This is a very busy time of the year between the Holidays and training dogs. Everyone is pulling off long shifts to get everything done. I would especially like to thank those that made the effort to get us articles for this issue.

Last month I posed some questions about breeding. Sadly, no one took up that discussion at this time. It just may have been too complicated an issue and people didn't have time to put together a response. If you would like to weigh in though, don't hesitate to send us your feedback. I'll try to revisit this in a few months when the season has wound down.

We've added a new discussion board at our website for readers, or anyone else, to share opinions and ask questions about a wide array of topics relates to working dogs. You can find it by clicking here. Be patient if no one responds right away, it takes time and effort to build an active community. Still, it will not get going unless a few brave souls are willing to go first.

We hope everyone out there has a great 2005!

Randy Carris

Answers:

From Ken Anderson:

To us that question varies according to which style of racing we're hoping to race the dog in. Ideally I look for a dog with a versatile gait that can run smoothly at any speeds. Those dogs aren't that easy to come by though, especially if you're buying a dog. I equate this to cars and gearing. Some dogs don't have any power in low gears (at slow speeds), while that same dog may have better power once it comes up into a lope (in a higher gear). The best dogs are ones with smooth-shifting transmissions and lots of power in any gear. You just have to research your perspective races and figure out what the average speed is (which isn't always easy, since many published trail mileages are inaccurate) in the races you're shooting for, and pick dogs that have power in those gears you'll be moving at. In all the racing Gwen and I do, we've found the stage races most challenging to pick dogs for because the speed varies so much in a given course from anywhere from 4-18 miles per hour going up and down the mountains. It takes a real versatile dog to excel in those races.

When buying dogs, we've always implored the logic that you should never buy dogs from your competitors. That is, to reach outside of your main arena of racing to buy dogs. Some people make mistakes when selling dogs but it's pretty rare that your competitor will sell you one of their best dogs. A dog that doesn't have the proper gearing for sprint racing might be a star at slightly slower speeds. It's amazing how even 1 mile per hour can change how your dogs perform. Typically Oregon is won at a speed of about 13 miles per hour average, while Wyoming is about one mile per hour slower. Every year we find that some dogs that struggled with the speed in Oregon fit in just fine in Wyoming.

Also, look for dogs with smooth gaits and don't worry as much about other aspects like feet, appetite, and attitude. Those aspects of a dog can be dealt with, but they have to have smooth mechanical action or they're going to break down. You might get them through to four years old, but usually dogs with sloppy gaits always retire sooner than those with smooth ones. Many of our best dogs over the years were dogs with attitude problems that we got for free or cheap but had lots of physical talent. Sometimes it took a year, but eventually they came around. As far as attitude goes, I would shy away from a dog that's over three years old and is still considered "lazy", assuming they have the physical talent to do what you're asking them to do. Often times we see dogs younger than that who were lazy as yearlings or early two-year olds that really blossomed by the end of their two year old year and were solid dogs for the rest of their racing career. It seems that if they don't "get it" after that age, they might need a different job.

From Zoya DeNure

What do we look for in a working dog? Four Legs.

Good attitude is a plus. Good build is important. How old is the dog?

Nutrition; we can correct those issues. Willing to pull? We can retrain the dog to pull again and with enthusiasm.

The race season is finally here!! This year has been one of the best years so far for training up in the Interior of Alaska. Rumor has it the snow hasn't been so good in other parts of the state, as well as the lower 48. Two Rivers, just outside of Fairbanks, hosts the first sled race of the year anywhere in the world, called the Two Rivers Tune-Up. We usually run it every year with the young dogs to get them exposed to racing. It's also just fun to be a part of one of the most chaotic races of the season. Many rec teams show up, knowing it's just a fun race, and most serious racers are just running young dogs. This year a couple people lost their teams, and I heard someone lost their sled, but held onto their team (may be a new class- "body-joring"). One year Gwen caught a loose team that came up behind her and actually rode both sleds at the same time with the two teams running abreast for about a quarter mile before falling off and losing both teams!!

With snow in the forecast for the west coast, Gwen and I have packed our trailer and will be heading south for the stage races tomorrow. A few years ago we spent Christmas Eve in Fort Nelson, eating out at a greasy truck stop. This year we'll probably be somewhere between the border and Whitehorse....HO HO HO!

