Do you love skiing or running? Does your dog always want to pull you on leash? Does your dog love to run, run, run all winter long?
Then mushing may be the right activity for you!
There are many types of mushing. The easiest options to get into with one or two dogs is canicross, bikejoring or skijoring. Canicross is where your dog is in a pulling harness and is attached to you with a waist belt and you run together with your dog helping you along. Bikejoring is where your dog is harnessed to your bike and is pulling you (or assisting in pulling you) on a bike. Skijoring is where your dog is in a pulling harness and you are attached to your dog by your waist belt AND you are one skis (typically XC skis because they are lightweight and easy for dogs to pull).Skijoring is a really fun winter activity to get started in.
All you need is a pulling harness for your dog, a waist belt, a line to connect the two of you (with some bungee stretch) and skis! Remember your dog is usually just a power assist, you will still be doing a lot of the work if you only have one dog (or if your dog is smaller or older)! This means you should be comfortable propelling yourself on the ski’s without your dog before you head into the snow.
Chloe hooked up to a towline for skijoring.
Before getting started, you want to:
Get the correct type of harness
Make sure your dogs in good physical condition
Train your dog in a few basic commands
Getting the correct harness set up is crucial. Pulling harnesses are different from harness you may walk your dog in, and they are designed to properly distribute the forces on the dogs body when they pull.
You also want a good set up for your waist belt. I love the RuffWear Omnijor for the human waist belt and tow line. The quick release is great (for when your dog decides to jump off the side of the bridge to get a drink of water while they are pulling you… ask me how I know this, haha) and the waist belt is comfortable. It also has pockets for storage, and water bottle holder. If you plan on canicross only, RuffWear has a great Trail Running Belt System as well.
I have an older style Ruffwear Omnijor Harness for my dog, but they updated it to a harness that is almost identical to the Front Range. If I were to get a new one, I would look into other options before making a purchase. The style of harness is often known as an “X-Back Harness”. This outfitter has come recommended to me by others and might be a good place for you to start!
Next, you want your dog to be in shape! Do not take your couch potato husky and throw them into a pulling sport without some training. I suggest spending your summer and fall jogging and hiking your dog to ensure they are in good physical condition. If there is any question about if your dog can/should be pulling, consult your veterinarian, Canine Physical Therapist, or Canine Fitness Trainer.
Lastly, before you get started you want to train your dog some basic commands to keep you and others safe. In my opinion, the most important ones are:
Leave It or On By: Make sure your dog will leave a distraction so you do not get suddenly pulled off track.
Stop! Teach your dog to stop on a verbal command. This is needed for safety incase of sudden obstacles, cars, roads, etc.
Slow! It can be helpful to teach your dog to slow down for bumpy or curvey sections of the trail.
Go/Fast/Mush! Teach your dog to put their heart into it and pull, or go faster!
Line Out! While not 100% necessary, this teaches your dog to walk to the end of the line and put some mild tension on the line so you don’t have a sudden jerk when they start moving.
Now that you have gotten the basics down, find a safe area and go play in the snow! Share in the comments how your adventures have gone. Need help? Contact Beth today for help getting started!