Now you can experience the thrill of riding down a beautiful
tree-lined trail behind a team
of well-trained sled dogs right here in
Charm City.
But this is Maryland; what if there is no
snow? One of the best-kept secrets of
dogsledding is that mushing is not just
a winter activity. With concerns about
global warming shortening the season
for dogsledding and for people living
in temperate areas like Baltimore,
there has been a recent emphasis on
what is frequently called "dryland."
Dryland is dogsledding using wheeled
carts, bikes, scooters, or even your own
two feet.
How did you, two people living
in Maryland, get into dogsledding?
After we adopted our first dog, ZoÎ,
from the Dorchester County Humane
Society, it became apparent that ZoÎ
was an energetic pup with a penchant
for eating couches. "After the second
couch, we decided dog-powered
sports might be a less expensive way
of entertaining her," said Maryland
Sled Dog Adventures (MSDA) chief
poop scooper, Eric Benson.
Our second dog, T-Bone, is a petite
and precocious five-year-old Siberian
Husky-Sheltie mix. We adopted T-Bone
from Tails of the Tundra Siberian Husky
Rescue, Inc., as a companion for ZoÎ. As
a young dog, T-Bone frequently refused to
run and would jump back in the car. But
with time, T-Bone's impatience kicked
in and he grew tired of waiting in the car.
One day, T-Bone decided to join ZoÎ on
the trail and since that day nearly four
years ago, he has not looked back.
Next, the team grew to include Sobo, a
three-year-old Siberian Husky. "Sobo was
a dog that we were fostering for rescue
that we decided to keep since he was
such a wonderful fit with our other dogs,"
said Eric Benson. Sobo loves howling his
enjoyment at the start of runs.
Okemo rounds out the MSDA
LLC team of sled pets. Okemo's big,
powerful build makes him a perfect
wheel dog. Okemo both eats and pulls
with great gusto.
Dryland dogsledding is not new and has
always been used by mushers to condition
and strengthen their dogs in the off-season.
That way, by the time the snow arrives,
the dogs and their musher have built up
their strength and endurance. With recent
warm winters, dryland dogsledding has
become a popular sport in its own right
with local, regional and international
races attracting competitors from across
the country and around the world. Here
in Central Maryland, you'll find the
Fair Hill Dryland Challenge. Novice or
expert, all are welcome at these events and
they are a great place to learn all about
dog-powered sports.
Don't you need a lot of dogs to pull a
dogsled? This is another myth about dog- powered sports. Sure, if you want to
run the Iditarod, you need a lot of dogs.
But if your goals are more modest, one
or two medium-sized or larger dogs
will suffice.
Dogsledding is addictive, however,
and one dog can quickly end up being
three or four dogs, a new rig, a new
sled, and a new vehicle to carry the new
dogs and gear. Just ask Linda Powers
of Berlin, Md., who started two years
ago with one dog and a scooter and
is now up to three dogs, a sled and a
new rig.
But how can so few dogs pull
a grown person? A dog in good
condition and good health, running
in low temperatures can easily pull
three times his own body weight at a
moderate pace over distance. Applying
this guideline, the MSDA team pulling
power exceeds 600 pounds. Contrary
to popular belief, dogsledding is not
just about making the dogs pull you.
Dogsledding is a partnership based on
trust and respect between the musher
and the dogs. Frequently the musher
must assist the dogs when they grow
tired or when going up steep hills by
"pedaling" (pushing) the sled or rig,
or by running alongside or behind
the sled or rig. "The care of a team,
no matter how large or small, creates
a special bond between the musher
and his or her team. That bond is
one of the many perks of the sport,"
said Powers.
While you may not think of Fido as
a canine athlete, when you ask him to
work in harness, you are asking him to
become an athlete. As with any athlete,
you must train slowly and work up
to longer and faster runs. There are
several things to monitor closely while
training, including hydration. Much
like a human athlete needs to stay
hydrated during exercise, hydration
is critical to canine athletes as well.
Mushers typically hydrate their dogs
several times before, during and after
a run. But beware, what goes in must
also come out. While that may not be
a problem out on the trail, it can be
a big problem in the truck during the
drive home.
One of the main challenges
facing mushers in temperate areas
like Baltimore is temperature. In
dogsledding, mushers frequently use
what is called the "Rule of 100." Add
the temperature and the humidity
together. If the total is more than
100, it is likely too warm to run. In
Maryland, this frequently dictates a
pre-dawn arrival at the trail.
