How to Train Mushing Commands
The video
This is a practical 15-minute tutorial on the basic commands you need before you start any kind of mushing. The description lists start and stop, turns, and "on-by" (ignore that distraction and keep going), with timestamps for each section. It's a much better use of 15 minutes than most husky videos.
Meet the dog and the channel
Husky Trails is a small channel, with about 1,700 subscribers when we checked in November 2026. The description lists the location as Salem, Massachusetts, which shows you don't need Alaska to mush. The video is part of a "how to" series that also covers passing other teams on the trail, dog-sledding equipment and setup, and bikejoring equipment. The description doesn't name the musher or the dogs, and we didn't find a source that does. [Flagged for review: thin on people, strong on content.]
How it blew up
It didn't, and that's fine. The video went up on July 2, 2023, and had about 41,000 views when we checked in November 2026. That's more than 20 views per subscriber, which suggests a steady stream of people searching for how to teach "gee" and "haw." We didn't find any press coverage.
Our take: this is one of the most useful videos in the collection, and one of the least watched. Mushing commands are the best training gift you can give a husky, sled or no sled. Learn them on walks this week.
The husky science behind it
These commands are older than the breed's name. Mushers traditionally use "hike" or "let's go" to start, "whoa" to stop, "gee" for right, "haw" for left, and "on by" to pass a distraction. The University of Alaska Fairbanks' Project Jukebox keeps a glossary of mushing terms. Huskies take to directional cues quickly because, in harness, following them pays off right away with more running. That's the reward they were bred to love.
A practical tip
You can start on walks with no sled. Say "gee" or "haw" just before every turn you were going to make anyway, and "whoa" every time you stop. Within a few weeks, many huskies start turning on the cue. Once you add a harness and a bike or scooter, you'll already have steering.
If you loved this
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- 10 things you didn't know about the Siberian Husky
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Sources
- Husky Trails on YouTube: the video and its description
- Project Jukebox, University of Alaska Fairbanks: dog mushing terminology
- AKC: Siberian Husky breed overview (general breed background)