Great pictures! It's heart warming to see your pups and your family so happy to be out together! This is what I picture in my head when folks talk about a happy 'pack'. Congrats!!!!
Hey, I've been thinking about doing this for a while. Can you post or pm everything I need? And most importsnt, how do you teach the dog to pull and the commands? Do I just get on the bike lol or is there stuff that he needs to learn first?
Do you sled with them, too? I skijor with my Belgian, and really enjoy it. I did have a harder time finding a harness that fit her well, she has a long back and a wide chest. I ended up getting a deal on an adjustable harness from a place in Norway (non-stop), just in case anyone has difficulty with fit, and is looking to run their GSD. Shepherds have a different shape than your typical sled dog, and the normal x-back usually don't fit them correctly for long-term use, and could lead to back problems in future, if the dog is doing a lot of all-out galloping. The x-back puts pressure on the back when the dog is "coiling" during the gallop.
Do you sled with them, too? I skijor with my Belgian, and really enjoy it. I did have a harder time finding a harness that fit her well, she has a long back and a wide chest. I ended up getting a deal on an adjustable harness from a place in Norway (non-stop), just in case anyone has difficulty with fit, and is looking to run their GSD. Shepherds have a different shape than your typical sled dog, and the normal x-back usually don't fit them correctly for long-term use, and could lead to back problems in future, if the dog is doing a lot of all-out galloping. The x-back puts pressure on the back when the dog is "coiling" during the gallop.
Thank you. I haven't had the opportunity to sled with them yet. I was living in Oregon, and there isn't a lot of snow there, unless you get up around Mt. Hood, which my job did not afford the time. Now we are in Idaho, which also doesn't get a lot of snow, but the snow we got this past winter was more than the entire 4 years in Oregon. Plus, in Idaho, it gets so cold that the snowfall in one day will not melt for 2-3 weeks. So if I can get the sled and proper gear, I would love to try it. That's the goal!
As for the harness, we are going with the custom made Alpine Outfitters X-back. They tell you how to take the measurements, and then based on your dog's exact specifications, they build a harness that fits perfectly. So if you have a short and stubby Siberian or a long back and wide chested Shepherd, the harness should not cause any problems, as long as your measurements are accurate. Here's the link on how to measure:
I ordered the green harness (pictured above in this thread) for Beowulf to test the sizing and quality. Now I'm in the process of ordering one for the other 3 dogs. I've already taken their measurements. I just wanted to get 1 to ensure I measured correctly before ordering 3 more.
Thanks for the info you provided about the differences between sled dogs and our GSDs. And thank you for your compliment!
It looks amazing though my reason for doing it is same as yours was, exercise my dog without the park. Thank you for helping)))))))
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