Have a safe Christmas and a Happy New Year,
Ken and Gwen

Probiotics

Any animal's intestines are filled with a plethora of bacteria. Many of these are highly beneficial to the animal. They help the animal digest its food as well as maintain proper Ph balance. There are also some which are not beneficial or even harmful in the intestines. So it's important to maintain a healthy level of good bacteria to keep the bad ones in balance. When a dog is under stress or is being treated with antibiotics, it can lose much of its beneficial bacteria. This sometimes lets the bad take over and can lead to poor digestion and potentially serious health problems.

Probiotics are cultures of beneficial bacteria put into food to help support the animal's digestion. The idea is similar to humans eating yogurt with active cultures. Dog food labels may use the term probiotics, or list the actual cultures used such as Lactobacillus Acidophilis, Bifidobacterium Longum, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Lactobacillus Salivarius, or Enterococcous Faecium, among others.

Another term that goes along with this is prebiotics. These are simply ingredients that support the beneficial bacteria. Some fiber sources such as beet pulp are nearly idea food sources for these bacteria, plus they help keep things moving. Dog food companies love to use fancy or scientific-sounding terms for simple and common ingredients!

Probiotics are damaged by heat so it's important that they be added to the food after it has cooled. For this same reason it's important to store such foods in cool areas. I also suggest adding luke-warm water, never hot, to your dog food right before feeding.

The Importance of Water

Why add water to a dry food? Water is the most important nutrient and it is vital to all living cells. An adult dog is approximately 60% water with a low capacity for storage. It is often difficult, especially in cold weather, to get enough water into your dogs.

Dogs get water in three ways:

1. In its natural liquid form
   
2. From the foods it consumes
   
3. As a byproduct of metabolism, ie: metabolic water
   

100g of protein when metabolized produces 40g water
100g of carbohydrate when metabolized produces 55g water
100g of fat when metabolized produces 107g water

Water is generally lost through urine, respiration, skin, feces and milk production.

As a good rule of thumb, a dog should have a water intake of 2-3 times its dry matter intake by volume.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting a beginning aspiring freight musher with some wonderful ideas of communication and preservation. Communication between traditional mushers that have been squeezed out of online communications that provide a forum for racers and preservation of the dogs that made original "freighting" possible and provided a baseline for today's racing dogs were his missions. His name is Ted Heistman and here is his story.

My wife, Linda and I met in Bible College training for the ministry. After marrying we both decided to pursue a different career path. We tried some different things. I sold insurance for a while and Linda worked in a hospital. We were living in a suburban area of upstate New York at the time. On the weekends we would get away to the Adirondack Mountains. In the summer of 2001, sitting high on a mountain peak, we both made a commitment to each other that we would live in the wilderness.

No more weekend getaways, we decided. We would live as much as we could off the land. For me, this dream included having my own sled dog team. The dream started as a boy when, in the eighties, I followed Susan Butcher in the Iditarod and devoured Jack London novels, including "The Call of the Wild."

We were sick of the suburbs and wanted to get as far away as possible. We considered Alaska, but it seemed so far away from relatives. We finally decided on Northern Minnesota. I was a dog handler for a musher in the Bemidji area, and later found out that this was where one of my favorite authors, Gary Paulsen, author of "Winterdance" trained for the Iditarod!

I handled just long enough to learn some of the basics of dog mushing. It took us about two years to get established and save up enough money to buy our own house but we finally settled in a place on the edge of the White Earth State Forest. Our land is a mix of forests and fields including an excellent spot for a dog yard. This summer we tried our hand at organic vegetable gardening but a late spring and a killing frost in mid August didn't give us much success. As the weather grew cooler I began more and more to fulfill my dream of having my own dog team.

When it came time to buy a team I decided to check out a few mid distance racing kennels. I found myself drawn to the retired dogs that are 10 or 12 years old. These were generally dogs with the classic husky looks, similar to the dogs described in Gary Paulsen stories. The younger dogs were more houndy and no doubt faster. The newest generation dogs were pointer and greyhound crosses.

I got a couple of seven year olds from one kennel, with thick coats and tough feet. "Easy keepers", they had finished races but not in first place. Ruger was one of the two. He has old fashioned husky looks with big strong shoulders and a rather big bear shaped head. He is a really good eater and very quiet around the yard. He loves to demolish dear skulls and tear into raw meat.

