Sledding, Skijoring, Scootering
GIG/SLED/SKIJOR Racing with Samoyeds
Working title points for WS, WSX and WSXM may be earned when one
competes at dryland events (gig races) and/or snow events (sprint,
mid-distance, long distance and/or skijor races). Whether you have
one Samoyed or a team of 10 or more you can race. Do not let the
number of Samoyeds you own limit you from racing.
Dryland events (gig racing) offer sprint and mid-distance classes and are becoming more popular throughout the United States. Snow events offer 1 to 3 dog skijor races, sprint classes of variety of number of dogs allowed in the team, and distance races (mid and long) ranging in total miles of 10 miles to over 1,000 miles.
When starting any sport one should first become educated about the sport and this is true for racing with dogs. There is a wealth of information that can be found on the internet, magazines dedicated to the sport, seminars, books on the subject, and clubs putting on race events are all options to learn more. Attend races and talk to the handlers and mushers at the events to learn more. Most racers do not think of the Samoyed as a competitive racing breed but do not let that stop you from asking questions and learning as much as possible from the competitors at the racing events. Samoyeds may not be as fast as the fastest Alaskan huskies teams but they can be competitive!! With background knowledge on the different racing events, this will help you decide which event(s) fits you and your Samoyed(s).
You and your Samoyed(s) will need to train for your racing season. Start early and do NOT be a "week-end warrior! This will only cause physical injury to the team and yourself. Do not expect your dog to run a 4 mile sprint race, for 2 days, if they have never run 8 miles! Even if you plan to race occasionally during the racing season, you must teach your team what is expected of them and what is expected of yourself. You must become a team-work together. Training for sprint races is different than getting ready for a mid or long distance race. Keep in mind that a well conditioned sprint team can race every week-end but the same is not true for long races. The recovery time for the dog and musher is greater after doing a distance race than for a sprint race, so distance racers will do fewer races in a season compared to sprint racers.
Some of the basic commands your team will need to know for any type of racing are:
- Stop command: Whoa or Stop
- Go command: Hike, Let's go, Hup, etc.
- Turn commands: Gee (right) and Haw (left)
- Continue on command: On by (to continue on and ignore another team, to pass another team, to ignore a trail crossing, etc.)
- Stand stay or Stay command and also a "Wait" command
- Command to go faster or to slow down: pick it up or easy
Command training can be taught in the off season with the dog wearing its harness and connecting a double snapped lead and going for walks using the commands. The lead is snapped to the collar and to the tug on the harness, so you can control the head of the dog, stay slightly behind the dog putting resistance on the harnesses so the dog learns to pull and any commands.
Thoughts from Some Samoyed Racers
Sprint Racing: Thoughts on Mushing
by Bill Stewart
Three factors make up the foundation of any sled dog team: good dogs, good nutrition and good training. These consistently coupled with a positive, supportive environment maximize the athletic ability of dogs.
My experience has been that if a Sam comes close to the standard, the dog has the physical ability to perform as a sled dog. Attitude separates the adequate from the outstanding running dog. Attitude comes from the environment provided the dog. Structural soundness backed up with attitude is the first requirement for a good sled dog.
Recently a great deal has been written on canine nutrition, much of it very helpful. Premium dog food is vital for superior performance from the four-legged athlete. Supplements may be appropriate. My dogs are fed either National Training Extra or Eagle Pack Holistic. If a dog's weight starts drop too much I increase the quantity of food or supplement with National's Energy Pack. Energy Pack is also an excellent product for baiting water to ensure proper hydration. I provide my dogs with warm water mixed with Energy Pack before and after running. I also supplement with chondroitin and glucosamine. The chondroitin and glucosamine help lubricate the joints enhancing the dog's comfort and prolonging a running career.
A puppy transitioning to a permanent home needs reasonable boundaries and training to reinforce the expected behavior in the new home. The training to meet these expectations is the initial step in sled dog training. Nearly any type of training is appropriate: puppy "kindergarten", conformation, obedience, and agility. Almost any reasonable method works well, my favorite is clicker training.
The training given as a puppy pays big dividends later. When I
have a dog that can do better on the team we go back to basic
obedience with a clicker. I am always amazed at how much can be
accomplished with ten minutes on the driveway or the road in the
morning. A few recalls, sit and down stays and the dog wants to
listen up on the team again. A consistent and supportive environment
is mandatory in any approach used to prepare a dog for sledding.
Our sled dog training starts in the fall as soon as the
temperature drops enough to be sure the dogs are not overheated
during a run. I find making this an enjoyable and rewarding activity
for the team is my most effective training technique. Keeping it fun
for the dogs is vital. If happy dogs are not performing it is
because they are not prepared for what they are being asked to do or
there is a physical ailment preventing them from meeting the
anticipated goals. An examination of the dog will identify any
physical ailment. Effective intellectual training and physical
conditioning provide the preparation.
