What are the keys to having a winning team in the Iditarod?

Answer 1

I would say the trust and relationship between the dog and the musher. The musher has to be able to put all their trust into their dogs, and the dogs have to be able to put all their trust into their trainer. The musher and dog must know how to communicate with each other at sudden moments. They must be able to react the moment they hear that key word, or who knows what could happen... The musher must treat the dogs kindly, and gently but get the point across at times. If the musher is harsh or violent to the dog, you never know what the dog's reaction will be. It may even be the difference between life and death, so you have to be able to put 100% trust into your canine leaders.