It’s the Olympics, and while skijoring isn’t an event in these games, it could be one in your house.

Skijoring, a combination of cross country skiing and dog sledding, was developed over a century ago by the Norwegian military. At the time, it was a means of transporting supplies across the snow with a loaded sled between the dogs and the skier. It has since grown into a popular sport.

Northern breeds with heavy hair coats like Canadian Eskimos, Huskies, Malamutes, Samoyeds and Chows are popular dogs in this sport, but other breeds that love to run and meet the minimum weight requirement are good candidates, as well, so you can see American Bulldogs, Mastiffs, American Bull Terriers and Staffordshire Terriers involved. High energy and fast running breeds like Greyhounds, Labs, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs and German Shorthaired Pointers have also been seen skijoring. Small dogs aren’t necessarily excluded from recreational skijoring, but since they can’t offer much strength or speed, they tend to be seen as passengers (and yes, that’s a pair of sporting breeds skijoring in our picture).

To skijore, you’ll need a few basic pieces of equipment: A proper pulling harness, a tether that connects you to your dog, a waist belt, and if you think you might like competitive skijoring, standard skate ski equipment, or touring skis without metal edges. Depending upon your breed, booties and a coat may be in order for your dog.

There are lots of organizations around the country, such as the Alaska Skijoring and Pulk Association, a nonprofit that promotes recreational and competitive skijoring in the Alaskan Interior. To find if there’s a similar group in your state, go here.

Image and photo credit: Bobil Skijoring 1 via photopin (license)