{"id":794105,"date":"2019-03-22T15:36:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-22T21:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/iditarod-race-competitor-whose-dogs-quit-says-they-got-spooked\/"},"modified":"2019-03-22T15:36:00","modified_gmt":"2019-03-22T21:36:00","slug":"iditarod-race-competitor-whose-dogs-quit-says-they-got-spooked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/local-news\/iditarod-race-competitor-whose-dogs-quit-says-they-got-spooked\/","title":{"rendered":"Iditarod race competitor whose dogs quit says they got spooked"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery\" readability=\"6.939211756847\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-363337-487\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Mark Thiessen \/ AP | AP | Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit gets kisses from two of his dogs in Anchorage, Alaska. The Frenchman was in the lead of this year's race but his dog team quit running after Petit yelled at Joey, left, to stop picking on Danny, right. Petit says that isn't the reason the dogs quit running; instead, they quit about the same point the team got lost in a blizzard in the 2018 race.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"10\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb.jpg\" alt=\"Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit gets kisses from two of his dogs in Anchorage, Alaska. The Frenchman was in the lead of this year's race but his dog team quit running after Petit yelled at Joey, left, to stop picking on Danny, right. Petit says that isn't the reason the dogs quit running; instead, they quit about the same point the team got lost in a blizzard in the 2018 race.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"15\">\n<p><strong>Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit gets kisses from two of his dogs in Anchorage, Alaska. The Frenchman was in the lead of this year&#8217;s race but his dog team quit running after Petit yelled at Joey, left, to stop picking on Danny, right. Petit says that isn&#8217;t the reason the dogs quit running; instead, they quit about the same point the team got lost in a blizzard in the 2018 race.<\/strong><br \/>Mark Thiessen \/ AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Mark Thiessen \/ AP | AP | Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit poses with two of his dogs in Anchorage, Alaska, on Wednesday. The Frenchman Petit was in the lead of this year's race but his dog team quit running after he yelled at Joey, right, to stop picking on Danny, left. Petit says that isn't the reason the dogs quit running; instead, they quit about the same point the team got lost in a blizzard in the 2018 race.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"10.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-1.jpg\" alt=\"Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit poses with two of his dogs in Anchorage, Alaska, on Wednesday. The Frenchman Petit was in the lead of this year's race but his dog team quit running after he yelled at Joey, right, to stop picking on Danny, left. Petit says that isn't the reason the dogs quit running; instead, they quit about the same point the team got lost in a blizzard in the 2018 race.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"16\">\n<p><strong>Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit poses with two of his dogs in Anchorage, Alaska, on Wednesday. The Frenchman Petit was in the lead of this year&#8217;s race but his dog team quit running after he yelled at Joey, right, to stop picking on Danny, left. Petit says that isn&#8217;t the reason the dogs quit running; instead, they quit about the same point the team got lost in a blizzard in the 2018 race.<\/strong><br \/>Mark Thiessen \/ AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Marc Lester \/ AP | Anchorage Daily News | Nicolas Petit arrives in Unalakleet, Alaska on Sunday morning in the lead of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The Iditarod musher, Petit, who was hours ahead in the Alaska race when his dogs refused to keep running is dismissing critics who say he ran them too hard. Petit said this week that the dogs are treated well and they get plenty of rest during the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"9.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-2.jpg\" alt=\"Nicolas Petit arrives in Unalakleet, Alaska on Sunday morning in the lead of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The Iditarod musher, Petit, who was hours ahead in the Alaska race when his dogs refused to keep running is dismissing critics who say he ran them too hard. Petit said this week that the dogs are treated well and they get plenty of rest during the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"14\">\n<p><strong>Nicolas Petit arrives in Unalakleet, Alaska on Sunday morning in the lead of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The Iditarod musher, Petit, who was hours ahead in the Alaska race when his dogs refused to keep running is dismissing critics who say he ran them too hard. Petit said this week that the dogs are treated well and they get plenty of rest during the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.<\/strong><br \/>Marc Lester \/ AP | Anchorage Daily News<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Marc Lester \/ AP | Anchorage Daily News | Nicolas Petit comes down Kouwegok Slough to reach Unalakleet, Alaska, on Sunday morning in the lead of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The Iditarod musher, Petit, who was hours ahead in the Alaska race when his dogs refused to keep running,, is dismissing critics who say he ran them too hard and is chalking it up to a bad memory that spooked them. It came a year after they got lost in a blizzard near the same spot along the Bering Sea coast.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"10.