"Dog sledding now is less used for transportation and more used for recreation, like racing. In the past the Inuit would use up to 16 sled dogs with what's called a komatik as a sled, and they would race across the snow for travelling or hunting. Each sled dog is carefully selected based on endurance, speed, and other qualities, and the lead dog is especially important. You may have heard of the legendary dog Balto, who led his team across Alaska to deliver medicine, saving the people of Nome from sickness in the 1920's. It was a journey that took over five days, and afterwards Balto was praised as a hero."