Mush! Revised: A Beginner's Manual of Sled Dog Training [Paperback]

Charlene G. LaBelle (Author, Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2007

The complete book of Sled Dog Racing, MUSH! is more thorough and reliable than any other source of mushing wisdom. MUSH! is indispensable to anyone who is thinking about this exciting sport. Starting with basic considerations such as buying dogs and equipment, MUSH! leads the reader through every consideration. Training, riding, traveling, race strategy, and more are discussed and illustrated. The reader is presented with step-by-step assistance and clearly drawn plans. MUSH! is tailored to sled doggers of all levels of interest and experience. The beginner will appreciate the clear cut instructions for assembling his own equipment. The old pros will find its encyclopedic format of great and lasting value. MUSH! will help you understand what it takes to be successful in sled dogging, and is designed to give the reader a book for quick reference. Mistakes will be avoided and success will come sooner. MUSH! could be that necessary link between the desire and the trophy. MUSH! is the result of years of hard work by generations of people devoted to sled dog sports. The SIERRA NEVADA DOG DRIVERS Inc., a group of California mushers, first published some of this material in booklet form as an aid to beginners. The demand for this first effort prompted them to produce a book that would answer all questions. SNDD lifetime member, Bella Levorsen, worked with club members and mushing greats to produce the first three editions of MUSH! Recently, Charlene G. LaBelle, also a lifetime member of SNDD, worked with club members to update MUSH! to this current volume. SNDD members, the Internet and her own personal experiences as a dog driver, plus her love for this sport, all went into this latest effort.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Charlene (and her husband Steve) LaBelle are lifetime members of the Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers (SNDD). We have been active with sled dogs sports for well over 20 years. We own and breed champion Alaskan Malamutes. Our dogs are run in harness as well as show. They also backpack, weight pull and do a variety of other activities. Charlene spent several years on the SNDD board of directors as the Treasurer. She also had held every job associated with putting on an ISDRA sanctioned race. She worked with local communities to put on successful races. Charlene and her dogs have visited many schools and enjoy doing public education on responsible dog ownership, the Iditarod and sled dog sports. Charlene at the time of this writing is currently in her second term as a Director at Large on the Alaskan Malamute Club of America board of directors. Charlene is the author of A Guide To Backpacking With Your Dog and has written many articles that have been published over the years. She has had articles published in magazines such as Dog Fancy and is frequently quoted in publications. Charlene is a member in good standing in many clubs. Some of which are: the Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA), the AMCA, a lifetime member of the Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers (SNDD), and the Northern California Alaskan Malamute Association (NCAMA of which she held several offices including President). Charlene will be profiled in Hoflin Publication s Alaskan Malamute Annual for 2006.

Product Details

• Paperback: 330 pages
• Publisher: Barkleigh Productions; 4th edition (March 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097906760X
• ISBN-13: 978-0979067600
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #509,299 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really helped us get going with the basics!, January 4, 2011

By 

Gilly - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Mush! Revised: A Beginner's Manual of Sled Dog Training (Paperback)

I read this book over a few years ago when we got our husky puppy. I picked up the revised edition (2007) when it came out shortly afterwards. The detailed pictures and drawings really helped me work out the basics, such as how to harness your dog and how things look when they are pulling and everything is in it's proper place. This is essential b/c a poorly fitted harness will make things very uncomfortable for your dog and running should always be enjoyable for them! Our husky has enjoyed many years of happy casual pulling thanks to the good info I found in here.

I'm looking forward to trying the leading exercises when I have the space/snow, since he's now old enough to start building up to heavier loads. I will also be using the "dog house" plans to build him a house when we have our own property. My grandpa kept his hunting dogs in plywood houses and they are fantastic! Nice an warm (use straw of course) and easily replaceable when your dog chews on them. The index of companies and organizations in the back was a great help as well! It helped me find a local company to buy our first harness from! I also appreciated the fact that this book had sections for skijoring, carting, and backpacking. There are so many fun things to do with your dog and these were great intro pieces to let you see what else is out there! Naturally if you want to get into any of these you should probably pick up a book specifically on that.

I didn't notice much/any spelling mistakes in my version as one poster complained about. My suggestion would be to sample the book (on googlebooks or something) before buying if you are concerned.

Currently this is my only dog mushing book, but I am also planning to buy Dog Driver here in the near future.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mush Revised, May 7, 2010

By 

Jeff, Michigan fly fisherman "Water Child" (Findlay, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Mush! Revised: A Beginner's Manual of Sled Dog Training (Paperback)

I like this book because although it is a manual for mushers it weaves the technical aspects with interesting stories and history. It's easy to read and practical. I keep it on my nightstand and periodically refer to it on my path to being a musher. If running sled dog teams is on your "bucket list" you should have this book.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Poorly written and edited, September 7, 2010

By 

Anne - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Mush! Revised: A Beginner's Manual of Sled Dog Training (Paperback)

I am interested in learning to train a dog to pull a sled. I am a beginner and have no interest in racing. I thought this would be the perfect book, but it is really intended for someone with some experience. Also, the book was difficult for me to read because it had SO many grammatical and spelling problems throughout the book ("I took a pole of sled dog owners to see . . . "). Sometimes the author would give way too much information (for example, three paragraphs on how you should not yell at your dog, that dogs have good hearing) and then other times no information at all where more is needed. I think it would be a good book for an intermediate person, but it is NOT a "how-to" book for the beginner.