{"id":11756,"date":"2018-01-25T12:31:51","date_gmt":"2018-01-25T11:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tromsolodgeandcamping.no\/blogg\/dog-sledding\/"},"modified":"2023-06-08T10:02:02","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T08:02:02","slug":"dog-sledding","status":"publish","type":"blogg","link":"https:\/\/tromsolodgeandcamping.no\/en\/blogg\/dog-sledding\/","title":{"rendered":"Dog sledding: From Northern Canada to Troms\u00f8"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dog sledding is one of many activities you can try when you visit Troms\u00f8. But did you know how far back in time people has used dogs for transportation and work?<\/p>\n

A historical journey<\/h2>\n

No one knows exactly when, or who, first got the idea of using dogs for pulling sleds. However, archaeological evidence takes us back at least four thousand years \u2013 into Siberia and the northern parts of America. We also find scriptures of dog sledding in Arabic literature from the 900\u2019s and in stories about Marco Polo. Especially where we today find northern Canada, there\u2019s no doubt dog sledding was an important form of transport for the native Americans and the Inuit people \u2013 long before European colonists set foot on their land. The Europeans were fascinated, and we can read Peter Kalms enthusiasm in his book, written in 1749:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn winter it is customary in Canada, for travellers to put dogs before little sledges, made on purpose to hold their clothes, provisions, & etc.\u00a0 Poor people commonly employ them on their winter-journeys, and go on foot themselves. I have, likewise seen some neat little sledges, for ladies to ride in, in winter. They are drawn by a pair of dogs, and go faster on a good road than one would think.\u00a0 A middle-sized dog is sufficient to draw a single person, when the roads are good.\u201d (Kalm 448-9)\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The European colonists quickly adapted the tradition, and the French Canadians used dogs for warfare during the Seven Years War (1756-1768). The dogs were cheaper than horses \u2013 and much more effective in the freezing cold.\u00a0In Norway, dogs were used during the second world war. They served as ambulances through the woods and mountains, as well as delivery dogs supplying soldiers in the field.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Hundesleder
Dog sled team from World War I. Photo:\u00a0Land Titles Survey Authority<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Vital for reaching the South Pole<\/h3>\n

During his expedition through the Northwest Passage in 1903-1906, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen learned to use dogs for pulling sleds by the\u00a0Netsilik population in Canada.<\/em>\u00a0Using dogs became one of the most important factors for success when he became the first to reach the South Pole,\u00a0December 14th, 1911<\/strong>. Unlike his competitor, Robert Scott, Amundsen used dogs for pulling most of the supplies \u2013 giving the crew members less weight to carry. Scott reached the pole 34 days later by using\u00a0tractors (which broke down or sank through the ice), Mongolian horses, and dogs that he didn\u2019t know how to handle<\/em>. Him and his crew did not make it back from the expedition.<\/p>\n

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Roald Amundsen on the South Pole. Photo from\u00a0Oceanwide Expeditions<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Dog sled racing<\/h2>\n

Most likely, there has always been competition linked to dog sledding. However, the first ever documented race took place in 1850. It started in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with the finish line in St. Paul, Minnesota. A more famous race was arranged in Nome, Alaska, in 1908. It became a historical route when\u00a0Norwegian native Leonhard Seppala delivered diphtheria medicine to the town<\/strong>. The journey has become an important part of American history, and you can find a statue of the lead dog, Balto, in New York City.<\/p>\n

The most famous race in the United States, The Iditarod, first took place in 1967. Norwegian dog sledders was inspired by the race, and decided to establish the longest dog sledding race in Europe:\u00a0Finnmarksl\u00f8pet<\/strong>. The first time it was hosted, in 1981, only three teams participated. Today the race is so popular it is divided into three different classes, and thousands of spectators come to watch every year.\u00a0This year, Finnmarksl\u00f8pet will run from March 9th, and is 1200 kilometers long<\/strong>.\u00a0The winner from 2017, Petter Jahnsen, used 6 days and 9 hours to complete the race.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Lars
Norwegian adventurer Lars Monsen racing Finnmarksl\u00f8pet. Photo:\u00a0Finnmarksl\u00f8pet<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Did you know?<\/strong>\u00a0Dog sledding was a demonstration sport at three Winter Olympics: 1932 in New York, 1952 in Oslo, and in 1994 in Lillehammer. It never gained official event status.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Building dog teams<\/h2>\n

Traditionally, sled dogs were chosen based on their strength, size and stamina \u2013 criteria Roald Amundsen had for his dogs going to the South Pole. Today, dogs are bred for speed and endurance \u2013 weighing around 25 kilograms (55lb), and able to run up to 45 km\/h (28mph). The most commonly used dogs in dog sled racing is the Alaskan Husky, or Siberian Husky.<\/p>\n

Putting together a team of dogs requires you to select\u00a0leader dogs<\/strong>,\u00a0swing dogs<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0wheel dogs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n