Every year on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus sets out on his sleigh to deliver presents to good girls and boys all around the world. But have you ever wondered how many dogs it would take to pull Santa's sleigh?
According to the Guinness World Records, a Newfoundland is the strongest dog in the world--that one pulled 52 pounds per pound of body weight for a total of 5,045 1/2 pounds. The Newfie weighed 97 pounds. Now, we don't know about you, but we don't think even Santa could handle that kind of dog pulling his sleigh!
So, how many dogs does it REALLY take to pull Santa's sleigh? Well, that depends on a few things…
First of all, let's talk about size. Santa's sleigh is pretty big - after all, he has to fit ALL of those presents! We're thinking he probably needs at least 10 large dogs to give him a good start. But it's not just about size…
You see, some dog breeds are simply better at pulling than others. Breeds like Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes were actually bred for sledding! So, we're thinking Santa might be able to get away with fewer dogs if he chooses breeds that are built for the job.
Of course, there's also the question of training. A well-trained dog is going to be a lot more effective at pulling a sleigh than one that hasn't been properly trained. So, if Santa is working with a team of well-trained sled dogs, he might be able to get by with fewer dogs overall.
All of these factors in place, an average sled dog team can pull approximately 85 pounds a piece, and Santa's sleigh probably ranges from 14,500 to 36,000 pounds fully loaded (according to The Elf Inquiry). So Santa would need 424 Dogs to pull his sleigh! Perhaps there is a reason he chose 9 magical reindeer...
At the end of the day, there's no definitive answer to how many dogs it would take to pull Santa's sleigh. It really depends on a variety of factors - from the size of the sleigh to the breed of the dog to the level of training. But one thing is for sure - Santa would need A LOT of dogs to get the job done!