Myths+about+Dogsledding

Myths about Dogsledding

__**Myth #1: Animal Cruelty **__
Some people think that the Iditarod Sled Dog Race is very cruel to the animals. These opinions are mostly based on ignorance to the sport, or opinionated people seeking attention. The dogs trained for the Iditarod do work hard, but the dogs love the exercise, and are treated with care. Most dedicated mushers have a strong bond with their team, and would never intentionally hurt their dogs. __**Myth #2: Sled dogs are starved to reach race weight/too skinny **__ This myth is probably one of the most far off accusations. Sled dogs are fed plentifully, and must consume about 10,000 calories per race day of the Iditarod to do well. Mushers know that if their dogs are being underfed, they will not run as well as they would if they were being fed. They have a variety of food they eat to have a balanced diet. On a day to day basis, people see well fed dogs that have minimal exercise, or "house dogs", and get used to looking at a dog of that size. Iditarod dogs are athletes, so they are fed more, and exercised more, which results in them looking skinnier.

__**Myth #3: Sled dogs don't get attention **__
Sled dogs get more attention than most house dogs. Sled dogs are fed and exercised multiple times a day, and are with their musher more than a house dog is with their owner. House dogs are alone for the long hours the owners are at work, but since a musher's job is to take care of their dogs and train them, they are with the dogs a lot.

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Society is more interested in animal abuse stories than animal bond stories, so the few cases where their is dog abuse, get very famous, and can make a great race into a cruel animal run. This race is very good for the dogs because of all the exercise, and all the people who try to convince you of these myths are just ignorant.

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