Post by Brooke on Mar 9, 2004 2:18:51 GMT -5
Skijoring with your dog is good exercise
Norwegian sport is inexpensive to get started in
Natalie Bartley / Special to The Idaho Statesman
Becky Bjork of Boise skijors with Bruneau on the Nordic trails at Tamarack Resort near Donnelly.
Natalie Bartley
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more info
• www.adanacsleds.com
• www.alpineoutfitters.net
• www.nordkyn.com
Skijoring with your best four-legged friend is about companionship and exercise.
You get to enjoy the speed and thrill of running dogs on snow without the investment in a full dog team and sled. Skijoring is a sport in which skiers are pulled over the snow by a horse, tractor, or in this case, a dog. Some skiers use up to three dogs.
Brady Turner of Meridian started skijoring this winter with his dog, Athena.
“I like that it allows my dog to run. She is a Siberian Husky and is born to run. It´s good exercise for her and me,” he said.
He first tried skiing with his dog by using a nylon belt around his own waist and a dog harness purchased from a pet store. He eventually switched over to skijoring equipment because it is more comfortable and has safety features built in. He ordered his gear from the internet.
What you need
The waist belt comes with a quick-release snap in case the skier needs to be cut loose from the dog. A shock absorbing cord is built into the rope that connects the skier and the dog, relieving pressure from the skier´s back on start-ups and speed changes. The dog´s harness is a sled harness that is padded, longer and allows for lung expansion.
And the set-up runs about $50.
“If you are even considering it, invest in the equipment,” Turner said.
Any breed of dog that weighs more than 30 pounds can skijor. It helps that the majority of dogs have a tendency toward pulling.
The skier should at least have intermediate level skills. You have to be able to balance and control yourself when the dog starts pulling. You should also be able to stop, turn while sliding and get up from a fall. If you don´t have the ski skills, there is still plenty of time to get Nordic ski lessons at Nordic ski centers.
You can use all types of Nordic skis: classical trail skis, skate skis and telemark skis all work fine for skijoring. Alpine skis are an option, though the free-heel Nordic style ski boots enable the skier to assist the dog with forward momentum by skiing on the flats and up hills.
Take your ski poles with you when you skijor. In soft or fresh snow, the ride can be slow enough to need to pole and ski along with your dog.
Getting started
Begin skijoring by having your furry friend wear just the harness. Then add a few pounds, such as a tire, and ski or jog ahead to entice the dog to run. Add more weight, and eventually yourself.
Keep the distances short and the terrain flat initially. Don´t let your dog pull much weight until he´s at least 6 months old; otherwise he could get hurt.
One dog can tow a skier up to 30 miles a day, so it is possible to cover a lot of territory in a short time. But for the average pet that´s new to the sport, plan on a short run of perhaps a mile or fifteen minutes, increasing time and distance with the fitness level and enthusiasm of the dog. Above all else, keep it fun and quit before you both get too tired.
Treat your dog like an athlete; feed him well before the exercise and give him some snacks and water after skijoring.
“I think it´s good for the really athletic dog to get a workout so at the end of the day he is really pooped,” said Becky Bjork, a Nordic ski racer from Boise.
Know the commands
The basic commands are the same as dog mushing commands.
“Gee” means turn right; “Haw” means turn left. “Easy” means to slow down, and “Whoa” indicates stop. “Line-out” requests the dog to pull the line tight, and “On by” or “Straight ahead” commands the dog to ignore distractions and/or move beyond a turn.
Where to go
Groomed trails where dogs are permitted are great places to try skijoring. The firm surface gives the dog a footing advantage, and the classic tracks and skating lanes make for smooth traveling for the skier. Snow-covered roads, snowmobile trails, frozen lakes, and backcountry yurt trails also work.
Check to see if animals are allowed on the trails before you head out.
To keep the peace with other trail users, pack out solid waste.
Turner and Athena have been skijoring on Park ´N´ Ski trails near Idaho City and on Tamarack Resort Nordic trails near Donnelly. He said the wide skating lanes at the Tamarack trails are helpful for doing a wide snowplow to slow down, while some of the Park ´N´ Ski trails are narrower and more of a challenge.
Skijoring history
Skijoring is a Norwegian word that means “ski driving.” In the book “Skijor With Your Dog,” authors Mari Hoe-Raitto and Carol Kaynor explain that skijoring is a hybrid outdoor pursuit, one that borrows from dog mushing and skiing.
For thousands of years, the book says, dogs in Arctic countries have helped with transportation. In Scandinavia, small teams of dogs pulled a small sled and a skiing driver. Eventually teams of just one dog pulled only a skier.
In the mid-1980´s, Nordic-style mushing became known in North America. Alaskans also skied with their dogs, while in the continental United States skijoring behind a horse was popular in the early 1900´s.
