Hi Boys and Girls,
Th 
e race is just 2 weeks away. I’m so excited. Have you picked your musher yet? I’d love to hear who you picked and why. Do you know that you can write to us and ask questions or tell us something about you or the race? Well you can and this is how you can do it. To email us, go to: http://iditarodblogs.com/zuma/email-the-k-9-reporters/ or under the blog posts you can click on ‘add a comment”. We’d love to hear from all of you.
To help you ask the best questions and get a quick answer, I have decided to share a few tips with you. Please remember these when writing to us.
Look around the Iditarod site or the zuma paw prints blog and see if you can find the answer to your questions. A few places you can try are:
- For race rules go to; http://www.iditarod.com/race/iditarodrules.html
- Route and Checkpoint information: http://www.iditarod.com/race/route.html
- Musher listing: http://www.iditarod.com/race/musherlisting.html
- For general information and pictures: http://www.iditarod.com/learn/
Your question may be answered by a different K9 reporter than you wrote to. During the race we are really busy reporting on the race. We take turns answering emails and blog comments. Since we want you to get an answer as soon as possible, whoever is answering mail will answer your letter.
Please give us a day or two to answer your questions. For the next few weeks we will be receiving hundreds of emails and blog comments every day. We don’t want to give rushed answers so it takes time. We will answer all the mail we receive.
FOR TEACHERS: when you send us a class email or blog comment, please make sure your students do not add their last names or private email addresses. While we monitor all mail before it is posted, it’s better not to include this information.
We can’t wait to read all your comments and questions. We love mail. In fact, I’m off to answer some questions from Stanford Avenue School in Oroville, CA.
Happy trails and have fun writing. I can’t wait to hear from you.
Gypsy
65 Comments
The Department of Defense Dependent Schools has blocked all blogs so again this year my kindergarten class will miss out on all of Zuma’s comments. I can not depend on parents reading the messages to the children at night and then discussing them in the classroom the next day. Is there any way the postings can be emailed to me so that we can access them at school for easy/timely reference?
Charlee and the Kinders
Ramstein Air Force Base
Ramstein, Germany
Hello Charlee and the Kinders,
Sorry to hear about the ‘blog blocking’. I can tell you that schools I’m aware of that have asked to have this site unblocked have gotten it unblocked. Please try making a request, even if you have in the past because it has worked for many teachers! We are aware of this frustration and problem solving is on our list. I am sorry for your frustration. I’m glad you could read this on a different computer. Perhaps you could try copy pasting articles you’d like to share into email and send them to yourself at school. Let me know how it goes after you make a request to have the site unblocked. Thanks!
Lots of Tail Wags,
Zuma
Classes of 4th graders at Buckley ES in Lansing, NY are studying the Iditarod and will be writing questions to the K9 reporters. Can you give us any advice?
Hello Students!
Our best advice is SEND THOSE QUESTIONS! We can’t wait to start reading.
When leaving comments — along with what is included in the above article, remind students to check back where they left the comment, to find a response to their comment or question. If Sanka wrote the article, and they leave a comment for Sanka, Sanka will usually answer it, but if Sanka is on the trail reporting, another reporter might answer the question.
Remember to read parts of the website and the posted information first — which helps students think of great comments and questions. (Clicking the Meet the Reporters along the left side of the page will be helpful!)
Most of all, have FUN! We can’t wait to hear from you!
Lots of Tail Wags,
Zuma
I was wondering what happens if there is a problem on the trail?
Hi, It depends on the problem. The musher will try to take care of the situation themselves. If it’s a serious problem the musher may need help from another musher or from the nearest checkpoint. You can read through the race rules to get a better idea of the help that is provided and the penalties that go with using that help. The safety of the dogs is the number one priority and decisions are made in their best interest. Thanks for writing.
I was wondering if wild animals like elk and bear are a threat to the mushers?
Wild animals can be threat and have been in the past. I think the biggest threat has come from Moose. Thanks for writing.
I think the iditarod is a great test of skill and I to someday want to jion the JR.iditarod race to
Train hard and someday we just may see you out on the trail. Gypsy
hi I would like to know if anyone has died on the idiarod if so was it from hypothermia?
No one died on the trail.
has anybody ever uhhhh run out of food on the iditarod??
