Hello Boys and Girls!

The race went so fast, didn’t it? It seems like it just gets started and suddenly it is all over!

Are you wondering what the dogs do once they get to Nome?

First, it is very exciting when a musher arrives in Nome. Fans line the street and take pictures of the musher and the team as they finish the race. There is a lot of cheering going on because everyone who finishes the race is a part of the race’s history and has met many important goals during the journey. In my book, any musher and team that finish the race is a ‘winner’!

Usually the musher’s family and the musher’s dog handlers meet the musher beneath the arch. All of the dogs get special pets and hugs. Usually, the dogs get special snacks, too. Sometimes, when the musher takes the dog’s booties off, the booties get tossed to the children who are standing along the fence and watching the finish of the race. The booties are great souvenirs from the race.

The officials who are in Nome greet the mushers and a required sled bag inspection is made while the media continues to take pictures. During this time, the dogs wag their tails and enjoy all of the attention.

Did you know that there are certain items that each musher has to carry in the sled bag? You can read about the list of required items by going to the For Musher’s link at www.iditarod.com and then, clicking on the ‘rules’ of the race.

Once the musher is declared as being an official finisher in the race, the press often interviews the musher. When all of the formality is over, the musher and the team are allowed to leave the area. The dogs go to the Nome dog lot, where veterinarians and dog handlers help the musher park the team. Before long, the dogs are having a delicious snack and resting comfortably at the dog lot. The veterinarians are always busy, examining the dogs and talking with the mushers.

When it is time to leave Nome, the dogs become passengers on airplanes. The musher makes the arrangements for his or her team to fly and off they go! Before long, the dogs are back at the musher’s kennel.

Just because Iditarod is over, doesn’t mean the race season is over. Some of the mushers enter other races. When the race season is over, the next training season will soon begin. The Iditarod dogs enjoy year round exercise to stay physically fit. My K-9 fur friends love to run!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma