You may have encountered Nordic skiing once or twice during the winters here in Minnesota. The sport is widely
popular both in the region it’s named for and in the snowier reaches of North America. But have you ever thought of what Nordic skiing would look like with dogs in the mix?

As crazy as it may sound, the sport of skijoring combines the power of an individual skier with their canine companion to thrust forward at higher speeds than previously attainable. Think of dogsledding but on skis, and you’ll get skijoring.

Go Dog North Shore, an organization created to “promote healthy, active dog and human relationships on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior” is just one of the groups working to make skijoring more prevalent and accessible in Minnesota. Cathy Quinn, the President of the Board at Go Dog North Shore, has been skijoring since 2006. “I got into it because it allowed me to combine cross country skiing with my love for dogs. It’s a great way to get yourself and your dog
exercise during the winter months,” she says.

Quinn says, “the best way to start skijoring is to learn from someone experienced. It’s also important to have a good working relationship and familiarity with your dog so that you can prevent injuring yourself or your canine companion.” Quinn also says to “make sure [to] ease your dog into the process. If you’re not careful, you could injure or ‘spook’ your dog, and then they won’t want to pull again.”

Thinking of getting started with your four-legged friend? The local Three Rivers Park District offers miles of trails that are available to use for both general cross-country skiing and skijoring. Quinn starts training her dogs on frozen lakes before moving to trails but says to “start out slow and on easy trails where there are few distractions so you can have maximum control over your skis and your dog.” She emphasizes that “the goal is for this to be a fun, positive experience that
your dog looks forward to doing with you.”

If you find yourself getting into the sport more, consider reaching out to others in the skijoring community. Quinn says, “there are lots of online resources, social media groups, and books to help you get started skijoring. A mentor is most helpful!” There’s only so much winter to take advantage of, so now is the perfect opportunity to get started.