Sled dogs
Sled dogs are still used for transportation in some remote areas of the world, they are mostly used by racing competitors and hobbyists. The two major international organizations involved in sled dog racing are the International Federation of Sledding Sports (IFSS) and the International Sled Dog Racing Association. (ISDRA). The IFSS is a member of the General Association of International Sports Federations, which is a recognized organization of the International Olympic Committee. A major goal of IFSS is to make dog sled racing an Olympic sport. The organization is structured based on the Olympic model of collaborative international and national federations.
There are many different levels of participation in the dog sledding world, from the competitors who race in the 1,000 mile plus Iditarod to handlers who run two or four dogs once a month for fun. The sport of dog sledding consists of a handler, a team of dogs, and a sled. Dogs can be run in teams as small as two and as large as 24.
Sled dogs are usually northern breeds such as Siberian huskies or Alaskan huskies. In competition, Alaskan malamutes are generally considered too big and slow to be competitive, but they, and other nontraditional sled dogs are used for recreational teams. In fact, even Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers can enjoy low-stress pulling.
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