Debunking Iditarod Myths - Part 2

There are a lot of literature decrying Iditarod as an inhuman race that kills dogs. Those who want to end the race as the dissemination of information that can be misleading at best and inaccurate at worst.

I worked on the operation of dog sledding for the last three years. Firm, gray-T Dog & Sled Works is open to the public and conducts tours for guests. We encourage people to come and meet the sled dogs and see how excited they do what they do. This year, Kris Hoffman, owner of the gray-T will be racing in the Iditarod and watch him show the world how musher who cares about dogs and loves his runs this race.

The following is a continuation of some of the most popular myths surrounding Iditarod.

Iditarod Myths - Part 2:

sled dogs live in isolation. In our kennel, sled dogs are able to play with dogs and snuggle with them. They are paired with compatible dogs and there is definitely a package of sensibility, which can be heard as a whole becomes absurd chorus yells. The dogs were starved to racing weight. This is counter-productive. hungry dog will not be able to run and fed the dog. In fact, in winter, dogs are fed up to 10,000 calories a day when the race to ensure that the nutrients they need. Their diet consists of raw meat and kibble for a balanced diet. sled dogs are too skinny. We are accustomed housedogs not get enough exercise. Sled dogs are athletes. They are all muscle. When people meet my sled dog, who was a guard dog, always comment on how skinny she is. She eats as much as she wants each day, but it also gets 2-3 hours of exercise every day and runs off leash. She is in shape. sled dogs do not get daily attention. They do not. These dogs were fed, given water twice a day and run. They end up getting more attention than a watchdog to sit alone for 8-10 hours a day or more, while their owners work. dogs are lost during the Iditarod. All dogs were chipped so if they slip out of their collar or get lost they can be tracked. Dogs were forced to run too fast. Race times reduced from 11 days to 8 days. What people do not realize that the time has been reduced to little more than 9 days in 1999. In the past 11 years the race times were reduced by only about 3 hours. Binding of dog breeds aggression lines. This may be the case in residential areas because leashed dog sees free dogs becoming aggressive to get free animals to move from their territory. With sled dogs, they are all in the same boat, all are tied until they get to run. All our dogs are friendly towards people and loves. As for tying the dog on the line, belt line and the studies also show that dogs on leash are more aggressive than dogs can run free. pregnant dogs are forced to run the Iditarod. This myth stems from reports of dogs that are bred right before the race. This myth is similar to saying that a woman who is pregnant a week should not pass any type of strenuous exercise. Most women do not even know they are pregnant for the first month or two terms. They are perfectly capable of undergoing a rigorous exercise until later in pregnancy. Puppies are forced to run even though their bodies are still developing. Mushers are racing dogs between 18 months and 2 years old. The latest study on the development of a dog I believe that the first two years of dogs life are equivalent to 24 human years, which means that these dogs were actually in their prime between the sport 18 months to 2 years of age. sick dogs are forced to run. Sometimes the dogs pick up kennel cough from the same hay, bedding and other dogs in the race. I have a sled dog that has not been sick a day in your life for two years I had her and worked in a kennel dog sledding. However, as soon as he was introduced to the dog park in Santa Fe, she wound up with kennel cough within two months. Over time she has kennel cough, it did not slow down at all. She had as much energy as before, cough, and ran just as much and as fast.

What many people who are anti-Iditarod do not realize is that most people who work with sled dogs love and care for their dogs. people who abuse their dogs end up in the center of attention, because society is far more interested in the gory details in relation to positive stories. Iditarod is a race, which when run responsibly, is a way for these animals, sled dogs to fulfill their athletic abilities and mushers bond with their dogs in a way that most pet owners can understand.