Straw isn’t the only supply that gets sent to the trail. Mushers bring their supplies to a location where the supplies which are in bags called ‘drop bags’. The name of the checkpoint the bag needs to go to on each bag. Each bag is filled with supplies a musher needs when getting to a checkpoint.

Each musher must make an eight-hour stop at White Mountain. Each musher must carry mandatory items: a sleeping bag, an axe, a pair of snowshoes, eight booties for each dog etc.. The musher will be disqualified for cruel or inhumane treatment of dogs or for improper dog care.

Here is a list of mandatory gear:

• Proper cold weather sleeping bag.
• Ax.
• One pair of snowshoes.
• Any Iditarod Trail Committee promotional material – this used to be “Trail Mail” in honor of the Iditarod Trail being the route dog teams would help deliver mail to the interior of Alaska.

These are the Ruff Wear Bark’n Boots Grip Tex boots for canines. They’re all terrain boots with nonmarking Vibram soles – you might consider using them during warmer months too, if you’re working somewhere that presents other threats to the dog’s paws.

He won the Kobuk 440 in 2017 and placed seventh in the 2018 Iditarod, taking home the honor of being the “Rookie of the Year” in that Iditarod.

Sled dogs wear booties to protect their feet from ice balls and rough terrain. A dog booty is a snug fitting sock designed to protect the paws and toe pads from rough trail conditions. Each musher has a favorite material for the homemade booties.

The short answer is yes, sled dogs do get frostbite. The details, however, give a better picture of why, where, when, and how often this occurs, as well as steps mushers take to prevent frostbite and treatment methods once it is diagnosed. Frostbite is, quite simply, the freezing of a body tissue.

boots

SLED & PET DOG BOOTIES Dog Booties are an important piece of equipment and Mountain Ridge Boots are proven on many race trails including the Iditarod and Yukon Quest! Champions as well as many top 10 placing musher’s have been using our booties since 1997!

Dog boots, a subject close to our heart, are required equipment for every team. The Iditarod rules require each Musher to carry a minimum of eight boots (2 sets of boots) per dog for the duration of the race. A Musher easily goes through several thousand boots in a season for training and racing.

Mushers put cloth booties on the dogs’ feet to prevent the wet snow from gathering between their toes and then freezing. A bootie is just a little bag with Velcro that wraps around a dog’s wrist to keep it on. When teams arrive, usually taking off booties is one of the first chores for the musher.

If you can’t hold out for the full seven seconds because the surface is too hot, then it’s also too hot for your dog’s paws….When is it too hot for dog paws?

Absolutely, dogs like the taste, and ingredients are all 100% natural waxes. Applying just before going out will limit licking.

Paw balm or petroleum jelly-based products keep your dog’s paws safe and moisturized. If boots don’t feel right for your best friend, try Vaseline or a paw balm such as Musher’s Secret. The balm or Vaseline also keeps their paw pads hydrated. Just be sure to have a towel handy when you get back inside to wipe it off!

Or use these four natural moisturizers that are already in your cabinet — Coconut oil, shea butter, vitamin E or beeswax are all safe and helpful solutions for your pup’s paws.

Olive oil is a kitchen cupboard staple that does double duty for dogs. For an external treatment, apply a small amount to your dog’s dry paws, noses, and ears. Be sure to rub it in completely, and remember, a little goes a long way! It’s also effective as part of your dog’s diet.