Originally posted by ComedyDevil
This may sound like a dumb question, but, in sledding, how do you steer the dogs? The reason I ask is because my horses pull carriages, and you steer them using the reins attached to the bit in their mouth. Ive always wondered how you steer dogs?!
Verbal commands. Gee for right, Haw for left, on-by to pass things, ect. I have a couple extra commands--hold-to get them to stay and "Pingo Pick-A-Trail", used when my lead dog, Pingo, gets to decide which way we are going. She loves that--she's a trail dog at heart. Trail leaders will follow obvious trails and not neccessarily the musher's commands. Pingo has turned into a command leader, but sometimes she still likes to pick the route. Sleet is a command leader. She never misses, even when she knows I'm wrong.

The sled itself is steered by shifting your weight, kinda like turning in downhill skiiing.