The intellectual comes most easily and effectively from an
experienced dog on the team; dogs teach each other more than humans
can ever hope to teach their canine companions. This training will
include: passing other teams, turning on command, slowing down
(necessary for some hills and conditions), speeding up (passing
other teams and finishing a race), ignoring other animals
encountered on the trail and returning to the truck at the end of a
run.
The team should be physically conditioned to run the distance they are expected to run, i.e. a four dog sprint team should train three to five miles two to four times a week. If a team is run beyond that distance they will anticipate that distance in the future and adjust their speed. If the team is run for fewer miles they may lack the stamina to complete a race successfully. Human Olympic sprinters train very differently than ultra distance runners. Conditioning and training although separate activities generally accomplished at the same time.
There are a number of books in print on mushing. The Speed Mushing Manual by Tim Welsh is my favorite; it is available through many sled dog equipment websites. The best source for individualized advice is a proven musher active in the sport. The musher need not be an expert with Samoyeds. There are far more Alaskan and Siberian Husky teams than Sammie teams.
Think about what George Attla said in Everything I Know About Training and Racing Sled Dogs so many years ago:"...the dog never makes a mistake. He is just a dog and he does what he does because he is a dog and thinks like a dog. It is you that makes the mistake because you haven't trained him to do what you want him to do when you want him to do it. Or you have misjudged what he is able to do, physically or mentally. So if a mistake is made in the team, it is you that has made it, not the dog.", still fits today.
A very experienced musher gave me these three rules to always follow in my sledding endevours: first, take good care of your dogs; second, don't forget a thermos of hot coffee for when you get off the trail and finally, have fun.
Distance Racing:
I would encourage anyone that has the means, to try distance racing
with their Samoyeds. Running dogs takes on a new perspective with
distance. Watching the sun set, running though the night and seeing
it rise, changes everything and becomes addictive. Shorter runs
can't compare. The oneness with the dogs, the stars, the beauty of
the surroundings, becomes a Spiritual experience and leaves the soul
wanting more.
Distance races offer ideal conditions for making extended
journeys. Trails are marked, Veterinarians are at check points, and
often Handlers are allowed to help. The stigma that Samoyeds and
slower teams are not welcome at distance races is false. As long as
we are proceeding at a rate to finish within the time parameters, I
don't feel we are a burden. I have had Officials at Race to the Sky
assure me that check points will be manned until we pass through.
Organizers for their respective events, Jerry Scdoris has personally
invited me to run the Atta Boy 300, and Pat Campbell has done the
same for the Arrowhead 135. In years that we have been unable to do
The Oregon Dune Mushers Mail Run, we have disappointed both
Organizers, and many of the Spectators that specifically came to see
the Samoyeds.
At school presentations I am often asked how many races we have won. I tell the kids that crossing the finish line first is not the only way to win. Every time we go to a race we win because we change someone's attitude about the working ability of the Samoyed.
"Dream big and dare to fail" was the mantra of Norman Vaughan when he, on his 89th birthday, summited the Antarctic Mountain named on his behalf by Admiral Richard Byrd. Those words inspire me when I think about upcoming seasons...
I offer them to anyone thinking about doing distance races or
extreme
challenges with their dogs. Go chase those dreams!
Happy Trails,
Don Duncan
Mid-Distance and Distance Mushing
by Farrel Katanik
Chatanika Samoyeds
Mid-distance and distance mushing is best described/explained by the time spent on the trail with your team. Time sharing the nature, the scenery, the peace and quiet, the forest and countryside. It's a time to get to know your dogs. To really see and imagine what life was really like for our Samoyeds in their original world they descended from. Stopping on a long run for a break brings out a whole new experience for you and your dogs. The dogs are so at peace and content. It's an overwhelming experience when you see their happiness, team partnership, and that very special bonding that takes place. To help make mid-distance/distance mushing fun and enjoyable you will need to learn of the basic but vital equipment needed to complete your great experience. If possible it is best to try to find a mentor that is currently in the mushing sport and willing to share their experiences of this thrilling sport with you.
Racing resources and links:
Books
Collins, Mike and Julie, "Dog Driver: A guide for the serious musher", Alpine Publications, Loveland, CO 1991
Fishback, Lee, "Training Lead Dogs", published by Tun-Dra Nunica, MI, 1978
Flanders, Noel K., "The Joy of Running Sled Dogs", Alpine Blue Ribbon Books, Loveland, CO, 1989.
Zink, M. Christine DVM, "Peak Performance: Coaching the Canine Athlete", 2nd Edition, Canine Sports Productions, Lutherville, MD, 1997.