Dog sledging is a long-standing tradition in many different Northern cultures across the globe. Its origins are closely tied to the domestication of the wolf and relatively unknown in research. It changed through time from a necessity, a mode of transportation to a leisure activity and competitive sport. While styles of dog sleds, lines, harnesses, commands and trails vary between cultures, one thing remains the same: the love for the dogs and their hard work.

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Roald Amundsen’s famous expedition to the south pole between 1910 and 1912 is only one historic example of the significance of dog sledging. There are many other expeditions to both poles that would not have been possible without dog sledging (more info here). The famous “serum run” that brought life-saving vaccine to Nome, Alaska in 1925 is another spectacular example of the importance of dog sledging in the north. An outbreak of diphtheria threatened to expand to a dangerous epidemic that could kill thousands. A relay of dog teams delivered the vaccine across 674 miles from Nenana to Nome through blizzards and temperatures below -70 °C in a record time of 127.5 hours. Dog sledging saved thousands of lives. The Iditarod race celebrates this historic event every year (more about this here).