Siberian huskies, trainers race as part of Tails on Trails at arboretum

Tongues wagging out of their mouths, the team of canines enthusiastically strutted through the snow. Hundreds of eyes watched their every move. Hundreds of voices cheered for them.

Wearing harnesses that attach to a sled where their musher or trainer stood, dozens of Siberian huskies demonstrated their power and grace Saturday at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. They pulled the sleighs across the arboretum fields during a special Tails on the Trails event. Demonstrations and other festivities continue today.

"You can tell they really love to run. It's amazing," said Catherine Ware, 10, of Chicago. "They aren't like those dogs that just sit around your living room. They are very interesting."

Ware made a much anticipated trip Saturday to the arboretum with her friend Danielle Cloud, 10, also from Chicago. Both girls had been awaiting the dog sledding races and demonstrations.

Some of the dogs will race in the upcoming Iditarod race in Alaska. Dog teams race more than 1,150 miles across mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests and the desolate tundra. Other dogs are local Siberian huskies that race locally.

Dale Navigato, a demonstrator from Bensenville, races his four huskies locally. He brought them to Saturday's event.

"They're an active breed. They need their exercise," he said.

Huskies, a working dog, enjoy being entrusted with tasks. Navigato's dogs look forward to races. In fact, they have developed an ability to sense an upcoming race.

"They know that morning when I'm getting ready," he said. "They kind of go crazy (with excitement)."

But huskies -- a wolf-like breed known for its beautiful white fur and blue eyes -- are not the perfect pet for everyone.

While they are often great with children and very friendly, they require lots of exercise. Bored huskies have been known to chew up furniture, dig up gardens and run away.

"A bored Siberian is a destructive one. This is not a couch potato," said Lois Leodarn, co-founder of Adopt A Husky. "This dog needs exercise. This is a working breed."

Adopt A Husky, a non-profit dog rescue group that has found homes for more than 1,100 huskies in the past nine years, has many of its dogs present at the event. Patrons meet the dogs, ask questions about the breed and learn about adoption opportunities.

The event also features a Tailgate Party Tent with cooking demonstrations, free beverage sampling and coupon giveaways.

If you go

What: Tails on the Trails

Where: Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle

When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today

Admission: $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 for ages 3-17, free for under 3

Info: (630) 968-0074 or mortonarb.org