Figure 1

Alaskan sled dogs are a mixed breed dog selected strictly for their racing performance. A) Top row: Sprint racing teams of "traditional" Alaskan sled dogs (no purebred crossings in the last 5 generations) and Pointer crossed Alaskan sled dogs. Spandex dog coats (in blue) are commonly used on shorter-haired Pointer × Alaskan sled dogs when temperatures are ≤10'F. B) Middle row: Sprint sled dogs of 25% or greater Pointer ancestry according to their written pedigree records. C) Bottom row: "Traditional" Alaskan sled dogs from distance racing teams. All photos were taken between 2006-2009 of dogs competitively racing in high performance kennels.