Husky News

LAKE PLACID — This weekend, Lake Placid will be host to a different breed of athlete when the first-ever Run Dawg Run Festival comes to town.

Organized by the Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club and Down East Sled Dog Club, the event will feature numerous dry-land competitions in which people are pulled by their dogs at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex.

The competitions will include canicross, a sport in which a person walks or runs with their dog, and bikejor, a sport in which a bicyclist is pulled by a dog.

In both cases, the dogs are attached to their owners by bungee lines. Both the dog and owners wear special harnesses.

Vermontville resident Bob Kreider, who will be competing in several events this weekend, said that many dogs have a natural instinct to pull.

“Humans think of it as work,” Kreider said. “Dogs love it.”

Kreider and his wife, Deb, have 21 dogs at their home. Bob will be using what he calls his “houndskys,” which are a mix between Siberian huskies and greyhounds. Deb will be using her purebred Siberian huskies.

“We like to joke that Siberian huskies are like potato chips,” Bob said. “You can’t just have one.”

The difficult part about training dogs for these competitions is getting the animals to pace themselves so they don’t burn out, he said. The races often last several miles.

Training them to turn left and right while they’re pulling can also be challenging, he noted.

Last winter, the Kreiders participated in their first dog-sled races after already having been active in the skijoring, which is when dogs pull people on skis.

Dry-land competitions, such as canicross, are often used as training for snow events such as dogsled racing and skijoring.

Still, canicross is actually one event this weekend in which almost anyone can join in the fun.

“It’s really gone mainstream,” Run Dawg Run organizer Jason Sperry said. “It’s a real fun event for all members of the family. Basically, anyone who has a dog with a fitness level can participate.”

Other competitions will be filled with dogs and owners who are more experienced. One of those is the scooter race. This event is a dry-land equivalent to mushing, or dog-sled racing.

The race will feature up to two dogs pulling their owner, who is on a scooter. These scooters have larger wheels and more ground clearance than versions used by children.

“It’s like a kid’s scooter on steroids,” Bob Kreider said.

Generally, only a few breeds of dogs are used in the races, said Denise Erenstone, who is on the Run Dawg Run Steering Committee.

Northern breeds, such as huskies, are popular because of their pulling instincts and abilities, while German and English pointers are sought-after because of their natural speed. They can also be bred together.

Erenstone is also on the Board of Directors for the Tri-Lakes Humane Society, which will be benefiting from the festival. Some of the funds from the canicross event will go toward the society’s no-kill shelter.

In addition to the races, there will be seminars on proper care, conditioning and nutrition for dogs. There will also be vendors selling equipment, such as harnesses and bungee lines.

Registration is from 7:45 to 9 a.m. Saturday. Competitions start at 9:30 and run through Sunday.

For more information, visit www.rundawgrun.com