Can dogs other than northern
breeds participate in dog-powered
sports? At MSDA, we believe that
all dogs should get out and try their
hands (or paws) at dog-powered sports. But what if I only
have one medium-sized dog? Some of the fastest and
most resilient sled dogs used for dog sled racing, Alaskan
Huskies, are actually medium-sized mixed breed dogs. Any
dog over approximately 30 pounds and in otherwise good
health can be taught to pull. At MSDA, we've trained dogs
ranging in size from barely 30-pound Eskies to 120-pound
Alaskan Malamutes.
But don't you need a lot of dogs to pull a dogsled? Another
little-known fact about dog-powered sports is that there are
many dog-powered sports that require only one or two dogs,
including bikejoring, scootering, canicross, and skijoring. All of
these sports are easily done with only one dog (even the family
dog) and require only modest investments in equipment.
Bikejoring is biking while being pulled by your dog. It
can be done with as few as one dog to as many as three
dogs. Some like bikejoring because, when assisting the dog,
pedaling the bike is relatively easy.
Scootering is similar to bikejoring with the primary difference
being that a scooter is used in lieu of a bike. But don't try this
with your kid's scooter. Scooters intended for dog-powered sports
have much stronger brakes and some even boast full suspensions.
Some people prefer scootering to bikejoring because scooters
have a lower center of gravity and are easier to balance on.
Canicross literally means to move cross-country with a
canine. It is cross-country running while your dog pulls you.
It is not simply jogging with your dog. In canicross, the dog
pulls, helping to move the runner down the trail and up
hills. Canicross requires that your dog pull and know basic
dogsledding commands.
Skijoring is cross-country skiing while being pulled by your dog.
Originating in Scandinavia and literally meaning "ski driving" in
Norwegian, skijoring allows dog and owner to exercise together while
enjoying the outdoors. Skijoring requires the skier to be proficient
at cross-country skiing. Especially important is a good understanding
of how to slow down and stop on cross-country skis. Typically,
skijoring is a shared experience between the dog and skier, with both
the dog and skier working together to move down the trail. In icy
conditions, however, skijoring can become more like water skiing behind
a fast moving boat with a predilection for chasing down squirrels.
While "embracing your inner speed demon" can be fun, we recommend
waiting for good snow, keeping the number of dogs manageable (one dog),
and avoiding icy trails. Provided you follow these recommendations,
skijoring is an excellent way to enjoy the serene calm of the
outdoors.
"Another perk for me," said Powers," is the thrill of
running on trails where I might never venture and being able to enjoy
the beauty of nature."
Want to try skijoring, bikejoring or canicross but not sure how to get
started? Consider taking a lesson. Sometimes training your first dog
is the biggest hurdle. Much of the training associated with
dog-powered sports is counter intuitive to the training a dog has
received up until that point; namely, to walk on a loose leash and at
heel. Here, the training focuses on teaching the dog to run down the
trail pulling, six to eight feet in front of his owner. If your dog
does not naturally run down the trail, training your first dog can be
like trying to push a wet noodle. If this is your situation, check out
MSDA's Run What You Brung training program for some help training your
dog to pull. Visit www.marylanddogsledding.com for more information.
"I waited over 35 years before I could pursue a great desire to
participate in this sport," said Powers. "By the time I had the time,
I was retired and nearing 60 years of age. To make matters worse, I
lived on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where snow is highly unusual,"
she added. "Most people would say that I had missed my window of
opportunity, but I didn't see it that way. My persistence paid off,
and because mushers tend to be people who love to share their expertise
and help others, I soon found myself living my dream. The wait was
well worth it," she said. Dogsledding is no longer a world away. You
don't need to wait a minute longer to have fun dogsledding right here
in Charm City. Experience it today.
Our second dog, T-Bone, is a petite
and precocious five-year-old Siberian
Husky-Sheltie mix. We adopted T-Bone
from Tails of the Tundra Siberian Husky
Rescue, Inc., as a companion for ZoÎ. As
a young dog, T-Bone frequently refused to
run and would jump back in the car. But
with time, T-Bone's impatience kicked
in and he grew tired of waiting in the car.
One day, T-Bone decided to join ZoÎ on
the trail and since that day nearly four
years ago, he has not looked back.
