Dog Driver: A Guide for the Serious Musher [Hardcover]

Miki Collins (Author), Julie Collins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1991

Dog Driver gives you practical details of preparing a team for serious work. Learn how to: select your dogs, build a team, train and condition, work with harnesses and sleds (AND how to repair them!), understand your dogs, and travel safely and efficiently. Not only will you learn all the fine points of mushing but you will really enjoy reading this book.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

My sister Miki and I learned to run dogs on our own. There weren’t many mushers around where we grew up, and few mushing books were available. Even today, with a burst of mushing books coming out, there are few, if any, comprehensive references for the serious musher.

We wrote this book for mushers who are tired of gleaning information frim newsletters, advertisements, and pet-owner handbooks. We have attempted to compile information that, until now, has been widely scattered and not readily available. Hopefully this will get information to mushers while saving them the trouble of doing all the research.

We wrote this book for mushers who already know how to hook up their dogs and stand on a sled. The beginning musher will find our book useful but should couple it with a book covering the elementary details. (A glossary ant the back of this book will help beginners, and additional books are listed in the references.)

Dog Driver is not just for competitive mushers; it is for mushing adventurers and mushers who run dogs for transportation or as a source of income, and for recreational mushers who want to understand their dogs and the sport better.

The knowledge that we gradually accumulated through our experiences (with many a bumped shin and bruised ego), and the knowledge that we gained from other dog drivers and literature, has moved us to share with other ushers—novices and professionals alike. This book is the result. Let’s hook up and get going.

About the Author

Twin sisters Miki and Julie Collins grew up in the Alaskan bush and have been mushing dogs since 1974. Their working dogs run 2000 to 3000 miles each year, hauling freight and firewood and puling gear on an eighty-mile trapline. Although the sisters have raced dogs occasionally, they prefer going on cross-country journeys in remote wilderness areas; most of these trips cover from 300 miles to almost 2000 miles of trail in Alaska and Canada.

In addition to mushing sled dogs, Miki and Julie are freelance writers. They appear frequently in local and regional newspapers and have published in magazine such as Mushing, Dog Fancy, Western Horseman, and Field & Stream. Their first book, Trapline Twins, describes their life in the bush and their many adventures with their one great love—sled dogs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 386 pages
• Publisher: Alpine Pubns Inc; 1st edition (April 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0931866480
• ISBN-13: 978-0931866487
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,128,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Iditarod & Dog-Sledding

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dog Driver, August 30, 2001

By 

Theresa Daily (Alaska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dog Driver: A Guide for the Serious Musher (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book for beginners as well as professional. It is the most detailed and updated book on the market. Covering finding the right dog, proper gear and how to use it (detailed photos) quality of food, daily care, medical needs, breeding, training, recreational, distance and sprint racing. I reccommend it to ALL beginner mushers.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Book for Dog Drivers, November 20, 2000

By 

Yaacov 'jake' Levi "Jake Levi" (Curran, MI , United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dog Driver: A Guide for the Serious Musher (Hardcover)

Dog Driver by Miki and Julie Collins is a book all who have ever wanted to drive a team, who are driving a team, or who have drove a team should have. It has something for everyone.

While considered a 'beginners bible' it has much to offer the established dog driver. Any dog drivers who feel that they dont need it are the ones who do need it.

The Collins Twins are probably the two best known dog mushers in Alaska who arenot on one of the competitive racing circuits, they are known for their competence and ability in getting a dog team from point A to point B . This book is a distillation of their experiences in a wide range of situations, and they have presented it in a clear and straight-forward manner.

They cover the topics in a thorough and effective manner, from getting started to trekking and racing. If sled dogs are your interest, you will want this book.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The bible of sled dog sports- outstanding!, October 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Dog Driver: A Guide for the Serious Musher (Hardcover)

Although the title implies that the book is for the "serious musher", it should properly read "any musher". Topics include nutrition, training, health care, distance and sprint racing, camping, breeding, buying, skijoring, etc. Each is dealt with in a practical and understandable manner.