Then I got some yearlings from Karen Land, an up and coming Iditarod musher in Montana. She had some yearlings and a leader she was selling. Some of the yearlings were "throwbacks" to an older style of Alaskan husky. Jack is one of these dogs, with a stocky muscular body and a big malamute-like head. He is also turning out to be a super hard puller and a born leader. As she talked about the dogs I am describing, she began to refer to them as "old school dogs". I liked the ring of that.

"Old school dogs" are basically the village dogs of interior Alaska without much hound blood in them. They are tough dogs with thick coats, have "bullet proof" feet and are good eaters. These dogs started out as the stock of working trap line teams. George Attla and others have had great success racing these types of dogs but more and more winning sprint teams are made up of hound and pointer crosses.

Racing seems to follow trends set in the open class sprints like the North American. These crosses then filter into longer distances, the distance racers always wanting the fastest dogs possible as they are seeking an edge. So the trend over the generations of racing dogs seems to be for lighter faster shorter coated dogs. Dog care needs to be adjusted to fit these types of dogs. Coats became more and more popular. Booties came to be a permanent fixture, as a preventative measure for foot damage and recently, special hats have been designed for hound dogs with ears sensitive to the cold.

I wanted to take a lower tech approach. I don't plan to race competitively, so speed is not my top priority. I also wanted dogs that were already equipped by nature to deal with the elements and the rigors of dog sledding. I wanted dogs that had been bred for generations to have tough feet, excellent appetites and warm coats, dogs that have a natural pulling instinct bred into them. The more I thought about it, the more I decided that going on adventure trips and winter camping was more my style.

My wife and I are learning how much work it takes to take eight dogs from various places and turn them into a team. We house our dogs in white plastic barrels lined with straw and tether them on seven foot chains connected to car axles. We feed a high quality 30/20 kibble supplemented with raw venison. When the venison runs out we plan to supplement with beef and beaver meat if we can get it.

We have a minimum maintenance road right off our property that connects to a wildlife management area and this is where we train. We have a toboggan sled. Since we are training them to be freight dogs we try not to pedal much to encourage them to concentrate on pulling. The highlight of the season for us will be an overnight trip in a really wild section of the White Earth State forest.

I realized that the qualities I admired in the Alaskan husky were not necessarily the top considerations for a serious racer. For one, I really like the romantic elements of listening to them howl and observing various primitive behaviors reminiscent of their wolf like ancestors. I enjoy history and like the idea of imagining the early days of mushing on a trap line. I like the idea of there being a kind of continuity through these dogs connecting me to the past.

When dog sled racing first started back in the Gold Rush during the time of the All Alaska Sweepstakes, all the dogs were working dogs first, racing dogs second. Racing was serious business and there was a lot of money at stake with the big purses. But it was a spring time activity after a season of freight work. As the snow mobile replaced the dogsled years later, Joe Redington organized the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, to keep the tradition of dog powered transportation. Long distance racing soon became an end to it all and is becoming more and more specialized, with specialized equipment, methods and dogs.

I figured there were other people out there with similar interests and noticed that much of the dog mushing information online catered more to the racing scene and recreational mushers. I knew there were some serious dog drivers out there that were not exactly either one. These mushers go on arctic expeditions or live a subsistence lifestyle in bush Alaska running traditional trap lines with dogs. I also was concerned about the fate of the original village style dog. I remembered reading an online article my Miki and Julie Collins, the "trap line twins", noting that breeding stock for the old time style of trap line dog was getting harder to find. I also came across the "Makin Tracks" newsletter, and became inspired by the Fredericksens and their line of "Freight Alaskans", and the article Linda Fredericksen wrote in her column about the Hedlund Huskies and their need for preservation.

Freighting, trapping with dogs, arctic expeditioning, camping and exploring unbroken trails in thick forest, these are aspects of mushing that are different from racing. People such as myself that are more interested in these aspects can benefit from networking with racers, but to do these activities requires a different type of know how. Much of this type of mushing is kind of a lost art but there are people keeping this tradition alive. Though many breeds of sled dogs are very versatile, this type of thing requires a different type of dog, a more old fashioned type of dog.

