How Big is a Dog Sled Team?

Putting up a dog sled team was popularized when man discovered how dog power can be of great help to many of his undertakings. Before, it was assembled to travel through ice or snow. But now, it was also utilized in dog racing.

How big is a dog sled team? Definitely, there is a need for more than one dog to pull a sled. Depending on the type of function they are intended for, you can put up a team with five to eight or more members.

You need to have a lead dog, which is crucial for the team; point dogs, which are put behind the lead dog; wheel dogs, which are intended to carry the weight of the sled, pulling it out of the snow; swing dogs; which are placed in between the point and wheel dogs; and team dogs, which are all the other members segregated in between the wheel and swing dogs. Due to their roles for the team, lead dogs are usually well taken cared of while wheel and swing dogs are chosen based on their strengths and endurance. Speed is also an important trait that members of a dog sled team must possess.

The Popular Breeds

Since there are particular traits that are required to be a member of a dog sled team, whether it is for a race or for any other task, there are also specific breeds of dogs that are chosen for it.

The Siberian Huskies are surefire hits in dog sledding because they are strong and has a will power to work hard. The Alaskan malamutes also almost always make it to the team because of their strength and because they are most comfortable working with ice and snow.

Some other breeds that are often chosen for dog sledding include the Greenland, the Canadian Eskimo, the Mackenzie River Husky, the Seppala Siberian, the Eurohound, and the Chinook.

It is important that you choose your dogs well when you are putting a sled team. If you are putting it up for a race, you must choose those breeds that have the strength and endurance to stand long runs and whatever obstacle may be prepared for them. As mentioned earlier, the size as well as the capacity of your dog sled team would have to depend on the type of function it is intended for. You need to define what you will use one for to determine how big it should be and what traits the breeds included in the team would have to have.