Libby Here!
Do the same team of dogs do the whole race?
This is another great question.
Yes. The team of dogs that a musher has selected and have passed their medical exams are the only dogs that can be in the race.
The musher starts with his selected team of dogs and cannot add different dogs to the team once the race begins or once they’ve selected their team.
Almost always, mushers DROP, or leave dogs at checkpoints along the race route and finish with less dogs than the musher starts with on the day of the restart.
The dogs that are left in checkpoints are usually very healthy but they are left at the checkpoint for a number of reasons. (You can read more about that at the Veterinarian Center found in the Learn About section of the website.) Dogs left at checkpoints get the best of care by veterinarians.
There are veterinarians at all of the checkpoints and as the teams arrive in the checkpoint, the dogs get checkups. Mushers carry a little vet book, too, to keep track of information about their dogs. The vets look at the book, read about the dogs, and write information about the dogs in the notebook.
Dogs that are left or ‘dropped’ in a checkpoint have quite an adventure. While waiting for their flight out of the checkpoint, the vets take care of them. They get lots of rest on straw beds. They get great meals and lots of loving care. Soon, the Iditarod Air Force arrives to pick up these special passengers. The dogs fly in the planes to Nome or Anchorage to meet their families.
When a musher finishes the race in Nome, the dogs with the musher are the same dogs that left the restart with the musher.
Just spinning de’tails’!
Libby
14 Comments
hello Libby,
i have been enjoying reading your blogs and the other iditarod updates. My Teammate Nellie and I skijor every day and we ae pretending to be in the race. I have music that i listen to while i skijor. Can you tell me what sort of music inspires the dogs and mushers?
thanks,
meg
Hello Meg,
Great to hear from you. Just like with you, some mushers like to listen to music while they are racing. I am sure many of the mushers are inspired by the music and it helps to lift spirits, like it does yours. I am guessing that there is a wide variety of kinds of music played, from rock to country, and all kinds in between. Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
hi, i was wondering what the difference between being scratched from the iditarod or withdrawn from the iditarod.
love,
courtney
Hello Courtney, There is a difference between scratching and withdrawing. Before the race, if a musher withdraws, they take their name off the list and don’t race. During the race, if a musher is withdrawn, a race official has decided that a musher must stop racing. If a musher scratches, the musher has decided to stop racing.
Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
I want to become an insider in order to follow the race each day. I have often told my husband that I feel something this important should be carried on national t.v.
How can I join via snail mail? Also, I would like to purchase video and other products. Can I do this via snail mail? Peggy
To become an Iditarod Insider, click on the Iditarod Insider tab found at http://www.iditarod.com. You can pay by credit card and get all the Insider video. It is awesome. Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
Good job ray keep up the good work. Never quit.Dalton
Hello again,
I would like to know the dangers on the trail. Is weather, terrain, wild animals, or any wild people?
Thanks again,
Julia
Hello Julia. Any place you go can be dangerous. Lots of people have accidents in their own homes. So, being on the Iditarod Trail can be dangerous. Mushers need to know about the weather and the trail, as well as lots of other things to keep themselves safe. I don’t think there are any ‘wild people’ on the trail, however, unless we want to say that it is a wild adventure, racing Iditarod.
Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
Hi Zuma,
I am doing a project on this race. I would like to know if after the races are their any changes in the way the dogs act or anything like that?
Thank you for the help,
Julia
Hello Julia, I am not sure I understand your question, Julia. But like human athletes, when you aren’t racing, you are still in training. Mushers train their teams all year long so they are in condition for the race. Does this answer help you? Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
Dear Zuma,
My 5-6th grade class have been doing a week long study on the Iditarod. We live in Wisconsin and the children have just loved your website and all the info we have learned. Thank you for sharing it with those of us who “watch” forom the outside!
Kelly
Hi Zuma,
I was wondering what the deal is with Zack Steer’s dirty yellow coat. Is this the same one he wore last year? I hope it brings him lots of good luck. My student Seth Fite and I have picked Zack as our musher to win!!Go Zack!!
Thanks,
Gina
How can we find out the name of the dogs for each team that are dropped. Some of us are watching a particular team but can’t find the names or info on the dropped dogs.
It might be another section the Iditarod can add to its coverage. Lynne
Hello Lynne,
We don’t release the names of each of the dogs on each of the musher’s team on our website. With 16 dogs and 96 teams, that would be a lot of names to keep track of on the website.
Our vets have the information on the dogs, their identification number and name. Some mushers share their dog’s names on their personal websites.
Hope this information helps you.
Lots of Tail Wags,
Zuma
How can we find out the name of the dogs for each team that are dropped. Some of us are wathing a particular team but can’t find the names or info on the dropped dogs.
It might be another section the Iditarod can add to its coverage.
Hello class,
It would be pretty hard to list the names of all the dogs. With 96 teams and 16 dogs each… that is a lot of dogs. The mushers don’t even pick their dogs for their final team until right before the race. You can sometimes learn about the dogs at a musher’s website, though. Click on the musher’s name at the Musher Listing (2008 Iditarod tab) and learn more about the mushers. Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
Hi Zuma
hey my musher is jeff king heis awsome he got 2nd place but that is still good! lance mackey won. Emily
Lance Mackey Won. He’s Not My Musher Cassie
Hi zuma,
You are such a cool dog! We would just like to know about the dogs and the prizes if you win. Do vets think it is healthy for dogs to run the race? We would also like to know what are the prizes for the winner and if their are any prizes for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th place?
Thanks Zuma,
Julia and Gabby
Hello! You can read all about the kinds of prizes that are given out to the mushers by going to the media guide. When you are on the home page of the website, click the Press and Media tab. Then click Media Guide and find page 19. These prizes are given out at the Nome Finisher’s Banquet. Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
hi zuma did you like the race? Kayla
Woof, woof! Howl-singing how great the race is!
Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma