Will A One Year Old Havanese Dog Survive If It Becomes Part Of A Sled Dog Team In Alaska This March?

I was invited to the Iditarod in Alaska this March with a friend, but I don’t think that I am eligible to compete in this race myself, and this race lasts about ten days.
So, in my time spent waiting for the racers to show up to finish in Nome, I want to do some sled dog racing of my own. I don’t have a dog of my own, but the neighbor girl has a Havanese, and I know that she would let me use it.
Her Havanese has short, stubby legs, and it has a lot of hair in its eyes. I would assume that since the limbs are short, this dog would most likey have good circulation compared to a dog with long limbs. Also, the hair would keep the snow out of its eyes.
I would like to make the Havanese the first member of my sledding team if it won’t excessively endanger its life.

Is It Beneficial To Train A Sled Dog By Having Him Pull Someone Who Is Wearing Skis Instead Of Using The Sled?

I would like to start training my neighbor’s Havanese for dog sledding (just like the Iditarod!…almost). As I am somewhat addicted to skiing, I have plenty of skiing gear around, but as I am new to the dog sledding hobby, I haven’t got a sled yet.
I do, however, know that severl dog sledding races have already been cancelled this year due to lack of sufficient snow cover in some areas. This means that I have until next winter to find a dog sled anyways; they’ll probably go on sale over the summer, eh?
Would it be beneficial to start training the dog this winter by having him pull me around while I wear a pair of skis?
Any other suggestions for training a sled dog for racing sans sled would be appreciated.
Also, any suggestions regarding a technique for training cats for my sledding team would be appreciated as well. I know I’m not a “cat person;” I have tried training a cat by having it pull me while I wore my skis, but it just ran away…