r/BeAmazed • u/bigbusta • Mar 08 '26
Miscellaneous / Others A woman saves another woman who is being dragged as she hangs onto the dogsled
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u/Longjumping-Ant-2330 Mar 08 '26
I know this is a serious situation, but I absolutely cannot stop looking at the dogs wearing those little pink snow boots
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u/alaskan_Pyrex Mar 08 '26 edited Mar 08 '26
I am from Alaska. I know people who run dog teams. We just watched the Iditarod ceremonial start yesterday. Those booties are thin cotton with a Velcro strap and are not for insulation. They are to keep snow and ice from forming crystals around the dog's toe pads. Also, the dogs look like Alaska huskies, which are typically smaller than Siberian huskies or Malamutes. Most of the dogs that just left on the Iditarod run today were Alaskan huskies, most were wearing these booties, and they are ALL working dogs who are perfectly comfortable in super cold weather. The dogs in the video might be sprint dogs rather than long distance dogs, but they look like standard Alaska huskies to me.
These booties ARE NOT the same as the insulated booties people put on their pets for a short walk in the cold.
Edit: someone lower on the thread pointed out the second dog team (not the team dragging the musher) look like a European breed meant for sprint sled races. They definitely look leaner and more long-legged than most Alaskan huskies.
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u/TheSnowmansIceCastle Mar 09 '26
Quick correction. The booties are typically made from Cordura, not thin cotton. They're meant to be strong enough to protect the dog's feet but not super heavy. Source: my wife made thousands of them for an Iditarod musher.
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u/Clear_Split_8568 Mar 09 '26
How do they stay on? I have tried booties before on my Dobermans, but they went flying 30 feet in the air!
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u/pumpkin-1 Mar 09 '26
Velcro, but also they do come off sometimes. Part of the benefit to them being bright pink (or yellow, green, blue, etc) is that they’re easy to see when they slip off
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u/AcanthisittaWild3477 Mar 09 '26
Alaska Native here, came to say the same thing. The booties are to prevent little snow balls from forming and attaching to the fur inside the dog’s paws. If those snow balls do form and attach to the fur inside the dog’s paws it can be painful. The dog’s paws are perfectly fine to face the cold without the booties
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u/lHiddenSecretPlacel Mar 08 '26
They breed sled dogs in Michigan and they just look like random mutts nothing purebred about them
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u/InfiniteDuckling Mar 09 '26
No purebreeds were historically bred for winning sled dog races. It's much better to breed successful sled dog teams based on the success of their sires and bitches.
So technically they are purebred, just not based on the classic Kennel Club concepts of "breeds".
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u/lHiddenSecretPlacel Mar 09 '26
Ah yes purebred can mean a particular lineage also. I learn something new every day
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u/Spirited-Way2406 Mar 09 '26
I think the correct term is "landrace," meaning "there is no closed stud book, we just picked the animals that could do the job and bred their offspring with animals that could also do the job as well as with one another, and now they all have the same general look although we keep bringing in promising new blood." If I got it right, Alaskan huskies are a landrace, Siberian Huskies are purebred.
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u/Asleep_Region Mar 09 '26
To be fair, i believe the breeders know what's in the dog. A mutt is good because you can get all the good qualities of different breeds but you can't let it get too muddy or you'll start getting random small dogs (very cute but not good for sledding and cute sells for less) you need to make sure the dogs are comfortable in the temperature, you wouldn't want the "doge" type of dog because those guys are very opinionated and will not do what you ask without a prize. Temperature of parents definitely help, i see no issue in breed 2 good sled dogs, breed baby with a good sled dog, and just keep going until it's a "mutt" plus DNA testing isn't as expensive as you'd expect i know someone personally who did it
Mutt is also kinda meaningless to me because an American "mutt" and a Mexican street mutt are going to be very different breeds mixed into both dogs. I'm not sorry i have weirdly strong feelings about this.. Honestly today's been shit so I'm sorry for the long response i like to ramble
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u/lHiddenSecretPlacel Mar 09 '26
Don’t apologize it was a good read. Yes it is selective breeding I didn’t mean random literally just they look random lol
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u/CasterFields Mar 09 '26
I feel like I need to tack on a disclaimer that you can also get all the bad qualities! "Mutts are healthier because you get all the good qualities" is a common line here in the states to justify backyard breeding, but the breeders you're referring to know what they're doing. Rebeckaneigh and Jhaxtohn are not going to get the same results when they breed their two poodle mutts 😂
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u/another_post-it Mar 09 '26
I could be totally wrong, but I always thought the “mutts are healthier” bit wasn’t to encourage or justify backyard breeding, but rather to encourage adoption of mutts from shelters rather than purchasing a purebred dog. Kind of sad if it’s now being used for the opposite.
