tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84093323591579549662024-03-14T03:34:11.916-05:00Skijor OxfordDogsGet outside and have fun with your dog!KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-71119872388684287932016-11-01T13:50:00.004-05:002016-11-01T13:50:43.487-05:00The ABC's of Skijoring<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">A</span>- A is for the Adventures you will share with your dog!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">B</span>- B is for Booties! Bootie up for your dog's feet, and avoid ripped, torn and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8409332359157954966#editor/target=post;postID=460081015142716174;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=11;src=postname" target="_blank">worn pads</a>. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">C</span> – C is for Climate. Be ready for whatever it's going to throw at you! I have skijored in the rain, fog, howling winds, and white outs. So check the weather before you go! <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">D</span> – D is for done. Know when to call it a day. Your dog is unlikely to tell you when she's had enough, so that's your job to call it quits. Ideally, you want to stop while your dog is still wagging for more. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">E</span> – E is for Equipment. Check your equipment each and every time you head out. It's a long walk home should something break!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">F</span> – F is for Fall Training. Start your skijor season early by doing some <a href="http://skijordogs.blogspot.ca/2013/05/scootering-if-you-dont-have-snow.html" target="_blank">dryland work.</a> Get your dogs feet conditioned, and brush up on some of your skills to make the most of the upcoming season. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">G</span>- is for “Gee” call it with enough time for your dog to turn right on the trail!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">H</span>- H of course is for “HIKE” a ski-dogs favourite word! Let's go, Hike!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I</span>- I is for Iceballs! Trim, Wax and Watch! Trim the hair between your dog's feet, wax the paws (or use booties) and watch for the build up of painful iceballs between the dog's toes!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">J</span>- J is for Jingle! If you are running on a multiuse trail, attach a bear bell to your rig. The noise of the bell will help warn other people of your presence. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">K</span>- K is for <a href="http://skijordogs.blogspot.ca/2013/09/kicksled.html">Kicksled</a>. Investing in a kicksled is a great way to extend your skijoring season. Kicksleds can be takes over rougher patches where you would never dare ski. They also need less snow, so really help with the shoulder seasons. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">L</span>- L is for Love. You and your dog love the sport! If either of you sours at the experience, take a step back, and see what's changed. Sometimes a new trail, or a week off is enough to put the spark back in it! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">M</span>- M is for Morning. Dogs tap into their natural instinct when skijoring. They love to run in the early morning, or later into the evening. Take your dog out for a dawn or dusk run. Just be careful, as wild animals are also more active at these times of day. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">N</span>- NO DOGS ALLOWED. These signs are disappointing, and often the result of a dog owner not following the rules. Train your dog to be a good citizen, and pick up after them. This will ensure that we see less of these signs. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">O</span>- O is for <a href="http://youtu.be/Zut1cg3emvg" target="_blank">“On-by!”.</a> Which comes in handy if you want your dog to leave the dead deer, passed out skier, or pee spot alone. Train “on by” on your daily walks first, and then on your skijor runs. A good “on-by” is going to keep your runs safe and fun! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">P</span>- P is for Pee! Pay attention to your dog's pee, and notice when the colour is off. A well hydrated dog will have urine that is almost clear. Pee that is too dark and yellow could mean your dog needs more water.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Q</span> – Q is for Quiet. For the peace and quiet you will find on a beautiful winter's day. Frost on the trees, hard packed snow under your skis, and your best friend out in front of you. Enjoy it!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">R</span> – R is for Rest. You and your dog need to rest and recover after a hard work out. Monitor your dog for any signs of stiffness or soreness after a run. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">S</span>- S is for Skis! Whether you choose to use skate or classic skis, make sure you opt for the sturdy pair. Those fancy racing skis likely won't hold up to the pressures of skijoring! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">T</span>- T is for Training. Keep your goals in mind for skijoring, and train accordingly. Skijoring is both mentally and physically challenging for us, and our dogs. Ensure you are training your dog's mind as well as body. You too can also learn something new every time you go out, by paying attention to your dog.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">U</span>- U is for Underwear! Invest in a good quality pair of long-johns! They should wick the sweat away from your body, and keep you dry on the trail. Nothing ruins a day like a pair of wet undies! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">V</span>- V is for the tracks you will leave in the snow! When you are skating behind your dog, you want to see a nice “V” pattern in the snow. Not too long or wide of a “V”, as you don't want to slow your dog down, or throw off their momentum. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">W</span>- W is for <a href="http://skijordogs.blogspot.ca/2013/09/h-2-0.html">Water</a>! Bait it! Bring it! Your dog needs it, and so do you! Dipping for snow is not an effective or efficient way to stay hydrated, so offer plenty of water for your dogs!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">X</span>- X is for X-back, the most common style of harness. Harness styles come and go, but the X-back, with slight variations has been around a long time. A custom size is a good way to splurge for your skijoring buddy. Keep in mind, X-backs have been designed for northern breed dogs, with northern breed dog body shapes. If you are running a mutt, or family pet, custom is the way to go! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Y</span>- Y is for <a href="http://skijordogs.blogspot.ca/p/burger.html?view=sidebar" target="_blank">Youth</a>. You can start running your dog as soon as they are trained and their bodies are ready, which is usually around the one year mark. Skijoring is not just a sport for young dogs. <a href="http://skijordogs.blogspot.ca/2012/11/a-question-of-age-one-one-end-of.html" target="_blank">Older dogs</a> that have learned to conserve their energy make great skijoring partners! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Z</span>- Z is for Zinc. Your dog can get Zinc from beef, turkey, pork, fish and peanut butter. Zinc supports your dog's entire body, but is also beneficial in helping them toughen up their feet. So spoon out the peanut butter as a healthy treat for your dog!</span><br />
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<em><span style="background-color: white;">By </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://youtu.be/XrTy3hz-si0" target="_blank">The Trail Outlaws</a>:</span></em><br />
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-59520962698777531932016-01-09T12:20:00.001-06:002016-01-09T12:20:37.201-06:00Guest Post; Product Review Review: Howling Dog Alaska Protector Booties<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18pt;">Howling Dog Alaska Protector Booties<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Snow is here! That means walks outside are about to get a little different! You keep yourself warm and comfy with your jacket, boots, and mitts, but what about your dog?</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Recently we tested out a set of Protector dog booties from Howling Dog Alaska.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">First Impressions</span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">At first look the boot is made of a very well constructed nylon shell with a rubberized bottom. The boot also features a soft cuff that goes around the dog’s leg at the top of the boot. The Velcro strap used to hold the boot on the dog’s paw is longer than most dog boots on the market. This is to ensure that the strap reaches all the way around the ankle to secure tightly on the paw.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The cuff around the top of the boot is designed to keep snow out of the boots (just like a cuff on a pair of mittens). While the cuff does a great job at keeping the snow out of the boots for light walks, or runs on packed down snow or trails, it has a hard time keeping snow out when the dog is jumping and running though deep piles of snow.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The flexible, soft construction of the boot lets the boot move with the dogs paw as she runs down the trail, or walking path. This, along with the rubberized bottom allows the dogs to maintain traction on the snow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The verdict?</span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">After many adventures over the past few months with these boots I am glad to say that Davidson and I are very happy! Her paws were warm, dry, and comfortable allowing her to enjoy the adventures just as much as I was. Protecting her not only from the snow, but also sharp objects or sticks. The boots also did a great job at keeping dirt out of cuts from previous injuries on her paws.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">These boots are affordable ($30 from <a href="http://www.oxforddogsgear.com/apps/webstore/products/show/6173988" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Oxford Dogs Gear</span></a>), comfortable, and well constructed. Allowing you, and your dog to get out, feel good, and have some fun!</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><em>Sarah Davidson is the Dog Sports Girl. You can catch her and Davidson at the </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/wilddogswpg" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><em>WildDogs</em></a><em>shows. Look for more of Sarah's review right here!</em> <em>Sarah was compensated for this review . She did receive one free pair of Howling Dog Protector Booties to test.</em><br /> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"> </span></div>
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-87854054921667631412016-01-09T09:10:00.003-06:002016-01-09T12:48:15.676-06:00Video! How to teach "Line Out"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Line out is the most important behavior a pulling dog can do. <u>The most important. </u> A solid Line Out will keep your dog from being tangled in the lines. A solid Line Out will keep you from running the dog over on a downward section of the trail. A solid Line Out will ensure that you can start <i>without whiplash</i> to your or your canine pal. After reading our blog post on <a href="http://skijordogs.blogspot.ca/2015/11/line-out.html" target="_blank">Line Out</a>, a reader from PEI, worked it with her own dog, Nes. We love to see what you are doing with your dogs! We also kinda have a major crush on Nes! What a happy dog! Look at this awesome team work "Line Out! <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B53OBlBn4PlDUWJOaGRCYjRHRUE/view" target="_blank"> </a></span></span></span><span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B53OBlBn4PlDUWJOaGRCYjRHRUE/view" target="_blank">Click here to see Nes's "Line Out" video</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">If you are having trouble with the link, you can always copy and paste the </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">URL: </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B53OBlBn4PlDUWJOaGRCYjRHRUE/view</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i>Stephanie H. is a 3rd year vet student in PEI, originally from the (warmer) United States. When not studying, she enjoys teaching silly tricks to her dog, hiking, and skiing. <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B53OBlBn4PlDUWJOaGRCYjRHRUE/view" target="_blank">Nes</a> is a Belgian Malinois and retired police K-9 who Stephanie adopted in 2014 after his retirement. He is looking forward to his 13th birthday in early February, when his mom will throw him a doggy birthday party and buy him his favorite food - Little Caesar's Deep Dish pizza!</i></span><br />
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-41161459434520064922015-11-20T19:49:00.004-06:002015-12-05T08:55:34.476-06:00Photo Contest!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Photo Contest!</b></span></div>
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Oxford Dogs is having a photo contest, which really isn't a contest celebrating photographic skill, it's more of a contest to celebrate working dogs! We will send the winner a gift certificate for $25, good for anything in our <a href="http://www.oxforddogsgear.com/" target="_blank">web store!</a><br />
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The winner will be randomly drawn on December 6th. So let's see what you got! Post a photo of your dogs pulling in harness on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SkijorwiththeOxfordDogs/?ref=hl" target="_blank">Oxford Dogs Facebook page</a>. Of course you can enter more than one photo, but they better be good! Contest is open to residents of Canada only. No nudity, unless you were mushing in the warmer months. <br />
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Show us what you got!</h2>
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-495287287667687322015-11-16T07:41:00.000-06:002015-11-16T07:41:02.422-06:00Line Out<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Line Out. It’s kind of a big deal. Often times people are
so focused on GOING, flying off down the trail, in our rush to get there, we
forget how to get there. Doesn’t make
sense does it? Neither does skipping the
“Line Out” command with your dog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">A properly trained “Line
Out” means your dog, in harness, will walk to the end of the gangline and
wait.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">What is your dog waiting
for?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">The command to “Hike” to move
forward.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">You might need to be waiting
your turn at the start line of race, you might be needing to turn your GoPro
on, you might just be fiddling with your gloves and skis.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Either way, you can certainly see the advantage
of a dog who is going to walk out to the end of the line, and wait till you are
ready to start pulling!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Furthermore, a good
solid “Line Out” means you have a good chance to check that there are no
tangled lines, avoiding injury for both you and your dog! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How do I teach it? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ask a mushing
question, get 20 different answers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Here is what works
for the majority of our students. We
begin by ensuring the dog can only be successful. A solid skijoring dog is a confident
dog. A confident dog is one who has been
set up for success. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is going to be a
skijoring command, so go ahead and suit up.
