Doggy Manners

A quick question to the experts in cyberspace: is it rude to take a dog
XC skiing while touring? I have read that skiers are supposed to follow
track and that it is also rude to let dog run or pull on tracks....
What should I do? I don't want to leave my puppy home! Van

"vansterut" wrote in message
oups.com...
A quick question to the experts in cyberspace: is it rude to take a dog
XC skiing while touring? I have read that skiers are supposed to follow
track and that it is also rude to let dog run or pull on tracks....
What should I do? I don't want to leave my puppy home! Van

Around where I ski, the "organized" / groomed places either explicitly allow
or disallow dogs. Some have loops where dogs are allowed. In my
experience, any place that is actually groomed and tracked, whether it be a
touring place or a racing place, does not like dogs because they can mess up
the striding tracks. Frankly, dogs don't really cause significant harm to
decently packed skating trails - assuming proper removal of excrement and
control of the dog so it doesn't bother or endanger anyone else.

In my opinion, for skier-tracked touring areas (like skiing in the woods), a
well behaved dog is welcome regardless of what they do to the tracks. Of
course, considering any applicable rules of that particular area (e.g. if
it's a state park, what are the park's rules).

I ski with my dog as much as I can, but it's usually in areas where I've
broken in the trails myself. But I wouldn't hesitate to ski with him in any
self-tracked area as long as dogs weren't prohibited there.

Cam

I consider it very rude to take a dog on a groomed ski trail,
but very considerate of you to ask

Some ski areas explicity allow for dogs for ski-journing. You might
try to find a ski-journing course and, great, take your dog.
Otherwise, I'd stick to ungroomed/unmarked trails, multi-use trails,
or frozen
lakes and rivers where dogs are allowed.

Guys like me get this adreniline rush working out hard, and have this
sort of
"trail rage" that sometimes leads to irrational behavior like trying
to chase
the first poor dog we see off the trail. Well, admittedly a large
group of deer
or a pack of coyotes can do as much harm to the trail as a few
inconsiderate dog owners, but the deer and coyoyes don't meticulously
curcuit the whole trail system and leave prints and droppings along the
whole
course. Don't get me started

On 20 Jan 2005 13:25:43 -0800, "Bob L" wrote:

I consider it very rude to take a dog on a groomed ski trail,
but very considerate of you to ask

Some ski areas explicity allow for dogs for ski-journing. You might
try to find a ski-journing course and, great, take your dog.
Otherwise, I'd stick to ungroomed/unmarked trails, multi-use trails,
or frozen
lakes and rivers where dogs are allowed.

Guys like me get this adreniline rush working out hard, and have this
sort of
"trail rage" that sometimes leads to irrational behavior like trying
to chase
the first poor dog we see off the trail. Well, admittedly a large
group of deer
or a pack of coyotes can do as much harm to the trail as a few
inconsiderate dog owners, but the deer and coyoyes don't meticulously
curcuit the whole trail system and leave prints and droppings along the
whole
course. Don't get me started

Dog poop in the tracks is really, really, really annoying. Being
chased by and barked at by dogs is really, really annoying also.

Having said the above, well behaved dogs managed by courteous owners
can be perfectly welcome. It's pretty much the same as with dogs in
any park, on any trail, near bike paths, ski paths, walking paths or
whatever. Usually the places that have rules have them because
unfortunately the rules are needed.

