Dog scooterers and other participants in
dog powered sports have created Dogs
Across America, a relay event that demonstrate the pulling and traveling
ability of ordinary (and extra-ordinary dogs). In each participating
State, teams of dogs and humans travel the longest or most important
trails in the State. In 2005 14 States participated and teams amassed
212 miles. In 2006 17 States participated and teams quadrupled the miles
with a total of 821 miles.
The event takes place in late November in the Northern States
and in early December in the Southern States. The schedule juggles, avoiding
snow in the north and avoiding hot weather in the South. Any wheeled
device may be used. Dogs can pull scooters, bicycles, sulkies, dryland
mushing rigs, wagons, roller blades, skateboards, wheel chairs or roller
skiis or even humans on foot (canicross). If there is snow then dogs
will pull skiis or sleds. A team of dogs can vary in size from one to
as many as a musher wants to hitch to their rig.
The Dogs Across America site
promotes and organizes the event. In addition, the site creator and volunteer,
scooterer Mike Behnke, has created a Dog Trails database at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DogTrails .
We can start collecting trail information on the yahoo data base as well
as the web site.
Two dogs per sacco cart
Two dogs per skateboard
Four dogs per scooter
|
One Dog per Scooter
Two Dogs per Wheelchair
One dog per go-cart
Three dogs per scooter
Three dogs per sulky |