Put your belt on, and harness your dog. Beginning in a hallway, or
another narrow corridor, walk out the length of your gangline, and include room
for your dog’s body as well. If the
total length of your dog’s gangline to their nose is 10 feet, place a target at
ten feet, and walk back to the start. A
suitable target might be a small plastic lid.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Place your dog on the
starting line in a “Sit Stay”. Walk
back to the target and place a really juicy reward on it. Now walk back to your dog, who is hopefully
drooling and looking at the treat.
Avoid making eye contact with your dog, and release them from the “Sit
Stay”. Your dog will bound off to the
treat, being rewarded! Repeat this a
few times, until your dog gets the idea of running ahead to the end of the line
to get the treat. When your dog is
getting the treat, don’t be shy, PRAISE PRAISE!
Eventually you will be replacing the treat with verbal praise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ylz-QSmo0LQ/VknbuvPjLzI/AAAAAAAAB7c/Zgzm6zHJc08/s1600/DSC_3419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ylz-QSmo0LQ/VknbuvPjLzI/AAAAAAAAB7c/Zgzm6zHJc08/s640/DSC_3419.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful "Line Out"! Good Dogs! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Once your dog is
doing this consistently, it’s time to take it up a notch. Place the target slightly further ahead this
time. Just far enough ahead that your
dog has to push against the harness to reach it. A solid “Line Out” is going to be having
the dog put some pressure on the harness. Not enough to pull you, just enough
to keep the line tight. When your dog is
doing this well, it’s time to add the command.
Associating the behaviour with the command. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e2KtnKJrk-0/VknbvVpYegI/AAAAAAAAB7g/ekkfETRQ37U/s1600/DSC_3413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e2KtnKJrk-0/VknbvVpYegI/AAAAAAAAB7g/ekkfETRQ37U/s400/DSC_3413.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burger "Line Out" Notice he leans into the harness, but is not pulling.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">An important note,
avoid sending your dog out to the target, and then calling him back. In the dog’s mind, this might be part of the
training, and you certainly don’t want a dog who is going to “Line Out” then
come bouncing back to you. Like some
crazy Yo-yo! After you have asked your
dog to “Line Out”, go and collect him, gather up the gangline, and walk him
back. Only repeat this a few times,
leave your dog wanting more. Don’t be a
bore! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Extensions of this
activity, are going to see you sending your dog to the target, waiting for a
few seconds, and then moving forward. If
your dog can wait patiently at the end of the line while you finish your
coffee, bonus points to you! </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">There are as many ways of training "Line
Out" as there are mushers and dogs. Everyone has something that works
for them. The end result should always be the same. You have a dog
who is at the end of the line, and waits for your command to tell them to go. Don’t forget what our end game is here. Walk to the end of the line. Go
forward. Soon enough your dog will be
moving forward down the trail, and that is reward! </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-59848419111485866262015-11-12T19:16:00.002-06:002015-11-12T19:31:08.456-06:00Guest Post: Review: Howling Dog Alaska Second Skin Harness by Tamara MacLaren<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Howling Dog Alaska Second Skin Harness</h2>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Tamara MacLaren is an urban Musher who lives in British
Columbia. Check out her Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/BCUrbanMushing/?fref=ts" target="_blank">BC URBAN MUSHING</a>. We are happy to welcome Tamara back to Skijor Oxford Dogs Blog as a guest. </i><i>We
sent Tamara and her dogs a Second Skin harness by Howling Dog Alaska to review! </i><i>Tamara was not paid for her comments, and her
views are solely her own. Tamara did
receive one free Second Skin harness from Oxford Dogs to review.</i></div>
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First, a few comments on half verses full length harnesses:<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are a few general advantages to a half or urban
mushing style harness. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The first is that they are generally adjustable around the
girth, and many styles are also adjustable around the neck. Measuring and
ordering a non-adjustable harness such as an x-back harness is difficult. There
is no standardization, and exactly where on the dog to measure for the specific
harness changes from manufacturer to manufacturer. Additionally, as you get
some miles on your dog, your dog gains muscle and may loose weight, changing
the fit of the harness. With an adjustable harness, it is simple to expand or
tighten a girth or collar, but with a fixed size harness, you need to get a
different size.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Secondly, because they have a girth, the dog can't back out
of the harness, a common issue with dogs new to the sport. Some do it
accidentally, as they dart to the side to sniff, chase, or greet and when they
are blocked going forward, reverse causing the harness to come over their head.
Some have discovered this accidentally, but then continue to do it any time
they want to go in a different direction than you do, like chasing a squirrel
up a tree. Nobody wants their dog to suddenly be off-leash and potentially in
danger.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Third, because the connection to the harness is just behind
the shoulders, the handler retains more control of the dog, a very important
and needed feature when bringing new dogs into the sport. Most dogs will at first
behave the same way they do on leash. Some want to walk beside you, some want
to dart in all directions, and most want to do a walk-and-sniff walk. With a half-harness it is much easier to
block unwanted behaviours, particularly those to the side, which is almost
always where the dog is wanting to go.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fourth, half-harnesses can be used for other things besides
mushing. Restrained recalls, fly-ball, agility, etc, so for someone who doesn't
want a different set of gear for every activity they do with their dog, the
half-harness can be a very good option.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I like and use x-back style harnesses on my dogs, but when
only running 1-2 dogs or when starting a new dog, I think a half-harness may be
the way to go for many.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, which half-harness should you get? I've used the Urban
Trail harnesses from Alpine Outfitters and Canadog, and the Second Skin Harness
made by Howling Dog Alaska and sold by Oxford Dogs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The harnesses from Alpine and Canadog are very similar with
padded nylon straps. The one from Alpine is adjustable at the neck and the
girth which I thought would be the best option, but I found that as my dogs
learned to pull, the neck buckle would slip and so every time out, I had to
re-tighten that strap.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Second Skin harness sold by Oxford Dogs is completely different. It is
primarily made from a breathable waffle-weave soft padded fabric with bright
coloured trim, reflective strips, and an adjustable girth. This style spreads
the pulling load more evenly across the dog’s shoulders to minimize any
pressure points from pulling. The neck hole is not adjustable but is soft and
flexible. To help with heat dissipation and improve shoulder movement, the
design includes an open area across the shoulders. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I used this harness on 4 dogs, a 55 lb German Shepherd, two
43-47 lb pointer crosses, and an Alaskan Malamute puppy, also about 55
lbs. These dogs have very different
builds and coats, yet the Second Skin fit perfectly on each!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I ran two of the dogs together with my bike and the harness
did pull minimally to one side, but still worked very well. One of the things I
noticed using the half harnesses on each dog is that they were less likely to
get tangled (running very new dogs). Running a single dog from the bike or
canicross style on foot was perfect and gave that extra level of control
typical of most half-harnesses. I walked the Malamute puppy on the harness and
she was able to pull to her heart's content, but without me worrying about
pressure points with a puppy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For a final test out, I took one of the pointers to a
fly-ball practice and used this harness with her. Practice includes a stranger
holding the dog by the harness while I go to the other end of the run and call
the dog. The dog then runs to me, jumping several low jumps along the way. What
I especially liked with this harness for this activity is that I could give the
tug loop to the holding person and she could use it to hold the dog back without
actually touching the dog, an important feature for dogs who are sensitive.
