Can “dropped” dogs be replaced or put back in the team once they are taken out?
No. Race rules state that only the dogs which start the race can run in the team, and that a dog that is dropped (taken out of the team) can not be placed back in the team. This rule means that mushers must give their dogs the best possible care, attention, and feeding. The rule prevents mushers from being able to run a group of dogs for a long distance and then replace the entire team with a fresh group of dogs. This makes the strategy of running and resting a very important dynamic of the Iditarod.
