Musher Terminology

Ever wonder what the strange commands and mushing words mean? Read this list of common musher terms and commands so you will have a better understanding of what is going on at the starting line and along the track.

• Lead Dog: dog(s) running in the lead. Must be intelligent and fast
• Swing Dog: dogs behind leaders that help "swing" the team
• Wheel Dog: dogs closest to sled. Must be very strong to pull sled around corners. 
• Team Dog: any dog in the team that is not mentioned above.
• Dog Bag: gear bag on sled large enough to carry dogs along with all kinds of mandatory race gear
• Dog in Basket: carrying an injured or tired dog on the sled
• Handler: a much-needed assistant to the musher
• Gang Line: main rope that all dogs are connected to - usually made of polyethylene, nylon and/or cable
• Snow Hook: a claw hook attached to the sled that plows into the snow to hold the team
• "Haw": command to lead dogs to turn left
• "Gee": command to lead dogs to turn right
• "Come Haw", "Come Gee": command to turn the team 180 degrees in either direction
• "On By": command to team to pass another team or obstacle in path
• Staging: bringing a dog team to the starting line of a race
• Brake: a toothed mechanism on sled that mushers stand on to slow the team down
• "Hike", "Lets Go": commands to start the team
• "Line Out": command to lead dog to hold the team straight - used while hooking up dogs
• "Trail": request to other mushers for right-of-way on trail
• Alaskan Husky: a cross of several northern breeds with needed endurance of the sport