When she released the dog, due to the loop's location, there was no risk to the
dog tripping on it or getting it caught on something, and the harness is cut
perfectly not to interfere with shoulder movement, so the dog ran freely
clearing the jumps. If there had been an issue and the dog needed to be caught,
the harness could easily be grabbed as the dog zipped by.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There would be no need to switch from this style of harness unless
the tug line would be going from the dog to some connection point close to the
back height of the dog or lower. For
lower connection points, the tug line would bump the dogs back, hind end, or
cut to the side and potentially rub a hip. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My overall impression of this harness is excellent and I
would recommend it to anyone doing multiple sports, training young teams,
wanting to minimize pressure points, or looking for a flexible fit. <o:p></o:p></div>
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-28891117293040313782015-11-11T09:22:00.004-06:002015-11-12T19:12:01.064-06:00Product Review – Kurgo Pinnacle Harness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Product Review –
Kurgo Pinnacle Harness</b></h2>
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<i><o:p> </o:p>André and Burger, and the Oxford Dogs were not paid for this review. We did receive one free harness from Kurgo to test. </i></div>
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Good Day All! Even though you may have seen plenty of me
over the years this is my first post on the blog. I am the other human member
of the Oxford Dogs team and I enjoy participating in all kinds of human-canine
sports with my fur family. Received I got a chance to test out Kurgo’s Pinnacle
Harness with my youngest dog Burger.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In any kind of pulling sport a good solid harness is your
most important piece of gear, I have a few harnesses for Burger that I
absolutely love so I was excited to put the Pinnacle Harness to the test.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The product itself<o:p></o:p></div>
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Before even trying the harness on Burger I took a few
minutes to examine it. The harness appears to be made of very durable material
and has solid hardware. This is very important to me as Burger is a strong pull
dog that has ripped or broken more than his fair share of gear. The chest plate
is fairly broad which should support solid pulling form the chest, and there is
a handy back handle to suitcase the dog easily.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
The fit</h3>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Overall the harness is extremely adjustable. Burger has
quite a deep chest and I had no problem fitting him. Because of the design, the
harness fits easily over the dog’s head then clasps on both sides, so there is
no awkward leg twisting needed. The one thing that I found odd was the clasps,
they are metal and fit into each other. At first I thought I would have
difficulty with them, but they turned out to be very easy to work with. The
only concern I have with these is that they may be more difficult to handle
during the winter, as the metal would get cold and there is no way you can
handle them with gloves on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Putting it to the test<o:p></o:p></div>
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The harness is advertised for hiking, running and walking,
so in order to give it a good test I used it for all three on separate
occasions. For every one of these activities the harness performed well.
Because of its adjustability and broad chest plate Burger was able to pull
solidly from his chest. I also found the length of the harness to be quite good
and the belly strap didn’t rub at all in Burgers armpits, as I have observed in
some other harnesses. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Burger can get a tad bit excited when he comes across
wildlife, deer and squirrels are some of his favorite things, so I found the
handle especially helpful to rein him in when he got overly excited with his
surroundings. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get him to walk nicely on a
leash while in the harness, but to be honest I have trouble getting that
behaviour out of him on the best of days, so it’s clear that the harness is not
to blame.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r8uiTa7e1cI/VkNb9ZBFBaI/AAAAAAAAB4c/6_wAgaWr0eo/s1600/DSCF0056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r8uiTa7e1cI/VkNb9ZBFBaI/AAAAAAAAB4c/6_wAgaWr0eo/s400/DSCF0056.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Overall impression</h3>
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Overall I found Kurgo’s Pinnacle Harness to be a good fitting
harness that I would recommend to anyone, with a gentle dog, that likes to hike
with their dog or cani-cross. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The harness also has some additional features such as the
front attachment which can be used to turn it into a no-pull harness, which I
chose not to test for fear of confusing Burger as I always encourage him to
pull in harness. The harness is also machine washable which could come in handy
if you’re like me and like to go out in all weather conditions and are not afraid
to get a little dirty.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sA7ZU6UVbBY/VkNcsLn5oII/AAAAAAAAB4s/dpNOHmeEQSY/s1600/DSCF0484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sA7ZU6UVbBY/VkNcsLn5oII/AAAAAAAAB4s/dpNOHmeEQSY/s320/DSCF0484.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, after a few months of use, Burger was able to
rip this harness apart. It started with
a few small rips in the fabric, and then most of the top tore off. Burger is a solid dog, and this is not the
first harness he has destroyed. Thankfully,
the re-enforced stitching along the back of the harness held in place, we were
still able to hike back to the car. This
harness would likely be fine on a dog who is not a constant puller, but it was
not able to withstand Burger’s strength.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Happy tails!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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André and Burger<o:p></o:p></div>
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-41638683744552048802015-10-19T16:43:00.001-05:002015-10-19T16:47:25.440-05:00Kurgo Baxter Backpack Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Kurgo Baxter Backpack Review -</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Guest Post by the Sophomore Skijorer</span></h2>
<div>
<span style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Oxford Dogs was not paid for this review. The Sophomore Skijorer did receive one free pack to review.</span></i> </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fEbT__3NPa4/ViTl1no6ETI/AAAAAAAAB4A/LfnmaOgoMpM/s1600/IMG_3521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fEbT__3NPa4/ViTl1no6ETI/AAAAAAAAB4A/LfnmaOgoMpM/s400/IMG_3521.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hey there! You may remember me from previous guest posts on the OxfordDogs' blog- “<a href="http://skijordogs.blogspot.ca/2013/11/guest-post-tales-from-sophomore.html" target="_blank">Tales from the Sophomore Skijorer</a>”. Well we are coming up on our fourth mushing season, so I am not sure whether that title is still appropriate… but I have yet to come up with a better name!<br />
<br />
Anyway, we added a new pup to our pack last December. Casey is a neat little dude who loves to adventure! Guess you could say he fits right in! We were super excited when the Oxford Dogs asked us to do a product review for the <a href="http://www.kurgo.com/outdoor-gear/baxter-dog-backpack/?gclid=CIDgkLvAz8gCFYZlfgodr7EF-A" target="_blank">Kurgo Baxter Dog Backpack</a>.<br />
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<b>First Impressions</b><br />
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Everyone knows first impressions are important! Well, this is one good looking pack!I picked out the “Coastal Blue” color and totally loved it. Plus, it looks really great against Casey’s black fur. The size was easy to choose – there are only two options (regular Baxter and Big Baxter) which shows how adjustable this pack is. Casey is 35 lbs- I was a bit worried the regular Baxter would still be too big for him but we had no issues.<br />
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<b>The Fit</b><br />
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This pack is super easy to fit and comes with a good little card with directions. Thereare two belly straps that are easily adjustable. The strap closest to the dogs front legsalso connects into a little breast plate that makes up part of the neck strap as well. This made it really simple to fit the pack properly around the neck line. The saddle bags have their own separate straps to adjust their height which is a nice feature.<br />
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<b>The Features</b><br />
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A few of my favorite things about this pack- the handle on the back! It is sturdy and padded which makes hanging on to your dog for a quick photo a breeze. There is a sturdy D ring at the back of the pack to attach your leash to and while the saddle bags look small in size, they can sure hold a lot of stuff! Each bag has two zippered compartments- one big one and one small one. Great for treats, poop bags, collapsible bowls… and much more!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FOHoLowocz8/ViP2GCTFzxI/AAAAAAAAB3o/NTLH6GuQNnw/s1600/photo%2B5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FOHoLowocz8/ViP2GCTFzxI/AAAAAAAAB3o/NTLH6GuQNnw/s400/photo%2B5.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<b>The FUN!</b><br />
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The first time we tested this pack out, was on a nice 6 km hike. It was Casey’s first time with a backpack on and he adjusted in no time. Our dogs are trained to pull in harness, and I find this transfers over to backpacks too. I have had experience with straps on another pack loosening as time goes on under the strain of a strong pulling dog. Not this pack! It was solid! The straps didn’t move, and everything stayed in place, despite Casey's pulling.<br />
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The zippers have nice toggles on them which make opening the compartments super easy, even with gloves on. <br />
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The best part is, adding a small amount of weight in a pack not only tires the dogs out physically, but mentally as well.<br />
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<b>The Bottom Line</b><br />
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In my opinion, this is a great pack! Worth the investment if you are active with your dogs. Can’t wait to get one for our other dog Ember!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nQb7-o_qkOk/ViP2Qwr_LbI/AAAAAAAAB3w/a0EM0O3z6tg/s1600/photo%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nQb7-o_qkOk/ViP2Qwr_LbI/AAAAAAAAB3w/a0EM0O3z6tg/s640/photo%2B2.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-83200864018553801152015-08-12T10:01:00.001-05:002015-08-12T10:19:19.334-05:00Guest Post: Dog Sports Girl: Review Ruffwear Knot-a-Collar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: x-small;"><em>Have you met our newest reviewer? Sarah is from Winnipeg, Mb. She lives with her dog Davidson, and they compete in many forms of dog sports. Sarah and Davidson have performed with the SuperDogs and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wilddogswpg" target="_blank">Wild Dogs of Winnipeg</a>! Welcome!</em></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">Product Review: Ruffwear Knot-a-Collar<o:p></o:p></span></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Recently I tested the Ruffwear Knot-A-Collar. Davidson has been wearing the collar for the past week and I wanted to share some thoughts so you can make the best decision in choosing a collar that will work best for you and your dogs!</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FR7CB7ibxRM/VcteBMKml6I/AAAAAAAAB2U/bMvN5TESc9Q/s1600/DSC_0274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FR7CB7ibxRM/VcteBMKml6I/AAAAAAAAB2U/bMvN5TESc9Q/s640/DSC_0274.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">First things first, I LOVE this collar; it’s great for wearing around the house for everyday wear, with the slim 7mm reflective rope design it wont irritate the skin or mess up the fur like a regular thick buckle collar. The separate ID tag holder on the front of the collar is quiet and out of the way so it’s never jingling with your leash on walks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aDZ86JiP6Ao/Vcteb8WauFI/AAAAAAAAB2g/VUsAIoyNG90/s1600/DSC_0276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aDZ86JiP6Ao/Vcteb8WauFI/AAAAAAAAB2g/VUsAIoyNG90/s640/DSC_0276.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The collar is deigned to adjust using the 2 slip knots located on either side of the collar. With the medium fitting 14-20 inch neck size and the large fitting 20-26 inch the collar is designed to fit your medium to larger size breeds. Ruffwear’s aluminum V-Ring attachment point for your leash is strong and sturdy just like you will find on many of their other products and collars. The belay plate of the collar fits right in the center of the neck and provides a nice fit so the collar stays in place and not irritating the skin.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ns8Ih8UfP2w/VcteihXZY7I/AAAAAAAAB2o/HTE_LhJfU8w/s1600/DSC_0281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ns8Ih8UfP2w/VcteihXZY7I/AAAAAAAAB2o/HTE_LhJfU8w/s640/DSC_0281.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Is it a good "fit"?</span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now this collar is great, but there are some things that don’t make it a good fit for everyone, or every situation. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For the dog who likes to pull or isn’t the most well-mannered furry monster of the pack, this collar might not work out. Even though the thin rope design of the collar is great for wearing around the house and holding your everyday ID tags, it isn’t so great on a dog that likes to push their limits pulling on a leash. Also, unless you have the collar snug so it isn’t coming off any time soon, it’s pretty easy to back out of to go chase the neighborhood rabbits. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> The verdict</o:p></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In the end I would classify it more as a beautiful ID collar. It’s for the people who prefer their dogs to be “naked” but with the safety of a phone number or for something to hold when your dinner arrives at the door! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><o:p></o:p></span><em> </em><br />