Edition Date: 03-08-2004
Norwegian sport is inexpensive to get started in
Natalie Bartley / Special to The Idaho Statesman
Becky Bjork of Boise skijors with Bruneau on the Nordic trails at Tamarack Resort near Donnelly.
Natalie Bartley
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more info
• www.adanacsleds.com
• www.alpineoutfitters.net
• www.nordkyn.com
Skijoring with your best four-legged friend is about companionship and exercise.
You get to enjoy the speed and thrill of running dogs on snow without the investment in a full dog team and sled. Skijoring is a sport in which skiers are pulled over the snow by a horse, tractor, or in this case, a dog. Some skiers use up to three dogs.
Brady Turner of Meridian started skijoring this winter with his dog, Athena.
“I like that it allows my dog to run. She is a Siberian Husky and is born to run. It´s good exercise for her and me,” he said.
He first tried skiing with his dog by using a nylon belt around his own waist and a dog harness purchased from a pet store. He eventually switched over to skijoring equipment because it is more comfortable and has safety features built in. He ordered his gear from the internet.
What you need
The waist belt comes with a quick-release snap in case the skier needs to be cut loose from the dog. A shock absorbing cord is built into the rope that connects the skier and the dog, relieving pressure from the skier´s back on start-ups and speed changes. The dog´s harness is a sled harness that is padded, longer and allows for lung expansion.
And the set-up runs about $50.
“If you are even considering it, invest in the equipment,” Turner said.
Any breed of dog that weighs more than 30 pounds can skijor. It helps that the majority of dogs have a tendency toward pulling.
The skier should at least have intermediate level skills. You have to be able to balance and control yourself when the dog starts pulling. You should also be able to stop, turn while sliding and get up from a fall. If you don´t have the ski skills, there is still plenty of time to get Nordic ski lessons at Nordic ski centers.
You can use all types of Nordic skis: classical trail skis, skate skis and telemark skis all work fine for skijoring. Alpine skis are an option, though the free-heel Nordic style ski boots enable the skier to assist the dog with forward momentum by skiing on the flats and up hills.
Take your ski poles with you when you skijor. In soft or fresh snow, the ride can be slow enough to need to pole and ski along with your dog.
Getting started
Begin skijoring by having your furry friend wear just the harness. Then add a few pounds, such as a tire, and ski or jog ahead to entice the dog to run. Add more weight, and eventually yourself.
Keep the distances short and the terrain flat initially. Don´t let your dog pull much weight until he´s at least 6 months old; otherwise he could get hurt.
One dog can tow a skier up to 30 miles a day, so it is possible to cover a lot of territory in a short time. But for the average pet that´s new to the sport, plan on a short run of perhaps a mile or fifteen minutes, increasing time and distance with the fitness level and enthusiasm of the dog. Above all else, keep it fun and quit before you both get too tired.
Treat your dog like an athlete; feed him well before the exercise and give him some snacks and water after skijoring.
“I think it´s good for the really athletic dog to get a workout so at the end of the day he is really pooped,” said Becky Bjork, a Nordic ski racer from Boise.
Know the commands
The basic commands are the same as dog mushing commands.
“Gee” means turn right; “Haw” means turn left. “Easy” means to slow down, and “Whoa” indicates stop. “Line-out” requests the dog to pull the line tight, and “On by” or “Straight ahead” commands the dog to ignore distractions and/or move beyond a turn.
Where to go
Groomed trails where dogs are permitted are great places to try skijoring. The firm surface gives the dog a footing advantage, and the classic tracks and skating lanes make for smooth traveling for the skier. Snow-covered roads, snowmobile trails, frozen lakes, and backcountry yurt trails also work.
Check to see if animals are allowed on the trails before you head out.
To keep the peace with other trail users, pack out solid waste.
Turner and Athena have been skijoring on Park ´N´ Ski trails near Idaho City and on Tamarack Resort Nordic trails near Donnelly. He said the wide skating lanes at the Tamarack trails are helpful for doing a wide snowplow to slow down, while some of the Park ´N´ Ski trails are narrower and more of a challenge.
Skijoring history
Skijoring is a Norwegian word that means “ski driving.” In the book “Skijor With Your Dog,” authors Mari Hoe-Raitto and Carol Kaynor explain that skijoring is a hybrid outdoor pursuit, one that borrows from dog mushing and skiing.
For thousands of years, the book says, dogs in Arctic countries have helped with transportation. In Scandinavia, small teams of dogs pulled a small sled and a skiing driver. Eventually teams of just one dog pulled only a skier.
In the mid-1980´s, Nordic-style mushing became known in North America. Alaskans also skied with their dogs, while in the continental United States skijoring behind a horse was popular in the early 1900´s.
Edition Date: 03-08-2004