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.