On Thu, 20 Jan 2005, vansterut wrote:

A quick question to the experts in cyberspace: is it rude to take a dog
XC skiing while touring? I have read that skiers are supposed to follow
track and that it is also rude to let dog run or pull on tracks....
What should I do? I don't want to leave my puppy home! Van

Take your dog skiing on untracked areas. Do not bring your dog to groomed
trails (unless they are specifically designated for skijouring).
-Kem


************************************************** *********
Kenneth Salzberg
Hamline University
School of Law (651) 523-2354
1536 Hewitt Ave.
Sisu Skier - 50K Club St. Paul, MN 55104
************************************************** ****************

Dogs in England aren't used to skiers and often take a dislike to them. I
think the poles spook them. Perhaps American dogs are habituated and better
behaved?
andyb

A quick question to the experts in cyberspace: is it rude to take a dog
XC skiing while touring? I have read that skiers are supposed to follow
track and that it is also rude to let dog run or pull on tracks....
What should I do? I don't want to leave my puppy home! Van

Both times I skied in Norway, I saw dogs on the trails almost every day I
was out. This year, near Sjusjeon, it was every day, sometimes on their own
and sometimes ski jouring. I think we americans are way to up tight about
all that sort of thing. Last year, I also saw kids going down the
Holmenkollen trails on sleds and a scooter looking thing, apparently on the
way to winter camping somewhere. They were all having a great time. The dogs
too ;-)

"Philip Nelson" wrote in message
...
A quick question to the experts in cyberspace: is it rude to take a
dog
XC skiing while touring? I have read that skiers are supposed to
follow
track and that it is also rude to let dog run or pull on tracks....
What should I do? I don't want to leave my puppy home! Van

Both times I skied in Norway, I saw dogs on the trails almost every day I
was out. This year, near Sjusjeon, it was every day, sometimes on their
own
and sometimes ski jouring. I think we americans are way to up tight about
all that sort of thing. Last year, I also saw kids going down the
Holmenkollen trails on sleds and a scooter looking thing, apparently on
the
way to winter camping somewhere. They were all having a great time. The
dogs
too ;-)

When I skiied in Norway a few years ago, in the mountains, the Norwegians I
was with took their dog every day. We were in the mountains on semi- and
self-tracked trails. The dog was well behaved, they removed all excrement,
and nobody cared at all. I doubt if I would have seen any dogs on the race
trails in Trondheim, though 8-).

Cam

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005, Philip Nelson wrote:

Both times I skied in Norway, I saw dogs on the trails almost every day I
was out. This year, near Sjusjeon, it was every day, sometimes on their own
and sometimes ski jouring. I think we americans are way to up tight about
all that sort of thing.

I agree completely. Even if the dog is poorly trained and "klisters"
the trail, it doesn't take it long to freeze. Once that happens it
isn't going to mess up your wax job. Well, klister kick wax may be
the exception. Americans are way too up tight about a LOT of things.
Several years ago we hosted a Russian ski-O world champion who resides
in Sweden (which is to say he knows the ground rules all over Europe
very well) and he was constantly being amazed at things he was being
told here. Touring centers that don't let you ski on their trails
after dark, one-way trails, etc, etc.

Last year, I also saw kids going down the
Holmenkollen trails on sleds and a scooter looking thing, apparently on the
way to winter camping somewhere. They were all having a great time. The dogs
too ;-)

The most surprising thing that happened to me when I visited Holmenkollen
for a ski-O race was: choosing a route to one of the controls that
included skiing down what looked on the map like a pretty steep hill,
passing through a basin, and then part way up a steep hill on the other
side of the basin. I'm thinking to myself "ok I'll want to carry my
speed through the basin so I can use it on the steep climb on the
other side". When I got there and turned the corner to head down the
hill, I found myself going straight down what had obviously once been
a ski-jumping hill. (!) Very exciting on boiler-plate!

-Mitch

"vansterut" wrote in message
oups.com...
A quick question to the experts in cyberspace: is it rude to take a dog
XC skiing while touring? I have read that skiers are supposed to follow
track and that it is also rude to let dog run or pull on tracks....
What should I do? I don't want to leave my puppy home! Van


Some people are deadly scared of dogs, even when they see they are on leash.
Can you imagine how terrified they can get if they see a dog running loose
on the trail...

For my part, I ski mostly in provincial (state owned and managed) parks.
These parks are conservation areas and since dogs are considered a nuisance
to the wildlife, they are simply not allowed.

BarryT