Cross Breeds

How to teach dogs mushing commands?

I have 4 Siberian Huskies and 2 Alaskan Malamutes Tasha-Malamute-1 1/2 years old Mia-Malamute-2 years old Sydney-Husky-8 months Noah-Husky-8 months Collin-Husky-8 months Andre-Husky-8 months How would I teach these dogs mushing commands? During the winter where I live we get a ton of snow so it would be pretty cool to take the dogs out running one of those days but I can't do it because the dogs don't know any of the commands. Also, these dogs have spent their entire lives outside and when I try to bring them in the house they go crazy, my guess, they just don't like being indoors. Would it be alright if I leave them outside? I have read comments from people on here and they say that dogs love to be with their people. These dogs in particular do love to be with people but they just prefer life outdoors.And yes they are on heartworm preventative and UTD on all vaccines

Public Comments

1. You'll need a trainer with that many..
2. i hope your only teaching the commands only two of your dog are old enough to pull a sled the others that are 8 months old are to young you can harness them to get them use to it if you roller blade put the older dogs in the harness and have them pull you try one at a time at first use the commands and lean that way keep at this they will get the idea
3. I suggest you hook one dog up at a time and pretend you hooked Noah up get in front of him and call his name he should try to pull the sled if not try calling his name again keep dong that until he really gets it now you can try saying him name and saying the word ''Mush'' keep doing that until he truly gets it. Next you should start running along side him and saying ''Noah Mush'' while running then half way on trail go in front and say ''Noah'' ''Mush'' while running backwards then go back to the side of him a do that again. Sooner or later he should be getting the hang of that so as soon as he does you can start going in the back of the sled and saying ''Mush Noah'' He should start running and if he does reward him and praise. Keep doing this method to him and she should get it by just going in the back of the sled and saying ''Mush" The words ''Gee''(for right), ''Haw''(for left), "Woah" (for stop) are also used a Mushing. For more information on that e-mail me on my page. I would consider only doing it for your younger dogs they might be more easier to train then adult dogs. Good Luck!
4. Here's sites that will help you. Of course, you'll have to teach each individual dog all of these commands before you can combine them as a team: http://www.athropolis.com/arctic-facts/fact-dogs-command.htm http://www.urbanmushing.com/commoncommands.htm http://www.ultimateiditarod.com/Dictionary.htm http://www.vtsports.com/articles/dogs-dryland-mushing
5. First I recommend getting harnesses. My non-husky pulls for me so you should have no problems. They are all a little young, and for a team it is better to have a older trained and younger dogs in the mix, but if you train one at a time it'll be okay. I would start by getting the harness and making a trail with 2 sharp right and left turns in long grass. Take your dog down the trail and stop at the end. It is better to have a x-back for a husky. Take a leash and attach it to the dogs collar as a lead. Take another leash and attach it to the back, so the dog is pulling. You can buy these. http://www.blackicedogsledding.com/page3.html then say Gee Gee Gee, ,,, good dog once he turns, even if you have to turn him yourself. Teach Gee(right) then Haw(left). Practice with them. It would help to see if they could drag a tire too. It is also helpful to teach, Woah(stop) Hike(go) before. You will see who your best command leaders will be. EDIT:Tzu love the word "mush" is not used, "Hike" or "Get up" are. Also training them from the front is bad, because when you are actually mushing, you will be behind them. And tzu love the older ones will be just fine, I trained 4 year old non-husky. And patricia, very,very,very, bad idea.
6. It looks like you have a lot of good information on here already about the mushing commands. I don't sled mine, but imagine it would be just like anything and lots of repitition and positive reinforcement, and probably a lot of individual training first. However, as far as being in the house they are probably just going crazy because it is new and exciting, and something different. These dogs get very excited easily, and are destructive this way. A lot of people leave their dogs outside, I think with such a big pack and as long as they have shelter and attention they would be fine. I have noticed that it seems like they develop their preference to how they were bred/raised as young puppies (before 9 weeks). I have one who came from a not-so-great breeder who I am sure left them outdoors all the time, and she loves being outside. But my others were raised in houses, and want to be in here with me more often (unless it is snowing, then I've lost them all). I personally like mine inside, because I feel like they are not part of the family if they are outdoors all the time. If you felt like this, you could keep them indoors (prob starting in smaller groups with so many so you can manage the destruction) and they would get more used to it, but would probably still want to spend a lot of time outside since that is how they were raised. If it doesn't bother you to only see them when you are outside, and they get plenty of attention and have shelter, leave them outside if they prefer it. I really think it is only "cruel" to keep the dogs outside when people chain them up, give them no attention or shelter, and won't let them in when they want in. If the dog prefers it outside, let them stay out if you are comfortable with it and know they are safe (i.e. good fence, not too hot, etc). Good luck with your sledding experiences! I am sure they will all love it.
7. I think outside is OK a long as you give your dogs plenty of attention and socialization. And letting them work in team is a great way to do that. Here are some idea I shared on an earlier/similar question: -------------------- Many dogs can be taught to pull and have a great time recreationaly, there is no reason you can't have fun enjoying some sled dog sports together. Here is some advice shared with someone else wanting to train their dog to pull: It would be great if you could find a mentor to work with. So you for information about harness breaking, team training, and sled dog nutrition and care you might be better off working with a knowledgeable musher. There is quite a lot involved in training a sled dog, and if you have never done this a mentor will be a huge asset. Not to mention that you might be able to train your dog with some of your mentors dogs in team. This is a very effective way to introduce dogs to running in team. Young dogs can be started easily at 6 months. As long as you are careful to work slowly and consistently. In my experience young dogs are eager to please and enjoy the interaction with you training time brings. You need to make sure training is fun and up beat. Before you begin with the dog you need to decide ahead of time exactly what commands you will use and what they mean. (a dictionary of mushing terms with a link to commonly used voice commands: http://www.ultimateiditarod.com/Dictionary.htm Once you have defined what you want to teach your dog then remember consistency is key. Your dog needs to always understand what you are asking of them and need to be rewarded when they are giving you the right response to your commands. The first step is harness breaking. Get assistance to make sure the harness if fitted correctly. And now that your dog will be pulling you need a real harness designed for working sled dogs. Other pet harnesses will not have the correct padding for your dog to pull in. There are a variety of styles, all with pros and cons. it really depends on what you are doing, how much they will be pulling, and how the actual harness fits your dog. The types of harnesses used by dog sled racers are probably more appropriate. Here are some examples of the various typeshttp://www.manmat.eu/en/products/index/2... http://www.coldspotfeeds.com/index.php?cPath=28&osCsid=d453d4fd887f40c5bdf0739a051e3c14 http://www.mushingsupplies.com/harness.html Fitting really is critical, so get some real life help in person if at all possible. See if any of these suppliers live near you, http://www.sleddogcentral.com/equip&supplies.htm or check with a local mushing or ski-jour club. http://www.sleddogcentral.com/clubsorg.htm Maybe you could find a mentor near you. Then you can get some hands on help fitting your dog properly. ------------------------- An article from the local ski-jour club about training your dog to pull you on skis that has good advice: http://www.sleddog.org/skijor/training/training.html And one that uses clicker training techniques to train your dog to bike-jour: http://www.clickertraining.com/node/1118 Here is an article that deals with training sled dogs that will give you some good information. But will not replace finding a knowledgeable musher (person who runs sled dogs) to mentor you. part 1 http://www.seppalasleddogs.com/sled-dog-training.htm part 2 http://www.seppalasleddogs.com/sled-dog-training-2.htm