Four puppies at a national park in Alaska will soon be so disciplined that they’ll be able to pull a heavy sled over thousands of miles in snowstorms. But for now, they’re goofy youngsters that park rangers are trying to beef up for the job.
With Fat Bear Week over, Denali National Park and Preserve declared “Chunky Puppy Day” last week, and staged a competition to see which of their 6-month-old Alaskan huskies had grown the heaviest.
Mammoth, the only male of the group, lived up to his name by weighing in at 77.1 pounds; second place went to Rainier at 66.7 pounds. The dogs, who’ve reached about 2/3 of their adult weight, are bred to be strong enough to pull park rangers and heavy equipment.
Denali streamed the weigh-ins for the dogs’ fans, who watch them on a live camera from their outdoor pen. The camera will close Friday as the puppies begin training as sled dogs who’ll patrol the park.
David Tomeo, Denali’s kennel manager, said the puppies are rambunctious, but that’s a promising sign.
“Wild puppies usually means we have really good sled dogs coming,” he said.
If the park’s sled dogs have another litter next year, Tomeo expects “Chunky Puppy Day” to become an annual event.
Catch up quickly every weekday morning with a rundown of the 7 most important and interesting stories. Sign up for The 7 newsletter.
The post National park declares a winner in ‘Chunky Puppy Day’ contest appeared first on Washington Post.
