Scootering and canicrossing

This is the sport I have come to love.

I first started out canicrossing.

Ice my first husky learned to pull me...

...by running after the "rabbit".

Who's the rabbit you may ask?

Well it's my husband.

When you don't have an older dog to teach your younger dog the ropes of mushing the term rabbit comes into action.

Huskies LOVE to run after something and they like it even more to pull while doing so.

I got a regular back pack. Loaded it with about 10kg of weights so that I don't go airborne all the time and attached it around my waist.

This is where the joring line attaches.

Ice was a natural, but some dogs like my Labrador and even Decota my other Husky need more time to figure out what I want of them and that they can do what they love by pulling me.

You see we all teach our dogs to walk at heel next to us. It can be hard for them to grasp that they may pull us when they are wearing the appropriate gear.

It's important to remember to always have fun!

Also you want your dogs to be safe and healthy while doing it. Check on them regularly. Look for things like gait changing, tail dropping and sore paws.

Stop regularly to provide water for your dog.

Never run when it's hot. I prefer going out as early as 6:00 in the morning or after sun set.

After I had all my dogs accustomed to canicrossing I started one by one training them with my pink scooter...

At first Ice pulled to the left the whole time, so I changed the configuration so that Decota runs on the left and that sorted out the problem.

As you go on you will soon see when you can go further. Later on they might even get bored if you don't go far enough.

Some days may be great and other may be with little or no progress.

But that doesn't matter as long as you are all having fun.

A Husky will give his all and will respond to your cues of Gee "turn right" and Haw "turn left" if you have taken the time to really bond with your husky or any other dog for that matter.

Lining out...

It's a term used for your dog pulling the line between you and your dog tight.

You should practise this before going out mushing, there is nothing as confusing as lines getting tangled.

Tie a line to a gate or any fixed fixture.

Ask your dog to line-out by walking away from the tie out so that he will come forward towards you.

The moment he gets it right praise him and even treat him while saying good line-out.

If he comes back when you walk behind him he doesn't get lining out. He must be able to keep the line straight until you release him.

This will make things a lot easier if your dog gets the line out cue.

If you don't have a handler "person to assist" it's a good thing to teach your dog the stay command so that your dog does not run of with you before you are ready to go.

When I first got my scooter I let the scooter stay in the back yard with the dogs so that they could get used to it.

Some dogs can be frightened by this big object running along after them as they pull. So it's always good to familiarise them with the rig.

The most important thing of all to remember is to respect your dog. Do it because you love your dogs and want to spend time with them. Dogs are not objects they are with as much feeling as we are maybe even more so.

If we don't keep it fun and have the right intentions you will not get out of your dogs all they have to offer.

Respect and love them while doing this sport and it will be a bond that last a life time.

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