Skijoring, or being pulled on skis by a dog in harness, is a great sport in which almost everyone—and almost any breed of dog—can participate. It requires little beyond a pair of skis and a dog with a desire to pull. The second edition of this popular and practical guide to the sport covers what equipment is needed, how to teach a dog to pull, and how to work with your dog year-round. Although it is geared toward beginners, Skijor with Your Dog offers plenty of useful information for experienced skijorers as well, including racing tips, how to involve children, how to camp and travel with dogs, and how to train for competition. The book also covers canicross, bikejoring, and other ways to work with dogs when there’s no snow.With this book in hand, readers will have all the information they need to begin enjoying the outdoors with their dogs in a whole new way. “This is an invaluable basis for learning to enjoy your dog and skijoring.” -- Susan Butcher ― four-time Iditarod champion Mari Høe-Raitto has been competing in Nordic-style mushing since the age of fourteen. She is a certified Nordic ski instructor and teaches outdoor skills at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Carol Kaynor has written articles on skijoring for DogSport Magazine , Dog World , and Mushing magazine, among others. She is  a limited-class sprint musher and has been a member of the Alaska Dog Mushers Association since 1985. Skijor With Your Dog By Mari Høe-Raitto Carol Kaynor University of Alaska Press Copyright © 2012 Mari Høe-Raitto and Carol Kaynor All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-60223-186-3 Contents Acknowledgments for the Second Edition................................................xiAcknowledgments for the First Edition.................................................xiiiForeword..............................................................................xvPreface...............................................................................xvii1 Dog Driving With Skis...............................................................12 Teaching Yourself to Skijor.........................................................113 Equipment...........................................................................254 Teaching Your Dog to Skijor.........................................................595 Putting It Together: Skijoring, Canicross, Bikejoring, and More.....................1096 Trails and Trail Etiquette..........................................................1197 Dog Care and Feeding................................................................1318 Choosing a Skijoring Dog............................................................1619 Nordic-Syle Dog Mushing.............................................................18510 Touring and Winter Camping.........................................................19911 Skijoring with Children and People with Disabilities...............................21912 Competition........................................................................22913 Where Can We Go from Here?.........................................................261Resources.............................................................................269Glossary..............................................................................273Bibliography..........................................................................283Index.................................................................................289About the Authors.....................................................................299 Chapter One Dog Driving With Skis Skiing behind your dog in harness is the perfect winter activity if you like to ski and your dog loves to run. With a pair of skis, a little bit of extra equipment, and a dog that likes to pull, you have everything you need to enjoy a snowy winter trail. Skijoring allows you to experience the speed and pleasure of dog mushing on a smaller, more economical scale. Almost anyone—of nearly any age—can learn how to skijor. The sport of skijoring (a Norwegian word that translates literally as "ski driving") is elegantly simple: A dog in harness tows a skier by a line that is either handheld or attached to a special extra-wide belt worn by the skier. Most skijorers limit their dog power to one or two dogs, with three dogs customarily the maximum. With more than three dogs, any gain in power or speed is usually counteracted by the possibility of tangles or lack of adequate control. Either cross-country or downhill skis can be worn, but cross-country skis are more commonly used so that the skier can help the dog by striding or skating. All sorts of breeds—from Labrador retrievers to poodles to Irish wolfhounds—have pulled skiers. Skijoring dogs can weigh anywhere from thirty pounds to more than one hundred pounds. Most dogs have a natural instinct to pull, so the family pet is almost as likely to take to the sport as is a racing sled dog. A skijo