<em>Sarah Davidson is the Dog Sports Girl. You can catch her and Davidson at the </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/wilddogswpg" target="_blank"><em>WildDogs</em></a><em> shows. Look for more of Sarah's review right here!</em> <em>Neither Sarah nor Oxford Dogs was compensated for this review by Ruffwear.</em> <br />
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-35658733169822661582015-08-09T18:16:00.001-05:002015-08-09T18:16:04.284-05:00Thank-you<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We have had lots of fun with you over the years! What started as a hobby, running dogs on my own, turned into teaching others. From there it turned into a blog, and then we started to bring gear in for people. We still are passionate about getting people out with their dogs. Word is getting out! People are taking to skijoring, canicross and running with their dogs in increasing larger numbers! We love it! To best support new people to the sport, we have put our gear for sale all on one place. You can now find our best selling, high quality gear here... on our <a href="http://www.oxforddogsgear.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. </div>
KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-2472529680209743142015-03-05T08:07:00.000-06:002015-08-09T18:16:15.562-05:00Snow Motion: Rookie of the Year 2015: Carla<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425562841300_1976">Meet Carla, the Snow Motion Rookie of the year. Snow Motion is a winter dog sports club in Winnipeg, Mb. We were happy to sponsor the Rookie of the Year award for their local race, the Snow Motion Classic. </strong></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425562841300_2056">
<b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425562841300_2062">Tell us about your dog, Moose.</b></div>
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Moose is a rescue from <a href="http://manitobamutts.org/" target="_blank">Manitoba Mutts</a>. He was found wandering in a ditch outside of Miami, Manitoba when he was 3 months old. We have no idea if he has siblings or what his breed is although it's safe to say he's quite the mix. Moose is a pretty amazing dog. He's calm, playful, likes to cuddle and is eager to please. He gets along with almost any other dog but is content to explore on his own too. But what makes him really wonderful for this sport is that he loves to chase and he doesn't mind pulling. The trick now is to get him to pull without a chase.</div>
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<b>How did you first get started in the sport? </b></div>
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I worked with an expert in the sport, Lorne Volk, when I was doing my practicum for teaching. He would show the students pictures and videos. I remember his eyes lit up when I said that I'd adopted a dog. Everything fit into place after that. </div>
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<strong>What dog powered sports have you been involved with?</strong></div>
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Skijoring is my first "dog-powered" sport although we take Moose with us everywhere including cycling, hiking, back-country camping and canoeing. </div>
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<b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425562841300_2038">How did you know you were hooked on the sport? </b></div>
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I was hooked on the sport because Moose was. It was a challenge at first. I didn't know how to ski and Moose didn't know how to pull. We had some pretty ridiculous crashes and entanglements. I remember getting so excited when we first started to click as a team. Now Moose loves skijoring and we're only getting better and better at it. </div>
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<b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425562841300_1989">What other kinds of training have you done with your dogs?</b><br />
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Early on we knew that training was important with Moose especially since he is such a large dog. We took him to obedience training when he was just a puppy and try to be very consistent with our behaviour expectations at home. <br />
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Matt (my fiancee) is helping with training year-round. Every time we turn left, even when walking, we say "Haw" and every time we turn right we say "Gee". This year, Moose has started to listen and respond to those calls! <br />
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<b>What is your favorite piece of gear?</b><br />
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I started to sport using a short old pair of classic skis. I wanted to make sure that this was a sport that we would both enjoy before buying expensive equipment. I recently took the plunge and bought real skate ski equipment. I'm having a good time with my new skis right now.<br />
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<b>What is the best advice you have ever been given for mushing?</b><br />
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Get to know your dog. If you can predict what your dog is going to do, then you can be proactive in either correcting or encouraging it. Often it's when your dog surprises you that you end up biting the snow. </div>
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<b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425562841300_2047" style="color: black; font-family: HelveticaNeue, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Why do you run your dog?</b></div>
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<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425562841300_1995">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425562841300_1994" style="color: black; font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425562841300_1993" style="font-size: 14px;">It's so important to exercise your dog. If we weren't skijoring, we'd be going to the dog park or for a hike or cycle. But with skijoring, we both get great exercise and we get to take advantage of the Winnipeg winter. It also gives us a chance to really work together as a team. I feel a lot closer to my dog when we skijor because we are relying on each other to make it work. </span></span><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425562841300_2046" style="color: black; font-family: HelveticaNeue, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Moose loves it and so do I.</span></div>
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-68684892797401811842015-03-02T06:47:00.003-06:002015-03-02T14:10:36.520-06:00Guest Post: Tug-N-Tow Review: By Tamara MacLaren<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Tamara MacLaren stops by to review the Tug-N-Tow for us. Tamara has been involved in working with dogs and horses for more than 30 years and currently lives and runs dogs in and around the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. She also enjoys traveling, hiking, and backpacking with the dogs, running marathons, and teaching running clinics when she isn't researching and writing. Watch for her book on Urban Mushing in the near future. Tamara, nor the Oxford Dogs have been compensated for this review.</em> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Tug-N-Tow Review<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OZ5z0LUUnBs/VPM0N_t_WdI/AAAAAAAABy0/oxjZO2CxFSM/s1600/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OZ5z0LUUnBs/VPM0N_t_WdI/AAAAAAAABy0/oxjZO2CxFSM/s1600/1.png" height="200" width="121" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Tamara MacLaren <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OZ5z0LUUnBs/VPM0N_t_WdI/AAAAAAAABy0/oxjZO2CxFSM/s1600/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US"></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">Just behind me and to my left I heard Diana
yell a hard “NO” and the sound of her scooter skidding to an immediate
halt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called my own “Whoa” and hit the
breaks to see what had happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Willa,
my German Shepherd, and Takoa, my Alaskan Malamute, stopped immediately, and I
looked back.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">Diana's two dogs, a blonde
athletic male lab and a black equally fit female lab mix were doubled back
facing Diana and appeared to have been trying to head off the dyke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their lines were wound around the front wheel
axle so tightly that neither dog could move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I lay my scooter down, and went back to see if I could help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Happily, Diana's dogs were calm, so we
unhooked their harnesses and I held them while she attempted to extricate the line from the wheel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, with a
wrench, the line came free, but in two pieces!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
"
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We weren't too far from the parking area, but scooters are not made to
easily be person powered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I dug around in my bag, pulled out a leash, and knotted it into Diana's line to replace the damaged piece. We hooked up, and gently trotted back the remaining way to the parking area.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">This kind of thing was a regular occurrence
for me when I started dryland mushing with my dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Malamute would pull for a second to get moving,
but then slack off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the moment
between when he slacked off and when I used the breaks to take the slack back
out of the line, the line would get into my wheel, under one of my break
handles, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Initially, I bought a “Scooter Noodle” from
Alpine Outfitters to solve the problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Scooter Noodle
is basically a pool noodle about 1.5 feet long that you run your line through
before attaching it to your scooter or bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a line at the dog end of the noodle that you attach to your
handlebars, forming a triangle to hold the line up and away from your tire if
the line goes slack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>This worked
reasonably as long as the dog was in front, but as is often the case with dogs
who are new to the sport, my dogs would often stop to the side or drop to check
on me, bringing the slack line to the side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then the dog would spring ahead and the line and noodle would hook my
breaks, flipping my handlebars to one side and me into the gravel, especially
when on my bike where the handlebars are lower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not fun!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I spent time researching how to train my
dogs out of this dangerous behavior and looking for how to prevent the
intermittent slack from causing accidents and injuries to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came across the Tug-N-Tow (<a href="http://www.tugntowbikeleash.com/"><span style="color: navy;">http://www.tugntowbikeleash.com/</span></a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Tug-N-Tow works the same as a retractable
leash attached to your bike or scooter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Retractable leashes have been heavily denounced in recent years for using to
walk dogs because it encourages the dogs to pull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I thought, </span>“Hmm – I want my dogs to pull”.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">The Tug-N-Tow is a normal mushing line that
attaches inside a housing that is mounted on your bike or scooter (or any
vehicle you want to attach it to).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
housing uses an industrial strength spring to wind excess line around a spool
inside the housing, keeping the slack out of the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When fully extended, the line is about 7
feet, the same as a normal line, but 5 feet of that is retractable, meaning
that if the dog didn't pull at all, there would be enough line for the dog to
be at the bike or scooter, possibly even getting a bump from the tire, but still
not enough slack for the line to get into the wheel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This sounded good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I asked if other people who had bought it
where happy with it and the resounding response was that not only were they
happy with it, but everyone in their mushing club had switched to using them –
a strong recommendation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was concerned
that perhaps the Tug-N-Tows would break under hard use but I couldn't find
anyone who's Tug-N-Tow had broken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>In
looking at the Tug-N-Tow web site, there was instructions on how to replace the