I decided to create an online community, called "Old School Dogs" that catered to freighting and adventure oriented mushing and the dogs that do this. This is a place where people interested in this aspect of dog mushing can network, share tips and stories. So far we have attracted a very diverse and colorful group. These members include a traditional trapper in bush Alaska with 75 lb Alaskan huskies, several Inuit dog mushers, including some that have gone on arctic expeditions, a tour guide operator out in Ely, MN and several beginners and recreational mushers, like my wife Linda and me, that aspire to such things.

Topics have included: conditioning a freight team, optimal harness structure for freight work, breed discussions, styles of dogs and trip planning. The discussion group is the first stage of an overall vision of creating an online resource for freight mushers with interviews, articles, expedition photography and other resources for people interested in traveling with dogs. I invite you to join our online community to learn and share your experiences you have with these wonderful dogs.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oldschooldogs/

Where I come from, people who relish falling temps and snowfall are considered a little strange. Most people here (Iowa) can't wait for summer, while I dread it. Driving conditions aside, I think many people just don't understand how to dress properly. Winter offers a whole new range of outdoor activities to those brave enough and wise enough to venture outdoors. So to encourage those of our audience who only like to follow winter dog sports from the comfort of their homes, I offer this guide to warm wear.

When choosing clothing to wear in cold temperatures you need to consider the actual conditions outside and your planned activity level. I know that sounds obvious but I am constantly amazed by people who are surprised that it is cold outside. Two factors that are most overlooked about weather conditions are wind and sunshine. We've all heard of wind chill and I shouldn't have to explain that. But make sure you check to see if it will be sunny or cloudy as well. Thirty degrees with cloud cover can feel like 20 degrees with sunshine.

The first thing to understand is layering. When many people venture outside in the winter they just throw a big heavy coat on over their normal indoor clothes and think they will keep warm enough. Wrong. It is better to put on several thinner layers than one thick one. Air gets trapped between layers and improves insulation. Dressing in layers also allows you to adapt to changing activity levels or weather conditions.

When I am active I usually prefer 3-4 layers on my upper body and 2-3 on my legs and feet. I start with a base layer of thermal underwear to help pull perspiration off of my skin. You want this layer to fit a little tighter than the rest of the layers. Next I add a medium weight insulating layer such as a light fleece pullover or a sweater. Depending on expected conditions I may add another heavier insulating layer. This layer should fit pretty loosely. Finally, I'll add an outer layer, if needed, to protect from wind or rain. You want your layers to work together so that you can take off layers or at least open up as you get warmer. It takes a little practice to find your comfort level at differing temperatures. When I am going to be pretty active I usually dress so that I will be a little cold when I start out knowing that I will warm into it within 5-10 minutes. If I am warm when I first go out I will end up hot and sweating. I'll add more insulation if I will be standing around or doing a lot of stop and go.

Sweat is your first enemy in the cold. It will rob you of a great deal of heat. Don't wear cotton in cold temps. It's a really comfortable fabric in warm air but can be miserable in the cold. The reasons are two-fold: it's not very insulating and it holds in a great deal of moisture. If you sweat or get wet it will hold that moisture close to you and you will get very cold. When I see someone in jeans in winter I can just about guarantee that they are cold because denim offers little protection.

The second enemy is wind. The slightest breeze will go right through most insulating layers. Make sure your outer layer offers some degree of wind protection. If it is even slightly windy you will want it to block the wind entirely.

I mentioned earlier that you want to avoid cotton. So what materials should you choose? There are two fairly divided camps on this: those who favor synthetics and those who prefer natural fabrics such as wool.

When I first started to participate in winter activities I invested a pretty good chunk of change in high-tech synthetic clothing: polypropylene underwear of several weights, polar fleece, a Columbia parka, and nylon shell pants. This system worked well and was excellent at keeping the wind at bay. It really fell short in the moisture department, however. The base layers did a pretty good job of pulling moisture away from my skin but the outer layers didn't let it escape very well. I overheated easily and ended up uncomfortable. I clung to the hype of these "wonder" fabrics for many years, convinced that I was just doing the best I could.

Then one year before a fall trip to the Boundary Waters, I bought a pair of surplus Swiss Army wool pants at a friend's suggestion. They were a little scratchy and baggy, so at first I questioned my sanity. The good news was that they were very cheap so I figured I wasn't out much if they didn't work. What a surprise that turned out to be! They became my favorite pants for winter use. Years later I still reach for them first and I am beginning to think they will never wear out. They block wind and rain very well and adapt to a very wide temperature range. I am always pleasantly surprised that they don't get too hot as temps rise. I can be pretty active and I never get clammy.

