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Dog Handling 101

To the Starting Line!

by Judi Roach

03/06/2008

Dog Handling 101!

By Judi Roach                                                                                                               2009 Target Iditarod Teacher on the Trail Finalist

Every year, the Iditarod Sled Dog Race is dependent upon hundreds of volunteers to help stage "The Last Great Race!"  This race would not be possible without the help of volunteers who return year after year, and race after race to assist in this honored Alaskan tradition.  Not all volunteers are veterans.  There are always new people to train to ensure that the race is run smoothly.  One of the jobs that a volunteer might do is that of a dog handler.

This year Dog Handling 101 began in a conference room at the Millennium Hotel.  By the time instructions were delivered, the dog handlers to be, were sufficiently warm and ready to give this important job a go.  A dog handler is a person who helps bring the dogs to the starting line of the race.  In order to do this, the handler must be dressed properly.  Footwear should consist of a pair of warm boots that are waterproof.  Athletic shoes and Yak Traks are not allowed.  Stepping on a dog's foot or toenails is something to be avoided.  This could cause a dog to be dropped and nobody wants to lessen a musher's chance of competing in the race.  In addition, ice is slippery. That is why it is important to wear adequate footwear.  Warm clothes are necessary to keep warm.  Gloves or mittens with leather palms are preferred. That way, if the line gets frayed, the handler is less likely to get slivers from the rope.  The restart takes place on Willow Lake, on the ice.  This is not a time to be cold, so all volunteers should be prepared for a cold, windy day.

In order to handle a dog effectively, the handler must hold on to the gang line and other lines that run down the center of the dog sled team.  Some mushers also use leashes for added stability.  If this is the case, the handler will want to apply tension on the leash toward the sled.  As the dog team progresses to the starting line, the handlers will walk/trot to the starting line beside the team.  It is imperative that the handler watch the dog's feet in front of him or her.  Lines that get tangled are a fact of life for dog mushers.  However, it is never pretty when this happens.  Our trainer advised us to not worry about tangled lines unless the line was so tight that less than 6 inches of line showing.  Some people loose their footing and then it is necessary to "bail out".  To protect the dogs, and the dogs are the true athletes of this competition, it might be necessary to dive out of the way if a handler begins to fall.  If this is the case, the handler can get back up and return to the line.  "Loose Dog!" could be something that you hear.  Dogs have gotten of away in the past.  If this happens, we were instructed to try and get the dog stopped by stepping in front of the dog, blocking his path.  Sometimes dogs jump over the gang line. If this happens the handler will take the dog by the harness and get it back over on the correct side of the gang line. 

A duty that dog handlers are not required to do is to harness a dog.  Harnessing a dog is not as easy as mushers make it appear to be.  They have been doing this job for many years and can get this job done efficiently and in a fast manner. Handlers do not take dogs from the dog trucks.  The musher's generally do this themselves or enlist the help of  their support people.

A very important thing to remember when handling a dog sled team is to ask questions and don't attempt something that you are not ready or able to do.  As Karl, the coordinator of the training explained, these dogs are like family members to the mushers.  Much time, care and effort has gone into getting them into tip top mushing form.

In order to give the volunteers a practice run at dog handling, this eager group made their way to the paved parking lot behind the hotel.  We took turns handling the dogs by running along side the dogs and making a half circle in the parking with them.  As the volunteers took turns, the dogs kept following the vocal commands of the musher.  The practice runs went smoothly and the 2008 group of dog handler volunteers were ready to go.  

 Making sure that the dogs and mushers have a safe and successful trip down the Iditarod Trail is something that the ITC strives to help achieve.  Through its training programs for volunteers, this continues to be a successful event that is watched by millions of people each year.  Good luck handlers, be focused and watch out for those moving, bootied feet.  Every step counts and they all begin at the starting line in Willow!