According to National Geographic, the most popular sled dog breed is not the Siberian Husky or Alaskan Malamute, which people typically associate with sled dogs.
The most popular sled dog breed is the Alaskan Husky, especially known for its strength and endurance.
Harness from 2 to 12 dogs to the sleds (for long treks there are usually sleds of 6 dogs: the front ones are smart and know the commands well, the root ones near the sled are the strongest and move the sleds when they get stuck, and in the middle there are a couple of not the most experienced ones).
They can easily move through areas covered with snow and ice, run up to 70–80 kilometers per day, and pull heavy loads on sleds.
Sled dogs follow commands well and easily navigate the terrain.
Sled dogs cope with aerobic exercise better than retrievers and hounds.
This is stated in an article published by zoologists in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
According to scientists, the good “physical shape” of sled dogs can be explained by their genetic proximity to gray wolves.