Welcome to Urban Mushing –
home of the Southern California Working Snow Dogs --- a group of humans and
their canine companions indulging in different fun dog-powered activities for
the working dog. Our dogs LOVE to run and pull and we give them a chance to get
the exercise they need and deserve through various “mushing” type activities
such as dog scootering, carting, bikejoring, canicross, skijoring,
weight-pulling, and yes, dogsledding. Most of us are also avid hikers and
take our dogs backpacking as well as snowshoeing during the winter.
Our site is constantly
evolving, so please
check back often for updates. We hope to use this as a source of information on
different types of urban mushing activities, gear, equipment, and events and to
encourage others to exercise their dogs, especially the working breeds.
Interested in
learning more about urban mushing? In
addition to this website, we have a great discussion group for you to join!
Go to
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoCalWorkingSnowDogs/. Our discussion
group gives you local run locations as well as meeting times and the best conversation around with fellow urban mushers!
Also visit our new blog
for up-to-the-minute information regarding our activities, fun runs and pictures
from events!
It doesn’t matter where
you’re from or what breed of dog you have --- if you love your dog and want to
learn more about dog-powered sports, then you’ve come to the right place.
To get a feel for what we're all about,
watch this
news clip from ABC News which aired on December 8,
2007 covering our 2nd Annual Not-So Great Serum Run! You can also watch this
promotional video by Donna Meichtry, one of our
more creative group members who is studying video production. She still
has hours of editing to do before she completes the project but in the meantime,
enjoy this amazing 'teaser.' Are you hooked yet? To see even more,
see news articles about our group,
view pictures from past events
and view and listen to our slideshow from our
Dogs Across America event.
Add an event to the website!
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Announcing...The 2009 (not so)
Great Serum Run and Barbecue! Saturday, December 12 RESCHEDULED! NEW DATE:
Saturday January 9, 2010!!!
Fairview Park, Costa Mesa, California
Urban Mushing Fun for Everyone - - - Just Dog It!!! Click here to view the Schedule of Events
Join us for a day of fun and friendly competition during our Fourth Annual
(not so) Great Serum Run and Barbecue. Meet up with other urban mushers and
their dog teams as we race around the trails of Fairview Park in the
following events:
Medals will be awarded to the
winning teams and prizes will be raffled off as well. And the coveted "red
flashlight" award will be given to the team in each event that displays
"indomitable spirit against insurmountable odds" (aka the last place
finisher). But the biggest prize of all is the joy and exhilaration that
your dogs will experience as they join their fellow canines in fulfilling
their need to run!
The race entry deadline is December 5th, BUT please make sure to send in
your entry forms as soon as possible, as this will help us in race logistics
including figuring out how many racing bibs need to be ordered. (There will
be a $5 surcharge for late entries.)
And even if you are not participating in the races, please come and join us
for the noon time barbecue and potluck! We will also have other activities
planned during the day, including “hands-on” carting demonstrations which
will give you an opportunity to run a 4, 6, or 8-dog team.
STUFF TO BRING:
1. Lawn chairs. There are benches available at the picnic shelter but
definitely not enough to accommodate all attendees.
2. EZ UP tents, if you have them. Not necessary but we also reserved the
grassy area so that's available for anyone to hang around in and set up
their tents if they wish.
3. Poop bags. Due to budget constraints, the city of Costa Mesa no
longer provides poop bags so please bring your own and make sure to clean up
after you dogs.
4. Water for the dogs. There is a drinking water station by the bathrooms
but best to bring your own supply, just in case.
5. Cameras, Camcorders. With all these wonderful dogs coming to the park and
having fun, you just gotta be able to capture the moment.
STUFF TO LEAVE AT HOME:
1. Scrooge. He's just going to be totally frustrated if he came to this
event as it is guaranteed to be a happy, cheerful and HOWLING good time!
Training Weekend with
Karen Yeargain
Saturday and Sunday October 24 and 25, 2009
Holcomb Valley (Big Bear), CA
The Southern California Working Snow Dogs Group
is offering a weekend of training with Karen Yeargain of Tumnatki
Siberians (www.tumnatkisiberians.com).
Karen has been raising, training and very successfully racing Siberian
Huskies since getting her first dog in 1987.
This workshop will focus on training you, the musher, so you will be able
to work more effectively with your dogs. There will be a full day of
training on Saturday with Sunday activities winding up at around 4PM. Each
day, we will start with focused groundwork with individual dogs followed
by a large team exercise with an ATV and carts. Later in the day, teams
will have the opportunity to work on skills with scooters or carts.
Midday, we’ll have lunch with discussions of training topics.
Announcing....our 3rd Annual Urban Mushing
Clinic!
April 4th and 5th, 2009
Fairview Park, Costa Mesa
Are you ready for a fun and informative urban mushing weekend? Then come
join us for our 3rd Annual Urban Mushing Clinic on April 4th and 5th, 2009
at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa! Once again, Carmen Rasmussen of Alpine
Outfitters will be flying down from Washington State to be our guest speaker
and give us invaluable tips on the health, care, proper gear, and training
of our urban mushing canines. Whether you’re a total newbie or an
intermediate musher, you will certainly learn a lot from this workshop which
will combine both lectures and hands-on training techniques.
We will also have a potluck barbecue and a
Saturday night get-together --- a wonderful opportunity to just sit around
and talk about the joys of running our “sled pets!"
If you and your fur
hounds want to participate in this educational spring time rendezvous, then
please complete the registration
formand mail it in as soon as possible. Any questions, please email
info@urbanmushing.com.
Three Dog
Bakeryin San Clemente is the only
Southern California establishment that stocks a vast array of Alpine
Outfitters harnesses, lines and collars - contact them today!
Our site is constantly
evolving, so please
check back often for updates. We hope to use this as a source of information on
different types of urban mushing activities, gear, equipment, and events and to
encourage others to exercise their dogs, especially the working breeds.
