Go skijoring with your dog
Friends, I've discovered an awesome duo straight from Savoie in the Alps! They are Anis and Eloïse. These two best friends are inseparable and practice a truly amazing snow sport to share with your dog : skijoring!
What is it? It's first and foremost a magnificent hike in the mountains with your dog combined with cross-country skiing! Speed, lots of fun, and an unforgettable moment with your best four-legged friend! I interviewed them to find out all about this super-fun canine sport. Discover what skijoring is all about with our dynamic duo.
But before you leave, you'll need to book your holiday accommodation . Whether you're looking for a dog-friendly hotel , a dog-friendly cottage , or a dog-friendly rental , you'll find a wide selection of accommodations in the " Accommodation " section of the website. Consider booking with our partners.
Table of contents
Eloise and her husky
Before I tell you about skijoring with a dog , an introduction is in order. Anis is a 9-year-old female Siberian Husky. She's a Husky, so it's hard to find a dog more stubborn. Haha :)) Beyond that, she's always ready to join us on all our adventures, and in that respect, she's a sweetheart. She adapts to all situations (always on a leash, though, much to my dismay, but her hunting instinct is just too strong).
With dogs, she's a strong head whereas with humans, she tends to be timid (forget huskies as guard dogs!) On the other hand, with us, she's a real sticky point but once her energy spent she is super calm.
I picked up Anis when she was two months old from a private person. At the time, I was still living with my mother in Alsace where she was in contact with our old Bernese mountain dog until she was 1 years old. When she was 5 years old, we moved to Corrèze and two years ago to Savoie, which allows us to discover many beautiful places.
I had in mind to have a husky with a chocolate coat… Well that's almost it lol
I admit, I wanted a husky mainly for their looks… Before bringing her home, I did quite a bit of research on the breed. Since she came into my life, I've discovered many sports like skijoring with a dog . And yes, huskies really need exercise!
I like this robust side that can follow us everywhere but I really regret having it always on a leash… If I had to do it over again, I would work on abseiling a lot more!
In 9 years, I have tried many activities with her. I started with canicross from her 1 year old then cani-vtt , agility, cani-rando (obviously), cani-raquette , cani-trail and ski joëring with a dog.
Go on vacation with your dog
As long as we're not flying, I take my dog on holiday with me . She's afraid of almost nothing, so she comes with us everywhere: hiking, camping, canoeing, boating, pedal boating…
Vacation anecdotes, I don't have one in particular to tell you except all the memories shared on the different vacation spots where we took him (cantal, arcachon, pyrénées, gorges du verdon, marseille , Toulouse, Lyon, Alsace, Bayonne, Ardèche, Corrèze)
When you travel with a dog , you realize there are many constraints and you have to do some research to find dog-friendly places . Fortunately, so far we've always found compromises and have always been able to take her with us.
There are many great memories, but my favorites remain our itinerant hikes with overnight stays in bivouacs. She loves it and so do I!
I couldn't cite a "worse" memory, but there's something I'm very afraid of when hiking: it's coming across patous (dogs that guard the herds of sheep in the mountain pastures) because they're not really always chests of drawers…
Discover skijoring with your dog
I discovered ski-joering with my dog when I lived in Alsace thanks to a friend who had already done it. It seemed like a great feeling to glide with just one dog.
I was lucky to have a groomed trail near my home, free and accessible to dogs (I had no idea how lucky I was because finding trails accessible to dogs is complicated! )
At the time, I had never set foot on cross-country skis and for my first attempt I had rented classic, so-called alternative skis (with the scales underneath), ERROR! This first attempt was therefore quite chaotic but I wanted to start again. So I redid a few tests before renting a pair of ski-skates (without scales) much more suited to the practice of this sport.
Skijoring with a dog: what preparation before starting?
I did not follow any specific preparation at the beginning because I practiced canicross and canivtt at the time. So I was in good physical condition (don't forget that skating puts a lot of work on the cardio, especially when your dog is lazy… hihi!) and Anis too. If I had to do it again, I would start by practicing skating without a dog to have the right basic gestures and the right technique. Currently, I train a lot without a dog too. I have improved a lot in technique. It is therefore all the more pleasant when I practice it with Anis afterwards.
Musher's seasonal advice
Equipment for skijoring with your dog
You'll need skating equipment (skating skis, poles, boots), a canicross-type harness , a leash , and a pulling harness for the dog. Depending on the breed of dog you want to skijoring with, consider bringing small snow boots or Solipat for its paw pads, as well as sunglasses and a harness.
Where to practice skijoring with your dog?
The hardest part is finding a groomed trail that's accessible to dogs . The Jura region is quite well-known for this, and I believe Bessans (in the Maurienne valley) also has a dedicated trail. You have to be patient and don't hesitate to ask for permission (it doesn't cost anything!). Personally, I practice on the Arêches-Beaufort Nordic ski area (Marcot area) in Savoie, and I've also practiced on the Courchevel Nordic ski area (which is free). In Alsace, I used to practice at the Col de Platzerwasen (next to the Schnepfenried ski resort).
Musher and Sophie : One of the community members also told us about Capcir in the 66, the 3 areas are open to the practice of skijoring.
Eloise's story
As I said earlier for my first try, I had rented classic skis and I had never done cross-country skiing so I spent a good part of the trip on my butt.. Haha
But I think it's one of the sports where my dog gives her all, running in the snow makes her really happy and it makes me the same, it's really great!
Skijoring: an activity for all dogs?
Nordic dogs in particular have a definite ability to run on snow, but ski joëring can be practiced with any breed of dog in good physical condition. The fastest dogs are also the same as in canicross, mainly hunting dogs.
Some ski-joering competitions exist in France: do not hesitate to go and see the sites of the fslc and the ffst.
The final word
I really recommend testing this sport for all lovers of board sports and canine sports. I think it is important to remember to respect the cleanliness of the place whether it is by picking up your waste but also dog excrement and to respect the regulations in force so that this sport can last and hope to see new tracks accepting dogs.
Have lots of fun sharing activities with your dogs and be sure to listen to them so that it always remains a pleasure!
I hope this article has inspired you to try skijoring with your dog. I encourage you to watch Anis and Eloïse's "Trop W'ouf " video during this activity; they look like they're having a blast! If you want to follow their experience, head over to their Instagram @eloisegerig
For my part, after an inconclusive attempt at cross-country skiing on my own (my buttocks still remembers my royal falls 5 years later!), I admit to being hesitant to try the experience again with Musher… Interview with Anis and Eloïse made me want to get started because it must be a great sport that provides sensations Too W'ouf! To be continued…
