Spectators will find that meeting and petting the dogs - the heart and soul of sled dog races - is usually just fine with owners and handlers. But be sure to ask permission first.

• Dress warmly in layers. Wear long underwear, a warm hat, boots made for snow and cold and gloves. Consider hand and toe warmers. A couple of years ago, temperatures at the U.P. 200 dipped to minus 25° Fahrenheit. (Remember to bring an insulated jug of hot chocolate.)

• Arrive before the race, when it’s possible to chat with the mushers and meet the teams.

• Leave your dog at home. “The sled dogs go crazy” when a strange dog shows up, Claudia says.

• Always ask permission before approaching the dogs. The owners will tell you if it’s OK to pet them.

• Don’t give treats to the dogs. Like well-trained athletes, they don’t eat junk food like dog biscuits.

• Speak quietly and calmly when talking to the dogs. When near the dogs, be careful to not step on any paws.

She says www.sleddogcentral.com has good general advice, too.

Different races might have different spots where it’s best to watch the action.

Linda Breight, of Manchester, Michigan, has been to three U.P. 200 races with her husband, Reed.

“It’s a festival for the whole town. It’s amazing,” says Linda.

Surf the Races Find out details at these websites • U.P. 200 & Midnight Run – www.up200.org • John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon – www.beargrease.com • WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race – www.wolftrackclassic.com • Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race - www.bayfield.org/visitor/dogsled.asp • Seney 300 Training Run and Iditarod Qualifier – seney300iditarodqualifier.com • Luce County Airport Sled Dog Race (Newberry, Michigan) – www.glsda.com (Great Lakes Sled Dog Association site)

The U.P. 200, February 20-22, is a 12-dog, mid-distance race that runs about 240 miles. It draws thousands of spectators and is a qualifying race for the Iditarod. The trail runs between Marquette and Grand Marais. At the race website, look for a map of the three checkpoints, and also learn about the eight-dog race, the Midnight Run, which covers 91 miles.

Linda and Reed like to watch the start of the race in downtown Marquette and then hop in the car and head east on M-28 to a checkpoint at Wetmore, where the teams will stop east of Munising. The couple will spend the night in Munising, then get up the next morning and head off to Grand Marais to follow the race.

“I am not a dog person at all,” says Linda, who believes that “an untrained dog is just no fun.”

Her attitude is completely different around the highly trained and disciplined sled dogs. She and Reed have discovered the joys of dogsledding, driving your own sled and caring for your own dog team on overnight adventures five years in a row through Nature’s Kennel.

“I love these dogs; they are so friendly, and you can see how they absolutely love to run.”

One of the longest races in the lower 48 states is here in the Lake Superior region. The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, which starts January 25 this year at Duluth’s Ordean Middle School, will cover 375 miles of challenging terrain near Lake Superior. Thirty teams race in the marathon; another 50 teams compete in the mid-distance race.

Beargrease organizers estimate the race draws more than 4,000 spectators, says Linda Nervick, Beargrease representative. Events start January 23, a couple of days before the race gets under way.

Her advice? Leave your dog at home, and bring cowbells (not horns) to cheer on the athletes. The start and finish lines are good spots for watching and encouraging teams.

“Cheering when you’re at the checkpoints is not so great,” Linda says, because those are considered quieter places for the teams.

Bottom line: “If you really want a feel for the race ... go to the checkpoints,” she suggests. On the Beargrease trail, there’s a good one in Two Harbors.

The Wolftrack Classic Sled Dog Race in Ely, Minnesota, in its second year, runs February 27-March 1. It has a six-dog, 30-mile run to downtown Tower and an eight-dog run covering twice that distance. Both races, on March 1, start at Hidden Valley Ski Chalet in Ely. Each has 35 teams.

Joe Russell, board president, recommends that spectators “really watch the weather to make sure you bring plenty of warm clothing.” He also suggests that you arrive early.

“It’s a great opportunity to meet the mushers and see all the dogs,” Joe says, noting that the mushers love to share the story of their dogs, from breeding to training.

Another tip: Bring your camera to get lots of great dog shots. “You always want to approach a dog slowly with your hands out, so the dog can get a whiff of you and read your body language,” Joe says.

Spectators should watch a dog’s body language. Most are friendly, but if a dog puts its head down with ears pinned back, it may be timid. “If the ears are perked up and the dog has kind of got a smile on his face ... he’s excited. They know what they’re about to do,” Joe says.

To watch the races, be prepared to park and walk a little, as mushers and veterinarians need the available parking close to the starting chutes, says Joe. Yet “the starting chute is by far the most exciting place,” scene of “organized chaos.”

Another exciting race near Lake Superior is the Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race, January 30 to February 1. It has two main races: an eight-dog, 80-mile race and a six-dog, 60-mile race, with the start and finish line 15 miles north of downtown Bayfield, Wisconsin, at Echo Valley Gravel Pit on Highway 13. The weekend includes a 40-mile Sportsman’s Race and a 8-10 mile Family Race for mushers 16 and younger. About 75 teams are expected to participate.

Programs with a map of the course are at the Bayfield Chamber and Visitor Bureau Visitor’s Center and at the start/finish line.

The one-day Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race in the U.P. is normally the first Saturday of the year, but this year it was January 10. The race has a number of classes: a 12-dog professional race that’s 63 miles; a 42-mile eight-dog-team race; a 4-mile, two- to three-dog youth race; and an 8-mile skijoring race. The racing starts at Rainbow Lodge about 30 miles north of Newberry.

Race president Mike Murphy says that spectators can meet dog owners at the staging area before the race and reiterates no pets, please. “One guy had a ferret on his shoulder. Every truck he went by, the dogs went nuts.”

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