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The Towline or Gangline connects
the dogs dogs to the sled. The most common style of towline (or gangline)
is the Tandem Hitch. Every race requires that this type
of hitch be used because it is a safe, simple, and very functional means of
harnessing the power of a dog team and transferring that power to pulling a
sled.
 As the
name implies, dogs are paired together in a tandem hitch. Diagram 1
shows the general layout of a tandem hitch.
The number of dogs in a team varies. Some recreational
teams are just two or four dogs while some large sprint racing (short, fast
style of racing) teams can be 20 or 22 dogs in number. Uneven numbers of
dogs are fine, too. In the case where a team has an uneven number of
dogs, one dog runs alone in a position in the team. This single dog can
be in any of the positions in the team.
Additionally, some mushers elect to add in "blank
spots." For example, a 14-dog hitch could be used with a 12-dog
team, allowing for 2 positions to have only one dog. This is done for a
number of reasons, but the basic advantage is that the "blank spots"
allow for more flexibility in where dogs are positioned in the team.
Do the dogs always run in the same position in the team?
No, most dogs are very flexible, and, in fact, mushers want their dogs to be
as versatile as possible. This versatility allows mushers to switch the
dogs in and out of different positions. Rotating the dogs through the
positions has two advantages: First, some positions require additional
physical or mental exertion. Leaders must think about where they are
going and always listen to the musher for commands. Wheel dogs assist in
steering the sled. Rotating dogs through these positions spreads this
additional duty across all the dogs. Second, most races do not allow
mushers to switch dogs in the middle of the race. If a dog in a race
team gets tired or sick, it can be sent home, but can't be replaced.
This means that other dogs in the team must do the "dropped" dog's
job, and the team goes on with one less dog. Having dogs than can run in
many positions is essential in this case.
I thought just one dog was the "Lead Dog?" Most
people think that every dog team has one dominant "alpha" dog that
is THE LEAD DOG. Jack London writes about this a lot in some of his
books. However, most dog teams nowadays are a little more
democratic. The LEAD DOG is always the two-legged member of the team,
and the leaders in the team are the dogs that are willing to run in front,
find and follow the trail, set the pace, and listen to their musher's
commands.
Not every dog wants to run in front. Some dogs prefer to
follow the tail of the dog in front of them, but other dogs don't mind the
mental challenge of being a lead dog. Again, rotating lead dogs is
important when in long races so that the same two dogs don't have to think so
hard the entire time.
What do Swing Dogs and Team Dogs do? Swing dogs
help the leaders set the pace and aid in turning the team. If only the
leaders wanted to turn in the direction of the musher's
commands, the team may not turn, so the swing dogs back the leaders up in
these cases. The job of team dogs is to follow the dog in front of them
and steadily pull. They provide the "horsepower."
How many dogs are used in an Iditarod Team? The
races rules require that teams begin the race with between 12 and 16
dogs. Remember, a dog can be sent home from the trail if needs be, but
it can not be put back in the team later on in the race or replaced with
another dog. This makes dog care the top priority in the race.
Most teams finish with between 8 and 12 dogs. The mandatory minimum in
the race rules is 5 dogs.
Towline
(Gangline) Construction
The towline is the term given to the combination of the lines
that are used to connect the dogs to the sled. A towline has five major
parts:
-
 Mainline
(Centerline) This is the central line that runs the length of
the team from the leaders to the sled. This part of the towline is
usually made of 3/8" or 1/2" thick rope and reinforced with
steel cable.
-
Tugline This is the line that connects the
dog's harness to the mainline.
-
Neckline This is the line that connects the
dog's collar to the mainline. This line is important as a safety
measure because it prevents a dog from going too far out to the side and
potentially going the wrong way around a tree or obstacle in the
trail. If a dog were to go the wrong way around an obstacle or tree,
the snap on the neckline is designed to break away, allowing the musher
time to react and stop the team and move the dog to the correct side of
the obstacle.
-
Leader Lines The center line ends at the
swing dogs' necklines. From there, two tuglines extend forward to
connect the leaders. A neckline not attached to the rest of the
towline is then used to connect the collars of the two lead dogs.
-
Shock Cord This is essentially a gigantic
rubber band that is place between the sled and the rest of the
towline. If the sled stops suddenly or hits a tree, the shock cord
absorbs the impact and prevents the impact from jarring the dogs. A
safety line accompanies the rubber band and acts as a stretch limiter.
Commonly, a towline is made up of sections that consist of a
mainline with two tuglines and two corresponding necklines. Loops at
both ends of the mainline are connected to similar sections. This allows
a towline to be lengthened or shortened as needed, and allows for replacement
of components without having to replace the entire towline.
 
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