Beginners’ Dryland Intake Workshops
Lessons are finished for the 2022-2023 season.
We plan to have more dryland workshops in the fall of 2023. Please check back in October.
Love winter? If your dog pulls you on leash, there’s a good chance they will be great in harness.
A beginner lesson, taught by Snow Motion co-coordinators Susie Strachan and Lorne Volk, will give you a taste of what it’s like to train your dog to pull you on skis or a kick sled.
Dryland lessons provide you with a loaner harness, training treats, and a take-home sheet of instructions. If your dog has food allergies, please bring your own training treats.
The lesson covers how to gear up and how to train your dog to follow the mushing commands.
We will talk about how to modify your current ski set for skijoring, and how to purchase skis if you don’t already have them.
What you need for a workshop:
- Your dog(s) must be over 6 months of age in order to train. You must have your own dog (we don’t supply them).
- A leash for the dog(s), and good footwear.
- Basic control over your dog(s). They should be able to follow simple commands such as “come” and “sit”.
- A non-medical mask, to be worn during the indoor session.
The workshop at Canvasback lasts for approximately 2 to 2.5 hours. Please remember to dress for the weather conditions.
Your dog must stay in the car for the first hour of the workshop at Canvasback. Please provide them with whatever you need to keep them warm and secure.
Post-workshop training walks take place at a number of trails around Winnipeg and are a requirement before you can join our beginners’ group when we switch to on-snow group runs. If you have experience outside of the club, and want to join, please send us an email and we can evaluate your skills.
You will need a membership in Snow Motion, for insurance purposes, in order to join the training walks and on snow beginners’ group runs. We will have the club membership papers with us at the workshop. Dues for the year are $20 per person.
We will not be offering ‘Intake’ lessons on snow, as we cannot handle successive waves of beginners in our group runs during the winter months. We are also not offering private lessons.