How Does the Musher Control the Direction of the Dog Team?

Getting Started

• Conditioning a team to pull isn̵7;t about how fast they run; it's about going the distance consistently. To condition a team, a musher will work with each dog individually using canine cross equipment that includes an ̶0;X-back̶1; harness for the dog and a waist harness for the human with a secondary resistance quick release strap. An 8-to-10-foot towline with an absorbing bungee cord weaved within helps when the dog takes off or makes sudden turns. Running each dog is the cheapest way to bond and the second safest way to train a team. Serious mushers will use a four-wheeler with a secure braking system to condition the entire team by using lower gears. Called dryland mushing, it's the optimal way for serious mushers to train in the off-season.

Rigging Efficiently

• The synergy between the dogs grows the more the team works together, and the musher also will position the dogs based on dominance and strength. The musher develops a keen eye for variables including environmental, equipment, individual dogs and weather. The first factor is how familiar the musher is with the trail, and if he wants to keep the speeds lower, he̵7;ll move the faster dogs to the back. How many hills and how steep they are combined with snow conditions affect how the sled travels. The strongest dogs need to be in the front in wet snow. A taut line uphill is as essential as downhill. Controlling downhill speed is the responsibility of the musher, and a heavy sled out of control will collide with the team. (He'll dump the sled on its side before ever colliding with his team.)

Using His Voice

• Going forward is natural for a dog team; the turns and round-a-bouts will change the day. The musher doesn't want the dogs to make the decision to turn without his command, let alone knowledge. The dogs are conditioned to directions with one word or even a sound, and typically mushers teach the same commands. To turn right, they say "Gee." For left, it's "Haw." He̵7;ll use "Gee Over" to pass or avoid a safety concern on the left, and "Haw Over" to pass or avoid a safety concern on the right. The dogs will run the line tight at the start. A drawn-out ̶0;Easy̶1; will slow the team; the musher also might pump the sled brake, though the command eventually will be all that's needed. When the dogs start to tire or slow and create slack in the towline, the musher will issue a stern, ̶0;Line-out,̶1; and the dogs will snap it taut.

Stopping the Team

• Dogs follow the path of least resistance and seem to sense the trail they are running, which makes the musher responsible for knowing tight turns and steep hills along the way. Dialing in commands by running the team on familiar trails allows the musher to pay attention to the dogs' physical abilities and test the team's limits. Finally, bringing the team to a stop requires the musher to drag his foot and apply pressure to the sled brake. And just like coming to the end of this article, when the run is done he calls out, ̶0;Whoa.̶1;