Yes, quality wool is expensive. But this is a great time of year to buy as you can find some great deals. I also make a point to periodically check outlet stores such as sierratradingpost.com for deals. I just ordered several merino wool sweaters for $19.95 from them. If I don't like them they'll even take them back hassle-free!

I see my wool clothing as an investment knowing they will last for many years. I also know that more of my dollar is going into the quality of the fabric.

I was recently shocked to find out that all of these synthetic fabrics can be purchased very cheaply. The high prices you pay for clothing made from them has nothing to do with the fabric. In my mind there is no reason to pay top dollar for these "technological wonders". None of them breathe as well as they claim, and all of them loose their water-shedding qualities quickly.

Don't forget your hands, feet, and head! The same layering rules apply here. Make sure you protect your face on windy days or you can get frostbite quickly. Here's where I still go for synthetics, mainly because I haven't found replacements yet in natural. I really like fleece products with a special wind barrier for my head and hands. They are soft and very thin, yet are warm and block the wind very well. I especially like gloves made from this material as they aren't so heavy and breathe pretty well. I also have a thin face mask covers my chin, cheeks, and ears.

For my feet I really like SmartWool socks. I'll frequently put on a very thin layer under a thicker layer. Make sure you loosen up your shoes or boots, as you will compromise insulation if they are tight. Boots have long been a problem for me. I have a hard time finding ones that fit my narrow feet. I've also had trouble finding any that are good for a wide range of activities. Most are clunky, not warm enough, or provide little support. I have a pair of mukluks that are very warm, but don't provide enough support for hiking or snowshoeing. Plus, they are not very waterproof and take forever to put on and take off.

I stumbled on a great concept this year that so far is working great. A company called Neos is making over-shoe boots that are lightweight, warm, and a breeze to put on and take off. You just put them on over you favorite shoes or hiking boots. They are waterproof, windproof, and provide good traction. I'd recommend these highly for people who go in and out a lot. They come in a wide range of heights, either with or without insulation. I got mine a little large so I can wear even my biggest hikers or even over my mukluks if necessary.

Finally, I'd like to make a plug to what has become one of my favorite outdoor clothing companies, Wolfsong Wear. They are a small company hand-making great clothing from American made fabrics. One of their favorite materials is a product called Technowool X from Woolrich. It's heavy-weight wool that feels as soft as fleece. It's also dense enough that it blocks wind well. Anyway, John and Mary are great people and do a lot to support sled dog sports.

If you have any questions about dressing warm in the winter don't hesitate to email me at editor@redpawfeed.com.

Crazy Dog Kennels is a busy little place right now as we wrap up the Holiday celebrations and get back on track and on the trail to France for our next sled dog adventure; La Grande Odyssee. www.grandeodyssee.com.

John will be running a mix team of rescue-shelter sled dogs that we've rehabilitated and retrained over the last 10 months. We've selected a few veteran dogs from our yard to support the team in action.

Due to last minute changes in flight options for the dog teams coming out of AK; we were forced to address some serious issues. Would we be willing to drive our team 3500 miles to Chicago by the 4th to meet our connecting flight for Paris? Would we be able to pack 22 drop bags for John's Yukon in two days? Our house sitter is flying in from Germany and would only have a few days to meet us, the house, and dogs before we leave him for the month to hold it all down. How would we deliver the food drops to Fairbanks (250 miles one way) and go on to deliver 10 dogs to Anchorage for continual training (360 miles one way) then drive home (255 miles) all within 28 hours?

The drive was long, the roads were good, and it all worked out. The house sitter is still here and we even got two teams out bright and early the next morning.

The last few days have been all Odyssee preparations, double check details, travel schedule, health and vet paperwork, pack truck and still train the dog teams.

Now that most of thee to-do's have a cross through them; we can take a few minutes to sit back with a cup of coffee and look back at 2004 goals set and accomplished.

We've had a remarkable year and I am pleased when I reflect on the things we've done, seen, and took part in. I take great pride in the work we do with all dogs and that includes our own dogs and Alaska shelter-rescue sled dogs. I've learned a great deal from working with these dogs we've retrained, and if there is one thing that I can say to make a smidge of a difference here in the way other musher's train their dogs, it's that dogs respond quicker to kindness and patience rather than pressure and correction.

