Skijoring equipment

[Rott-n-GSDs]

There isn't a whole lot of information out there about this sport, so I thought I'd do a post about the equipment involved for anyone interested.

First, you'll need harnesses for your dogs. It's not only bad for them to pull using their collars, we spend so much time teaching them NOT to pull, that you want to use a different piece of equipment to show them it's okay to pull now. For my dogs, their regular collars mean "no pull" but their harnesses mean, "let's go!"

Most skijorers use x-back harnesses or some variation. I chose to go a different route entirely, both because I wanted something a bit more fun, and because I wanted something a bit more comfortable for my dogs. I had harnesses specially made by All Things Bright & Biothane and was extremely happy with the result.

My harnesses are a variation of the tracking harnesses (and subsequently can also be used for tracking):



Note the nice padding on the front:


Next, you'll need skijoring lines. I have two dogs (people use anywhere between 1-3 dogs in this sport), I needed a "y line" to accommodate two dogs. If I want to ski with just one dog, I simply hook both lines up to the same dog. There are a lot of lines out there, so choosing can be difficult. Since I spent extra money on my harnesses, I decided to save money on the lines, and got this one.

I chose the "soft quick release snap" which is basically velcro and a snap... but if I did it over again, I'd get the metal quick release, because I can tell already the soft quick release isn't going to always hold. (The reason for the quick release is so you can release your dogs in case you're bumping along down the trail after them and can't stop them).

I have discovered the value of having a built in bungee to absorb some of the shock (particularly when I stupidly threw a tennis ball out in front while hitched up to two ball happy GSDs ).

I also use a neckline to keep my dogs running together. It's a challenge to train them how to act with the neckline (hard to keep them from getting tangled) but in the end I'll be happy I trained them this way.

Next, for your own comfort/safety, you'll want some sort of a belt/harness for yourself. Many skijorers use a belt, but after doing a lot of research I decided to go with a full seat harness. I decided I wanted the improved lower back support a seat harness would provide. Additionally, skijoring belts are fairly expensive and almost impossible to find second hand. I decided to go with a Dakine Speed Seat windsurfing harness with a metal spreader bar. This photo shows how the spreader bar fits on the front. I got mine complete with spreader bar for a really reasonable price on ebay.

It isn't exactly the most flattering thing in the world, but it's very functional/comfortable:


That's basically all you need to start out. Where, you're asking, are the skis? Well, you'll want to train your dogs without skis to start out with, and eventually add them in later. I hope to have my dogs ready to add skis by wintertime. We'll continue to have fun with canicross during the summertime, however.

As far as type of skis, my research indicates that "skate ski" type cross country skis are the best. I happen to own a good pair of skate skis, so I'll let everyone know how it goes once the snow flies (hopefully not for a good, long while!).

Skijoring/canicross is really a fairly inexpensive and fun sport. The dogs seem to be picking it up rather quickly and enjoying themselves as well!

Feel free to ask any questions, and I'll try to answer them as best I am able. Any other skijorers out there?