BIKEJOR.COM
AND BIKESKIJOR.COM
Bruce's Bikejoring (and Skijoring) Pages
Main Page Updated: 7/7/2009, New Videos.
New YouTube Skijoring Videos!
Crystal Springs Skijor and Kicksled Teams 0809
Sled Dogs Own the Trail - Urban Skijoring on a Bike Trail
Skijoring with 4 Dogs, an Experiment
Team Bikejor.com Skijors Crystal Springs 0809
How To Topics
I enjoy your comments and questions. My email is brucec@bikejor.com
My
Older Videos. See what it is like to bikejor and skijor...
Skijoring * Urban Bikejoring * Bikejoring Rural Rail Trails * Bikejor Racing
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What are Bikejoring and Skijoring?
Bikejoring
is riding a bike with dogs pulling you.
Instead of a bike you can
also use a dog scooter.
These are similar to skijoring which is
having dogs pull you while wearing cross country skis.
They are
similar sports for different seasons.
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Why Bikejor or Skijor?
Your dog wants to run. It will be healthier if it is allowed to exercise.
You are afraid your leash arm is being stretched or dislocated as your dog drags you down the street on your walks.
Most dogs are just getting started at the fastest speed we can run. If you want to go at their pace you need wheels or skis.
Bikejoring and skijoring are an adventure every time you do it.
If you enjoy biking and skiing, then bikejoring and skijoring are a great way of having an fun and exciting time with your dogs. You won't always go the speed you'd choose, but you will share adventures and learn to work and think as a team.
Your dogs will have many experiences and shrug off things that would scare other dogs. The unusual will become normal. My dogs shrug off noisy garbage trucks, horses, cattle, snowmobiles and many other things that throw some dogs for a loop.
If you train them well enough to bikejor safely in many places, you will know your dogs' behavior and they will respond quickly to commands in spite of distractions. My lead dog can anticipate what needs to happen and make the correct choice in new complex situations, even if I don't speak up.
Tired dogs that have already run several miles are happy and mellow. “Chew up stuff, run away? That all sounds like work!”
Disclaimers
Bikejoring and skijoring have risks.
You will likely
fall off the bike and have accidents when training and doing
bikejoring.
Wear proper safety equipment, especially a helmet.
Don't bikejor on busy streets.
Remember, the dogs determine what
happens, so train them well.
Skijoring is a lot like bikejoring, except it is easier for the dogs to pull you off balance and there isn't a brake.
If you just want speed, stick to cars instead of dogs. If you want a relationship with your dogs and shared adventures, consider bikejoring and skijoring.
If you REALLY have to get somewhere on time, don't bikejor there. You are too likely to have an adventure along the way. Allow lots of time for surprises.
Learn to enjoy cold weather. That is when dogs run best. It is also when you can have the most fun.
These bikejoring and skijoring pages just cover my experiences and
opinions.
You may experience something completely different.
Know yourself, know your dogs.
Sled
Dog Central, Your on-line sled dog advertising & information
source
Also the center of the web sled dog universe. You want
to see the sled dog world, go there.
My
Experience
I have been bikejoring and skijoring for several years. Jaguar Puma and Panther, Samoyeds from Snowwater are my dogs, or I am their keeper. We also run with other dogs & people, helping the dogs and their owners learn how to bikejor and skijor.
The dogs and I usually do several hundred miles a year of bikejoring, even with time off for other activities. We have bikejored across the Cascade Mountains more than once. Puppies get training, but no serious runs until they are full size. Since nearby skijoring trails are limited and the skijor season is only a few months, we don't do nearly as much skijoring. If we are lucky we skijor every weekend there is snow, and bikejor all year round.
While I periodically bikejor in races, you need to train the dogs to just run sprints of about two miles to do that well. I prefer to go longer distances, see more of the world, have more adventures and let the dogs develop more endurance. So generally for us a short run is now about 4 miles. Longer runs are over 10 miles. Hence, my dogs don't sprint very far, they quickly settle in for the long haul.
In the end, it is best to look through a lot of information and then see which things work for you. Each team needs to find its own way of doing things, but research can definitely shorten your learning curve and make you and your dogs happier.
Have fun bikejoring and skijoring and do your best to keep your dogs safe!
