{the dog blog of Outside magazine}                             sponsored by:
Subscribe | Log in

Posts Tagged ‘ski with your dog’

The Making of a Ski Dog, Part 2
by Grayson Schaffer | on January 5th, 2010 | in Features, Training, Video Clips


We’re going to keep harping on this point all winter. Dogs that get close to skis receive gaping lacerations. It’s just that simple. Here are three tips to help ease your mind and your dog’s pain. Nothing keeps me awake at night like the thought of skis cutting doggy tendons. You can see, even in this video clip that Danger and Cooper aren’t perfect. In the heeling part at the end, Danger crosses over my right ski and was very lucky not to have gotten cut.

Next time, we’ll work on positioning—teaching your pup when he should be at your side, when he should be a ski-pole’s length away, and when he should be behind.

Cooper, Grayson, and Danger at Ski Santa Fe

Cooper, Grayson, and Danger at Ski Santa Fe


It’s Ski Season! Time for Cooper to hit the snow.
by Grayson Schaffer | on November 30th, 2009 | in Features, Training, Video Clips

What’s not to love about Ski Santa Fe? The same slopes we were hunting September we’re skiing in November. Cooper was too young to hunt this year, but he’s just the right age to get started on snow. We’re going to spend a lot of time talking about how to ski with your dog this winter. Everyone loves to do it, but few people do it safely. Of the Outside dogs that accompany us on morning hike-up laps, none have escaped a laceration either from a ski edge or a snowmobile. The reason it happens is simple: The owner has no control over the dog when new and exciting distractions are introduced. A few people have told me that I’m no fun for making my dogs heel. But that’s not quite right. The point is: Make sure your dog can heel and will come when called (even when skiers or snowmobiles are zipping by). Then when you release your dog to run and play, you can do so with the confidence that he’s not a danger to himself.

Cooper gets his intro to snow
Cooper gets his intro to snow