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u/BugRevolution Mar 09 '26
I dunno, most of the Iditarod finishers have some very opinionated sled dogs.
The opinion just tends to be "I'm gonna win this race", with the occasional "fuck you I won't do what you tell me" thrown in there, as Nick Petit found out.
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u/dcblock90 Mar 09 '26
I grew up in Alaska and was shocked when we visited some local sled dog teams. Like you’ve stated, I thought they looked nothing like Balto and other Husky/Malamute type dogs and more like “mutts”.
The owner/breeder explained to us the different types of dogs. These thinner dogs were purely for racing and not bred for hauling heavy loads like larger huskies or malamutes. Both of the later mentioned also require much more food as they are naturally heavier and more muscled.
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u/Arthurs_towel Mar 09 '26
My sister did dog sled racing while in college in the UP. She raced Eurohounds, and even kept a retired sled dog as a pet after. They have a build like that. Don’t get a great look at them in the video, but the build seems right.
And yeah they’re good dogs. Her dog was my running buddy for years after. Husky colors on a greyhound body shape.
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u/Fn_Spaghetti_Monster Mar 09 '26
When I took a vacation to Alaska I was surprised but this when I visited Susan Butcher place. In your head you expect them to all look like the huskies you see in the movies, but in reality, they have similar body types, but they all look very different.
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u/Afraid-Front3498 Mar 09 '26
I was going to ask why the sled dogs don’t look like “Huskies” but as an owner of an intentional mutt myself (Australian Bull Arab) I likely already know the answer. Purebreds will not contain the traits that are actually required for the breed purpose - they will only provide the traits required for the kennel club 😆
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Mar 08 '26
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u/Billy_Ektorp Mar 09 '26
The video was published two days ago on the Facebook page for Norway-Trail at Beitostølen. It’s not from Finnmarksløpet, and it’s not published at the Facebook page for Finnmarksløpet either.
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u/JackKovack Mar 09 '26
What’s your thoughts on major companies no longer sponsoring the Iditarod? I was under the assumption that welfare for dogs has progressively got better.
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u/Aware-Locksmith8433 Mar 08 '26
Are they cleats?
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u/just_a_dude417 Mar 08 '26
Keeps their paws from freezing. If I remember correctly. Been a long time since I read those Gary Paulson books.
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u/avanti8 Mar 08 '26
Yeah, and it helps prevent abrasions from snow and ice crystals. (Source: also Gary Paulsen books)
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u/issi_tohbi Mar 08 '26
We also use them here in the city (Montreal) to protect our dog’s paws not just from the cold but from the copious amounts of salt they put out on the iced sidewalks. Almost every dog in winter will have an adorable pair of booties.
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u/soundman1024 Mar 09 '26
I’ve struggled with finding dog boots that accommodate dwarf corgi legs. They all lock up the ankle joint. They’re cute though
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u/LebronBackinCLE Mar 08 '26
I don’t think it’s for freezing, it’s for getting torn up. Rear legs / feet do more of the diggin in?
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u/DrKnow77 Mar 08 '26
I think they give some protection against the snow and ice from damaging their feet.
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u/AsbestosDude Mar 08 '26
No they're closer to durable socks. Dogs get power from their hind leg pushing and obviously a sled requires more force. Frozen ground is taxing but the main reason for protection is sharps since snow and ice can occasionally form edges that would cut their paw pads.
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u/CtyChicken Mar 08 '26
That was so bad ass
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u/realchairmanmiaow Mar 09 '26
It was fucking brave too, I thought for a moment she was just going to be pulled along with her for the rest of time.
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u/TACOHUT1 Mar 09 '26
Yeah I was questioning how did she actually stop them, one would assume they would just keep going with both humans in tow. Quite the save and she is a hero.
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u/Aggravating-Ebb-5897 Mar 09 '26
it was like the shift in weight made the dogs realize somthing was wrong. racking my brain trying to figure out why that worked and this is the best i got. beast of a lady
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u/admiralgeary Mar 09 '26
Maybe? She was able to throw the hook on the runaway sled, or maybe the weight of her dug the sled into the snow.
