Sled Dog Teams pad across the snow during an Eskimo seasonal migration. For centuries, sturdy dogs have served people in arctic regions.  Before airplanes and snowmobiles reach the far north, the only way to travel was by dogsled.

    When Huskies are first born, they are barely the size of your hand. However, in a few weeks, they are strong enough to survive an arctic night outside.  Sled dogs are bred to be tough. They have to be, since the live in some of the harshest places on earth. Through the centuries, northern dogs have spent their lives outdoors, sleeping on ice with their backs to the wind and their tails curled around their noses.
 
 

                          ADAPTATIONS

    Descended from generations of northern dogs, today's sled dogs have heavy coats of dense fur and strong, padded feet. They are excellent athletes, well adapted to an active life in the cold. Sled dogs would rather run in the cold than spend a cozy night in a heated kennel. The dogs are born with a strong urge to pull. Even before it's hitched to a sled, a five month old sled dog puppy can pull a car tire around the yard.

                                          BY: Stephane Hapgood
                                                              &
                                                      Krista Slade