Introduction             

Fast, exciting, well trained sled dogs are the result of careful behind the scenes planning and hard work. Successful mushers are knowledgeable in such diverse areas as kennel management, canine behaviour, nutrition, veterinary care, psychology, physical conditioning, housing and transportation. Wise mushers soon learn that success or failure in any of these areas affects performance dramatically. Considering this fact it is obvious that the welfare of the dogs is of paramount importance.

Team and driver develop a close, trusting relationship because of the amount of time they spend together. To betray that trust by not meeting all of the dog’s needs runs counter to the goal of having a happy, healthy, highly motivated team. What you see at a time trail event is the result of long hours of work and planning to ensure that the team is prepared to test its abilities against the trail and the time it takes.

1.  What Makes Sled Dogs Run?

Sled dogs run because they love to run, they are born and raised to it. How they run is a product of how they are trained. If they are well trained they will run in perfect harmony. If they don’t it is the failure of the musher, not the dogs. One of the great mushers of all time summed it all up when he said "the dogs never make a mistake".

Sled dogs, like all athletes, spend more time training than competing. By the time you see a dog running a time trail, the dog will have logged many kilometres of training.

2.  Training                                            

Training begins when sled dogs are puppies. Puppy training must be fun. The puppy must be given tasks he/she can accomplish with ease. The first training occurs at birth when the puppies are handled and socialized so they become comfortable with their human companions. When the puppies are old enough to mix with other dogs, they learn to be comfortable with other dogs and to come when they are called.

Puppies do not perform like adults, but they learn to associate the harness and the team with fun.

Mushers will often put a puppy in a harness to pull a very small object. At six to twelve months, the puppy joins a small team of older dogs. It is critical that this first effort at running be a positive experience. The musher's goal is to let the dog enjoy its instinctive behaviour in a safe environment.

Training begins in earnest when the dogs are yearlings. Most mushers start training in early March as it is cool enough for the dogs to run comfortably. Fall training usually starts with Caniwalk/Canicross in getting dogs acquainted with the various commands. Scootering or Bikejoring can then take preference in teaching the dog, either to run single or as a 2-dog team in getting the feel to work together as a team with the musher. Should you be working towards establishing a team, using a rig/cart (3-wheels up to 4 dogs) and (4-wheels for larger teams) training. The dogs run on dirt or sand trails to avoid injuries.

The goals of early training as and before the season starts, are several. Dogs must build up their aerobic condition and muscle strength and learn to run as a team. Young dogs learn how to ignore distractions, respond to commands, and handle different trail conditions.

Pre-season training begins with short, brief runs. As the dogs build strength and stamina they can run further. The dogs rest between and within workouts to ensure fitness.

As the training progresses and the months turn cooler, the dog become stronger, better conditioned and able to run further and faster. The experienced driver shuffles dogs around in different positions on the team seeking to find the position that best matches the dog's unique abilities. Sometimes dogs are paired with partners whom they will run beside, bonding to that dog as much as to the musher.

The musher studies his dogs, learning each dogs individual traits and habits. Most importantly, the musher builds each dog’s confidence in their athletic ability until the whole team of canine competitors is convinced there is not another dog team in the world that can run as fast or as far as they can!

That confidence and excitement explodes when the dogs finally get to run time trails. The dogs will run faster and further. The softer surfaces cushions their feet allowing for longer runs and the colder temperatures are more comfortable for athletes who exercise in fur coats. In the end, the training pays off when a strong and healthy team of dogs takes off from the starting chute, and win, lose or draw, runs the course with ultimate canine grace, strength and beauty!

3.  Feeding Sled Dogs                         

Just like a human athlete, a sled dog's diet affects the dog’s ability to compete. A sled dog at rest in the summer needs about 800 calories per day. In the middle of a cold winter short to middle distance time trails, the same dog may need up to 5,000 calories per day (5,000 is not a typo) The quest to provide sled dogs with enough calories and the right type of calories has resulted in tremendous growth in our knowledge about the canine diet, and better food for both the time trail participating dog and house pets.