lines and even the retraction spring as well as information on extensive
testing they do to ensure that the Tug-N-Tow stands up to the rigors of dryland
mushing and then some!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">I ordered a Tug-N-Tow from the web site and
was shocked when it arrived only a few days later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had mine delivered to a US mailing address
since I live very close to the US border, so I don't know how much extra time
the border crossing would add if having it shipped to Canada.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">I grabbed an adjustable wrench and quickly
installed the Tug-N-Tow on my scooter, harnessed the Malamute, and off we went
to give it a try.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MYeh5bOZjiI/VPM0NkFps7I/AAAAAAAABzA/f9PXMe7MOqQ/s1600/123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MYeh5bOZjiI/VPM0NkFps7I/AAAAAAAABzA/f9PXMe7MOqQ/s1600/123.jpg" height="320" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">The effect was immediate and
entertaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As before, the Malamute
gave a few steps of pulling to get us moving, then attempted to slow down to
relieve the tension on the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
line retracted and the line stayed tight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He stopped and the line stayed tight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>My husband was on his bike ahead, so the Malamute had a great deal of
motivation to move forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So he moved
out again, attempting again to slow after the first few steps to relieve the
line tension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since this strategy no
longer worked and my husband was getting away, he stopped trying to relieve the
tension and just kept going, picking up speed to catch up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It was like a miracle and I was forever in
love with my Tug-N-Tow!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G_-wmrBCioo/VPM0OHc0YCI/AAAAAAAABzE/_VM2j28kvL0/s1600/1234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G_-wmrBCioo/VPM0OHc0YCI/AAAAAAAABzE/_VM2j28kvL0/s1600/1234.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">My only complaint and it is a minor one, is
the bungee loop arrangement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their is a
bungee loop between the main recoiling line and the tugs that go to the dog
harnesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without tension on the line,
the loop has a tendency to open, and the first time I took out my newly
installed Tug-N-Tow on my bike, the Malamute was goofing around, coming beside
me for a moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use heavy-tread
mountain bike tires on my bike, and as the bungee sagged, it caught on the tire
tread, immediately halting my bike, and flipping me off onto my knees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I swapped the bungee and tug section of the
line out for an inline bungee tug and haven't had the problem since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Putting a knot in the bungee loop to hold it
closed would accomplish the same thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">If you are running multiple dogs, the slack
line becomes less of a problem and at least one of them is always pulling, but
when you only run one or two dogs, the Tug-N-Tow is the best solution I have
found, both as a training tool, and for fundamental safety while out running
the dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I highly recommend it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ha1FwVaKDhY/VPRb1638NcI/AAAAAAAABzU/o6XGoSZwcv4/s1600/TakoaWilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ha1FwVaKDhY/VPRb1638NcI/AAAAAAAABzU/o6XGoSZwcv4/s1600/TakoaWilla.jpg" height="207" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>
Thanks Tamara! </em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Click here for my <a href="http://www.petguide.com/products/reviews/dog/product-review-the-tugntow-mushing-rig/" target="_blank">review on the Tug-N-Tow</a>. </em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Have you used the Tug-N-Tow? </em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Let us know on the comment section what you think!</em> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
</div>
KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-60388773111920172532015-02-17T07:57:00.004-06:002015-02-17T07:58:12.357-06:00Interlake Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
Diamond Disc Dogs, Crazy Jumpers Dog School and Oxford Dogs are proud to present the <strong>Interlake Challenge</strong>. March 21st, 2015<br />
<br />
It's a tour of two awesome private skijoring/kick sledding trails in the Interlake Region on Manitoba. Our first trail at <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=197049867012290" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crazy-Jumpers-Dog-School-Boarding/197049867012290">Crazy Jumpers Dog School & Boarding</a>, is located just outside of Gimli. (10:30 am) After a run on the trails, enjoy your picnic lunch in the heated training facility. <br />
<br />
Due to the number of dogs at the event, we ask that dogs please stay in your vehicle during while you are eating. <br />
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From there we load up and drive down the road to the Diamond Disc Dog's farm, located in Inwood Manitoba. (1:00 pm) Space is limited to 15 teams. <br />
<br />
The hosts have generously donated access to the trails for the day. We will be announcing a convoy closer to the date for those traveling from Winnipeg (8:45 am). Bring your friend. Bring your dogs. Bring a camera and a smile! <br />
<br />
RSVP to <a href="mailto:kevin_c_roberts@yahoo.com">kevin_c_roberts</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">@yahoo.com</a> to reserve your spot. There is no cost. This is not a race. Just a fun event! </div>
KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-20891230537884035192015-02-17T07:46:00.002-06:002015-02-17T12:56:28.995-06:00Snow Motion Classic Feb 15, 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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These photos are from a local clubs race, the Snow Motion Classic, held at Birds Hill Park, near Winnipeg. Trails were in great condition, thanks to the brutal cold! A layer of new snow made the trails really nice to ski and glide on. If your image is here, please feel free to Right Click and steal it! I have no idea why some of the photos look so odd, I will play around with them later and see what I can do. For now, when you click on the photos, you can scroll through them that way. </div>
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Well, that was fun! Looking for some more skijoring action? Check out the<a href="http://skijordogs.blogspot.ca/2015/02/diamond-disc-dogs-crazy-jumpers-dog.html" target="_blank"> Interlake Challenge</a></div>
<br /></div>
KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-66951364148411333822015-01-20T14:19:00.001-06:002015-01-20T15:18:13.243-06:00Guest Post: Kelsy Gibos: Sled Dog Sport in Victoria, Australia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<em>Have you met Kelsy? She is one crazy Canadian skijorer, who took her passion to skijoring, to a while new world! Kelsy recounts her skijoring adventures from the land Down Under! Turns out they have snow in Australia! They even skijor! Who knew, eh? </em></div>
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Sled Dog Sport in Victoria, Australia<o:p></o:p></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Although it sounds something akin to Jamaican bobsledding,
sled dog sport is alive and kicking in the eucalyptus forests of
Australia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teams gather from across the
county to compete in sprint races on both snow and dirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Competitors run teams of malamutes, Alaskan
huskies, Siberian huskies and hounds at internationally recognized races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teams run up to 10 dogs in size and folks
compete other sled dog style sports including canicross and skijoring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was lucky enough to relocate from Canada to Australia for
work in February of 2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My partner and
I landed in the rural town of Ovens, Victoria which located at the foot of some
of Australia’s highest mountain peaks (yes, there are mountains there and
snow!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We started our sled dog
adventure by volunteering as handlers for a local sled dog touring company-
Australian Sled Dog Tours. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Australian-Sled-Dog-Tours/163099997037198" target="_blank">Brett Hadden</a> and his collection of rescued Siberian
huskies bring people who have never even seen snow on adventures of the sled
dog variety</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately many huskies find
themselves homeless and unwanted one of the warmest climates in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brett takes them on, teaches them to pull and
brings happiness to snow-seeking Aussies for the few months of the year that
the white stuff flies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also fell into
rescue quickly, and saved a brother-sister pair of puppies from a high kill
shelter near Sydney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twigs and Trout are
Australian Cattle Dogs crossed with Siberian Husky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brett’s team quickly helped us get our dogs
into pull sports.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gSL5MczJrmw/VL6x9U7IZTI/AAAAAAAABt8/gbIsmaaiaGQ/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gSL5MczJrmw/VL6x9U7IZTI/AAAAAAAABt8/gbIsmaaiaGQ/s1600/1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Photo: Twigs and Trout running in a 10 dog team in Dinner Plain, Victoria, Australia (they are the 4<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> pair from the front)<o:p></o:p></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After that, we joined the Northern Victoria Sled Dog Club
(NVSDC), where we attended heaps of training events and fun runs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They helped us train Twigs and Trout to pull
a kickbike and how to pass, run on by and the full experience of the race
chute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Club races were great for
training, great for socializing (people and dogs!) and overall great fun. There
were are several large, inter-state races organized by various clubs and
managed by the main governing body (ASSA- </span><a href="http://www.assa.asn.au/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.assa.asn.au</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Races took place in state
forests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the mushers would camp
together and the races would start first thing in the morning when temperatures
were cool (there are very strict rules and temperatures and humidities that
dogs are allowed to race in).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of
the races were sprint style, ranging in distance from 2 to 7 km, depending on
the size of the team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kickbikes are used
up to 2-3 dogs and the bigger teams use 3 wheeled rigs that are often homemade<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were novice and junior events, along
with opportunities to try canicross and bikejoring as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is us running in the 2 dog class at the
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPiblwz1aCU" target="_blank">Northern Victorian Sled Dog Classic</a>: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7kq-62VcQo" target="_blank">POV video</a> (to get a feel for the forest
type and conditions) of me and Twigs during the race</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-47fj1LZL49Y/VL6zCfpxTaI/AAAAAAAABuI/febL16Te9-M/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-47fj1LZL49Y/VL6zCfpxTaI/AAAAAAAABuI/febL16Te9-M/s1600/2.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Me with a muddy face running Twigs on the kickbike during a fun run event put on by NVSDC</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Coming out of the pine plantation with Twigs and Trout at the Canberra Classic (Nationals).</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Perhaps the most anticipated events in the sled dogging
season are the snow races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 2
races that Australian mushers can actually run sleds and slide on snow- one at
Falls Creek (a ski resort) and one at Dinner Plain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a great <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8LTCdz4sMk" target="_blank">media video</a> showing some of
the teams (look closely and you’ll see me!)</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few folks were interested in trying
skijoring, which used to happen at the snow races but had died out due to lack
of participants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, Travis and I got
geared up and started an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AusJorClub" target="_blank">Aussie skijor</a> group</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had heaps of competitors come
forward, including Phil Freelander who had competed previously in Scandinavia
with his German short-haired pointers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Skijoring quickly became a crowd favorite and it was awesome to have so
