http://www.nsnews.com/life/Like+other+rescues+sled+dogs+adapt+home/4316500/story.html
By Joan Klucha, Special To North Shore NewsFebruary 20, 2011
When most of us think of sled dogs, we conjure up images of purebred huskies, be it Malamute or Siberian.
We see strong, energetic dogs with thick coats that are able to weather the harshest of conditions with markings that often bear a striking resemblance to the dog's genetic cousin, the wolf.
But the true sled dog used in many sled dog teams doesn't resemble the husky or the wolf. They look more like Heinz 57 dogs . . . because they are!
Sled dogs typically are a mix of some husky and a variety of high-energy and high-stamina dogs such as border collies, greyhounds or whippets and German shorthair pointers. They tend to be leaner and smaller in size than most huskies, with far less fur.
The reasons they are mixed breeds are varied. Those aforementioned breeds have incredible stamina and ceaseless energy, which when bred with a strong husky type dog can create the ultimate sled pulling dog. Mixed breed dogs also tend to be healthier, with fewer genetic issues, and they live longer.
From a health point of view, these dogs make perfect pets because their life expectancy is greater with fewer trips to the veterinarian. For most people, though, the idea of adopting a dog that is bred for speed, stamina, strength and energy may be a bit daunting or overwhelming.
How the heck do you exercise a dog like that?
Well, I'm hoping to change the opinion of those people and shed some light on what happens to any dog once they are given a loving, supportive home with proper guidance and training.
When a dog is removed from a situation that is less than ideal (to us) and placed in one filled with warmth, love, proper leadership and food, every day a dog changes, for the better.
For most sled dogs, their lives revolve around pulling a sled with other dogs, then living chained to a dog house with limited interaction. They know nothing else other than those two, maybe three things, so their world is quite small from a perspective of possible daily interactions.
Most of them are just frightened, not fearful, but frightened.
When brought into a new environment where socialization and interactions are a daily occurrence, the first thing that tends to decrease is the dog's need for intense exercise, because they are being mentally stimulated by a variety of things that their life was void of before.
The dog is the virtual kid in the candy store and happy to snuggle on a cozy dog bed after a walk or play at the park.
Socialization is another factor that seems to be an issue. Because of a sled dog's limited exposure to everyday life activities and situations that our family pets take for granted, they do lack life experience skills. But given enough time and patience, these dogs or any dog can quickly adapt to life in the big city rather than chained to a dog house in the snow.
I have worked with numerous dogs in the past that came from situations where they lived chained to a tree in the backyard of some house for years.
The geographical location may be different, but the lack of socialization and life skills is still the same. After time and proper guidance, the dogs soon became active members in their new canine community and their confidence improves daily.
Dog-to-dog socialization with sled dogs may not be as big of an issue as you might think. These dogs lived their lives running and living alongside other dogs -- they do have the skills to be social with other dogs.
Like all dogs, they need to go through training with a competent trainer, and like all dogs, continued interactions are necessary to maintain their social nature.
For a wonderfully heartwarming video of sled dogs being rescued by private rescue groups, check out this link: www.youtube.com/user/TurtleGardensK9.
It was sent to me by a reader who adopted a sled dog from the pack that was rescued.