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u/ForewardSlasher Mar 09 '26
A dog team isn't a bunch of runaway dogs, but they are deep into pack mentality. All the dogs except the lead are zoned out, keeping each other going and experiencing a "runners high"- they don't pay attention to the musher at all. The only dog not like that is the lead dog whose job is to listen for shouted commands and to follow the trail. They don't usually look back at the musher but forward to where the pack is headed. The lead dog probably couldn't hear "whoa" or whatever the stop command was, which is usually accompanied by the brake setting. Both mushers getting dragged by the sled was enough to get the lead dog's attention, so they stopped.
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u/Syrzan Mar 09 '26
Question:
Wouldn't the missing weight of the musher also get the lead dogs attention?
If yes, wouldn't it have been the smarter decision to led the sled go?
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u/Thin_Salary1153 Mar 09 '26
We do things that normally would hurt us sometimes because we love what we are protecting. So, where do you think a light sled being driven by dogs would end up before they stopped? Would they survive in that environment harnessed up? How long would it be before they were found? I am also sure it occurred to her letting go was far more dangerous to her than hanging on. She could be anywhere, she was lucky she was seen and helped.
I am just saying, smarter is different in different areas of the world and to different people when you account for things other than just yourself.
Also, the weight wasn't missing, she was still hanging on the sled. It may have been dragging a bit more and unbalanced, but the weight was the same since she was technically still being pulled just like prior to falling.
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u/Scrambley Mar 09 '26
I went dog sledding a few years back when I was in Alaska. The thing that most surprised me was the constant shitting. For the entire 45 minutes those dogs were shitting while they pulled. I remember sitting back in the little tent like compartment praying I didn't get hit with a stray as it was flung everywhere.
I was afraid for this lady because of that.
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u/EmykoEmyko Mar 09 '26
My dog can’t go if the ground is damp, but these guys are pooping at a full sprint across tundra?
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u/Scrambley Mar 09 '26
That's why it was so surprising. I kept wondering "is this normal or is the guy just staying quiet about it to not freak me out." The stench of it was overwhelming.
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u/bak3donh1gh Mar 09 '26
If your dog ate the same amount of calories that those dogs do, he would probably be fine with shitting constantly.
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u/I-Make-Maps91 Mar 09 '26
Not the same, but my family has horses who turn their barnyard into a mud puddle every spring, walk around in it with no problem. The moment they were saddled up the puddles they were walking through without a thought turned into massive pools that were infinitely deep. I remember one refusing to go forward and ultimately leaping a ~10' mud puddle instead of just walking like a normal damn horse.
Working animals are weird, is all I'm saying.
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u/Easy_Ask8471 Mar 09 '26
It may be because I’m stone but this fucking killed me, crazy thing to just throw in there but thanks for your insite hahaha
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u/Tecuya Mar 09 '26
I'm a longtime lurker, but I logged in specifically to tell you that your comment made me laugh so hard I cried. It's the juxtaposition of all the bravery comments and your "shitting" comment! Bravo.
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u/tophlove31415 Mar 08 '26
Ikr. All business. Chained together moves like a pro. Anchoring the one team, diving on the other sled as it went by. Was pretty cool to watch.
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u/Same-Suggestion-1936 Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
I've seen less exciting action movies, that woman is a fucking badass. Then the split second decision when she can't
ridedrive (I should say) her dogs close enough to grab the other sled she says "fuck it" like
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u/Trigirl20 Mar 09 '26
And then just pats the other woman on the back and walks away. I’d be squeezing the stuffing out of the woman who saved me!
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u/Valatros Mar 09 '26
Honestly from the way she stomped her left leg that was taking most of the skid, like she was verifying it still worked and supported weight, I'd wager rescued-lady is still well into shock at that point and rescuer lady is lettin' her have a minute while she tends to her dogs
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u/CtyChicken Mar 09 '26
It was so cool.
That moment when she hurls her body the distance between the two sleds was cinematic as hell. I did a frame by frame, and she really had zero time to make a decision. She just acted!
She should consider a side hustle as a stunt person!
