Oregon is currently considering some myopic and ill-conceived legislation that would ban tethering of dogs with some small exceptions. I happen to qualify for one of those exceptions currently written into the bill (i.e. dogs used for dogsledding)…but that exception could just as easily be removed. HB 2783 is flying under most people’s radar screen, [...]

Urban mushing, or dryland or dirt mushing (to distinguish it from snow mushing) comes in many flavors. The basic concept is that the dog (in a pulling harness) is connected to some sort of rig which transports the person…or even to the person directly who is also in harness. Other variations in terms of wheeled [...]

Teach your dog the pulling job in discrete steps. First, they need to understand when they feel resistance they are to pull. The more resistance they feel, the more (harder) they are to pull. For example, like going uphill. You’ll see a trained dog or team throw themselves onto the line and “gear down” — [...]

Your urban mushing dog is an athlete, so you need to treat her as one. That means making sure your dog is well hydrated and in good physical condition. A well-hydrated dog can handle stress and heat much more readily than a dog that is dehydrated.   As with humans, dogs need water for the [...]

Everybody says they want a good dog. I’ll bet you want your dog to be a good dog. But…what does that really mean? For you? One of the biggest lessons the dogs teach – and continue to teach – is consistency. The dogs always need it, demand it, and surely remind me whenever I lapse. [...]

Urban Mushing aka “Dog” Training As Personal Development Forget about your dog(s) for a moment…what can urban mushing do for YOU? What are your best experiences with urban mushing? What has been the most fun? What personal insights or “a-ha’s” have you gained? I was having a discussion with my Urban GO Dogs – Everywhere! [...]

I Wasn’t Ready For This Sometimes life throws you a curve ball…from way out of your line of sight, and you never see it coming. And sometimes, life just kicks your ass. We’ve all heard it said that success is when opportunity meets preparation. That’s true, perhaps especially when success is making tough decisions, even [...]

It’s that time of year (at least for all of us in the Northern Hemisphere)… •Perhaps the last couple of sledding or skijor runs before the snow trails disappear •Dealing with mud, mud and more mud as winter turns to spring •Critters from bears to bees coming out of hibernation •Lots of cushy bird nests [...]

This year’s Iditarod was an amazing race to follow, as a musher and a fan. Heck, especially just as a dog owner. Lots of drama, great performances, pathos, challenges, remembrances, and celebrations. As I watched the race wind down, I remembered back to the end of my own Iditarod journey. I was bone tired, sore, [...]

The Iditarod Sled Dog Race®…very much the ultimate in quality time together with your dog. The front pack of competitors is marching unstoppably toward Nome, and the race will be won within the next couple of hours. That feeling of finishing a huge challenge/dream such as Iditarod is certainly bittersweet. Wonderful yes, but you don’t [...]