Skijoring, Norwegian for ski driving, most likely dates back to the gold rush days in Scandinavian countries. Skijoring was actually practiced in the United States, before the automobile became popular, but there they used horses, not dogs.

In Scandinavia, skijoring is a training technique used for Nordic-style mushing which combines one dog or more, a pulk, (a small sled), and a skier. The pulk is between the dog and the skier. Nordic-style mushing competitions have been held in Norway since 1932. But it wasn't until the 1980's that skijoring caught on in North America.

Today in the United States and Canada competitive skijoring is gaining popularity. In Canada there are now competitive skijoring races held in conjunction with many dog sled races. But, skijoring is also gaining popularity as a recreational sport. Many ordinary people are hooking up their dogs and taking to the trails. And, it's not just the Nordic style dogs they are using. Any dog over, about thirty pounds, that likes to pull, can ski in front of you. You can even enter a race as a new comer to the sport, if you like, as some of the races are even adding a one day novice skijoring event.

So what do you need, if you want to skijor, but don't know the first thing about it? Here in North America, Skijoring usually combines one or two dogs in harness, and a line which connects the skier to the dog. Most of those involved in skijoring use X-back racing harnesses for their dogs and a skijoring line about seven to nine feet long. The line usually has a portion of bungie cord incorporated into it to absorb some of the shock from starts and stops. The line runs from the dog's harness to a belt on the skier. The belt usually rests just below the skiers waist or on their hips. The are two basic styles of belts, one is a padded waist belt, usually about four or five inches in width. The second type is more like a diaper, that straps around each leg and around the hips. The second belt is often more preferable, as it will not ride up because of the leg straps.

The skis that you use will depend on where you plan on skijoring. You can easily use your touring skis, however, most racers prefer a skating ski, or a shorter lighter ski. For a good edge on hard packed trails you might choose a ski with a metal edge, however be careful not to cut your dogs legs with those. If you plan on doing a lot of trail breaking in rough terrain, you might even consider a back country ski and binding. So, the ski equipment you choose will depend on where you plan to ski and whether you are skiing for speed or for pleasure.

It is a good idea to do some training with your dog before you hook him up for the first time. It also helps if you have sledded before, as having a sense of balance and knowing how to move and how to stop on your skis will help make your outing more enjoyable.

To train your dog, the first thing you should do is, acquaint him with a harness. Some dogs object to having the harness put on them, so start young and praise them for getting in and out of the harness. Once they are comfortable with the feel of the harness you can trying walking him on the harness and dragging something very light. This is so they get used to something following them. The dragging noise right behind most dogs will make them turn around to check it out. If you put a leash on his collar and walk with him to start, it will help keep him walking forward. in fact, if you can put your dog on stay and call him to come to you, he may concentrate more on coming to you than checking out what is behind him. Using a flexi lead works well here, because you can reel him in. Holding a cookie for him to come to is usually enough incentive. This can be started at a young age, so long as they are not pulling any weight. Use something like a light branch with leaves on it. The fact that it makes a swishing noise is what is most important.

Ideally your dog should be at least eight to ten months before starting to train with any weight on the end of the line. Start gradually. Dogs need to condition just like we do. Also, you don't want to discourage your dog by using too much weight, too quickly.

Once they have got used to the fact that something is following them, you can start to go on walks in harness. Now it is time to start learning the basic commands. Two of the most important commands are "whoa" and "stay". If you need to stop, you want your dog to listen and not take several minutes to come to a stop, especially if it means your, and their, safety (What if you meet a snowmobile on the trail?). Stay is especially important if you fall. You do not want your dog dragging you all over hells half acre on your face! Stay should be practiced in harness, by pulling on the harness. This will ensure that they will stay even when you are tugging on them to get up on your feet after a spill.

Other useful commands are "gee", to go right, "haw" to go left and "on by" to go straight or to pass something. "Hike" is the usual command to get the dog going. It can also be used to get your dogs to run faster. "Easy" is another command that you can make use of, it means to slow down. You can certainly use whatever words you feel most comfortable with, the main thing is that you always use the same words.

If you've always wanted to dog sled, but never had enough dogs or a dog sled, then skijoring is a great way to get the feel of sledding, yet using only one or two dogs. Skijoring is also a great way to train your lead dogs, as there is nothing but a line between you and your dog, so it is much easier to make corrections. It also allows you to start training your dogs when they are a bit younger, as when you ski along with your dog it helps to lesson their work load.

So for Malamute owners, whether you plan to skijor for fun or for competition one thing is for sure, it is a great way to get out and enjoy some time with your dogs doing what they love to do best, pull!

Sue Gingerich an AMCC member from Alberta, is the owner of PET ADVENTURES, Adventures for You and Your Dog. A company that specializes in selling skijoring equipment, offering skijoring demonstrations, clinics and events and offers obedience and conformation classes by qualified instructors. Sue, when not pursuing doggy activities with her five Alaskan Malamutes, is a Business Consultant, who writes for several Northern Alberta newspapers and lectures throughout Northern Alberta.