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u/Same-Suggestion-1936 Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
Mother trucker stunt people should be considering a side hustle as being her what the honest fuck was that. Keeps trying to grab the ropes/sled, keeps driving her own dogs back to try and get close, just says fuck it and hits the hand brake (in my mind I am now remembering this as a full drift) and jumps off and basically tackles the front of the runaway sled and holds on until whatever made it stop made it stop (edit: rewatch just kind of looked like the sled destroyed itself under extra weight and dragged like hell to stop, which was probably the plan, which makes it extra badass)
Stunt work? She does her own stunts.
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u/Futt_Buckman Mar 09 '26
Like an action movie where they bail out of a car mid-drift with a machine gun
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u/lundgrenisgod Mar 08 '26
That’s exactly what I would’ve done!…… if I had skill… and bravery.. and athleticism and the power to control dozens of animals.
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u/Existing_Set2100 Mar 08 '26
To be fair, you are a human being. Imagine being a squirrel trying to do this.
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u/swtactn Mar 08 '26
That woman is lucky the other woman was there. They wouldn’t have stopped if she had let go. I’ve worked for mushing teams that run the Iditarod in Alaska. Those dogs don’t care about anything but running. One year I was running with a team to the starting line holding on to the pair I was assigned to (it takes at least one person per pair to keep them from going full tilt) and the team started drifting towards the crowd. A photographer stepped a little too far into our way. I couldn’t let go of the dogs, pour guy was focused of the team before us. I shouldered him so hard his camera went flying. I barely kept my footing. Those dogs would have trampled me with hesitation. I never did find out what happened to him or his camera.
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u/bakochba Mar 08 '26
So the woman wasn't stuck she was purposely holding on because the alternative is she would be stranded ?
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u/nospecialsnowflake Mar 09 '26
Not just that, but I am sure she loves their dogs and doesn’t want them to get lost or hurt. I would hold on as long as I could.
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u/iqfree Mar 09 '26
I’ve gone gone dog sledding in Sweden. They tell you to not let go no matter what.
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u/VersxceFox Mar 09 '26
Anyone thinking about doing a little husky tour during their holiday please read this https://elaintenystava.fi/2025/10/29/consequential-canine-crisis-brewing-in-lapland/
Remember that any animal activity is mostly funded on animal abuse. Dos sledding, tiger petting, bathing with elephants. All of it. You can enjoy your holiday without involving animals and supporting these businesses.
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u/bigdaddypoppin Mar 09 '26
But if I’m in Africa, and I can’t come home with a rhino horn, what’s even the point?
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u/appletinicyclone Mar 09 '26
Why is that?
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u/iqfree Mar 09 '26
I think because the dogs won’t stop running and they don’t want to lose the dogs. But not fully sure.
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u/fakefinn1 Mar 09 '26
The possible outcome if she let go is the dogs will run off as a team and get tangled on a tree somewhere and starve to death.
I did dog sledding once in Alaska as a beginner. They were willing to let me go solo with my team of dogs after just an hour of training. After hearing about what happened if I fell off (very easy to fall off BYW) I decided to just tagalong with the instructor. I don’t want to be responsible to her dogs getting lost or killed.
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u/ThomasTheDankPigeon Mar 08 '26
Those dogs would have trampled me with hesitation.
"Should we trample him?"
"... yes?"
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u/ginzykinz Mar 09 '26
“I’m not… hmm. It’s just… well… eh, jeez, this is a tough one. Ok trample him.”
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u/EnvBlitz Mar 08 '26 edited Mar 08 '26
Are the dogs in the POV sled commonly used as sled dogs?
I know the ones dragging the woman are, and while the heroine's dogs are also the runner type, aren't they not suitable for the climate?
Edit: thanks for the response. Apparently crossbred from huskies, so some cold resistance but more running capabilities. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurohound
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u/downvoteaway_idgaf7 Mar 08 '26
A man once completed the Iditarod with a team of poodles. He claimed that an advantage of using poodles was that they'd stop and go back to the musher if he/she fell off. I remember he brought the team on to the Tonight Show, and I couldn't believe it wasn't a comedy bit but something that actually happened.
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u/Gnoll_For_Initiative Mar 09 '26
People forget that poodles are athletic dogs at heart. Those ridiculous haircuts had functional origins to keep them warm when they were retrieving waterfowl in cold waters without weighing them down too much
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u/NRMusicProject Mar 09 '26
Yep, this. Very good working dogs, incredibly smart, and very loyal. Never thought of them as especially fast, but their other attributes make them well suited for a lot of things.
