CAPE TOWN SLEDDING

TRAINING THE MUSHER

The novice musher should be aware of the basic guidelines for running a dog team BEFORE he actually begins his first run. Observe experienced and successful mushers in action. Add to your knowledge by reading as much as possible on the subject. It is helpful to keep a journal with notes on each run. Record the number of km’s covered, which position each dog ran, and how each dog performed. Then try to figure out why each dog did what he did. Most things go wrong because a dog does not know what the musher wants, or because the musher did not have the dog’s attention. The musher must help the dog to understand what is wanted. “If a mistake is made in the team, it is the musher that has made it—not the dog…!” One frequent mistake a novice musher—and too often an experienced musher—makes is LOSING HIS TEMPER. This you MUST NEVER do. When you let your temper get the better of you, you are messing up your whole training programme. If you want to be a good musher, you keep your temper around your dogs.” Remember that in the dog’s eyes, you are the leader of their pack. The pack gives its leader loyalty and respect. To earn this respect, the leader is wise, he is firm but fair. If you would be a successful leader of your pack and earn your dog’s respect, you also must be what TO THEM seems wise, firm and fair. Always think of the situation from the dog’s point of view. A word about your own physical fitness. Don’t ever think that dog mushing is a matter of just standing on your gig while your dogs pull you…! Seasoned mushers talk about both pumping and getting off the gig and running to help the dogs out. A novice musher with 3 to 5 dogs will find that often he must get off and run, particularly uphill. The better physical condition you are in, and the less excess weight you are carrying, the easier it is going to be on you—AND your dogs.