On a bright winter day, I went dogsledding with Outdoor Adventures at Whistler. The cold air was a shock to my system, but the guides called it “balmy” and pointed out that sled dogs prefer -10° C (14° F) or colder. Brrr.
All went smoothly until Rocky, our sled’s lead dog, made a detour to visit Can-Can, a female in heat on another team. The musher patiently untangled the teams and put Rocky back in his place, then we set off again. With dogged determination, Rocky pursued his lady love again—and once again, the musher had to stop to untangle all the dogs. When Rocky let love guide him a third time, that was it. The musher demoted Rocky and promoted a female to the lead position. Rocky continued to gaze at his sweetie with lovesick puppy eyes, while the new lead dog pulled the team in the proper direction.
Which just goes to show: if you want a job done right, put a female in the lead.

~ Sheri Radford