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Dog Sledding Competitions

Dog sled competitions may not be as popular as they were many years ago but they are still a great way to earn respect and notoriety in the world of dog sledding. While the Iditarod trail race and the Yukon quest race are the most well known dog sled competitions around there are dozens of other sled dog competitions that are less known but are a great place for new mushers with new sled teams to start. It is true that races are the most notable form of sled dog competitions but there are other types of competitions out there as well, such as strength or discipline competitions, that you can enroll in if you do not feel like putting your sled dog team through the grueling process of a long distance race.
These days many people look unfavorably on dog sled races, especially ones that entail long distances over rough terrain in bad weather, because they believe it to be cruel to the dogs. This line of thinking has resulted in a decreased popularity of long distance sled races amongst the general public but these competitions are still very much alive in the dog sledding community. Being able to compete in a dog sled competition of any sort, whether it is a race or some other type of competition, will require an immense amount of discipline from both you and your sled team. A disciplined sled team and musher can overcome almost anything while an undisciplined sled team and musher will clearly be at a disadvantage. A musher that wants his sled team to one day compete with other sled teams must make sure that his sled dogs are properly socialized so that they do not act aggressive when they are around other dog that are not a part of the team.
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