Provinces and Territories · Drawing 33 of 42
A team of sled dogs
Yukon
In the Yukon, sled dogs pull together across the snow. The musher, the sled driver, calls “Gee!” to turn right and “Haw!” to turn left.
Look together
How many dogs are pulling the sled?
An idea to try
Play musher and sled dog: call “Gee!” or “Haw!” and your child turns right or left. Then switch roles.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
Dogsledding is a way of travelling in winter that was developed by northern Indigenous peoples and later adopted by European explorers and trappers. Dogs are often harnessed in pairs along a central line. The lead dogs at the front respond to the driver’s voice, and the strongest pair runs just in front of the sled. The word “musher” comes from “Marche!”, a call used by early French-Canadian drivers.
In the Yukon, dog teams remain popular with residents and visitors. Guides quoted by Travel Yukon advise saying “okay” to start and “whoa” to stop, keeping your hands on the handlebar and never letting go of the sled. Talk with your child about teamwork and about caring for the dogs: food, water, rest and kindness.
Sources and illustration notes (2)
A simplified four-dog team; real teams often have more dogs and more equipment.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- The Canadian Encyclopedia — DogsleddingDeveloped by northern Indigenous peoples and adopted by European explorers and trappers; dogs tied in pairs to a gangline; lead dogs and wheel dogs (usually the strongest); voice commands; “Marche!” as the origin of “mush” and “musher”.
- Travel Yukon — Dogsledding: a quintessential northern experiencePopular with Yukon visitors and locals; “Gee! Haw!” (go right, go left); “okay” to go and “whoa” to stop; hands on the handlebar; never let go of the sled.
Page prepared on September 24, 2026. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.
This drawing is from the book My Canada to Colour
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