One sled dog is much the same as the next, right? Big fluffy huskies that bound across Canada and Lapland, their paws pounding on the snow. One might have blue eyes, the other golden, but that's probably about the height of distinction, isn't it?
Actually no. Each dog in the pack has its own special role and ranking. It's a bit like being in the army - you take orders from your superiors and are ranked by your position. Yet in dog sledding the troops say "Oowwww!" and not "Yes sir!"
Wheel Dogs
These fellas are located closest to the sled and help pull the musher - the human in charge - and the sled in the right direction. If the course is straight and level they have an easy ride, but out in the snowy wilderness, not much of a dog sledding course is flat and straight. These dogs certainly earn their fish supper when the course is rough. Their job is to ensure the sled doesn't tilt or tip over by pulling against the team to soften the change of direction.
The wheel dogs keep the sled from cutting the corner and wrapping around an oncoming tree, which is always a helpful manoeuvre in dog sledding. And for this reason the wheel dogs are the biggest in the pack.
Team Dogs
Moving one place in front of the wheel dogs is the horsepower, or rather dog power, of the team. The fastest canines are positioned here and normally outnumber the other dogs.
Like in the army, team dogs may rotate around to other positions. They can be the youngest in the pack and work their way up to being a swing dog or a leader dog. Some, however, are happy pull their weight - and everyone else's - in this position for their entire dog sledding days. They keep an even amount of tension on the towline, the rope that keeps the pack together.
Swing Dogs
Next up are the swing dogs whose job it is to get the rest of the pack behind them to follow. Although they aren't in charge of making the decisions, they are instrumental in ensuring that the leader dogs' decisions are followed. They are a bit like a major general of the dog sledding world.
Leader Dogs
These dogs are the generals. They make the decisions regarding pace, finding the trail and acting as the 'eyes' when the musher's visibility is poor. They might be 18 metres ahead of the musher, putting them more in tune with the course and obstacles. Team dogs may work their way up to become a leader, but as for the dogs at the back, once a wheel dog, always a wheel dog.
Philippa Westwood is Marketing Manager at Windows on the Wild, a specialist of wildlife watching tours and dog sledding holidays. Destinations include Canada, Lapland and Sweden where dog sledding holidays can take you on adventurous experiences across the world.
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