Quote:
Originally Posted by greenjeans
The first Iditarod was in 1972. However, this is in memory of the TB serum run back in 1925 to Nome. They saved many families lives. Balto the famous lead dog has had a movie made about him, a cartoon and a statue (I think its in) Central Park in NYC. The conditions don't change much, but the spirit is still there.
Unfortunately, sometimes a dog dies, even though vets are strewn throughout the race, but if you could see the dogs; They worship their masters, they love what they do, and those dogs wouldn't have it any other way (Think how your dog might like to "GO" for a ride or a walk). The mushers usually pull dogs from the team on the way if they are lethargic, sick or ANYTHING that concerns them, and they fly back to anchorage and get top dog treatment, (They start with 20, end with about 8-12) and they have mandtory lay overs, one is 24 hours.
On the trail, the mushers COOK for them, hot meals with all the nutrients (Caribou, deer, etc). They have caches of food dropped weeks before they leave, so the food is there. The mushers are heart broken if a dog dies, and I've seen more than once when a mushed dropped out of the race because they couldn't stop the tears for the loss of these great ATHLETES!
The race used to take 3 weeks or more, but like all athletes, many of the top teams finish in about 10-14 days now. Some still are out there for up to a month...and the last one in gets the 'blue latern' award. We never stop watching until they all come home!
Can I choose Balto as my GPS voice? Good DOG! (PS: He led the final leg of the serum run in blinding snow, even the musher could not see...the dog did it all with his sniff)
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I know the dogs die sometimes. But, they are doing their dog job, what they were bred for, and I know when a dog is allowed to do what it's been raised to instinctually do, they just LOVE it.
My dog, TinyMonsters (died 2yrs ago March 14th) just loved to go walking. He loved to be a companion to his humans. He liked doing the "sheep herding" of his people. Get more than 2 or 3 people with him, and he'd get upset if we didnt all walk together. He wanted his "herd" to stay where he told them to stay.
I wanted to get Tiny a milk cart, something else his breed (Bouvier des Flandres) were bred for (they were bred to do all sorts of neat stuff), never did get him one...he would have loved pulling that. Maybe if I get another Bouvier some day, I'll get that dog a milk cart to pull.
I think tho, that Tiny's favorite hobby, other than walking was sleeping next to my bed. I had a few times before I knew about the MS where I had unexplained vertigo. Tiny was the best thing to have around then. Listening to him sleep kind of helped calm down the spinnies. And when I was walking him around the block while dizzy, I felt better with him in the heel position right next to me. It was like he was helping me walk a straight line. If I ever need to get an assistance dog, I'm getting one the same breed that Tiny was. Smart puppies, and the best dogs I've ever seen.
Too bad I didnt have him around last summer when I had the worst vertigo I've ever had. He would have been great at keeping me from walking into walls or tripping over ants on the pavement.