The most efficient and economical method of transporting freight in the early Yukon was by dogsled. Professional dog team freight-carriers, called "freighters", began operating around 1892, and continued until after the gold rush.
Unlike packhorses, dogs were well-adapted to the harsh climate. The native breeds had thick outer and inner coats, and could sleep outside even in heavy snow and deep cold. They were fed dried salmon, supplemented with a mixture of oatmeal and tallow.
These breeds were also well-adapted to pulling sleds, with deep chests and strong forequarters. A dog team usually consisted of six or seven dogs, harnessed single file to a seven-foot sled. A freight train consisted of three of these sleds connected by cross-chains, with the freight securely wrapped in canvas and lashed in place. The musher, or dog driver, loaded each sled with 600 lbs., 400 lbs., and 200 lbs. respectively, more than 150 lbs. per dog!
A musher's day usually began at five or six a.m. The dogs had to be rounded up and harnessed, and the sleds loaded. Then off they went to the first stop, usually about 20 miles away. If slowed by snowstorms or harsh weather, the musher made camp on the trail. He would build a fire and stay up through the night to guard the sled.
Mushers worked long hours training their teams, feeding their dogs, breaking up fights, and freeing tangled lines. In summertime, when the dogs weren't working, they were often left to forage for food, eating even greasy dish rags, snowshoes, and leather harnesses.
