Once you understand your huskies physically and mentally on an individual basis and as a pack, you’re on the right track to start Mushing. Physical characteristics can vary greatly and it's not uncommon to find that some team members are not well suited to run together as a pair, for example; dog fights, incorrect mental influence and balance, leaving you to rotate the team on the gang line - as long as you have enough dogs to rotate - to experiment which pairs are more suited to run together and in what position, taking speed, strength and endurance all into account while trying to retain the smart one at front to act as your lead dog.
Also equally important and sometimes overlooked, is the musher's mental control and equilibrium with the dogs, especially with large teams, if you don’t have mental control you have no control, remember; there pulling you and large teams have the power of an elephant, so control in my opinion is a very important element of Mushing, but not to be confused with obedience work...

If you are interested in taking up Mushing your dogs, a fantastic sport now growing over here in the UK, I have listed below some recommended books for training sled dogs to harness, as this particular training is best derived from knowledge, and lead by example at first hand from Mushers that are already running there huskies in harness at races or training events. Take the time to visit a ABSA or SHCGB sled dog rally, you will not be disappointed, there you will have the opportunity to talk to experienced Mushers new and old, along with the opportunity to watch how the dogs are handled and run...

• Face Up / Line Out - get the dogs up and face forward ready to run

• Stand - hold there face up position, reinforcement

• Hike / Already - get the dogs moving [we tend not to use anything now! as the dogs just want to go anyway :o) ]

• Gee - turn right

• Come Gee - turn right 180˚

• Haw - turn left

• Come Haw - turn left 180˚

• Easy - slow down

• Musher - one that drives sled dogs

• Mushing - the act of driving sled dogs

• Lead Dog - dog that steers the sled dog team and regulates speed

• Swing Dog (sometimes referred to as dogs in point) - dogs directly behind the lead dogs but in front of the wheel dogs

• Team Dog - everything else between swing and wheel dogs

• Wheel Dog - dogs closest to the sled

• Sled - wooden rig the dogs pull in the snow and on which you stand

• Snowless Rigs, also called Training Carts - take the place of the sled when there is no snow

• George Attla - Everything I know about Training and Racing Sled Dogs

• Jim Welch - The Speed Mushing Manual