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-3.jpg\" alt=\"Nicolas Petit comes down Kouwegok Slough to reach Unalakleet, Alaska, on Sunday morning in the lead of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The Iditarod musher, Petit, who was hours ahead in the Alaska race when his dogs refused to keep running,, is dismissing critics who say he ran them too hard and is chalking it up to a bad memory that spooked them. It came a year after they got lost in a blizzard near the same spot along the Bering Sea coast.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"16\">\n<p><strong>Nicolas Petit comes down Kouwegok Slough to reach Unalakleet, Alaska, on Sunday morning in the lead of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The Iditarod musher, Petit, who was hours ahead in the Alaska race when his dogs refused to keep running,, is dismissing critics who say he ran them too hard and is chalking it up to a bad memory that spooked them. It came a year after they got lost in a blizzard near the same spot along the Bering Sea coast.<\/strong><br \/>Marc Lester \/ AP | Anchorage Daily News<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Marc Lester \/ AP | Anchorage Daily News | Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit hugs one of his dogs before they leave Unalakleet, Alaska, during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Petit who was hours ahead in the Alaska race when his dogs refused to keep running is dismissing critics who say he ran them too hard and is chalking it up to a bad memory that spooked them.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"8.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-4.jpg\" alt=\"Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit hugs one of his dogs before they leave Unalakleet, Alaska, during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Petit who was hours ahead in the Alaska race when his dogs refused to keep running is dismissing critics who say he ran them too hard and is chalking it up to a bad memory that spooked them.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit hugs one of his dogs before they leave Unalakleet, Alaska, during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Petit who was hours ahead in the Alaska race when his dogs refused to keep running is dismissing critics who say he ran them too hard and is chalking it up to a bad memory that spooked them.<\/strong><br \/>Marc Lester \/ AP | Anchorage Daily News<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-5.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Marc Lester \/ AP | Anchorage Daily News | Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit arrives in Unalakleet, Alaska, on Sunday morning in the lead of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The Frenchman, who was hours ahead in the Alaska wilderness race when his dogs refused to keep running, dismissed critics who say he ran them too hard and chalked it up to a bad memory that spooked them. It came a year after they got lost in a blizzard near the same spot along the Bering Sea coast.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"9.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-5.jpg\" alt=\"Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit arrives in Unalakleet, Alaska, on Sunday morning in the lead of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The Frenchman, who was hours ahead in the Alaska wilderness race when his dogs refused to keep running, dismissed critics who say he ran them too hard and chalked it up to a bad memory that spooked them. It came a year after they got lost in a blizzard near the same spot along the Bering Sea coast.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"14\">\n<p><strong>Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit arrives in Unalakleet, Alaska, on Sunday morning in the lead of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The Frenchman, who was hours ahead in the Alaska wilderness race when his dogs refused to keep running, dismissed critics who say he ran them too hard and chalked it up to a bad memory that spooked them. It came a year after they got lost in a blizzard near the same spot along the Bering Sea coast.<\/strong><br \/>Marc Lester \/ AP | Anchorage Daily News<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-6-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-6.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Mark Thiessen \/ AP | AP | Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit poses with two of his dogs in Anchorage, Alaska. The Frenchman was in the lead of this year's race but his dog team quit running after Petit yelled at Joey, left, to stop picking on Danny, right. Petit says that isn't the reason the dogs quit running; instead, they quit about the same point the team got lost in a blizzard in the 2018 race.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"10\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Iditarod_Dog_Team_Quits_40681-741cb-6.jpg\" alt=\"Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit poses with two of his dogs in Anchorage, Alaska. The Frenchman was in the lead of this year's race but his dog team quit running after Petit yelled at Joey, left, to stop picking on Danny, right. Petit says that isn't the reason the dogs quit running; instead, they quit about the same point the team got lost in a blizzard in the 2018 race.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"15\">\n<p><strong>Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit poses with two of his dogs in Anchorage, Alaska. The Frenchman was in the lead of this year&#8217;s race but his dog team quit running after Petit yelled at Joey, left, to stop picking on Danny, right. Petit says that isn&#8217;t the reason the dogs quit running; instead, they quit about the same point the team got lost in a blizzard in the 2018 race.