[huldah1776]

Check out the miles a wolf has been tracked in a day and you will appreciate the sleddog’s love of running. Being chained or penned or being indoors, is what is hard for them.

[Krankor]

I'm relying on what the Humane Society of the United States says. This organization does not oppose other mushing events, but it does oppose this race:
" The Iditarod forces the dogs to run too far and too fast in frequently grueling trail and weather conditions, and it exacts a severe, and sometimes fatal, toll on dogs' physical and psychological systems. While the ITC has made some reforms in recent years, such as reducing the maximum size of dog teams from 20 to 16 for better musher control, organizers continue to mass-market the race and hype the competition among mushers who are continually attempting to break speed records. "