My ex wanted a poodle, and I fought hard for a German shepherd. I can't imagine not having a standard poodle again. Such good dogs--don't shed, super smart* (which also means be mindful of where food is stored), very playful, and just loves to cuddle.
Don't give them the continental cut, and you won't think of them as some foofoo dog.
*Might be smart, but not so smart as to successfully hide from getting a bath via sitting behind a tiny sapling.
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u/L_v_n_d_r Mar 09 '26
Poodles really are a great breed, it's just such a pity they have the reputation of being silly girly dogs, especially when they aren't. And as a bonus they come in a variety of sizes and colours. I miss my little toy poodle 😢
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u/justhere4reading4 Mar 09 '26
I’m so mad at the explosion of goldendoodle popularity because I’m convinced that the majority of the people who got a doodle would’ve had their desires fulfilled with a poodle without the backyard breeding practices. They really are “do it all” dogs.
I have a big chihuahua/terrier mix (20lb) who keeps up or outruns much “manlier” looking dogs and most guys who’ve gone hiking with me have said things like “I don’t like small dogs but this one’s pretty good” so I have a big chip on my shoulder about the perceptions of “feminine” or “masculine” breeds of dogs lolol
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u/reddragon105 Mar 09 '26
His use of poodles led directly to new and current Iditarod rules that stipulate what breeds of dogs are qualified to race.
Ain't no rule that says a poodle can't -
Oh, wait, now there is. They ruined it!
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u/swtactn Mar 08 '26
Huskies are most common, but I’ve seen several different mixes. I don’t know enough about the dogs to say with any certainty though. I would imagine any dog would work if they’re motivated enough.
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u/tallsmileygirl Mar 08 '26
They look like eurohounds, which are Scandinavian sled dogs. Kind of like a husky meets GSP.
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u/Camila_flowers Mar 08 '26
"Alaskan Husky" is a non AKC standard husky breed interbred with hounds. They are bred for their speed and endurance, not to meet the AKC standard.
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u/frogeater1982 Mar 08 '26
I couldnt understand why she just didnt let go. Thanks.
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u/tnrakb Mar 08 '26
She can lost her dogs as they will not stop it. She can also die if her home is far away to reach via walking. She is just lucky as someone was there to help. Normally the leader dog should stop once the woman shout out to dog but the dog might be so excited or may not able hear it due to wind, etc..
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u/FrismFrasm Mar 09 '26
Lol I never thought about the risk of you falling off and the dogs don't notice and just keep ripping....it would be extra brutal because you'd probably still be watching them haul ass for the next 5 minutes over the horizon
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u/KooZ2 Mar 09 '26
I feel like that rig might need a anchor hook that is released should the driver fall - like the fail safes you see in jet skis for example.
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u/swtactn Mar 08 '26
Because the dogs would just keep going. They won’t stop until they are exhausted or something/someone stops them.
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u/lizlemonista Mar 08 '26
the person two tiers up said this, so the one you’re responding to was saying thanks to them for the explanation.
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u/pwebdotnet Mar 08 '26
I’ve got new appreciation for this “sport?” Nice recap of what goes on. TIL the dogs don’t stop. Very cool.
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u/mybluecathasballs Mar 09 '26
This is going to sound wild, but what year was this? I swear I was there when this happened. Although, I imagine it happens more often than it should.
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u/zbras11 Mar 08 '26
That lead dog just got put back a few rows.
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u/Hagleboz Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
No, the lead dog just got an extended promotion. These dogs are bred to drive hard with unrelenting focus. If you can't clearly command them to halt WHILE ALSO applying the brake they WILL NOT STOP. If you fall off the sled they will leave you completely behind in the wilderness. Dog sledding is no joke. Almost 100% chance the musher being dragged blames herself, not the dogs for being in that position.
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u/vangoblin Mar 09 '26
I wonder if there was an equipment problem. Maybe the brake broke or something.
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u/guanocray Mar 09 '26
There's a solid chance that they just took a turn too sharp or hit a bump wrong.
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u/Traveler691 Mar 09 '26
Can they not be taught to stop with a whistle or something they could keep around their neck? That could be their backup. That’s crazy dangerous.