<\/strong><br \/>Mark Thiessen \/ AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/sports\/iditarod-race-competitor-whose-dogs-quit-says-they-got-spooked\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/sports\/iditarod-race-competitor-whose-dogs-quit-says-they-got-spooked\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">ANCHORAGE, Alaska \u2014 The Iditarod musher who was hours ahead in the Alaska wilderness race when his dogs refused to keep running dismissed critics who say he ran them too hard and chalked it up to a bad memory that spooked them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The team stopped last week after Frenchman Nicolas Petit yelled at a dog that was bullying another, but they \u201cdid not slow down like a tired team would,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">It came a year after they got lost in a blizzard near the same spot along the Bering Sea coast \u2014 close to the finish line of the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race that takes global competitors across mountain ranges and wind-swept ice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s a curse for me, I just had a bad time last year and lingering effects of the bad time this year,\u201d Petit said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">It was pure coincidence that it happened at the same point in the race, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThey remember that we didn\u2019t have a fun run,\u201d going through the snow the wrong way, Petit said Wednesday, sprawling out on a friend\u2019s sofa in Anchorage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Dogs from his team piled on top of him and licked his face. Also nosing their way in for attention were Joey, who was the bully on the trail, and Danny, the younger male dog who was bullied.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">When Petit withdrew from the race this year, he said it was a \u201chead thing\u201d for the dogs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Then the blowback began \u2014 in press releases, on blogs and on social media. The most vocal critic of the race, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said it wasn\u2019t the dogs that needed their heads examined, it was anyone who supports \u201cthe merciless race.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Others speculated that Petit overexerted the dogs, they were mistreated or were mentally unfit to run. Petit denies it all.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThis isn\u2019t any type of a reason to get rid of what I consider my children \u2014 the dogs I raised,\u201d Petit said. \u201cNo, I won\u2019t get rid of them. They are the most important thing in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">He also said he\u2019s \u201cstopping plenty\u201d along the grueling route, preferring to rest outside checkpoints and along the trail when possible, where he says it\u2019s quieter and the dogs get more sleep.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the Iditarod in 1985, said the sport requires a fine balance between being competitive and keeping the dogs happy \u2014 something she said Petit excels at.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cPeople have this idea that you can force these dogs\u201d to the finish line, Riddles said last week. \u201cIt\u2019s not like that at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In 2018, Petit rested his dogs at a cabin between checkpoints before the disastrous run in the blizzard. He planned to stay at the cabin again this year but leave it with a well-rested team.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Video shows an energetic and eager dog team entering and leaving the first checkpoint.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Within a mile of the cabin, the dog dustup happened. Joey, a 2-year-old and the only non-neutered male on the team, was behind Danny, a 16-month-old pup. Every time Danny slowed down, Joey would pick on him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Finally, Petit yelled, \u201cJoey, that\u2019s enough!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI raise my voice a little bit and they are all like, \u2018Oh, boy, that\u2019s not normal,\u2019\u201d Petit said. \u201cI try to be as calming and collected with my dogs as possible all the time, so they heard an upset daddy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The team refused to keep going. He tried walking ahead of them to see if they would follow and putting different dogs in the lead. Other mushers came by, but even that didn\u2019t rouse the dogs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">They finally got the mile to the cabin. Fourteen hours after the dogs stopped, they took off but didn\u2019t make it far. Petit took them back and pushed the panic button on his GPS unit, effectively withdrawing from the race.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A snowmobile brought food and then carted the dogs off the trail.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Petit still expects to compete in next year\u2019s Iditarod. He\u2019s said he\u2019s planning to take his dogs next week to the problem area \u2014 the Bering Sea coast \u2014 to show them the fun they can have on that stretch of the trail.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cAnd that it\u2019s not always blowing, and we don\u2019t always get lost, and it can be a very positive experience as opposed to the last two years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/sports\/iditarod-race-competitor-whose-dogs-quit-says-they-got-spooked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Summit Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit gets kisses from two of his dogs in Anchorage, Alaska. The Frenchman was in the lead of this year&#8217;s race but his dog team quit running after Petit yelled at Joey, left, to stop picking on Danny, right. Petit says that isn&#8217;t the reason the dogs quit running; instead, they quit [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-794105","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-13 23:55:35","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSMT The Mountain","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/794105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=794105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/794105\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=794105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=794105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=794105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}