As often as not, sled dogs are dropped from a marathon team either as part of a long-thought-out race strategy, or to prevent a minor injury from escalating into a major one, and not because of a major injury, illness, or accident.
Why might a dog be dropped from the Iditarod?
Dropped dogs are dogs that are removed from the race for one reason or another. A dog that isn't feeling well, has an injury, isn't running well, is in season, or just doesn't have the attitude to race, are 'dropped' at checkpoints along the Iditarod Trail.
Is Iditarod cruel to dogs?
Strip away the hype, and it's easy to see that the abuse inflicted on dogs in the Iditarod is criminally cruel: 150 dogs have died as a result of being forced to run about 100 miles a day through blinding snowstorms, treacherous terrain, and harsh winds for 10 days straight.
Why do mushers put booties on their dogs feet?
Mushers also put booties on their dogs' feet when there is cold, sharp snow or wet snow that will pack between the toes. This prevents "snowballs" from building up and causing a bruise between the dogs' toes. The booties also protect the pads from wear and tear on icy trails.
Do mushers whip their dogs?
Abuse is not rare: Mushers beat their dogs with quirt whips. A quirt whip has two tails at the end. The core of the quirt is normally filled with lead shot. Mushers can roll up quirt whips to hide them in their pockets.
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