Teamwork is key

Teamwork is key

　Alaska has a famous dogsled race every year. Sled drivers, called mushers, race from Anchorage to Nome, a distance of about 1,049 miles.

　The race is long and difficult. Not all the mushers and their dogsled teams are able to finish the race.

　Finding the right dogs for the dogsled team is not easy. The dogs must be strong and healthy, and they must also obey orders.

　Each dog must be willing to share the work. They must get along and work together as a team. Sled dogs are usually about 2 feet tall at the shoulders. They usually weigh 40 to 80 pounds. They have a protective outer coat of fur as well as an undercoat. They shed the undercoat in the summer, but in winter it allows the dogs to sleep in very cold temperatures.

　The lead dog or dogs on the team must be smart because leaders often have to make decisions on their own. Being in front, lead dogs usually see problems before anyone else.

　The dogs behind the leaders are called swing dogs. Swing dogs are very strong. Their job is to help move the whole team around turns or curves.

　The dogs right in front of the sled are called wheel dogs. These dogs must pull the sled out and around corners or trees.

　All of the other dogs in the team are called team dogs.

　In dogsled racing, teamwork is key.