Hello friends,

Jim Deprez in front of Iditarod HQ the morning of vet checks

Wednesday was a BUSY day here at Iditarod Headquarters. Not only were we hosts to Vets and mushers here for K9 Vet Checks , but teachers came to visit. Teachers from all over. It was fun seeing them talk to their students and taking LOTS of pictures. Each year the week before the actual race starts, teachers come from Alaska and the Lower 48 for an Educator’s Conference. They meet in Anchorage, but come here for a Field Trip. Awoooooo! Howl out to our teachers.

Speaking of teachers, Mrs. Weaver is a 4th grade teacher in Wyoming and her class had some interesting questions. First, during the race the K9s require 15,000 calories. The humans make sure we have enough by feeding us kibble mixed with hot water, frozen fish, beef, and chicken. Our favorite snacks are frozen fish. Next, the amount of miles we run in training varies. As we get closer to the race we go for overnight runs which are the favorites because we love the cool weather. Finally, each team can start the race with 14 dogs. Rule #40 states that each musher can have 24 dogs screened which includes microchips, EKGs and bloodwork. It’s a hard decision what 14 dogs to pick, but it will be the ones who are the healthiest and most eager to run. Thanks for those pawsome questions Mrs. Weaver’s 4th graders!

You can email me at askzumadog@gmail.com if you have any questions. Answers will appear in a future post.

Tail wags,

Zuma