many folks cheering us on!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wFwdgryFGc4/VL61GYB5LsI/AAAAAAAABug/0HPVSIvWPdI/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wFwdgryFGc4/VL61GYB5LsI/AAAAAAAABug/0HPVSIvWPdI/s1600/4.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dinner Plain Sled Dog Alititude 5000 Challenge 2013 with Twigs and Trout (showing off with my hands in the air!)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Skijoring through Falls Creek Village during the Falls Creek Sled Dog Classic 2013</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i0NizqHbNXw/VL61v59AjwI/AAAAAAAABuw/0apnB5v4gGs/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i0NizqHbNXw/VL61v59AjwI/AAAAAAAABuw/0apnB5v4gGs/s1600/6.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Travis and Trout (and a red beard) racing at Dinner Plain Altitude 5000 Sled Dog Challenge 2012</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qLYyQL2CZ3s/VL61xtaPlvI/AAAAAAAABvE/2rdFbVk6YuY/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qLYyQL2CZ3s/VL61xtaPlvI/AAAAAAAABvE/2rdFbVk6YuY/s1600/7.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kelsy and Twigs at the Dinner Plain Alititude 5000 Sled Dog Challenge in 2012 (we were ranked #2 in all of Australia!)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Although our time in Australia came to an end in 2014, we
have heaps of magic memories and still keep in touch with many of our Aussie
mushing buddies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a link to a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEN6SqP6T2k&index=6&list=PL6D7FA88DB2BF4039" target="_blank">song</a>
my partner Travis wrote about our Aussie sled dog experiences</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hope to go back someday and
race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until then, we’ve been busy
running the trails in our new home of Edson, Alberta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are lots of trails (groomed or natural)
that we can explore with Twigs and Trout (our most expensive Australian
souvenirs!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get out the kicksled and
the skis!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DlSQn9WSJpA/VL61xoKhawI/AAAAAAAABu4/KL3Dya3KG7Y/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DlSQn9WSJpA/VL61xoKhawI/AAAAAAAABu4/KL3Dya3KG7Y/s1600/8.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Twigs and Trout and the kicksled at Willmore Wilderness Park near Edson Alberta</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Skijoring in fresh snow (and -20 C).</span></td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
To check out more of skijoring in Australia, check out the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AusJorClub." target="_blank">Facebook Group</a> for the Aussie Skijor club!</h3>
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-15571699515162506142015-01-13T11:21:00.000-06:002015-01-12T19:53:01.575-06:00Pull Dogs 101<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We want to get you out there enjoying winter with your dog! <br />
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Come and meet us, see if skijoring is right for your dog. If you are still interested, then sign up for our classes, which take place over a six week period. By the end of the six weeks, you will have a dog who pulls, and you will have the confidence to be out there enjoying these sports!<br />
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Our classes are force free, we want pulling to be the reward. We do ask you bring some treats to classes, as these aid in helping re-enforce some of the behaviours we want to see from our dogs. We don't use treats to get your dog moving. We don't chase trained dogs down the trail, we give you the skills to train a confident dog, you can enjoy winter with!<br />
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-37907256878078330102015-01-11T11:25:00.000-06:002015-01-12T19:53:23.540-06:00Crazy Jumpers Dog School and Boarding<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We were invited out to <a href="http://www.crazyjumpers.info/index2.php" target="_blank">Crazy Jumpers Dog School and Boarding</a>, in Gimli, Manitoba recently. Our host Patricia is an experienced dog trainer and musher. She is also an excellent host!<br />
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The trails are beautiful, and well laid out. I skated around the trails first, then whipped around for a quick tour with three dogs. After that we just played on the trails, taking the sharp turns and beautiful scenery in. I am not sure how many times I went around, but I was never bored! I loved skijoring through the frozen marsh, amongst grass nearly as tall as I was! The trail took us through Manitoba prairie and out through mixed aspen forest. Truly beautiful! <br />
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The trails were well marked with signs to warn you when you could be expecting head on traffic, and warning you of approaching turns. With enough turns and loops on the trail, I was able to work the dogs on their directional commands, and also challenge myself with some nice sharp turns at high speeds. <br />
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Our group included everyone from experienced international racers, to intermediates and beginners. Everyone was able to go at their own pace, and the trails were wide enough to allow for a few head on passes, or to step off to the side as another team passed by. <br />
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After a few runs in the morning, the whole group got together for a picnic lunch in the Crazy Jumper's training area. What a treat to be able to sit down, and be warm while eating my lunch! <br />
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After I stuffed myself with humus and deer sausage, it was back on the trails for some more rounds of fun! <br />
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I can't wait to go back! <br />
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-75570135048036238282014-11-24T18:30:00.003-06:002014-11-24T18:30:53.301-06:00Want to start a skijoring club? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So you want to start a skijoring club! Great! You got some things to think about! I borrowed this template from Snow Shoe Magazine. Check them out here: <a href="http://www.snowshoemag.com/">http://www.snowshoemag.com</a><br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
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What are your goals? What is the purpose?</h4>
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To teach lessons? To promote the sport? To race? To organize? To commune with nature, mushers and dogs? Know where you are going, or have a general idea before you start out. <br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Contact Potential Members</h4>
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Contact other skijorers. Look on Facebook, ask mushing supply companies. Get a group of enthusiasts together who are interested in organizing a club. Set a time and place for the first meeting or event. Send out emails, contact rescue allumi groups and Humane Societies. Dog training places are another great source of potential skijorers. Be all over Social Media, and they will come! <br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Create Rules and an Agenda</h4>
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Create a set of informal rules for general group operations and establish membership criteria and benefits. Establish a regular schedule for get-togethers. As this is a winter sport, think about how often you will be out, and have another part where people can meet up for a coffee or something after a run. <br />
<br />You might decide to elect officers: President, vice president, treasurer, and secretary. If the club is collecting money or dues, it's important to have a person in charge of collecting and keeping track of this! <br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
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Schedule Meetings</h4>
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Scheduling events and meetings in your area can quickly increase participation. How will you deal with new members wanting to join? Will you be holding a workshop? Or will you be looking for people who already know how to do the sport? <br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Communicate</h4>
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Communicate with club members! Allow them to communicate with each other as well. This will encourage the group to be strong, and support each other. A Facebook group is a great way to do this, as people don't have to be getting a ton of e-mails from the active members. Some of us type faster than others, and some people simply don't want their e-mail inbox filled up! Be open to new ideas and suggestions from group members. .<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
By-Laws</h4>
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This sounds super scary and formal, but examine the by-laws of other skijoring clubs for examples. They rules should be clearly stated on their websites. For a new group, start with something short and simple. Include the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>The name of the club</li>
<li>Purpose and goals</li>
<li>Benefits to the members</li>
<li>Responsibilities of the members</li>
<li>Responsibilities of the officers</li>
<li>Procedure for becoming a member</li>
<li>Procedure for becoming an officer (elections)</li>
<li>Schedule for official meetings (monthly? annually?) for the purpose of conducting elections, amending bylaws, determining the budget, and other official business</li>
<li>State non profit status (unless otherwise desired)</li>
</ul>
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-71807693432130814192014-11-19T06:57:00.000-06:002014-11-19T06:57:20.520-06:00Guest Post: Close Encounter (of the Wolf Kind)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1416272640527_30440" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1416272640527_30439" style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Our friend Justine, is an experienced outdoor adventurer. She has logged countless hours in the bush on dirt bike, horseback and sled. If you are looking to tour the Sandilands, Justine is the guide you want! Justine is an avid musher and enjoys the companionship of her canines. Recently she ran into a canine that she didn't enjoy so much, a wolf! We thought the story was one worth sharing. Justine obliged. Here is her story:</em></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Close Encounter of the Wolf Kind </span></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i>Story and photos by Justine Swaka </i></span></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My “pups” and I love to get out to bikejor/scooter/sled and hike at least 3-4 times per week. Our favourite trails are out at the Sandilands Provincial Forest, in Manitoba. Here the dogs can run off leash and have the opportunity to smell all the great smells of the forest and swim in the many ponds. </span></span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1416272640527_30443" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1416272640527_30442" style="font-family: Calibri;">We’ve come across many critters in the years that we’ve gone out there, including squirrels, sharp tail grouse, deer, bears, skunks and porcupines, among others. Up until recently though, we had never crossed paths with a wolf. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This particular day the dogs were off leash and not only did I have my three dogs, but also my son’s dog. As I hiked down the fireguard road the dogs were off in the nearby bush and ponds. I noticed a large animal up ahead on the trail and initially thought it may be a deer. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, as I walked closer and closer I noticed that it did not run away as the deer usually do. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Instead, it turned to face me and stood his ground. It was then I realized that it was a large wolf. </span></span></div>
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<span id="yiv0419925007yui_3_16_0_1_1416346626442_16255" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span id="yiv0419925007yui_3_16_0_1_1416346626442_16254" style="font-family: Calibri;">As I slowly walked towards it, I yelled and started banging my hiking poles together to get it to run off into the woods. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Instead of running away it did the opposite; it came trotting towards me with what looked like paws the size of dinner plates! </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I continued to yell and bang my poles and hoping against hope that the dogs would not notice it. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As luck would have it we were walking upwind of the wolf and the dogs did not scent it, and they were too distracted by the scents of the bush and water to even notice the wolf. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I continued to slowly walk towards it knowing if I turned around and walked in the opposite direction that it could very well start following us. I didn’t want it to see us as prey and although I only saw this one wolf there was a likelihood that he had his pack mates somewhere close by. Eventually he did slink off back into the woods, but on my way back to my vehicle I kept a close eye on what was behind us. He definitely was not afraid of humans and was in no hurry to go his own way. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">During this time I had kept my husband informed of what was happening. Needless to say he was worried about us getting safely back to the car which was an hour’s walk away. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All the years I had been going out to the bush, I had never really felt the need to have any kind of protection. After this encounter though, I have taken the advice to at least get some bear spray. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The worry about the safety of my pack remains though…what would I have done if they had scented the wolf and run after it? Though they have good recall, would the scent of the wolf and the chase have been enough to override the command to come back to me? </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s a worrisome thought that remains with me now as we head out on our adventures. </span></span><br />
