| Alaskan husky: a northern dog of mixed breed, usually used to denote those bred for racing. |
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| Basket: the main body of a sled, where passengers or gear may be carried. |
| Booties: slippers for dogs, worn while working under certain conditions to prevent ice forming between their toes. Made of a wide range of fabrics, including fleece and Gore-tex |
| Brushbow: the curved piece out in front of the main body of a sled, designed to stop brush from damaging the sled. |
| Dog Box: a carrier for several dogs, most often seen as a wooden structure in the bed of a pickup truck. Styles vary widely, but usually built with individual sections that hold one or two dogs each. |
| Driving Bow: the handle that the musher holds on to - also called a Handle Bar. |
| Easy!: the command for the dogs to slow down. |
| Gangline: the main line that the dogs and sled are attached to. |
| Gee: the command for the dogs to turn right. |
| Handler: a person who assists the musher. |
| Harness: a webbing of fabric that fits a dog snugly, to which the Tugline is attached. |
| Haw: the command for the dogs to turn left. |
| Hike!: the command to get the dog team moving. |
| Lead Dogs: the dog or dogs in the front of a team. These dogs are noted for their high level of intelligence and drive. May be run as Single lead (1 dog) or Double lead (2 dogs). |
| Mush!: many people think this is the term used to get a team going - Hike! is most commonly used. |
| Musher: a person who drives a sled dog team - also called a Dog Driver. |
| Neckline: a short line (10-12 inches) attached to the dogs collar and Gangline, that keeps the dog in line. |
| On By!: the command to go by another team or other distraction. |
| Pedaling: pushing with one foot while keeping the other on the sled. |
| Point Dogs: used by some mushers to denote the two dogs right behind the Lead Dogs. Others call them Swing Dogs. |
| Runners: the narrow pieces of wood that a sled rides on. Usually have a replaceable plastic layer to reduce maintenance. The runners extend behind the Basket so the Musher can stand on them. |
| Safety Line: an extra line from the Gangline to the sled, in case the main fitting breaks. |
| Sled Bag: a fabric bag carried on a race sled, used to cary survival supplies or a dog. |
| Snow Hook: a large metal hook that can be driven into firm snow to anchor a team for a short period of time without tying them. |
| Snub Line: a rope attached to the back of the sled, which can be tied to a tree to hold the team when the snow is not firm enough to use a Snow Hook. |
| Stakeout: a main chain with separate short chains to attached several dogs to. May be strung between the front and back bumpers of a truck, or between two trees. |
| Stanchions: the upright pieces that attach the runners to a sled. |
| Swing Dogs: depending on which musher you're talking to, either the two dogs directly behind the Lead Dogs, or those between the Point Dogs and the Wheel Dogs. |
| Team Dogs: all dogs other than the Lead Dogs, Point Dogs, Swing Dogs and Wheel Dogs. |
| Toboggan: a sled with a flat bottom instead of runners. Used when deep, soft snow is expected instead of a good trail. |
| Tuglines: the main line that connects the dog's harness to the Gangline - the line that the dog tugs on. |
| Wheel Dogs: the two dogs right in front of the sled. These will normally be the heaviest dogs in the team. |
| Whoa: the command to get the dog team to stop. |