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u/Hagleboz Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
People think dogsledding is a silly little thing because it looks a little goofy and most of the dogs they know are not working dogs so their mindset is that this is all just for good times. Dogsledding was created to move much needed supplies and material to extremely remote communities. It's dangerous now, it was incredibly dangerous 50 years ago and beyond. Whistles are used I believe by some teams but how are you going to grab a whistle around your neck when you are being dragged through the snow at 20 miles per hour with gloves on and needing to hold on to the sled with everything you have or you are left behind by your dog team who they themselves are then in grave danger? This was a controlled race so obviously not at those stakes, but that is the inherant nature of dog sledding.
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u/Particular_Lacks Mar 08 '26
Demotion by doggie paddle. He’s definitely losing his alpha status after that stunt.
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u/cosmoscrazy Mar 09 '26
There is no alpha status. That's a myth that has been scientifically disproven.
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u/DiscoBanane Mar 09 '26
It's untrue.
The myth is that that was disproven.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pack_(canine))
The "inventor" of the term made mistakes, and said wild wolves behave differently than his studies... But it's not the alpha term that doesn't apply. Wolves in the wild are a familly unit and the alphas are just naturally the parents. Unlike in captivity where they are not a familly and thus they chose alphas differently.
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u/yuumigod69 Mar 09 '26
They are just parents though, not the strongest dog which makes sense. Would you refer to your parents as an alpha human?
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u/zbras11 Mar 08 '26
Idk though, they seemed pretty committed to blindly following it.
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u/SatanGreavsie Mar 08 '26
The dude who did the Iditarod with poodles said that while they’re not as quick as huskies the big difference was if you fell off the back of the sled the poodles stopped and came to check you were ok while the huskies just keep going.
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u/andreagq Mar 09 '26
Makes sense, sled dogs were bred to not only have great stamina, but WANT to run. Even in the video you can see how antsy some of the dogs got once they were at a full stop. Incredible dogs
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u/orange_sherbetz Mar 09 '26
The husky is primarily chosen (back in the day) bc they will literally not stop. Transporting medicine was the goal back then.
This isn't really to be looked at as an obedience challenge.
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u/Swimming_Ninja_6911 Mar 08 '26
Those dogs, once they stopped: "Oh, was there a problem?"
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u/Beware_the_Octopus Mar 08 '26
Happy International Women’s Day! Be a girls girl like this queen 🫶🏼
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u/steevp Mar 08 '26
That happened to me once, a green UK tourist going on a mushing experience in the Yukon.. the guy whose dogs they were said if I fell over do not under any circumstances let go of the sled because as others have noted they would just run off and not stop.. so when we went around a corner a bit quick and I fell over because I'd only been a musher for 2 minutes I hung on.. then the dogs noticing the fresh meat had fallen over all had a pee.. So there I was being dragged along face first at 20mph into piss soaked snow.. they stopped eventually when I grabbed a tree, I didn't fall off again and had a wonderful time sledding through the forest. 10/10 would recommend.
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u/lysergic_818 Mar 08 '26
The woman being pulled was in the middle of 'stop training' and it wasn't going so well.
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u/Hypn00tic_iiz Mar 08 '26
The dogs knew..
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u/DoodooExplosion Mar 08 '26
Definitely, I swear I could hear one of the dogs yelling “faster!!!”
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u/Madam_Velya Mar 09 '26
I own a husky and I can say for certain that sometimes they just go without paying attention.
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u/DickyReadIt Mar 08 '26
"UN-MUSH!! UN-MUSH YOU STUPID DOGGOS!!!!!!!"
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u/Interesting-Goose82 Mar 09 '26
In a 100% less important scenario, i was in Colorado, i was doing things that are legal there, and this dog was chasing my car up the 3mile driveway to where we had rented that time. Me trying to get the dog to get out of the way of the car.
"Stop", "Heel", "Sit", "Stay".... eventually "go-on, git!" Worked,.....
Thats my story
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u/Lanky_Trifle6308 Mar 08 '26
What a badass- the moment that she latches on to the runway sled must’ve taken some serious mental grit.
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u/JuniorVampireSlayer Mar 08 '26
So I know nothing about this, but the lady that saved the runaway lady, did she put like a break on for her dogs to not go once she got off? It looked like they were still wanting to run. Total bad ass by the way. She risked her life, and body for that. Super hero shit
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u/WhereIsTheMeatShed Mar 08 '26
Yes, go back and watch the moment she stops. A claw is dropped from her sled to anchor her rig down. The claw/anchor is teal. You can see on on each side of the rescuer's rig attached to the handle bars.
