Pro Tip for Cross Country Skiing with Dogs

Cross-country skiing with dogs takes preparation and the right outlook to ensure it is successful for both you and your furry best friend.

Cross-Country Skiing with Dogs! There may not be a better way to spend an hour or two with your beloved pet than on the wintery trails we cross-country ski on.

I fell in love with cross-country skiing when I lived in Laramie, Wyoming, where there is abundant access to winter trails the locals use for classic skiing, skate skiing, snowshoeing, and fat biking. However, working as a traveling auditor in my late twenties only allowed me to ski on weekends and at night. In mountain lion country, it was at night when I felt most comfortable skiing with a friend. Or, at the very least, a four-legged buddy to sense danger in the woods before I could.

It has always amazed me the quiet that ensues after a thick blanket of snow has covered the forest floor. Other than the cracks and creaks of the pine trees swaying in the wind, one is lucky to hear a friend yell for help even just a hundred feet away. This is especially true when the sounds of my skis sliding down a trail are all I hear.

Disclosure: I sometimes don’t hear my wife asking where I misplaced the dog leashes, even from across the living room. So there’s that.

But, no joke. It is much quieter in the woods in the winter than in the summer. The snow dampens sound astonishingly efficiently, and it’s tough to hear much. That’s why I bring a dog. A dog’s sense of its surroundings is, plain and simple, multitudes better than ours. So, when I’m not out with a friend, I go cross-country skiing with a dog.

Cross country skiing with a dog allows both of us to cover more ground than if we were snowshoeing or walking.

Further, being on a trail with a dog is flat-out fun! And gliding through the backcountry on skis with your pet is as mentally healthy for them as it is for me. Like most dogs, my pets love to run. Cross-country skiing allows me to keep up at a pace consistent with theirs. They get to exude more energy skiing with me than on a simple walk, and I can cover a lot more ground.

Keep in mind that dogs get snow in their paws, though, and it is often painfully cold for them after a bit. I use booties that Velcro around their ankles tightly and sometimes even bring a spare in the event one gets lost. For their jacket, I use the Ruffware Vert Jacket for dogs to keep them warm enough, even when slightly wet from rolling in the snow.

Get your dog a snug fitting, insulated jacket and some booties to keep them comfortable and warm on the snow.