bully express

Hi Willow, What about dog sled racing? It's great fun & exercise for the dogs & owners! WASSA is a family friendly Sled Dog Racing Club based in Perth. Sled dogs traditionally pull people and cargo on sleds for hundreds of miles over snow. Here in Australia we use bikes, scooters or 3 wheel rigs on dirt bush tracks, usually between 1-5km. Safety is our number one concern, for this reason we only run our dogs in the cooler months when it is below 15 degrees celcius. The original sled dogs were Huskies, Malamutes & Samoyeds. Now, all sorts of breeds are used : in WA we have alaskan malamutes, border collies, boxers, bull terriers, german shepherds, german shorthaired pointers, golden retrievers, koolies, labradors, ridgebacks, siberian huskies, staffies and many crossbreeds. If your dog is over 15kg he can have a go. Our club meets every weekend in the cooler months. We run races, camps, training days, quiz nights & other social events. We have friendly members of all ages & from all walks of life. Our annual Demo Day is Being held on the South Perth Foreshore on April5th. It's a chance for people to come & see sled dog racing here in Western Australia & find out more about our sport & our club. Beginner Days will be held on April 11th, 18th & 19th at Gnangarra. You can bring YOUR dogs along and have a go using our club equipment - try before you buy! Our website is www.wassa.com.au, email [email protected] , phone 0418 961 964 We'd love to meet you, Kerry, Bailey, Stig & Dave Bully Express

Hi Bonniek & Fordogs, I do dog sled racing with my 2 english bull terriers - it's so much fun and the dogs just love it. IT'S NOT JUST FOR HUSKIES!! That's great that you have a scooter already as they can be hard to find. Make sure that you get a proper sledding harness and a bungy (stretchy) rope to attatch your dog to it safely. Proper gear is really important or you could injure your dog. one aussie company is www.windchill.com.au The next thing to do is find a club - we love our sport and love to help out newbies. Where are you? There are clubs in most states. Our national body's website is at www.assa.asn.au - it's a work in progress but I'm sure if you contacted the committee they could put you in contact with the clubs in your area. I'm in Perth and our club (WA Sleddog Sports Association) is holding a Demo Day Sunday April 5th on the South Perth Foreshore from 10am - 2 pm. We bring our dogs into the city so people can come and see what our sport is all about. Then in the weeks following we hold beginner days so people can bring their dogs and have a go using our club equipment. Our website has some info for beginners which you may find helpful : www.wassa.com.au You can also check out www.sleddogcentral.com for lots of cool info. This is an american site, and although we don't have snow or up to 18 dogs in our teams, much of the training etc is the same. See you on the trail, Kerry, Bailey Stig & Dave Bully Express