What if something happens to a dog between checkpoints? How is the dog taken out of the team?
The racing sleds are required by the race rules to be able to safely and comfortably be able to carry a dog. If a dog begins to show signs of soreness or fatigue on the trail, the dog can be placed in the sled and carried. However, most occurrences of stiffness or soreness happen gradually, and the mushers are well aware of how every dog is doing, and dogs are taken out of the team before the problem requires that the dog be carried. The bottom line is that the dogs want to run, even if they are a bit sore, so carrying a dog is easier said than done!