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-64152123723192625662014-11-11T09:28:00.000-06:002014-11-12T07:53:19.807-06:00Free Running<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Free Running</span></strong></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bLrk3QDURs4/VF-BN_e5p7I/AAAAAAAABoM/Qu0dlVY35ok/s1600/DSC_5073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bLrk3QDURs4/VF-BN_e5p7I/AAAAAAAABoM/Qu0dlVY35ok/s1600/DSC_5073.JPG" height="281" width="400" /></a></div>
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Above is a picture of Belle as she runs. Free. No harness, no leash. Our dogs are obedience trained, and have excellent recall. If they weren't, we couldn't safely let them off the leash!</div>
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</div>
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What is free running? </h4>
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Free Running refers to the practice of letting your pulling dog run free, off leash, no harness. It's an important concept for dogs who pull. In some ways, it's a bit of a vacation from the work of pulling. Our dogs love to pull, but no matter how much you love your job, a break is always a healthy thing! </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cZqswQkTZ_U/VF-BL6bpTCI/AAAAAAAABn4/Oeqy5g1gXMk/s1600/DSC_5018-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cZqswQkTZ_U/VF-BL6bpTCI/AAAAAAAABn4/Oeqy5g1gXMk/s1600/DSC_5018-001.JPG" height="282" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leader of the Pack!</td></tr>
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The Pack</h4>
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Free running allows for different pack dynamics than a regular, regulated sled pull or harness activity. When our dogs are working, they are working. Focused, eyes forward, dig their shoulders in and go! They take their jobs seriously and work hard. During a free run, the dogs are encouraged to play as they run together. Something that is never allowed when in harness! This fast paced play time keeps their bond strong, but also serves to keep their mind sharp. We see different pack dynamics at play here than we do when the dogs are on a gangline or at home.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ce71XG4lrck/VF-BM713MnI/AAAAAAAABoA/48ntnpJdbY4/s1600/DSC_5141-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ce71XG4lrck/VF-BM713MnI/AAAAAAAABoA/48ntnpJdbY4/s1600/DSC_5141-001.JPG" height="145" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Free Running as a Training Tool</h4>
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Free running will also help with your training goals. You can free run your dogs while you go for a jog, or a bike ride and build up your own endurance! </div>
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When you let the dogs free run, they will be building up their muscles and strengthen their cardio as well. They will push themselves and each other, to run harder and faster. </div>
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Another benefit is that dogs that are allowed to free run, will be building and strengthening muscles in a way they would not otherwise be when pulling in harness. Watch two dogs at play, as they twist, jump and wrestle. How often can a dog exercise those muscles while in harness or on a leash? </div>
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<strong>Observe</strong> </div>
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</div>
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When your dog is free running, this is your opportunity to observe and watch. Look at your dog's usual gait. Watch how they move and run, and handle corners and fast turns. </div>
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It is your job to know your dog, and to know when something is wrong. For a dog with a sore toe, foot or leg, running is often easier than walking for a dog. As they are moving at a faster pace, they put less pressure on the affected appendage. It is up to you to know your dog, and to see the slight difference when something may be wrong. To the inexperienced eye, it might be assumed that because the dog is running, everything is fine. </div>
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By knowing your dog, and observing his movement in a free run, you can intervene and head off minor sprains and strains before they become much larger problems. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/15hYUsmkov8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Now, get out there and Free Run and Play with your dogs! </h4>
</div>
KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-46957995590763719142014-11-08T14:08:00.001-06:002014-11-08T14:08:44.380-06:00What to do while you wait for the snow....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em>It's okay to be one of those people who walk around smiling like an idiot as soon as the temperatures start to get a bit chilly. You are in good company! We are excited for snow as well! </em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Just don't expect non-skijoring people to understand. Those poor folk can only think of winter as a negative! Well, you my friend know how to turn a negative (temperature) into a positive (adventure)!</em><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-moMw1CA5XFo/VF53iiWjVJI/AAAAAAAABno/9Omscp-zHyI/s1600/DSC_4718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-moMw1CA5XFo/VF53iiWjVJI/AAAAAAAABno/9Omscp-zHyI/s1600/DSC_4718.JPG" height="268" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sitting around, waiting for the snow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Our topic is "What you can do while you wait for the snow.... Following these steps might help keep you from going crazy! (Might)<br />
<br />
1. <strong>Go over all your gear</strong>. Look over your skis, lines and harnesses. How are the booties holding up? Now is the time to replace or fix anything that was worn a little or broken from the last season. There is nothing wrong with "accidentally" breaking a ski, so you can get that new pair you have had your eye on. If you need new dog gear, order your gear now, before the mushing supply companies get really busy! <br />
<br />
2. <strong>Check excess baggage</strong>. Thanksgiving is over, and all the Halloween candy is gone. Which means it's time to get out there and get in shape! Don't overdue it, but do, do it. Focusing in on core strengthening exercises and cardio. The better shape you start your season in, the more you will enjoy it! Also check that Fido is fit, your dog needs to be fit and trim for skijoring season as well. <br />
<br />
3. <strong>Start</strong> <strong>thinking about your goals for this season</strong>. Will you be attending races or going on a new adventure? Thinking about your season now, and planning for it will ensure that you will get the most of this winter. <br />
<br />
4. <strong>Brush up on your team work</strong>. Take your dog out for a walk in harness, there's no need to go fast, and go over your basic skijoring commands. How's that Line Out looking? Shake the cobwebs off Gee and Haw. Perfect that On-By. The more you brush up on your training before the snow falls, the more time you have to enjoy yourselves once the snow falls. <br />
<br />
5. <strong>Foot Work.</strong> Pay attention to your dog's feet. Not just in the fall, but all season long. Fall is the time to start condition your dogs paw pads for the snow. Long walks on pavement, called "Roading" will help toughen up those pads. Get your dog back in the habit of letting you inspect his feet. Maybe make this a fun activity and do some foot work during doggie dinner time! Be on the look out for any cracks, tears or split nails. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
This should be enough to keep you busy, while you wait for the snow to fall in your area! </div>
KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-72939654579514074722014-10-01T11:57:00.000-05:002014-10-03T07:20:50.608-05:00On By<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0oBA9cAPrDs/UpF1AeOTNII/AAAAAAAAAkU/21-6OnBVkkI/s1600/onby.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0oBA9cAPrDs/UpF1AeOTNII/AAAAAAAAAkU/21-6OnBVkkI/s640/onby.bmp" height="392" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Your Dog's List of Excellent Things to Stop for on the Trail</h3>
<br />
10. Somewhere another dog might have gone pee.<br />
9. Somewhere another dog did pee.<br />
8. Somewhere your dog wants to pee where another dog already went pee.<br />
7. Another dog's poo<br />
6. Another animal's poo. Mmmmm. Poo.<br />
5. Another dog.<br />
4.A person who might have treats.<br />
3. A person who doesn't like dogs, but this is your dog's chance to win them over to the Dog Side.<br />
2. Dead things.<br />
1. Smelly dead things!<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Your Response to Your Dog's List of Excellent Things to Stop for on the Trail </h3>
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1. On By!</div>
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Pretty Simple</h3>
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Don't let your dog reward themselves by stopping. Be alert, and be ready. Keep your dog moving, and when they move past the distraction, offer so much praise! <br />
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On By! is best trained while you are on foot. In which you have control over the situation and your speed. Work on this with one dog at a time, and do it on your daily walks. <br />
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Let your dog have some room to move and freedom on the leash. Walk down the trail or sidewalk. When your dog stops to sniff, correct him with an "Oh by!" then keep moving! When your dog moves forward, PRAISE! Keep moving.<br />
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Soon, you will be so good at knowing when your dog is going to stop and sniff that you will just see the head turn, and you will give the "On by" correction and not even have to stop at all. <br />
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But....<br />
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Your dog may be stopping because he is bored of pulling, or overwhelmed. Increase your speed and distance slowly, and always leave your dog wanting more. </div>
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-33561513561720442532014-09-30T19:42:00.000-05:002014-10-03T07:23:07.093-05:00Book Review: Skijor With your Dog: Second Edition<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3QBA2DBGKb0/Un6lap6i83I/AAAAAAAAAgc/uZ2VhQh3O7c/s1600/_DSC2658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3QBA2DBGKb0/Un6lap6i83I/AAAAAAAAAgc/uZ2VhQh3O7c/s1600/_DSC2658.JPG" height="400" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burger as a puppy, learning the ropes of skijoring!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang=""></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span lang=""> Skijor With your Dog: Second Edition</span></h2>
<br />
<span lang=""></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="">by Marji Hoe-Raitto Carol Kaynor</span></div>
<span lang="">
<br /> The combined efforts of a professional writer, and a professional dog driver, Skijor With your Dog, is easy to read, and full of skijoring knowledge. The book covers everything from falling, to competition tips. <br /><br /> Similar to the first version, the book has many diagrams and pictures to illustrate their points. A nice change from the old book, are the new pictures, many of which are full page. <br /><br /> The book offers a through section called "Potential Problems and Possible Solutions". Which is a must read for anyone who is feeling frustrated that their dog just doesn't seem to "get it". If you are having problems getting going, it is worth buying this book, for this section alone. <br /><br /> The book takes you through everything you could want to know about skijoring. From the early history of the sport in North America, to picking your skis and your dog, to racing and winter camping. There is something for everyone in this book. <br /><br /> This is an easy to read, informative book. Rather than just simply a step by step, how to guide on skijoring, the rationale and reasoning behind the training and choices are presented. <br /><br /> A few take aways for me from this book:<br /><br /> I enjoyed the section at the back of the book, on a suggested training colander. It has given me some ideas about how to improve my own training schedule. <br /><br /> Training Philosophy. I am always thinking about this, and trying to learn from my dogs. I enjoy a book like this, that teaches you and gets you to think.<br /><br /> An excellent read. 5 Paws up. </span></div>
KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-3163656823447968382014-09-29T11:04:00.000-05:002014-10-03T07:25:07.028-05:00Tales from the Sophomore Skijorer: Getting Started<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Getting Started</b><br />
<i>By: Carly Lodewyks</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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I’m told I
started skiing almost before I could walk. As a kid I spent many hours cross
country skiing around Manitoba with my family. When permitted, our dogs came
with us and free ran the trails as we skied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was talk about this sport called skijoring but we none
of our family dogs were ever trained. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Fast forward
several years to Dec 2011. My husband and I adopted our first dog together from
the Winnipeg Humane Society. Ember was 4 months old and a bundle of energy +
puppy brain. From the time she came home with us I knew I wanted to give
skijoring a try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did some
internet research on skijoring in Winnipeg and came upon Snow Motion’s website.