I just took a team of shelter dogs to the Sheep Mountain 150 last weekend in Eureka; placing 5th out of 35 entered. This was a good test for the dogs with challenging trail conditions and a handful of hot teams to beat. Despite the mountainous terrain and warm temperature, we passed 20 some teams on that first leg, coming into Eureka in second place. It raised some brows later in the game.

These are dogs we've carefully selected from the shelter with the plan and confidence that we could retrain the dog to rejoin the class of working sled dogs once again after trust was established.

We've placed a few dozen or more working sled dogs in permanent homes this last year. Some of these fine working dogs aren't built for sprint, stage speed or long distance running. Some dogs fit the mold and some just don't. These dogs make great tour and skijor dogs. It's up to us, as the musher, to take full responsibility of the dogs in our kennel. Take the time to carefully evaluate the dog when he/she isn't "working" out and decide if this dog would fit a different mold.

Our goal was to retrain these unwanted sled dogs, place them with the appropriate musher, and or race them in our race teams if we saw fit. Check, and check.

John and I set up a training program that would be used for the first time this year on all dogs that came to us no matter if the dog was previously trained as a sprint dog or long distance dog. We would retrain them to run successfully in a team situation. This all takes time and patience on the trainer's part. Repetition.

Optimal nutrition pays huge dividends in overall performance and attitude. This will all come back to you like good karma when you're running your dogs. Injuries? You shouldn't have them. If you do; it's either the musher's fault or the musher's fault. We train on what most would consider very poor trail conditions; deep snow, constant breaking trails, sugary, punchy snow, and tight and winding trails. I'm not seeing any injuries and we're moving pretty fast. I'm seeing a tougher dog team with healthy minds and bodies when all is said and done. They are treated real well, like family.

Our dogs are fed well and have stronger muscles and joints for it. Read your labels and learn how and when to feed your dogs.

Please follow us as we race down the trail this year in several races to come.

Visit us on the web at www.dogsleddenali.com and www.akshelterteam.com

Email Zoya zdenure@yahoo.com

Remember, this newsletter was created for you. We encourage your input on any sporting dog related topic. If you have tips, questions, or suggestions, please send them to us.

Training Tips: training@redpawfeed.com

Dog Health or Yard Maintenance: dogyard@redpawfeed.com

Traveling with Dogs: traveling@redpawfeed.com

Feeding Strategies: feed@redpawfeed.com

Gear Reviews or Suggestions: gear@redpawfeed.com

Question of the Issue, Either your answers to the current question or to pose a question: QOTI@redpawfeed.com

Any other topics: editor@redpawfeed.com

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter, email your request to makintracks@redpawfeed.com

Makin' Tracks accepts advertising from non-profit groups that benefit dogs and dog sports. Please show your support by visiting the organizations below. If you would like to see your organization listed here, please contact editor@redpawfeed.com.

Midwest Skijorers

A non profit organization that strives to promote dog sports and work to gain community trail access for other dog sport enthusiasts.

Midwest Skijorers Club is committed to advancing the sport of skijoring in the Twin Cities and upper Midwest.

We endeavor to develop and promote events and activities related to Skijoring.

We seek to educate the public about the nature and benefits of skijoring for dogs and dog owners.

We work with communities to expand trail access and improve trail safety.

We assist beginning Skijorers with seminars and novice events so they may more fully enjoy this unique sport.

http://www.skijor.org

Adopt A Husky, Inc.

A Siberian Husky Rescue Serving
The Midwest & Pacific Northwest Regions

A 501(c)(3) NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Over 700 Siberians Saved Since August 1998

Visit our website, send us email, or call:
262-909-2244 (Wisconsin & Illinois)
612-986-2244 (Minnesota area)
248-892-2244 (Michigan area)
440-522-2244 (Ohio area)
509-999-5118 (Pacific Northwest area)

What is Mush with P.R.I.D.E.?

P.R.I.D.E. stands for Providing Responsible Information on a Dog's Environment. The relationship between sled dogs and humans is one of the oldest bonds of its kind. Modern sled dog owners are proud of their dogs as canine athletes that are bred and trained to do what they love: run as part of a team. Mush with P.R.I.D.E. supports the responsible care and humane treatment of all dogs and is dedicated to enhancing the care and treatment of sled dogs in their traditional and modern uses.