NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: There aren't many extreme sports that you get to share with the family pet. But this is one of them.

MUSHER 1: The adrenalin rush, going through all the little creeks and having the water splash up on you!

MUSHER 2: It's really fun!

Dog sledding is a sport that needs courage, co-ordination and co-operation from your four legged team mates. While it might look a little unusual, dog power has been used for travel for thousands of years.

In cold climates dogs like the Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamut were specially bred to pull sleds over the snow and ice. And sled dog racing is still a popular sport. In Australia there might not be quite as much snow. But there are sled dog racers like twins Liam and Raymond whose pets are trained to pull sleds specially designed for the Aussie bush.

RAYMOND: If you don't mind getting wet, you like to keep your dog fit, this is a good sport.

LIAM: It's basically going out, having fun with your dog and letting your dog have a happy life.

REPORTER: Who's better?

RAYMOND AND LIAM: Me. Me! Definitely me!

This weekend's competition is at Kuitpo Forest in South Australia.

REPORTER: Well it's 6:30 on a Saturday morning, not really the time I'd like to be up. It's quite chilly and it's dark out here. The good thing is the dogs are making a lot of noise, which means they're excited to go. The race is about to start, so it should be awesome!

Some people use up to 6 dogs, but most compete with just one. And any type of dog can race, as long as it's strong enough to pull a person on a scooter. Today, there was a dog with three legs competing! Dog sledders say it's a great way of keeping their fury friends fit and healthy.

MUSHER 3: Our dog's really hyperactive, we just thought it would be a bit of way to run him down.

MUSHER 4: You couldn't tell she's a racing dog. She just sleeps on the couch all day, so it's the best of both worlds.

MUSHER 5: I'd like to see more kids get involved with it because it'll get their confidence back and it'll be really fun to just have a bit of fun with their dogs instead of just sitting down on the lounge.

While the dogs do the heavy work it's up to the musher, the person controlling the scooter, to direct their dog around corners or other teams.

REPORTER: At BtN we do lots of stuff involving animals and obviously reporters going through puddles, so could be fun! This is the moment. I'm going to give it a go. I know how to ride a bike, I don't really know how to ride a scooter especially when it's being pulled by a dog so wish me luck! Five, four, three, two, one, go! I just got a mouth full of water.

But that didn't stop me. I went for round two!

REPORTER: Okay that was a disaster!

For the winners there are some hard-earned doggy treats, but for most of these races it's not really about winning or losing. It's about enjoying a ride with your best friend.