Sled Dog Names

Introduction

Dogs have been pulling sleds for humans in the colder parts of this planet for thousands of years. In the frozen north, it can be difficult to keep a large animal like a horse healthy and well-fed, so it was dogs and dog sledding that allowed ancient people in these areas the faster movement and the ability to transport goods that were needed to make the best use of the land. In modern times, while there are still a few areas that use dog sleds as a routine way of travel, most people think of dog sleds in conjunction with dog sled races. The Iditarod, whose route is based in part on the 1925 life or death dog sled race against diphtheria, the serum run from Nome to Nenana and back again, is the most well-known of the dog sled races in the United States, but there are many other prestigious races available, from short sprints like the American Dog Derby to longer races like the Yukon Quest, another thousand-mile run based in Alaska.

Sled Dog Names in Pop Culture

Featured Famous Sled Dog

Gonzo

Dogs who pull sleds are not compelled to do so out of fear of punishment, but out of the desire to please us and for the joy of pulling. The desire to pull a sled has been selectively bred into many of these breeds for thousands of years and is one of the most important traits that a musher looks for when choosing a dog for their team.

Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel is a recreational touring kennel in New Hampshire that also takes in rescue and second chance sled dogs and cares for them, ensuring that they have a home and a job to do. This is particularly important for retired sled dogs, as many shelters deem sled dogs unadoptable and will put them down rather than adopting them out. For Gonzo, an Alaskan Husky that was born at the kennel, pulling a dog sled was his favorite thing to do but when he started tripping over his food bowls due to declining vision in 2010, his owners Karen Tolen and Neil Beaulieu worried that he wouldn’t be able to continue. The veterinarian suggested that they keep running the dog as long as they could, so they hitched Gonzo up at the back of an eight-dog sled team, next to his brother Poncho, and kept running him. He wasn’t as efficient as other dogs might be, but he was able to keep up for the most part, and he was obviously enjoying himself. As his sight continued dwindling, he would compensate somewhat with his other senses, and when the other dogs would stare straight ahead, he would often lift his head up and to the left, so that he could hear and smell what was around him. He also began to lean into his brother on the turns, which initially seemed to make Pancho nervous, but Pancho seemed to understand what was going on, and he began to find ways to communicate turns and speeds to his brother, and because of Pancho’s help, Gonzo was able to continue sledding even after he became functionally blind.

It didn’t always go perfectly, Gonzo even fell off the trail into a ditch or two, but Pancho simply pulled him up out of the snow by his harness, sometimes without stopping and they would continue the run. They continued running like this for several years until he eventually had to quit in 2015 when he became one of the resident office dogs.

Sled Dog Name Considerations

When choosing a name for a dog that is slated for a dog sled team, it is important to choose a name that is easy to hear and distinguish from other sledding commands that you use. Most of the names on this list are only two or three syllables long for clarity, and each has a connection to the sport of dog sledding. There are several ways to go about narrowing down a list of names in order to pinpoint exactly the right name for your cross-country canine. Some individuals may want to choose a name that showcases their dog's personality traits; names like Pepin, Minty, or Erna, all of which mean determined, Ryker, which means fast-strider, or Dilys, meaning steadfast, would be appropriate for dogs who run in any position.

Names like Takuya, meaning pathfinder, or Adesina, meaning she opens the way, would be better suited for lead dogs or possibly swing dogs. Other mushers may select names based on the races themselves, like Derby for the American Dog Derby, Yukon for the Yukon Quest, or Finn for the Finnmarkslopet in Europe, or on cities along the Iditarod trail, such as Golovin, Galena, or Nikoli. Historically significant sled dogs such as Togo or Balto from the famous 1925 diphtheria run from Willow to Nome, and famous champions, like Larry, Nellie, or Andy, may provide inspiration as well.

Male Sled Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
0	Andy The only sled dog to lead a team to four championships at the Iditarod
0	Arnost A name from the Czech-Republic that means determined or stubborn
0	Baltic The Baltic Winter Cup is a series of races that crosses both snow and dry land
0	Balto The best-known sled dog from the 1925 diphtheria serum run to Nome, lead dog on the final stretch
0	Bash An African and Turkish name that means chief or pathfinder
0	Elim Elim is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Finn An English name that means white or fair, and can refer to the longest dog race in Europe, the Finnsmarkslopet
0	Golovan Golovin is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Gonzo A blind sled dog in New Hampshire who continues to pull sleds with the help of his brother Poncho
0	Kaltag Kaltag is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Klondike The Klondike 300 is a 300-mile race that is run yearly, and starts from the town of Big Lake Alaska
0	Koyuk Koyuk is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Larry A sled dog who won a Golden Harness Award in both the Iditarod and in the Yukon Quest
0	McGrath McGrath is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Mountain White Mountain is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Nikoli Nikoli is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Nome The first major stop for Iditarod mushers on odd years, and the last on even years
0	Nulato Nulato is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Ophir Ophir is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Pepin A German name that means determined
0	Poncho A sled dog in New Hampshire who helps Gonzo, his blind brother, to continue pulling a sled
0	Ryker An English name that means fast strider
0	Safety Safety is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Shaktoolik Shaktoolik is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Takuya A name that means forerunner or pathfinder in Japan
0	Thain An English name that means follower
0	Togo Lead dog for the longest stretch of the 1925 diphtheria serum run to Nome
0	Xabat A Basque name which means rescuer or deliverer
0	Yas A Navajo name that means snow
0	Yukon The Yukon Quest is an annual 1000 mile race from Fairbanks, AK to Whitehorse, Yukon

Female Sled Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
0	Adesina A Nigerian name that means she opens the way
0	Anvik Anvik is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Beringia Annual 950 kilometer Russian race that starts in the city of Kamchatka
0	Canada Most experts believe that dog sledding was invented by the native and Inuit people from Northern Canada
0	Chilam A Native American name that means snowbird
0	Cripple Cripple is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Derby The American Dog Derby is the oldest dog sled race in the United States
0	Dilys A name from Ireland which means true and steadfast
0	Drifa An Icelandic name that means snow
0	Eagle Eagle Island is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Erna A name from Germany that means serious or determined
0	Galena Galena is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Grayling Grayling is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Macy An English name that means enduring
0	Mada An Arabian name that means the end of the path
0	Minty An English name which means a determined collector of thoughts
0	Nellie A sled dog who won every major sprint race in Alaska at least once before she retired in 1970
0	Nevada A Spanish name that means snowclad
0	Nugget The lead dog on Carl Huntington’s Iditarod winning team in 1974 and Emmitt Peter’s Iditarod winning team in 1975
0	Odyssée La Grande Odyssée is a 900-kilometer race in the French Alps
0	Rain Rainy Pass is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Ruby Ruby is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Sahara A name from Arabia that means wilderness
0	Siberia The Siberian Husky was developed in the area of Siberia
0	Skwentna Skwentna is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Sprint A short, fast race is sometimes referred to as a sprint
0	Spunky Mushers frequently choose dogs with a spunky attitude for running teams
0	Takotna Takotna is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail
0	Willow The first major stop for Iditarod mushers on odd years, and the last on even years
0	Yentna Yentna is one of the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail