibly strong bond with their dogs. They have to to want to spend 10 days out in the wilderness freezing their butts off with these canines.

elbkup said:

That video is hilarious!! And, I guess the poem is not too far off the mark after all...

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Buddy (the malamute) was a fantastic dog. Found his way to the Seavey kennel as a stray and they fell in love with him. Taught him a few tricks. He was basically the most spoiled dog. He passed away due to old age a few winters ago. He used to come up to me and lift his leg and pee on me. He was a booger. I loved that big guy.

I watched the FB documentary you posted and was gratified to see all the animals are well cared for... not that I thought they were not, but it was nice to see the details. Vet checks, insulated jackets and I noticed their feet were covered too.. so great!

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Dog booties are ESSENTIAL! Mushers change them out every 100 miles or so. It protects their feet from cuts and snowballs that form between the dogs' toes.

Minus 10 degrees sounds very cold to me but these little guys must love it as you say (I can only imagine how my lazy beagle would react to such temps.. he tends to cozy down in front of a warm fire on those cold days....) Thank you for filling me in... I will check back here from time to time to see how things are going.

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yeah they hit -40 and -50 in 2015 on the Iditarod. It was miserable for the mushers, but the dogs took it in stride. Pretty incredible. Takes a different breed of human just like it does dog because I think the mushers are nuts!

Definitely check back :yes: I will post a few articles and stuff that I find others may be interested in. Just a few days away. I drive up to Anchorage for the Ceremonial Start on Friday (start is on Saturday, the actual start is on Monday in Fairbanks). Other than Christmas this is my favorite time of year!

If you have an hour or so to kill, Dallas Seavey does motivational speaking when not training for Iditarod. He explains training and Iditarod better than I can - https://youtu.be/1jFGuquaZ9k

A lot here I didn't know! And I thought it was more recent. Glad they put a stop to it. Thanks for the info!

^^^
This was in reference to poodles.

Scrufflet said:

A lot here I didn't know! And I thought it was more recent. Glad they put a stop to it. Thanks for the info!

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The 80s and 90s are when we saw a lot of improvement for the dogs and mushing in general. A lot of younger mushers came in with innovations and new ways to care for the dogs. Changed the sport for the better. Now we're seeing it again with Dallas and some of his competitors making it more athletic. Mushers are no longer *just* the coach, gotta be willing to run with them (literally run! lol)

The race is in hour 31, and so far so good for all teams.

You all might find this interesting, one of the mushers from Canada - Michelle Phillips - was a former competitive figure skater (I'm not sure if she made it to the national level). https://www.adn.com/iditarod/articl...ure-skates-dog-sled-kibble-plates/2014/02/25/

Amazing they had to change the route for lack of snow....they should hold it in Spokane!
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/05/us/weather-iditarod-race-moved-north/

CNN's article was a little misleading - we ALWAYS truck in snow for the Ceremonial Start. We've had enough snow everywhere except the Alaska Range. And honestly? There WAS enough snow, it's just that most of the teams went through the horrific no snow trail in 2014 and are now gun shy about that particular section of trail. So they hear "low snow" and suddenly they want a different route. There IS a way to bypass that and take a different trail that keeps them going on the same route, but the teams didn't like the added mileage (about 30 miles) to the race. I honestly think they just all suffer from some sort of PTSD from the 2014 race.

I head to Nome today! So excited! I didn't sleep much last night. I've packed and repacked my bags at least a dozen times. Ack!

Update? So how are they doing?! Is everthing going smoothly... everyone OK? When you get a chance...

I've been reading the blog.... so I guess I know who was ahead as of the last entry.. but there was also something about conditions not being exactly normal?? The women are impressive too! But , for me, it's all about the dogs. Hope they all make it healthy without mishaps but am encouraged by the news in the blog... keep us posted as time permits & hope you are recovering from your cold/flu...

Sorry about the lack of updates, we got up to Nome and the internet got steadily worse as the week went on. More people means the internet in town was taxed to the max... crazy!

I ended up blogging for another website as well http://www.thealaskalife.com it was a lot of fun!

I'll update my blog hopefully this weekend.

We did have some sad occurances on the trail with several dogs passing, two from freak accidents that the ITC had no control over but have already implemented new procedure to make sure the same mistake does not happen again... and then 3 that were medical. One they have NO clue what happened and they're having to do further tests (dog came from Mitch Seavey's kennel and I know the family personally and their dogs are the "best of the breed" they don't have these issues happen, so it's got the best animal medicine experts stumped). That being said it doesn't matter if it's out on the trail or at home. It's incredibly sad and hard on the people involved, but it's not due to lack of love and care on the musher or the race's fault. To kind of get an idea of what happens in these situations, Karen Ramstead a retired musher wrote a blog that I had a hard time getting through because I was BAWLING by the end of it - http://northwapiti.blogspot.ca/2017/03/a-list-of-scarred-souls.html