A canine athlete does not digest and use food in the same way as humans. The high carbohydrate diet that helps a human runner perform at his or her peak will not have the same effect on a sled dog. Studies by veterinarians and dog food manufacturers have found that a high carbohydrate diet actually lowers canine performance.

Fats and protein are the most important sources of energy for a sled dog. The ratio of fat and protein varies depending on the distance to be run and the time spent running, however, certain minimum requirements have been determined. A typical diet consists of 32% protein, 15% carbohydrates and 53% fat.

Fats provide the dog with quick energy. They are highly digestible and very dense in calories. Protein helps a dog handle the physical demands of time trails and is required in greater amounts as physical activity increases.

Dog mushers rarely rely on dry dog kibble alone to supply their dogs nutritional needs. A top quality dry dog food is critical to the diet but it is usually supplemented by ground chicken, fish, liver or other meat products.

Finally, it is not enough to provide quality food unless the dogs are supplied with clean water. Water is the most important part of a dog's diet.

Gee, that dog looks thin?

A frequently heard remark at time trails is that the dogs seem thin. Indeed, compared to a house dog who may get out for a walk or short run a couple times a week, sled dogs are well conditioned. Although sled dogs consume more calories than an average human, they also burn those calories working out in training. Like human runners, the intake of calories and exercise result in a slim, athletic physique. Mushers monitor the weight of their dogs, feeding them accordingly. If the dogs gain too much weight, they risk overheating, disease and injury. If they are too thin they lose stamina. Mushers balance these considerations and maintain their dogs at a healthy weight for each particular dog.

4.  Safety on the Trail                           

When you watch a team go out from the starting area at a time trail it usually looks pretty simple and goes off without a hitch. How does the transformation from the chaotic scene in the staging area become a safe race and how does it stay that way? It all begins with the International Sled Dog Event Rules, as applied by SAFDSS.

Event rules which promote animal welfare are nothing new to sled dog time trails. Since the first major organized race in 1909, rules have been implemented to safeguard dogs and mushers alike. For the past 30 years, International Rules has been at the forefront of developing and maintaining sled dog event rules which promote safety and fairness. SAFDSS events must comply with the rules and regulations which dictate everything from trail length and layout to mandatory safety equipment and canine fitness.

In order to become an SAFDSS event, the dryland course must comply with detailed trail requirements. The basic premises governing trail design all concern safety. The trail must not endanger dog teams or mushers, though some athletic ability on the part of the musher is expected.

·      All hazards must be avoided.

·      Distances must be accurately described.

·      Trail design rules insure that a musher will know what to expect. The rules also enable the musher and the dogs to train for the conditions they will encounter.

·      Time Trail Event rules are designed to safeguard sled dogs on and off the trail.

For example:

·      Physical abuse of dogs is strictly prohibited. Anyone who is convicted of animal abuse or neglect is barred from the event.

·      The Race Marshall must disqualify any team which is unfit or incapable of safely running the time trail. A veterinarian is on call for all races. To prevent the spread of disease, the race Veterinarian shall disqualify any team that includes a dog with a contagious disease.

·      Use of any substance (from steroids to aspirin) that may affect the performance of a dog is strictly prohibited. International Rules provide for drug testing, disqualification and banning from the sport.

·      Mushers’ equipment must comply with event rules. For example- wheeled equipment must be equipped with brakes,  braking system preventing a rig/cart from moving when standing still with a team of dogs.

·      a Musher, whose dog or team cannot complete a time trail, should immediately stop and withdraw from the event, rather than placing his canine friend in danger by pushing him/her to the end. This rule ensures that each dog in the team is well treated.

·      Choke collars, muzzles and other equipment that might be dangerous to the dogs are prohibited.

·      Mushers may not replace a dog on subsequent days of the event with a new dog. This rule ensures that each dog team is well treated throughout the event.

·      On the time trail course, teams must stay on the marked trails. Shortcuts are not only cheating, they pose unknown hazards to the team. The rules also provide rules of the road including "Right of way" requirements and passing rules.

In summary, Time Trail Event Rules and Standards ensure the health, safety and welfare of the canine athletes wherever they compete in their quest to become a SAFDSS National Champions.