Beginners’ Dryland Intake Workshops
Workshops are finished for the 2023 fall intake.
We’ll return in the fall of 2024 for more dryland workshops.
We do not offer ‘Intake’ lessons on snow, as we cannot handle successive waves of beginners in our group runs during the winter months.
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, and assistant coordinators Asmara Polcyn and Nick Turchyn, 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 for yourself.
- Basic control over your dog(s). They should be able to follow simple commands such as “come” and “sit”.
The workshop at Canvasback lasts for approximately 2 to 2.5 hours. Please dress for the weather conditions.
Your dog has to stay in your 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 need a membership in Snow Motion, for insurance purposes, in order to join the on-snow beginners’ group runs. We will have the club membership papers with us at the workshop, however you must attend 2 training walks before you achieve full membership. Dues for the year are $20 per person.