Training
1.
The Musher
Dog driving is not
merely riding on the back of the cart issuing
commands to steer the dogs. It is hard work! If
you start doing it in earnest, you will pull
muscles, fall off the sled and have to pull
yourself back on the runners with one hand, run
yourself ragged chasing after the team (because
you fell off of the cart or scooter), run into trees, and
so on. In addition to these things, a musher
must "peddle" the scooter or cart. This too can be tiring
since it is repetitive. Peddling is pushing the
scooter or cart forward with one foot while riding the
scooter or cart. This is helpful to the dogs, particularly
when tired. You may also frequently get off to
run alongside when the dogs are tired.
Therefore, to successfully drive sled dogs, the
musher must train his or her body as well.
Conditioning of the musher is to a small extent
a function of the type of mushing to be done.
The key is endurance and flexibility over muscle
bulk. Running, biking, cross country running,
scootering and carting are all good ways to build strength.
You must remember that at all times, you are
alpha. If you are tired, hesitant, and
uncertain, your team will pick this up and
become confused and unresponsive.
It should be clear
from this that dogs in a sled dog team must be
very well bonded to the driver. Not only does it
make training much easier, but well socialized,
well bonded dogs make a very good sled dog team.
The dogs are looking to you as their undisputed
leader, and you and they work together as a
*team*. If you are careful to bond to each of
your dogs as individuals, and socialize them
very well with each other, other dogs, and other
humans, your dogs will be willing to do
virtually anything for you.
2.
Dogs to Pull
There are many
aspects to training dogs to pull. Probably the
most fundamental is *start young*. Get a
puppy used to its harness, just as you would a
collar and leash. Also let the puppy get used to
pulling things. Start out with a small and light
object and let it drag the object around behind
its harness for a while. The emphasis is NOT on
weight, just on having fun dragging a VERY LIGHT
weight behind it. It is important to realize
that one can injure a puppy's bones, structure,
and spirit by doing too much!
To train adult
dogs is relatively simple. Some dogs are natural
pullers, others are not. Some dogs take right to
the harness the first time, and other dogs, even
ones from reputable breeders, may take extensive
training. You just never know.
It is vital to get
the dog to lean out and keep the line between it
and you taut. Some dogs have a real problem with
this, others do not. For problem dogs, the cause
usually is due to the dog not liking you to be
behind it. If you do have trouble, there are a
variety of methods you can use. As long as you
make training a fun game, and you make the dog
understand what you want it to do, training will
progress quickly, even for stubborn dogs, like
Siberians. Fortunately, they LIKE to pull, so
their stubbornness is not a problem here.
Sometimes getting them to STOP pulling is!
Some mushers feel
that it is best to train dogs to pull lots of
weight, then speed comes naturally in a race
without the weight. Others feel that speed and
endurance training is best. Still others feel
that a combination works best, similar to the
combination training for the musher. Training
for speed and endurance by mushing shorter
distances (under 16 kilometers, sometimes even 5
or 7 kilometers) at top speed and up hills is
beneficial. Loping along at 4 or 6 kilometers an
hour for 24 or 32 kilometers is also
beneficial. Both of these build strength and
endurance. Pulling heavy weight for short
distances is also quite good, particularly for
wheel dogs (the ones hitched closest to the
sled). For this, try a plastic tub to which you
can add plastic weights (the ones from barbell
sets will have the weights printed on them).
Whichever method
you use, remember to take it easy with your dogs
and not push them to hard, and never, NEVER,
lose your temper with your dogs. Remember that
this is supposed to be fun for both you and the
dogs. George Attla, a famous musher once said,
"If the dogs make a mistake while out on the
trail remember that it is not the dogs that have
made the mistake. It is you."
For additional
training information (with much more detail than
is practical to provide here), see the book
references to the top right.
3. Lead Dogs
To successfully
mush, one must have a good lead dog (or dogs).
This dog will take your commands for regulating
speed and direction for the entire team.
Naturally, if you are driving only one dog, that
will be your lead dog.
Training lead dogs
is too complex to really do it justice here. The
basics are you want the dog to learn to turn
right, left, speed up, and slow down on voice
command. You also want the dog to bypass
interesting detours and distractions.
In addition to the
basic commands:
Hike: Get the dogs moving
Gee: Turn right
Haw: Turn left
Easy: Slow down
the dog must also
be taught the commands below:
-
kissing
sound: Speed up (or other appropriate
sound)
-
on-by:
Go by a fork in the trail, other dogs, or
other distractions without detour
All commands are
spoken in a firm, calm, not too loud voice.
During training,
you must be certain to use varied turns and
trails to be sure that the dog is really
executing the commands rather than following a
well worn path. You must also anticipate the
turn and issue the command at the correct time
from the *dog's* perspective. Finally, some
people get confused when issuing the right/left
commands, particularly in the excitement of a
race. Some mushers tape the commands on the
front of their sleds, on the right and left
sides. You may want to do this while beginning
on the cart.
To train a dog to
execute these commands with regularity is not
too difficult. To train a dog to do this during
the excitement of a race with lots of
distractions is more difficult. One possible way
to approach training is to start out on foot
when the dog is a puppy. Keep the lessons
varied, quick, and fun. Be certain to do the
lessons in a variety of environments, with and
without distractions. When the dog is old enough
to pull weight (about one year to 18 months, get
advice from your veterinarian), you may wish to
graduate to cross country canicross. The dog
will learn to execute commands in dry
conditions, and at higher speeds. Once you have
your lead dog well trained and pulling your
cart, you will find that other untrained, young,
dogs can be very easily added to your team as
your lead dog will "correct" the new dog's
mistakes, usually faster and better than you
can.
This is one way in
which lead dogs can be trained. Consult the
experienced mushers for additional information.
To gain valuable knowledge on various topics, visit the follow page:
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