Below is some basic information on dog mushing. Did you know that mushing includes running 1+ dogs on snow/winter AND dirt/dryland?
Please reach out if you have any questions Info@tcdps.org
Photo Credit to P Sally Photography
Winter and Dryland Sports
Bikejor: 2 wheeled bicycles with a wheel antenna, good working breaks, and steering. 1-2 dogs pulling using a bicycle. Dryland Sport, or using a FatBike for Winter. 7-11 ft line with a bungee section.
Scooterjor: Large wheels, Scooters specific to this sport. Use 1-2 dogs pulling. Dryland. Dryland Sport, or using a FatBike for Winter. 7-11 ft line with a bungee section.
Cani-cross: Running or Walking with a dog/s pulling in harness. Line is connected to your waist/hips via a padded sport specific belt. Use 1-2 dogs pulling. 5.5 – 7 ft line.
Skijor: Skate Ski with dog/s in pulling harness and a line between you and the dog. Line is connected to your waist/hips via a padded sport specific belt. Use 1-2 dogs pulling.
Dog Sledding: 1+ dogs pulling using a dog sled or kicksled. Winter/Snow Sport. Lines needed depend on the number of dogs you’re running.
Rigs/Carts: 3-4 wheels made specific for the sport. Use 2-8 dogs pulling. Dryland Sport. Lines needed depend on the number of dogs you’re running.
Weight Pull Competition: Dog pulls a loaded sled or flat cart for short distance, testing how many pounds a singe dog can pull. Event may or may not be at races. Often at their own events. Awards and Sanctioning available.
Gear
Harness: Should be a Y-Front harness with full neck padding. X-back, or Half-back are most common options.
Collar: No choker collars. Use full circle, buckle, or limited slip collars fitted so they can’t slip off the dog nor choke the dog. If running 2 dogs use a Neck line.
Neck line: 10-16 inch line/rope with snaps on both sides connected to the 2 dog’s collars, or in the case of 4+ dog team a neckline connects a team dog’s collar to the gangline.
Lines: Rope often made from poly or iron rope, length specific to the sport you’re doing. All have a bungee section within the line.
Post Connector: A short line of rope or nylon to attach the team line to the bike via locking-carabiner.
Gangline/Team Line/CenterLine/Mainline: All refer to the Rope that connects to the sled/bike/Scooter/Rig and the dog’s space.
Tugline: The rope that connects from the dog’s harness to the Mainline.
Snubline: A rope that has a quick release mechanism to hold your bike/team to a stationary item (tree, post, vehicle) while you hook your dog up to the line.
Rope Types
Poly Hollow Braided Rope: Common, lots of colors, strong, not chew proof.
Iron Rope/Kevlar Rope: Less common, small variety of colors, extremely strong and durable, Highly Chew resistant.
Snaps: Brass or Italian bronze are best
Mushing Commands
“Hike” : The release word to get your dog to start pulling, or go faster.
“Haw”: Left Turn
“Gee”: Right Turn
“Straight Ahead”: At an intersection to go straight
“Whoa”: Full Stop
“On-By” (aka “Leave it” and continue running): run past the team ahead of you and continue running. Works well for other distractions. If the dog knows leave it, you can pair these commands for quicker learning.
“Line Out”: Used at the beginning of the run or at any point you need to stop during the run. The dog should pull forward into the harness just enough to keep the line between you and them tight.
Resources
“Twin Cities Dog Powered Sports” Follow or Join the Club! Facebook/Instagram, TCDPS.org Events, Mushing Races, Weight Pull, group runs.
“Twin Cities Dog Powered Sports Group” on Facebook: Events, Information, gear trade, group runs etc.