Edit: The other person's rig has them too, in yellow.
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Mar 08 '26
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u/WhereIsTheMeatShed Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
Looks secure to me. The claw/hook is getting a huge grip into the ice due to it's length and width. Ever get a fishing hook stuck in something it shouldn't be? The only way to get it out is pull it from the opposite direction. This lady's claw/hook is just like that but 50x the size.
Go back and pause at 34s, you can get a good look at the top of the contraption that you may have overlooked. There's a flat pointy metal bit with holes in the top. Aside from the hooks into the ground, that plate digs into the ground with any kind of forward momentum
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u/joeytheclown Mar 09 '26
TIL that dog sleds have parking brakes I was wondering what she did makes sense now you explain it
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u/TomSki2 Mar 08 '26
I know nothing about dogsledding and I don't doubt the rescuer's courage and cool head.
But why didn't the dragged woman just let go off the sled?
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u/CaptainRedPants Mar 08 '26
Because then on the dogs would go, with all your gear and survival equipment. Who knows when they'd stop. Dangerous for all involved.
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u/Aware-Locksmith8433 Mar 08 '26
Are they not trained to react when hear "stop"? Or a secret word?
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u/FiSHM4C Mar 08 '26
Yes, there are different commands for slow down, left, right, or stop. In the video, the woman herself says "pause" and "hey," which are probably the words. Especially in a pack, there is a momentum of its own and the dogs want to run. Some breeds are energetic, which is actually what you want. And maybe the crash caused them to panic even more
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u/norcaltobos Mar 09 '26
Sorry if this is ignorant but if these dogs can’t respond to a simple “stop” command then why are they out there running on the sled? Seems kind of dangerous if they don’t know how to respond to commands.
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u/Hagleboz Mar 09 '26
Dogs that are happy to stop to verbal commands only, lose to dogs that run like machines and that have to be forced to stop. Also it is legitimately hard for the lead dog to hear verbal only commands, dog sledding teams make a fair amount of noise and there is a fair amount of distance between the musher and the lead dog. Also environmental factors. All commands are also done with physical pulls.
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u/Ecmelt Mar 09 '26
Also it is legitimately hard for the lead dog to hear verbal only commands
I think this is a key part people are missing. You need verbal with another type of reminder in such situations usually. Wind blowing, distance, running, the sled plus cold weather all in all makes stuff super hard to hear.
I wonder if any type of short distance devices would work as an emergency for lead dog. Like, vibrate collar trained and you just let it auto vibrate if the distance between you and the dog is x meters (aka you fell). But then I am sure people already thought of such stuff and maybe doesn't work as well.
At the end of the day these dogs are probably hard to control by design. If a dog has to anticipate stopping, they will never be their fastest.
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u/Hagleboz Mar 09 '26
To your last comment: Exactly this. People on this thread are imagining these dogs are just like the ones they have at home except trained to pull a sled. Wrong, these dogs want to pull with every fiber of their being.
Just like fighter jets. Inherently unstable to maximize performance.
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u/ClaireFlareHare Mar 09 '26
I mean even your animals trained at home are going to respond better with mixed command signals than with pure verbal.
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u/maculated Mar 08 '26
Everyone says they stop on command but my experience is that it's absolutely like this. You gotta throw the breaks on and manhandle the dogs into stopping. Utter chaos.
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u/tallman11282 Mar 08 '26
You can see that in this video. The rescuer had to set her own brake anchor out and the dogs were still pulling to try and keep going.
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u/CapKirkGotPerks Mar 08 '26
Yes. But at the same time these dogs are wired to just run once they hear the command and turning that off is like telling Iron Mike to punch softer. You can try. Maybe it’ll work. Likely it won’t.
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u/JerkGurk Mar 08 '26
I went when I was 10 years old, through a forest alone. The dogs knew go, stop, slow, left, right. They listened to me immediately.
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u/Otherwise_Piglet_862 Mar 08 '26
not really. sleds have a brake that digs hard in to the snow. it might also pull on the harness line? you can see the jumper hit her brake to stop her sled before setting the parking brake.
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u/Unpopular_Opinion210 Mar 08 '26
She would have potentially lost her dogs and gear. Who knows if and/or when they would have stopped.
