SLED DOG LINKS:

To me, having a truly functional team means that your leaders must be able to truly understand how to line out. I also believe that line out is one of the basic commands that needs to be taught first, before any other more advanced commands are tackled. Within this article I will display the techniques that I have used with my own team, and how they have helped me to quickly teach line out.

By Deb Thompson

For Newbies, or those that want to hone their lead dog’s directional skills, here is a nifty method for teaching GEE/HAW:

Start out by working on ONE command at a time (facilitates learning).
The 6 that this post is focusing on are:

"GEE" - turn right (mnemonic: "Gee, you're right!")

"HAW" - turn left (mnemonic: "Haw, southpaw")

"WHOA" - stop (I think we are born knowing this one...)

By Laurie Niedermayer

Cross back - or X-back harnesses are - in my opinion the best for Siberian Huskies. H backs are great for the hound crosses - which have longer, narrower bodies.
One of the best books available on training for skijoring is "SkiJor With Your Dog" by Mari Hoe-Raitto

When you order a skijoring set up, know that at first you will need everything - the folks at Alpine Outfitters have a great little beginner’s package or you can choose to customize: http://www.alpineoutfitters.net

By Joy Cowles

Living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan we have plenty of snow and time to play in it; so I decided to try the sport of kick sledding with my dogs. I found this sport is great fun and quite addictive. It keeps your dogs (And hopefully you) happy and well exercised during the winter months with healthful out-of-doors fun. Kicksledding is a form of mushing and dogscootering (Dry land mushing on a kick scooter) is a very popular form of mushing in Europe.

To begin your Kicksledding journey you will need the following equipment:

By Laurie Niedermayer

I have always felt that if I can help even one new person to the sport avoid some of the issues I have faced with my dogs- it is all worth it. I have always said that I do not profess to know it all - the day I do is the day I die. As the years go by I realize that I learn every day from my dogs.

By Jlona Richey

The dogs all barked a welcome when I arrived at Arctic kennel in the old township of Knik, near Wasilla.

There, a tall, lanky musher makes his home. He has no running water, just electricity. His camping conditions there are rugged at best. He hauls water in the summer, melts snow in the winter.

By Laurie Niedermayer

Why? What are your motivations? Want to let the kids have a natural experience, think its best for your couch potato? Think you’re doing the dog a favor by breeding a litter or 2 or 10 before spaying? Because your dog is so sweet and everybody wants a pup from him/her? Because you want to make money? Because you want to buy that big screen TV? Or Computer? Or?

If you are breeding dogs just to sell to pet homes - no matter what your motivation is - you are a puppy mill.

On Dec 10th out of the blue I got an email from a Melissa Nicefaro, she wrote:

Hello,
I write for the new New Haven Magazine - January will be our fourth issue - and I'm working on an article about winter activities. I thought you would be an interesting person to speak with. Do you have a few moments for a phone call tomorrow?

Check our our compilation of Sled Dog Jokes! Please use the following comment form to submit your own jokes too!

Here you will find a list of popular sled dog quotes - from mushers & non-mushers around the world. Please use the following comment form to submit your own quote for inclusion.

"If you aren't the lead dog, the view never changes."
-Author Unknown

“It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.”
-Mark Twain

"If my cold weather suit isn't getting dirty - then I'm not mushing hard enough."
-Christian Hollingsworth