Dog mushing is the official state sport of Alaska. Here is a list of common terms used by mushers and a brief explanation of each. If you think you know these terms well, take the Mushing Terminology Quiz using the link at the bottom of this article!

Booties: Footwear worn by dogs under certain trail conditions to protect feet from abrasion, cuts and formation of ice or snow balls between toes. Booties are made from a variety of materials, including fleece and Cordura® and are typically fastened with Velcro®. Foot care is one of the most important aspects of long distance travel, for as they say, “No foot, no dog.”

Brake: An aluminum bar fastened to the back of the sled with a variety of claws or points to grab in to the snow. Standing on the brake will generally NOT stop an excited, runaway or unruly team, but rather provides enough resistance to get the team’s attention so that good training kicks in and they actually do stop.

Drag: In addition to a brake bar, most mushers utilize an additional type of brake, a short section of old snowmobile track (sometimes with studs) which lies between the runners where the musher stands. Stepping on the drag slows the team and can be used to help pace the team, on slick or uneven sections of trail, or when going downhill.

Easy: A command given to slow the team down.

Gangline: The main line the dogs and sled are attached to. Polyethylene rope with cable inside is common. Another option includes “iron rope,” made of Kevlar®.

Gee: Command given to turn to the right.

Handler: Many mushers employ handlers to help with maintenance, dog care, and training. Handlers clean up the dog yard, prepare meals for and feed dogs, help maintain trails, run the “B” teams or puppy teams (often in races), and perform several other routine chores around a kennel. Many mushers get their start by handling for an established musher, learning about dog care and training from someone with experience before taking the financial and lifestyle plunge that comes with having one's own team.

Harness: Harnesses are the tools that allow the dogs to pull. There are many styles available and frequent tinkering with designs to find the fit that promotes the greatest pulling force with the least amount of effort from the dogs. Each musher makes his own decision about which type of harness works best for his dogs and team as a whole.

Haw: Command given to turn left.

Leader: The dog at the front of the team. Leaders are not necessarily the smartest dogs on the team or the most dominant. They are dogs who are eager to please (usually) and unfazed by a large number of other dogs “chasing” them. Every musher has a slightly different idea of what makes a good leader, and a dog who is a good leader for one team and/or musher may not work for another. In addition, not all leaders are created equal. Some lead dogs are gung-ho enthusiasts who love to break trail and perform well under adverse conditions; others perform well when the trail is straight, predictable, and requires little response to commands from the musher. Most mushers have several leaders in their team and can switch leaders as conditions change.

Mush!: Contrary to popular belief, this term is not used as a command to start the team, but only as a descriptive term of the activity of running dogs. Mushers use a variety of terms to start a team, including “hike,” “hup,” and “let’s go.”

Neckline: A short line connecting the dog’s collar to the gangline.

On by: A command given to encourage the team to pass a distraction or obstacle, such as a snowmobile or another dog team.

Runners: The part of the sled which has contact with snow. Early sleds had hardwood runners with steel on the bottom. Later, plastic replaced the steel. Most modern sleds, particularly those used in racing, have runners made of lightweight aircraft aluminum with UHMW plastic sheathing that can be changed with ease. Runner plastic is available in a variety of compositions, denoted by color. Snow and weather conditions (e.g. extreme cold, abrasive trail, etc.) dictate which runners to use and quick-change systems are standard for competitive mushers.

Snow hook: A curved metal claw with two or three prongs which is used to anchor a stopped team. The snow hook is connected to the gangline by a rope or cable extending the length of the sled, which allows the musher to set the hook in the snow without stepping off the sled. Two hooks are usually used for teams of eight dogs or more, as an eager group of dogs can easily pull a poorly set hook (e.g. a hook set in powdery snow or in thin snow on top of ice).

Swing dogs: Dogs who run immediately behind the leader(s). Some mushers call this position “Point.” Swing dogs are usually dogs that can run lead and know their commands. Swing is also where a leader-in-training runs.

Team dogs: These are all the dogs between the swing dogs and the wheel dogs.

Tug: The section of rope connecting the dog’s harness to the gangline.

Wheel dogs: Dogs who run directly in front of the sled. Wheel dogs are often the largest and most powerful dogs on the team. Some mushers think wheel dogs need to be intelligent as they are the ones that most often need to jump over or duck under the gangline on a trail with twists and turns. A good wheel dog does not lunge in harness and will not budge until the musher gives the command to go.