Favorite Books
Another great way to learn is by reading! You can go to the Iditarod Store for a library of great mushing books. My favorite author is Gary Paulsen, so any one of his many books is a wonderful read! Here are my thoughts on a few of them:
Hatchet and the Brian books by Gary Paulsen are excellent for kids interested in outdoor survival. These are the books that got me interested in reading.
Guts by Gary Paulsen is truly a must-read. Mr. Paulsen welcomes you into his world – the true stories behind Hatchet and the Brian books.
Winterdance by Gary Paulsen is probably my favorite book ever. A musher’s Bible! It tells the true story of his adventures on the Iditarod Trail.
Dogsong by Gary Paulsen takes place in the wild Alaskan tundra. It tells the story of a teenage boy trying to find himself while traveling with some good friends…. a team of dogs.
Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers by Gary Paulsen is a heart-warming tribute to his exceptional lead dog, Cookie.
I also highly recommend any books by Donald McCaig and Dr. Ray & Lorna Coppinger.
- Megan says, “Read every book and article you can get your hands on. Subscribe to Mushing Magazine.”
- Amanda says, “Dog Driver: A Guide for the Serious Musher, by Miki and Julie Collins, is a really good book for anyone to read. It has lots of good training and feeding tips, as well as things to look for when getting dogs, and also medical advice. It also has good distance recommended for running dogs.”
- Ericka says, “I am currently reading Dog Driver: A Guide for the Serious Musher by Miki and Julie Collins, and agree with Amanda, this book is pretty good, lots of information on most anything you need. I had a mushing bud of mine give it to me a couple days back, and really am already enjoying this awesome book! Another great book is Cheechako's Guide to the Art of Dog Mushing by Lavon Barve, that was one of the 1st books when I was training my 1st two dogs I got as pups and I trained my 1st command leader after reading that book.”
- Tessa says, “I've read Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor twice so far, and enjoyed it immensely. It is a very good book, and I recommend it to all, no matter what dog activity you are interested in. Heck, even if you only have pets! The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson is also a much loved book by myself! Very informative book.”
- Annie H. says, “Some other awesome books are....
o “Bones Would Rain from the Sky by Suzanne Clothier. It's just an amazing book. Looks at the human-dog relationship in a very down to earth way, but the ideas are amazing.”
o “The Dogs of Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz. Humorous and fun. It's about a man with border collies.... worth a read.”
o “Honest Dogs by Brian Patrick O'Donoghue. Tells about his adventure running the Quest. If you've ever been on a dogsled, you'll love it! And if not, it's still funny.”
o “My Lead Dog was a Lesbian by Brian Patrick O'Donoghue. Same guy, different race. Written after he'd run the Iditarod.”
o “The Other End of the Leash by Patricia B. McConnell. About 'talking dog' and gives examples of how different human behavior is compared to K9 and then tells you how to fix that. I'm actually reading it right now. My mom's read it, and she said it was informational, but that it's written to make you feel like an idiot. I think it's good so far.”
o “Marley and Me by John Grogan. It's just about a man and his dog. Funny and soooo true. If you have a lab, you'll love it!!!! WARNING- Sad at the end.”
- Rian says, “I've read Marley and Me, SO SAD but hilarious especially if you've ever had a spastic dog or even just a lab.”
- Mel(anie) says, “Lee Fishback's book, Training Lead Dogs, is a good one to help train dogs and work on flaws.”
