Welcome!

Today the club has over 150 members from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Delaware, Virginia, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland, New Jersey and Alaska. Classes at club races range from the International Sled Dog Racing Association's (ISDRA) Sanctioned classes right down to the Pee Wee classes. Sportsman classes for beginning and recreational mushers are also popular. We also feature pure bred classes. Many club members compete in weight pulls sanctioned by the International Weight Pull Association (IWPA).

The Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club has been a member club and a strong supporter of ISDRA for over twenty years. Club events are run under ISDRA rules and many club events apply for not only ISDRA but also IFSS sanctioning.

Recreational teams, rig races, weight pullers, officials, juniors, and professional sprint racers: these are the many faces of the Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club. Such diversity, bonded together by a shared love of the dogs and sled dog sports, is the core and strength of the Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club.

Questions? Contact PSDC:

This site will not tell you everything you need to know, but it will help you get started. You will need more than just dogs. You will need permission and cooperation from your parents and/or family members. Being a musher is something you are everyday, not just on race days. Your dogs will need your care and attention and they will look forward to the time you spend with them. It can be hard work, but it is great fun, too.

There are different types of sled dog sports. If you know how to ski cross country style, you could try Skijoring. Your dog pulls you as you ski. If you don't have a lot of snow, you could try Bikejoring. It's the same idea, except using a bike.

If you want to use a sled with your team, you can train for sprint races. The goal of sprint races is to go as fast as you can over a short course. Many race events have special races for one and two dog Junior Mushers for younger racers. The senior musher sprint races are for teams of 4, 6, 8 or an unlimited number of dogs (as many as 20). There are also long distance races. These are from 20 miles to over 1000 miles long. Another type of sled race is the freight race. The team hauls a heavy sled over the course. Weight of the sled and distance depend on the number of dogs on the team. In weight pull events, the dog pulls a special sled or cart for a short distance. Each time the dog pulls, more weight is added until one dog pulls the heaviest weight and wins.

This is just the beginning of dog powered sporting. If you're ready to dive in, click the button below!