Inuktitut Dog Names

Togo was born in October of 1913. His father was the lead dog, Suggen, in Leonhard Seppala's sled dog team. Seppala named the pooch after Japanese admiral Togo Heihachiro. He was a small puppy, and many thought he would never become a sled dog, much less a lead dog. When fully grown, he weighed only 48 pounds (22 kg). He was also not a visually attractive pooch. He was black, brown and gray. Many said he looked like he was always dirty. 

As a pup, Togo was always sick. Seppala's wife had to nurse him. Seppala thought the young dog was too spoiled ever to become a real sled dog, so he gave him away at six months of age to a pet home. The young dog was strong headed and always in trouble. He was sad in his new home and after a few weeks jumped through a glass window so he could run several miles back to Seppala's house. Seppala was moved at the dog's loyalty and decided to keep him. 

Togo was not happy just living with Seppala and his family. Any time Seppala would take his sled dog team for a run, Togo would break out of his kennel and follow. Togo wanted to lead because he would always attack the lead dog. Unfortunately, one day he struck a very large Malamute who severely mauled him. After the injury, Togo never attacked another lead dog. 

At eight months old, Togo again followed Seppala and the team. Seppala decided to put him the harness with the team. Togo performed so well that he eventually started to move the small dog up the line until he was ultimately sharing the lead position. During that first day, Togo logged in an impressive 75 miles. 

Seppala said,  "I had found a natural-born leader, something I had tried for years to breed. I never had a better dog than Togo. His stamina, loyalty, and intelligence could not be improved upon. Togo was the best dog that ever traveled the Alaska trail". 

In 1925, diphtheria broke out in Nome. It was imperative that sled dogs make a treacherous trip to bring much-needed serum to the town. Seppala and his team, which was led by Togo, was one of the teams to volunteer. Togo led the team 365 miles through whiteout conditions, sub-zero weather, and ice. 

Togo never received the fame of Balto, which often bothered Seppala. However, in the dog's later life they did go on tour. Togo was eventually retired to Poland Spring, Maine. He died at the age of 16. Seppala had Togo's skin mounted and placed on display at the Shelburn Museum in Shelburne, Vermont. Many school children in Alaska spearheaded a campaign to have Togo returned to Alaska. Today his mounted skin sits on display at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Headquarters Museum in Wasilla, Alaska. The dog's skeleton was retained by the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University.