I then patiently waited until the following fall when they were hosting their
next beginners workshop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this
point Ember was about 70lbs of athletic mutt who loved to run and pull. I had a
feeling she would be perfect for the sport. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ufheUyTzRjU/UpQY9il1sDI/AAAAAAAAAmE/oqGjjVhU_J0/s1600/family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ufheUyTzRjU/UpQY9il1sDI/AAAAAAAAAmE/oqGjjVhU_J0/s400/family.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Family Photo</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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The workshop
was a fantastic learning experience. We fit Ember for a harness and I came home
full of ideas to get her training started. </div>
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We went slow
at first. While out on our walks I began using “Gee” and “Haw” as we turned
corners. And “whoa” when we came to street crossings. In a very short period of
time Ember began to understand what these terms meant and I started to use them
as commands to dictate our path. I strapped on my belt and gang line to work on
“line out and hike”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could see
things coming together very quickly and couldn’t wait to get out on skis.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Finally the
snow came! Our very first skijoring run was by ourselves at Bird’s Hill Park
and she did great- at this point I knew both of us were hooked!</div>
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We spent the
winter last year skiing our hearts out with Snow Motion, the Oxford Dogs and
the Blonde Bullet. An extra long winter meant we had great trail conditions
until the beginning of April. We raced in the Snow Motion Classic race in
February and placed 2<sup>nd</sup> in the Novice 2 dog category. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bd8blz6trnI/UpQZS2pooEI/AAAAAAAAAmM/jGn-YHu-PEo/s1600/SM+Classic+Pro1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bd8blz6trnI/UpQZS2pooEI/AAAAAAAAAmM/jGn-YHu-PEo/s400/SM+Classic+Pro1.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Snow Motion Classic 2013- Photo courtesy of
Hodge Podge Creative<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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Looking back
on our first season I made the following observations:</div>
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<br /></div>
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- like most
dogs, Ember LOVES to chase and is extremely motivated to catch the team up
ahead. I’ve clocked us going nearly 30km/h running down Kevin and the Oxford
Dogs on the trail. In some ways this is great- she is strong, runs hard and we
have crazy amounts of fun. But I have always been worried that she would just be
trained to chase, meaning we would not be able to go out by ourselves for a
run.</div>
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One of my
goals over the summer/fall season has been to boost her confidence while
running alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">When the weather cooled off in August we took to the trails on our
scooter and I tried to get out on our own at least once a week. During these
runs I made sure to keep them short and fun with lots of praise. If she slowed down we stopped for
a bit until she was pulling on the line to go again. I let HER make the
decisions</span><!--EndFragment-->
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Kev also
suggested I try letting her pick the trail- this was amazing! I could see her
waiting for me to give a command as we came to a fork in the trail and when I
instead encouraged her to keep going where she wanted, she accelerated into the
turn. Great positive reinforcement!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Photo by Kev Roberts. Prairie sky by
Headingly, Manitoba<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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- Saturday morning we went out for our first skijor of the 2013-2014 season and I was
pleasantly surprised to see Ember pull strong and steady for nearly 5km without
slowing down. It was so gratifying to see our hard work paying off. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I have
learned that to have a good pulling dog, the running needs to be the reward. It
takes some time to get there but it is possible!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- Ember
struggles with leash reactivity. I was initially quite concerned about how she
would do in harness around so many other dogs. At first it was tough and I had
to keep some distance. But as she got used to the dogs and realized that her
job was to work around them and not play with them she has been great.
Occasionally we still have incidents but if everyone respects the “no contact
in harness rule” everything goes well. <br />
</div>
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In the end I
think the skijoring environment has actually improved her reactivity because
she has gotten used to working in harness around other dogs.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FUmGSGs1azs/UpQaHA4J4UI/AAAAAAAAAmc/cr9yFghWiEE/s1600/526753_10152651564000133_1494666480_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FUmGSGs1azs/UpQaHA4J4UI/AAAAAAAAAmc/cr9yFghWiEE/s400/526753_10152651564000133_1494666480_n.jpg" height="206" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Photo by Kev Roberts</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- Lastly, I
have learned it is easy to over do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The snow comes, the conditions are great, you have some free time, and
you go for a really long ski.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Great for you, but not so great for your dog. As Kev has mentioned it is
important to quit before your dog is exhausted. You don’t want them to
associate skiing with exhaustion. Building up to longer distances is
important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My second goal for this
season is to work up to a non-stop 5km. After our runs this weekend, I think we
are well on the way!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Well, there
you have it. I could probably go on for pages and pages about what I have
learned in the last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Becoming
a mushing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">team</i> with my dog has been
one of the most amazing experiences and I am totally in love with every aspect
of the sport. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
There is
nothing like the connection between musher and dog. </div>
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Get out
there and give it a try! You won’t regret it!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pfpKZ_i0E98/UpQaV-Hlr1I/AAAAAAAAAmk/aXGpkqrbVyk/s1600/IMG_1193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pfpKZ_i0E98/UpQaV-Hlr1I/AAAAAAAAAmk/aXGpkqrbVyk/s320/IMG_1193.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>First snow fall cani-cross selfie.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
</div>
KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409332359157954966.post-67630026642514621802014-05-26T08:33:00.002-05:002014-05-28T11:51:04.180-05:00Behind the scenes- Oxford Dogs & Friends on TV<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Did you see us on TV? </span></h2>
<h3 class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://youtu.be/JAiRbnQZNZ8"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is the clip!</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></h3>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">We got the call about a week ago, “Would you be interested in talking about Micro Mushing?”</span><br />
</div>
<div class="p2">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://youtu.be/JAiRbnQZNZ8"><img alt="http://youtu.be/JAiRbnQZNZ8" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xrwQJZExN1Y/U4NBYP-2UtI/AAAAAAAABUU/mH9hA7saW6k/s1600/10314003_10154151120170133_1002984718606020937_n.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Interested? Just try and stop me! It’s my passion! I love spreading the word about micro mushing and activities people can do with their dogs! We were so in!</span><br />
<span class="s1"></span><br />
<span class="s1">So we called up some friends from our local skijoring club, <a href="http://www.snowmotion.ca/">Snow Motion</a>, and picked the place to meet. </span><span class="s1">Shawna brought her dog Pepper. Chris brought Blizzard, and Kirsty brought Askum. We brought Penny, and Belle and Burger. A great crowd, with awesome dogs! </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"></span><br />
<span class="s1">I am so thankful to have such awesome mushing friends. They love their dogs, and we always have a good time with lots of laughs. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
</div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The reporter and camera person were super chill. They really made this enjoyable, and took the stress out of being in front of the camera. We had prepared the reporter before hand with some videos and blog posts about what to expect. My husband, André acted as the media wrangler. He was the behind the scenes guy that led them to set up their shots, and prompted questions and explained what they were seeing. </span><br />
<span class="s1"> </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The entire shoot took about 2 hours, with the dogs going back and forth. As they got bored, we gave them plenty of breaks, and switched trails. It’s all about the dogs, and we told that to the reporter. We do this for our dogs. If they aren't happy, we aren't doing it. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://youtu.be/JAiRbnQZNZ8"><img alt="http://youtu.be/JAiRbnQZNZ8" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RBhrs3Q-KeA/U4NBfcUOQXI/AAAAAAAABUg/Iag577b4p8Q/s1600/10173778_10154151119935133_4281720564096333859_n.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p2">
</div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The main idea we wanted to get across was how to do this safely. Get the right gear, and get off the roads! We want people to get out there and share some good experiences with their dogs! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://youtu.be/JAiRbnQZNZ8"><img alt="http://youtu.be/JAiRbnQZNZ8" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-chUjVEg-EmI/U4NBfVHwqgI/AAAAAAAABUc/LwDwaVRqJWk/s1600/10402675_10154151120245133_8417717816054251962_n.jpg" height="400" width="310" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/JAiRbnQZNZ8"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Click here to watch the clip</span></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">. </span></div>
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KCRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795974782077615635noreply@blogger.com0