[Silverbeat]

Huskies were bred specifically to be sled dogs, guard dogs, and to be comfortable in ridiculously cold weather. They don't make good indoor pets. My ex boyfriend's dad owns a tree farm and has three huskies that guard the trees from rabbits and deer, who will eat the bark off a tree and kill it. These dogs have kennels with heated pads that are out of the wind. But they would be miserable indoors with nothing to chase, no space to run, etc.
Most sled dogs have access to a barn or are kept in one at night and can't really be house pets, seeing as you need several of them if not a dozen to make a suitable team.
As far as the Iditarod goes, I think it is a little inhumane. It's a pretty treacherous race, although I think it's worse on the musher than it is on the dogs. Other sled dog races aren't so bad.