We would like to know if the dogs ever get tired of running? How fast do the dogs run? Do the dogs ever get hurt? Do the mushers ever see polar bears out on the trail? Thank you for your help with these questions. We look forward to tracking the race!
Hi, you asked some great questions. I’ll do my best to answer all of them.
Dogs get tired just like people do and need to take rests.
How fast a dog runs depends on trail conditions. Watch the updates during race. There is a column that lists mph that the team is traveling.
Yes, sometimes the dogs pull or strain a muscle. They are well taken care of by the Iditarod vets.
Polar Bears are not in the area of the trail. A musher may see a grizzly bear, moose, wolves and other wildlife while running the trail.
Have fun tracking the race.
Gypsy
i pick melissa owens. she’s awesome
Melissa Owen I love your husky dog because he or she is very cute and I whish I hade a dog just like your dog.I also whanted to tell you that I hope you win in the race because I all ready voted on you for the dog race.I also whanted to tell you some other things about you and your husky dogs I realy hope that you win in the race.I also looked up your picher and then I printed it out and worte that I hope you win.SINCERLY THOMMY AND MY PET DOGS AND MY PET BUNNY.
Hey y’all! I am a teacher from Charlotte, NC. We are “rookies” in this years race. The students have picked their mushers and will begin tracking them tomorrow. The students are just amazed by the amount of snow in all the pictures. Some of them have never seen or played in snow that was over 5 inches tall. We had a snow day the other day because we had about 2 inches of snow!
The whole town just shuts down and no one goes anywhere. Our city only has 1 snowplow and it is a very small one. The students have bunch of questions. The top are: 1. How old are the mushers when they first start training? 2. How old was the youngest musher to ever win? 3. How long does it take to fully “train” a sled dog? 4.If a sled dog gets seriously injured during the race, can it be airlifted to a dog hospital? We look forward to hearing the answers to our questions. Your friends from NC.
Hi Zuma and the other dogs! You guys are the greatest and VERY intellengent thanks for sharing! molly short
Hi Zuma do you know Lance Mackey and his dog team because i’m tracking him.
I do know Lance and his dog team! Why did you choose to track Lance?
Lots of Tail Wags,
Zuma
The Iditarod is a very inspiring and exciting event. All the mushers and dogs show great courage and determination out there on the trail. Is there one past Lead dog that stands out among the rest? One that has overcome great obstacles and challenges? I am inspiring Children’s Author and would love to do some research on one such dog. Thanks!
Well I picked Rick Swenson for the amazing 6 time winning even though he hasnt won since 91
Maybe this will be Rick’s year. Hope you enjoy following him in the race.
Gypsy
Hi I am a 1st grader. I was wondering if you are a lead dog. My musher is Jen Seavey and I chose her because she sounded interesting to me.
Hi, I’m in training to be a lead dog on my families recreational team. We don’t race, we just go out to have fun. Being a lead dog is my goal but my human says I have to become a little more serious. Right now I run in the swing position. Have fun following Jen. Gypsy
Hey guys
I am tracking the 2005 Jr.Iditarod Winner, Melissa Owens. I was wondering if you knew anything about her.
-Amanda
Hi Amanda, for the best information about Melissa, go to: http://www.iditarod.com/race/musherlisting.html Look for Melissa’s name and click on it. It will take you to her bio. Good luck. Gypsy
I picked Chad Linder because he is a rookie.
Have fun following Chad.
Gypsy
Dear Sanka W,
A couple of years ago Dee Dee Jonrowe came to our school and was the MC for our Geography Bee. She was really great with the kids and they were all so excited to have her come. We know she loves her animals, we were wondering if you know what her lead dog’s name is? We would like to cheer her on.
How do you run so much? You must have alot of energy.hgf thanks truely SAVANNAH
My human says I have more energy than any dog she’s ever seen! I don’t run in the Iditarod. I run on a recreational team. I still run a lot but not as much as the Iditarod dogs do. Thanks for writing, Gypsy
Hi K9 Reporters-
We are writing from our Kindergarten Room in Central Minnesota. There is a blizzard outside right now and we hope the mushers have nicer weather in Alaska. We are wondering how you all get to be such good typers on the computer. Thanks in advance for answering this “burning” question in our minds:-)
Sincerely-
Mrs. Perry’s Kindergartners
Hi Mrs. Perry’s Kindergartners, We all took typing classes and then we had to practice a lot. Are you learning to type on the computer? Thanks for writing, Gypsy
How long can you run until you have to stop for a break?
