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led dogs have coexisted with humans for many thousands of years in the northern regions of North America and Siberia. Archeological evidence puts the earliest date at over 4,000 years ago. Some anthropologists suggest that human habitation and survival in the Arctic would not have been possible without sled dogs. In the Southwest of what is now the United States the first Spanish explorers encountered Indians who used dogs as draft animals. These dogs were a very important part of the culture. In fact, in many North American Indian cultures the relationship with dogs was central to their style of life and the introduction of horses occurred in parallel without replacing or diminishing the cultural importance of dogs as respected associates and partners.

In the early nineteen hundreds worldwide media turned their attention to the frenzy of the Gold Rush in Alaska and the Yukon. Sled Dogs were originally used only for work although it didn’t take long before miners began to race their dog teams in unofficial competition. However, mushing was already a popular sport in North America which also became influenced by the effects of the progress of sled dog sports during the gold rush.  One of the influences from Alaska was the change in the style of harnesses to lightweight webbing and the to the Alaskan gangline style of running the dogs in pairs. The All-Alaska Sweepstakes were the first major sled dog races to attract world wide attention. These races were held in Nome, Alaska.

A musher that played a major role in the development of Sled Dog  Sports at this time was Scotty Allan, a Scotsman who went to Alaska as a horse handler and progressed to becoming one of the most influential impacts on the sport that was inspired by these early races. Leonard Seppala, a musher originally from Norway, also had an immense impact on the progression of the sport. It was these early mushers and these races that contributed vastly to media coverage in the New York Times and other major newspapers worldwide. The top competitors were often sponsored by well known businesses and from this funding, the teams were able to travel greater distances in order to compete, hence spreading the popularity of sled dog racing even further afield.

In 1932, as a result of the growing popularity and worldwide attention devoted to sled dog racing, the sport was included as a Demonstration Sport in the Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games.  At those games, the winner was a French Canadian Emile St. Goddard who had had many legendary mushing duels on the trails with the man who came in second – Leonard Seppala. The third placed was a Russian musher, Shorty Russick.

Since those great days of Sled Dog sports, mushing in its many forms has grown from strength to strength and has succeeded in spreading to all corners of the world. The International Federation of Sleddog Sports was established in 1992 to focus the efforts of many national, local and international organizations on the goal of Olympic recognition and alignment of mushing with other mainstream sports through the General Association of International Sports Federations. IFSS is recognized by GAISF and in all countries as the world governing body of Sled Dog Sports. Sled Dogs Ireland – Irish Federation of Sleddog Sports is affiliated with the IFSS and is the official sports federation of Sled Dog Sports in Ireland. SDI – IFSS was established in 2008 to promote Sled Dog Sports in Ireland.  SDI-IFSS actively encourages the socialization and fitness of these dogs in a fun and working environment as ideally suited to the lifestyle nature originally intended for Sled Dog type dogs.  Sled Dogs Ireland-Irish Federation of Sleddog Sports educates, advises on, and promotes Sled Dog Sports in Ireland and provides a support network to those who wish to learn more about Sled Dog Sports.