How exactly are sled dogs different from typical house dogs? Dr. Stuart Nelson, the Iditarod’s chief veterinarian, compares dogs to NFL players. On a pro team, the sled dogs would be the wide receivers.
“They’re fast, they’re light on their feet. A lab would be more like a defensive tackle,” said Nelson.
Alaskan huskies who dominate the top echelon of the sport are bred for performance and have what Nelson calls “hybrid vigor.“
“They’ve been crossed with various other breeds to get more endurance and speed. A lot of hound crosses, setter types to get more speed and stamina,” said Nelson.
Iditarod musher Aaron Burmeister maintains a tightly controlled breeding program.
“They’ve got a lot of drive, they’re mentally strong, have a good appetite and digestion, and they have a quick recovery time, plus solid feet and good coats” said Burmeister.
And then there are purebreds. Lisbet Norris and her family have been breeding a specific kind of Siberian Husky from the Russian Far East for decades and racing in the Iditarod.
Alaska Public’s Mushing Explained video series will have new episodes throughout the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.
Eric is a video producer for Alaska's Energy Desk. While he never learned the proper way to ride a horse while growing up in Wyoming, he did manage to become a proficient video cable wrangler thanks to a volunteer gig at Wyoming PBS. After graduating from Ithaca College with a Bachelors degree in Television-Radio Production, Eric spent a couple years traveling around Oregon and Washington as a Multimedia Producer for a regional newspaper company, covering everything from sand sculpting competitions to sled dog races. From there, he transitioned to a more stationary gig in Portland, where he developed and managed a team of video editors at a startup news production company. The call of the road sent Eric north, where he’s happy to once again be producing video and audio in the field. Outside of work, Eric is hoping to spend as much time as he can exploring Alaska (it’s so close to Anchorage), climbing around on rocks, and perhaps finally learning how to ride a horse.
eketo (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | 907.550.8494 | About Eric