Megan
how do you keep up with answering all these questions?
Megan
Hi Megan, All the K9 reporters check the messages often and answer as many as we can. Thanks for writing. Gypsy
Hi Gypsy! This is Lucas from Moraga California. I was curious, what do you do with your friends for fun? My musher is jim Lanier. I am in Mrs. Robinson’s 2nd class at Camino Pablo. Our class is keeping track of what place each of our mushers are in. We are keeping track of the lead musher, the Red Lantern, and the lead rookie.
We play the usual doggy games. We like playing with toys and chasing squirrels. Hope you are enjoying following the race. Gypsy
Hi Gypsy!
Our third grade class is following the race. Each student has chosen a musher and are making updates every day at each checkpoint. It is hard to believe it is so cold there when it is 65 degrees here in Georgia. One of our students chose Sylvia Willis before the race. What happened to her?
Also, when and where do the dogs go to the bathroom? How about the mushers? How often do they need to sleep?
We are enjoying your blog!
From the Franks’ Frontier in Suwanee, GA
Hi Franks’ Frontier, If you go to http://www.iditarod.com/race/musherlisting.html and scroll down to the bottom you will see Sylvia’s name. Click on it to go to her bio. She has a website listed that you can go to and hopefully get the information you are looking for.
Every year someone asks the bathroom question. The dogs go where they need to when they need to. They even go while they are running. As for the humans, it would be the same as you being out in the woods with no bathroom around. Mushers don’t sleep a lot during the race. When the team is eating and resting, a musher may get a few hours sleep after he/she has feed their dogs and maybe themselves.
Hope that helps.
Gypsy
do you like to race in the iditarod and if so why?
Who is your owner Libby little?
What is your favorite outfit that you where?
Whe did Lance Mackey make his move?
Why did Hugh Neff drop out two of his dogs?
Sincerely,
Jessica
I love you outfits libby! If I were a dog I would love outfits like yours!
Why do the mushers have to take two 8 hour stops and one 24 hour stop?
Hey Gypsy!
Why is the checkpoint at Iditarod deserted?
Write me back soon!
Love,
Olivia
It was a gold mining town and the gold ran out. You can read more about it at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iditarod,_Alaska Thanks for writing Gypsy
where is then main place people take there 24 hour stop?
You will find a lot of mushers taking their 24 hour in MacGrath and Takotna. Thanks for writing. Gypsy
I am following Hugh Neff, Wade Marrs, and Mellisa Owens, and Lance Mackey
Hey,libby
what is your favrite color!?!
Do you know if Bjornar Anderson is ok,from when he got hurton the glacier?
do u have any brothers and sisters!?!?!
I have 5 brothers and 2 sisters. My brother Slate and I live at the same house we were born at. My other brothers and sisters have moved away. Thanks for writing. Gypsy
Who do you think is going to win the Iditorod.
I really don’t know. I enjoy watching all the action and I don’t pick a winner. Thanks for writing Gypsy
Has Sanka ever been on a sled dog team
has gypsy ever been on a sled dog team before?
I run on a recreational sled dog team. That means we don’t race but we still get to go out and run on a team. Gypsy
my class is following Hugh Neff,becaues he might come to our school!!! We cant wait if he does come to our school!!!
What place do you think Wade Marrs is going to place?
Hi my name is Leah.Do you still have 16 dogs?
Are you in first?
We are K9 reporters and we do not race in the Iditarod. Gypsy
What is all your dogs name?
I am not sure what you mean. Our names are on this website. Sanka, Libby, Gypsy, and Zuma.
Have you won once?
I have never run in a race- Gypsy
Do you have TV?
Hi Leah, We do have a TV at my house although we don’t watch it that much. My favorite shows are ones with animals in them. I do get confused though. I can’t understand why the dogs in the box don’t come out and play with me. Gypsy
Hi Libby!
Hi Libby! I have a friend named Libby and you remind me of her
Who do u think is going to win the Iditarod this year, Libby?
hey guys
hi! just wondering, do the sled dogs have a special way of communicating with their musher???
