Winter: Skijoring has grown in popularity throughout Maine over the last decade. Many people who see this unique winter sport wonder how it works. The sport involves using a dog, generally people think of huskies when they think of skijoring but, German shorthairs actually do very well in this sport too. If you still are wondering how this works, here you go, first you need a pair of cross country skies. You will also need a padded belt that fits comfortably around your waist. The belt belt is attached to a 6 to 12 foot lead which is then attached to the dog’s harness. You use the momentum of the dog and your own skiing ability to form a “team” and you can actually reach speeds up to 25 miles per hour once in full motion. The skier controls the dog through various commands so training is critical especially if you want to stop. The sport has really taken off and many cross country skiing resorts offer skijoring packages and lessons.