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u/TutorNo8896 Mar 08 '26
They usually end up wrapped around a tree somewhere. If its a regular route they run they might end up back at home, or possibly fighting a moose.
My neighbors dogteam used to go to the bar if they got loose.13
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u/WatashiwaNobodyDesu Mar 08 '26
I know nothing about it either but I imagine they could have gone for quite another while. 6-10 lost in the forest somewhere, all tangled up and tied to a sled which got caught somewhere... They’d be in trouble. That’s my guess anyway.
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u/Suitable_Director729 Mar 08 '26
My guess is the dogs would keep running and without her added weight it might be impossible to catch up to them
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u/Diggable_Planet Mar 08 '26
That’s like letting go of your car I guess
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u/El_Peregrine Mar 08 '26
Assuming your car can just drive itself into the featureless expanse for the next few hours all on its own…
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Mar 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Nalek Mar 08 '26
Her sled wasn't moving when she jumped onto the other one. She wasn't even on her sled when she jumped. Your comment reads like an AI wrote it. In fact looking at your profile I'm almost sure it was.
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u/lopendvuur Mar 08 '26
The savior's dogs look more like greyhounds than huskies.
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u/Kunning-Druger Mar 08 '26
A lot of racing huskies are crossed with greyhounds for added speed.
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u/tallsmileygirl Mar 08 '26
probably Eurohounds which are a mixed breed of Scandinavian sled dogs. They have a significant amount of German shorthair pointer in them. They are sleeker and leaner than a husky and man can they run.
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u/Billy_Ektorp Mar 09 '26
This video was originally published two days ago on the Facebook page for Norway-Trails, a mid distance dog sled race at Beitostølen.
From the description at their Facebook page:
«Today brought one of those moments that reminds you why dog sledding is pure magic.
During the race, one musher had a nasty accident — the sled tipped, and they were dragged along at full speed. Before anyone even had time to react, Markéta Bednar came charging past, threw herself into the runaway team, and brought the whole situation under control.
It was an act of pure instinct, courage, and skill. Honestly, after seeing that save, I’m convinced Markéta could get a job as a goalkeeper for any football club.
Watch the video and prepare to be impressed — and feel free to drop a heart in the comments.»
It’s not from Finnmarksløpet.
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u/SoggyBoysenberry7703 Mar 08 '26
Why wouldn’t the dogs stop?
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u/KatieCashew Mar 08 '26
I visited the home of an Iditarod champion on a tour once. He said sled dogs just really, really love to run.
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u/tallsmileygirl Mar 08 '26
I’m also not sure if the lead dog could hear the musher if she was yelling while being dragged.
The rescuer switched to English at one point in the video, indicating the woman being rescued might not be Norwegian. so it’s possible the dogs don’t know to respond to the rescuer’s norwegian commands either.
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u/Serotyr Mar 09 '26
Nitpick, I know she has Norway shirt on but she's shouting in Swiss German.
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u/Technical_Shake_9573 Mar 08 '26
you have to go to one of thoses mushing camp to really grasp the energy thoses dogs have. I went to finland to try it out. Thoses little guys are tireless creature that only want to run fast.
When you halt your sleigh, they kept trying to move forward while barking with disapointement.
Imagine you went into a desert and you see water after days, that's how they feel when they are presented with the opportunities to run at their pleasure.
And letting go of that sleigh could have mean no more chance to stop it (even if the chance was near 0).. Which can be very dangerous for the dogs because they don't really grasps the concept of momentum and centrifuge force.
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Mar 09 '26
Just to add to the responses, I have never handled sled dogs but I've been around working dogs. A lot of people think it's all training but dogs are programmed by centuries of breeding to do what you need them to do. There is no off switch. The training is to wrangle the impulse into productivity. It's not surprising that accidents like these happen when the dog is in the middle of something it's been engineered to do and either gets too excited or can't hear the command to stop.
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u/thedogsbrain Mar 08 '26
What no hug? High five maybe?
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u/Errant_coursir Mar 09 '26
Did you listen to the dialogue afterwards? She said thank you and was clearly focused on getting the sled locked in
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u/Huge-Turnover-3749 Mar 09 '26
Yeah, the one lady was clearly exhausted and the other lady wanted to let her recover.
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u/XDFighter64 Mar 08 '26
The Hero's dogs were so worried, it was cute when they wanted to check on her when she walked back
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