Sled dog breeds (15 photos)

Dogs

Sled dogs (also sledge dogs and sleigh dogs) were important for transportation in arctic areas, hauling supplies in areas that were inaccessible by other methods. They were used with varying success in the explorations of both poles, as well as during the Alaskan gold rush.Sled dog teams delivered mail to rural communities in Alaska and northern Canada.
Sled dogs probably evolved in Mongolia between 35,000 and 30,000 years ago. Scientists believe that humans migrated north of the Arctic Circle with their dogs, and using them to pull sleds 3,000 years ago, when communities were forced north to Siberia by pastoralists. Sled dogs have been used in Canada, Lapland, Greenland, Siberia, Chukotka, Norway, Finland, and Alaska.

Sled dog team photos