Authors: Ellen Miles
Sled-dog racing is a very exciting sport. But did you know that sled dogs have been used in other ways? Long ago, sled-dog teams helped explorers discover new parts of the world, in the Arctic and in Antarctica (sled dogs are no longer allowed in Antarctica, because of that continent’s fragile ecology). And sled dogs are still used today for transportation and hunting in many northern places where there are no roads.
A dog does not have to be a husky to want to pull. You probably know that from walking your dog on a leash! Almost any dog can be a sled dog if it is trained right. Believe it or not, a team of
poodles
ran the Iditarod four times. They finished the race each time and even did pretty well!
Guess what I did one day last winter? I went for a dogsled ride! Before the ride, I got to hang out with the dogs and get to know them a little. Then I got to help harness them. When we hooked them up to the sled, they were so excited, they were jumping up and down and barking their heads off. And when they started pulling, watch out! We took off like a race car.
One great thing about being a writer is that you get to do research. To make sure I’m getting things right, when I write the Puppy Place books I like to check things out for myself. I have visited stables, dog groomers, firehouses, animal shelters, and doggy day-care centers. I’ve talked to all kinds of people and learned all kinds of interesting things. But the dogsled ride was my favorite research project ever.
Yours from the Puppy Place,
Ellen Miles
Ellen Miles likes to write about the different personalities of dogs. She is the author of more than 28 books, including the Puppy Place and Taylor-Made Tales series as well as
The Pied Piper
and other Scholastic Classics. Ellen loves to be outdoors every day, walking, biking, skiing, or swimming, depending on the season. She also loves to read, cook, explore her beautiful state, and hang out with friends and family. She lives in Vermont.
If you love animals, be sure to read all the adorable stories in the Puppy Place series!
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Copyright © 2009 by Ellen Miles.
Cover art by Tim O’Brien
Cover design by Steve Scott
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc. SCHOLASTIC, LITTLE APPLE, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
First printing, September 2009
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e-ISBN: 978-0-545-32452-6