Iditarod 2008

The Last Great Sled Dog Race Starts March 1st, 2008

Follow a real musher and his team of dogs as they race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska.

You will be given your Musher 2 weeks before the race starts.

You may click on the sites below to learn more about the race and see photos of the 2007 Iditarod.

Remember to bring your folders to Computer Class!

Good Luck!

http://www.cabelasiditarod.com

http://www.iditarod.com

Once the race starts, this site should have all the updates and news

Who is the "Lead Dog?"  Most people think that every dog team has one dominant "alpha" dog that is THE LEAD DOG.  Jack London writes about this a lot in some of his books.  However, most dog teams nowadays are a little more democratic.  The LEAD DOG is always the two-legged member of the team, and the leaders in the team are the dogs that are willing to run in front, find and follow the trail, set the pace, and listen to their musher's commands.  

Not every dog wants to run in front.  Some dogs prefer to follow the tail of the dog in front of them, but other dogs don't mind the mental challenge of being a lead dog.  Again, rotating lead dogs is important when in long races so that the same two dogs don't have to think so hard the entire time.

What do Swing Dogs and Team Dogs do?  Swing dogs help the leaders set the pace and aid in turning the team.  If only the leaders wanted to turn in the direction of the musher's commands, the team may not turn, so the swing dogs back the leaders up in these cases.  The job of team dogs is to follow the dog in front of them and steadily pull.  They provide the "horsepower."

How many dogs are used in an Iditarod Team?  The races rules require that teams begin the race with between 12 and 16 dogs.  Remember, a dog can be sent home from the trail if needs be, but it can not be put back in the team later on in the race or replaced with another dog.  This makes dog care the top priority in the race.  Most teams finish with between 8 and 12 dogs.  The mandatory minimum in the race rules is 5 dogs.

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