One of the first questions I get asked when introducing the dogs is: "Who's your lead dog?" My answer is, "There are several." I quickly point out that each and every position is important...
Nowadays, mushers typically run sled dogs in double file. This means two leaders, then the swing (or point) dogs, then 1st team dogs, 2nd team dogs and so on until the wheel dogs. Many people assume the largest dogs run in wheel. I can't speak for other mushers, but something I learned in Alaska was to put your medium (or even a small, hard pulling dog) in wheel and put them in single wheel. I feel it gives the dogs a better experience - they have more room to move when we go around a tight corner. Also, a large dog has more pressure on the hips from the tugline in wheel. I rotate all dogs in wheel. If they have a really smooth gait, it's helpful to avoid injuries. Another plus is if they are good at switching over and under the gangline - so they use the extra room they have by running single.
Over the years, I've found most dogs will lead - if given the chance. But a natural born leader is a gem. I look for dogs who are receptive to commands and hard-driving. Of course, there are exceptions: dogs like Razz who aren't hard-driving but will lead just fine despite not knowing commands. But the majority of my leaders are dogs who like to be up front. Achilles is a natural leader - he really wants to be up front and will "go around" the leaders if he's in swing. I typically pair a male and female together; it just seems to work out best for me. But I work everyone in lead together at some point in training.
Something else I like to know about my leaders is if they will single lead. Although it doesn't seem too common to have a single leaders, putting a dog in single lead really gives them a confidence boost (if they can handle it). It's also helpful when breaking trail when someone has driven a truck through the deep snow (this just happened today - double leaders were having a hard time staying in the track and kept pushing each other around but Sweetwater happily led in single lead until we got out of the mess).
I like to put reliable, no-nonsense dogs in swing. Because of intersections and any other circumstances that might make a leader balk, the swing dogs are a great help. They can pull the team in the right direction and give stability behind a young leader. I also like to put young leaders-in-training in swing because they can watch the leaders and learn. I'll put young dogs (yearlings) who have lead potential in swing so they get comfortable at the front before being put in lead.
Team is where all the dogs get a chance to run. There are some dogs that seem to always get tangled in their necklines or may not be the strongest in the team and I tend to keep them in the team positions. It's a good place for uncertain yearlings in the fall - if they're afraid of the 4-wheeler. In team I'll mess around with pairing dogs up. I like to have dogs matched up by gait and size. I also watch and see who runs well together (do they like each other?) and if they don't like a particular teammate, can they run comfortably ahead or behind them? If not, then team is where they will learn to get over their dislikes!
As you can see - every part of the team is important. We wouldn't get very far down the trail without each position filled...especially when you're breaking trail!
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