Sled dogs are like any other animal who has a special human. They communicate through their voices, eyes, and body language. Both humans and dogs learn how to read each other. Do you have a pet? Do you know what it wants or how it feels by the way it looks or sounds? It’s the same on the trail. This was a good question.
Thanks for writing. Gypsy
hi! my name is kendra and i picked my musher in 5th grade. she is karin hendrickson. although she moved to 41 place
i still think she can do it.
i picked her because she looked like she had the guts to win. i read her biograghy and saw that she had a kennel. i saw all of her dogs on her website!
we made rice puppys that we carry around at school. mines name is Kat. we are being teached to care for animals and feed them (although rice puppys dont eat). you make it by geting a sock.filling it with rice, and draw or glue eyes a mouth a nose and whatever you want!!!
Sounds like your rice puppy is pretty special. Glad you are enjoying the race. Gypsy
it must be awsome being a dog Gypsy. i would think dogs couldnt type… but anyway your so cute!
-kendra
Hi Kendra, I think it’s pretty awesome to be a dog. I get lots of treats and belly rubs! Thanks for writing. Gypsy
Gypsy, Who do you think will win the idarod race?
I try not to pick a winner and I watch everyone in the race. Right now Lance Mackey has a pretty good lead. We’ll have to wait and see what happens. Thanks for writing. Gypsy
what is the differants between a wihtdraw and a scratch?
This has been a popular question on the email site. When a musher scratches, he/she makes the decision themselves. When a musher is withdrawn the decision is made by race officials. Rule 36 of the 2009 race rules says ” A team may be withdrawn that is out of the competition and is no longer making a valid effort to compete. A musher whose conduct constitutes an unreasonable risk of harm to him/her dogs or other persons may be withdrawn. In the case of Rob Loveman, it was because of how far behind he was so he was withdrawn due to being out of the competition.
Thanks for the great question
Gypsy
Dear Zuma,
My classmates and I are watching the Iditarod for the last time. We were wondering what is the difference between withdrawning from the race and Scratching?
From,
The kids in Mrs.Rourke’s fifth grade class in Hamden Ct.
Hi Gypsy!
I have a few questions for you. I was wondering what your favorite dog in the race was. How do you feel about Lance Mackey being the winner? Do you like being a K-9 reporter? Do you think that you will be on a team sometime? Do you think that you’ll be a lead dog? How long have you beeen a K-9 reporter? Can you tell me if there is a limit for how many times a dog\team can scratch during a race?
Thanks,
Ellen
Hi Ellen, I’m friends with so many of the dogs, I can’t pick a favorite. Lance did a great job this year. I love being a K9 reporter. I run on a recreational team. I hope to be a lead dog someday when I’m a little older. I have been a K9 reporter for 2 years now. You can only scratch once during a race. thanks for writing. Gypsy
Hi Gypsy! Your so cute! I have a couple of questions for you! Did you ever want to be a lead dog before you became a K9 reporter? I bet you would be a great one! Who are some of your dog friends? We hope you get this message because we would like to find ut more about you!
Thanks!
Love,
Kamryn and Jill
Hi. I’m not only a K9 reporter but I run on a recreational team. Right now I’m a swing dog but I am learning how to be a lead dog. My best dog friend is my brother Slate. Thanks for writing. Gypsy
Hi Gypsy!
Your so cute! How old are you? Are you friends with Libby? How old is your brother slate.. Do you like being a K9 reporter? bye
Love,
Jillian
Hi Jillian, I am 2 years old. Libby and I are friends. My brother Slate is also 2 but I’m 3 hours older than he is! I love being a K9 reporter. It’s fun meeting new people and writing about them. Thanks for writing. Gypsy
What is your favorite food?
My kibble with salmon soup– yum yum! Thanks for writing. Gypsy
hi has someone got lost on the iditarod trail?
elton
The trail is marked but especially if there is a storm a musher can get lost. The GPS Trackers will help the race officials be able to keep track of where the mushers are during the race. Thanks for writing! Libby
what is your favorite thing to do.
Hello!
There are lots of things we like to do. Reporting about the race is right up there at the top of the list! We all like to travel and have adventures. We like to meet new friends. We like to read, too!
Thanks for your email!
Lots of Tail Wags and Woof! Woof!
Zuma, Sanka, Gypsy, and Libby