For the Love of Dogs
They love to run! At first they may seem docile, lying on the ground in quiet anticipation of the upcoming day. But once the harnesses are put on, their excitement fills the air in yips, barks and howls. Sled dogs are born to run and love their job. Like any team, each member on a sled dog team has a job. As the strongest, the lead dog’s job is to get the team going. The other dogs fill in with their individual strengths and personalities.
Once the dogs are harnessed and put on the line, they know it is time to go. During a ride, the mushers and the dogs work in harmony, but every dog runs a little differently and has a different personality. The musher watches the dogs carefully and talks to each of them individually. The commands are the same ones used for centuries by farmers to control horses. “Hike” means go, “gee” means turn right and “haw” means turn left. “Whoa,” of course, means stop.
Being a passenger behind a team of sled dogs is an exhilarating experience. You sit in the sled, comfortably wrapped in woolen blankets. The dogs take you through the woods, aspens and meadows. They are quiet as they run. When the musher stops them, you can almost hear them say in their barks, “Hey, I don’t want to stop! When do we get to go again?”
The huskies are friendly and gentle, alert and outgoing. Not camera shy, the sled dogs of Winter Park are internationally known and have been featured in numerous TV programs.
