Photo by John Pedersen
Two skijorers and their dogs climb a hill at Phalen Park in St. Paul, Minnesota, on February 6, 2004. The race was held as part of the St. Paul Winter Carnival.
Skijor now
How to turn your house pet into a ski jet
by Joel Patenaude Our dog is a mutt, a 50-pound female Shepherd-Lab mix of undetermined age. Neither my wife nor I have taken much time to train
her since springing her from a Humane Society facility almost five years ago. Canim (pronounced "juh-num," a Turkish word meaning "my dear") constantly tugs at her leash, criss-crossing our path to sniff every tree and bush.
 Rather than teach Canim to heel, we use a retractable leash attached to a gentle leader around her muzzle. That
way, when we have to pull her back, we don't yank on her neck but turn her head less forcibly. We always keep her on leash because we're afraid she would run off.
Nevertheless we spoil her; allow her to sleep the day away on the couch and rip apart a never ending supply of stuffed doggie toys.
As is probably apparent, our dog has us well trained.
So imagine my surprise when I hear that this Canim, so described, sounded like a good candidate for skijoring to someone who is an
authority on the subject. Yes, skijoring the sport that has a dog pull a tethered skier for miles on end.
Come to think of it, Canim does like to pull me around during our daily walks. She would certainly run if I encouraged her. And I'm told that the constant stopping to sniff or relieve herself can be dealt with if not overcome.
Matt Haakenstad's dog, like mine, was a few years old when rescued from the pound. "And as far as I know, Sadie never skijored a day in
her life," he said of his black Lab. "I used a gentle leader with her, too, but now she prefers the skijoring harness."
Due to the past several snow-poor years, Sadie and her Minnetonka, Minnesota, owner have spent more time doing canicross which is running using essentially the same gear leaving your hands free. Haakenstad says the two of them love it.
Skijoring lets loose the running and pulling instinct in so many breeds of
dogs. Sled dog mushers refer to "working" their team. But Haakenstad's skijoring co-hort, John Thompson of Shoreview, says to the dog "it's play, not work."
"A dog quickly learns the difference between its leash and a skijoring harness," Thompson said. "After a while, if your dog sees you go anywhere near the harness, it will go ballistic. To them it symbolizes freedom; it means they don't have to heel."
I'm nearly convinced to "unleash" my dog's inner dog after reading Ski Spot Run, the new book co-authored by Haakenstad and Thompson. I've only just begun skiing competitively, and the thought of getting some help from my mutt sounds appealing.
Haakenstad and Thompson have only encouragement for hesitant dog owners like me. "Our audience is the individual skier with the family pet," Thompson said.
Haakenstad said it's less important what kind of dog is right for skijoring than whether your dog has the natural inclination necessary for the sport. He said he once saw a skijorer with a corgi-beagle mix, its legs not more than four inches long. "He pulled his owner twice around a 5K course and still wasn't finished," Haakenstad said.
A skijoring dog ought to be 25 pounds or heavier. But if a 15- to 20-pound dog stays out front and keeps the line taut, that dog will do
fine while its owner skis. "If it pulls, that's icing on the cake," Haakenstad said.
Ski Spot Run is an enthusiastic and conscientious introduction to skijoring meant for both first-timers wishing to recreationally ski with their dogs and those who are more than a little curious about skijor racing.
Providing a glimpse into the racing end of the sport is Thompson who is entering his eighth season as a competitive skijorer. In 2001, he and his
Alaskan Huskies, Timber and Kiska, placed fifth in the 23K world championships. His business Skijor Now sells skijoring equipment, some of which he and Haakenstad have developed and manufactured.
The men count themselves among some 400 to 500 skijorers in the Twin Cities probably the highest concentration anywhere in the U.S. outside Alaska. Only about 100 of those are members of Midwest Skijorers (www.skijor.org). Duluth also has a growing skijoring
community, evidenced by the Skijor Twin Ports Club (www.blackriversleds.com/STP.html).
Ski Spot Run is geared for newcomers to the sport. The chapters provide basic information the training necessary for both human and beast, verbal commands and equipment requirements as well as trail etiquette tips and advice on how to gain access to areas to enjoy this little known sport.
"It's the only sport where both human and animal are working in tandem
to create forward momentum," Thompson said. "Calling your dog to pull up a hill is unbelievably fun. It's like having (Norwegian Olympic skier) Bjorn Daehlie's lungs."
Haakenstad's quick to emphasize that a skier doesn't get a free ride just because he's got a dog (or two or three) pulling him. "On flat and rolling terrain, believe me, I get a workout," he said. "I'm just as beat as if it was just me out there. With a dog it's a little like having front-wheel
drive."
Running one or two dogs is very physically demanding on a skier, Thompson said. "Three big, fast dogs can pull a skier. But even in a forward tuck, at a mile and a half, your legs are burning."
Ski Spot Run explains how the gradual built-in suspension in the towline between the skier and dog keeps the skier from being slingshoted over hills or around corners.
The authors go to great lengths to dispel other misconceptions and
head-off prejudices, especially from solo skiers unwilling to share the trails with dogs.
First, they argue, dogs will not mess up a well-groomed ski trail. Their paws are no more disturbing than pole plants. And as for the fear skijoring dogs will leave disgusting surprises on the trails, Haakenstad and Thompson said they are almost certainly picked up after.
"It's rarely a problem," Haakenstad said. "A skijorer is going to want to
have his or her dog do its business before they hit the trail." That only makes sense, Thompson said. "As a skijorer, you want your 'engine' fueled but not carrying excess baggage. If the dog hasn't done its duty, it's much less likely to actively work."
Plus, Thompson said, a skijorer is more apt to know when their dog needs to cleaned up after than someone who lets their dog run loose. "Your literally tied to the dog. You know where it's been," he said.
Skijorers know to carry plastic bags in case their dogs do go No. 2 mid-workout. And at Skijor Now, Thompson sells a mesh fanny pack with separate, reinforced compartments for doggie doo and snacks. "You definitely want to grab from the right pocket," Haakenstad noted.
"We all want to be good ambassadors for the sport," Thompson said more than once.
Dogs can also be distracted by the sight and smell of wildlife. To keep
them from chasing an animal and focused on pulling down the trail, the "on by" command is useful. If conditioned to respond, a dog will hear that command "and know he can't stop," Thompson said. "But the added excitement urges them to put on the afterburners. You get a turbo boost."
Ski Spot Run is subtitled "the enchanting world of skijoring and related dog-powered sports." So it delves into rather self-explanatory
bikejoring, rollerjoring, scooterjoring and the aforementioned canicross.
Whether my mutt and I try any of these activities remains to be seen. What once seemed like a crazy idea now sounds like a good way to get us both excited about exercising together. Canim and I have been on the couch long enough. | |
