Meet Dallas Seavey - one of the world's best dog mushers

One of the best dog mushers in the world. A talented athlete, Dallas wrestled in high school and was both a state and national champion. Permanently sidelined by injuries Dallas turned his attention to his other passion, sled dog racing. At age 25 he became the youngest musher ever to win the Iditarod. In 2016, he got his fourth Iditarod win and broke the Iditarod record for the second time. Dallas also won the Yukon Quest on his first attempt, making him one of only 6 people to ever hold a title in both the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest. He does everything one hundred percent. Always.

When building a good dog team, which qualities of the dogs are most important for you?

- Drive! I love dogs that have a ton of enthusiasm and are always eager to go. I can train a lot qualities into a dog, but the passion to run has to come from the dog.

Why do you think you are one of the best dog mushers in the world?

- I feel like one of the things that has helped me the most is looking at everything from the dogs’ point of view. Understanding what my team sees and feels helps me make better decisions for them in training and racing.

What’s important for you when choosing equipment for your dogs?

- Quality is number one! There are a lot of factors to consider on all the gear, weight vs. strength, size vs. speed. Whatever I choose has to be high quality though. That’s what I love about Non-stop dogwear, I know their gear is going to do its job and go the distance!

What’s your favorite product and why?

- I love them all! The Polar collars are awesome, but I guess I would say the Blest Jacket is probably my favorite. I am very excited about the Stick Harness too.

You have participated in Alaska’s longest race, Iditarod, and Norway’s longest race, Finnmarksløpet. What’s the biggest difference in these races?

- One of the biggest differences would have to be the terrain. The Iditarod travels more or less in one direction so you will be in the mountains one day and on a river or the tundra the next. This brings some challenges, but it also allows certain muscle groups to recover from day to day. On the Finnmarksløpet we stayed in a smaller geographic area and saw fewer changes so the same muscles get worked every day.

How do you develop yourself as a dog musher?

- Never stop listening, learning, and growing. I spend most of my time observing my team and thinking about different or better ways of doing things.

Who will always be the most special dog for you and why?

- I have been fortunate to have had several amazing dogs that are all the “Most special”, but Buster will always hold a special place in my heart. When I was a little boy he was my one dog team. I think this is where I really learned to love the sport of mushing.

Favorite adventure in Alaska?

- Iditarod.

If you should do another activity with dogs than long-distance, what would it be and why?

- I would love to do some long expeditions. I have a few trips I am excited to go on when I stop racing competitively.

What’s your next dream?

- Not sure yet, I am still enjoying this dream.