Skiijoring?

AgilityPup

Agility freak!
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#1
For those of you who do it, is it possible to do with a slightly dog aggressive dog in an area you may run into other dogs? I am wanting to try this with Simi but am worried about meeting another dog on the trail and her being so hyped up and my not being able to handle her because I'd be on skis... thoughts?

How many people here actually do it with their dogs?
 
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#2
Well you certainly couldn't do any events/races. But Maisy can be very reactive to strange dogs and I skijor with her.

For a dog who is highly motivated to pull/run, and with a lot of work on dryland training - stops, starts, and a good "leave it" - it is very doable. I don't use the most popular skijor trails around here or go in groups/clubs, I stay solo on lesser used parks/trails and go at very slow use times (eg weekday mornings, never weekends) and that tends to cut down on seeing other dogs. If I do see another skijorer I don't attempt to pass or be passed with her - if it comes to it, I will stop and get off the path and reel the dogs in and let someone else pass.

Even on the skis, you have a fair amount of physical control over your dog(s). It takes some practice, but at the end of the day they are attached to you and there is no reason you can't reel them in on the line OR just sit your butt down in the snow if you have to. They can only get so far away from you and they can't pull you effectively when you're dead weight in the snow.

I'd recommend getting your ski legs really under you, practice balance and using one hand to pole and the other to hang on to a line/leash, really really practice stopping on the skis (snowplowing) and turns.
 
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#3
Oh, also... if she goes really bananas consider using a belly strap or a style of harness she can't back out of.
 
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#4
Sass has good advice, and I'm super new to this (like.. as of this winter with two dogs) but Elsa has some issues towards other dogs since she was returned and gets very focused on any dog she sees out and about, except in the harness running with Shambles. She has a surprisingly good drive to pull (and is quite motivated by Sham) that she has yet to cause any actual issue when we have come across other dogs- even in close proximity.
 

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