First run of 2013-2014 Season!

Today I was furloughed because of the government shutdown.  So, since we JUST got the ATV back from the shop I decided today would be a great day for our first training run of the season.

Trying to set the dogs and myself up for success, I put my two trusted leaders in the front, Tensaw in the middle and Tank and Flier in wheel. Blue is retired and Kona gave me a look this morning that oh-so-clearly told me, she was joining Blue.  Isis can be a bit snarky with Paluk and since it was our first run back in months I decided, to Isis' dismay, to leave her with the retirees.  Sorry Isis, I'll get you next time.

I need to get better chock blocks because the team was READY to go...before I was.  After I calmed them down we took off. It went VERY well. Flier was a bit nervous when I got him in harness and put him in line but we had a little cuddle and talk and he figured out it was just like the last few runs last season and was then he was amped!

I took them to this spot that has a little loop (only about 100m loop), I've decided is my short run turn around.  Hopefully this will help Okie with her turning around in the trail habit.  The loop is a slight diversion off our usual route so I was a bit concerned I wouldn't be able to convince the dogs "straight ahead." No one but Paluk has taken this loop with me. Paluk and I took it a few times this spring and fall while canicrossing which is when I decided we should use it. Surprisingly it only took two corrections to get the team to take the loop.  Paluk knew exactly what we were doing but Okie pulled her twice back haw.  The third try you could tell it clicked and they lead the team around the loop and home. They all did awesome!



On the way out!



That's one focused team!



After the loop, feeling confident!



We eventually want to get into distance racing (Not this season or the next, as we an old small team but maybe three from now. We plan on having a litter in the spring). I have decided I should train the dogs to snack/drink on the line.  They all did well.  No one trying to steal from the other or be protective of their bowls.



The big boys were tired...not surprised, they always pull very hard.  Well earned rest in the cool grass.



Tensaw did very well too!  Proud of our TennyBear



Love our team!  Good Puppas!

Hot day at ByDog Siberians

Beautiful puppas wondering where all the snow went.



Tank and Tensaw



Flier and Isis



Blue



Kona



Tank (again)



Flier needed to get into the shot too



Oh Isis, good girl, still just sitting there!



It's a hot one out there. So I started to fill up the pool. Tank was in it before you could say "dirty water."

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6Ds0mGVyrY]

A day late

Happy (belated) Birthday Sweet Okie!


Okie is our phenomenal leader on the left.

Fixed!!!

My ATV is fixed! Thanks hubby and his best friend, Jake! I am fixed as well after getting knocked on my back by a cold. So naturally we ran this evening. And it was wet!




Okie didn't care about the rain, solid leader!



Kona, great dog, did care but toughed it out and put on a brave face!



Tank, he's a mudder!



Tensaw, aka Princess Paws, he cared but had no choice as he was in wheel and puddles were everywhere. Couldn't be avoided.



That a boy, Saw, shake it off!

Good run puppas!

Little Musher Training up Skalkaho

After loading up the dogs, I went in to tell Cobey I was leaving and Keegan informed me he would like to go. We dressed him up in his gear (which included a nice new, warm REI fleece jacket from THE Grandparents for Christmas).

We went up Skalkaho today. The trail conditions were better than I expected; much better than last year. Other than Keegan initiallyh telling me he now did not want to go (which was no longer an option), prep went off without a hitch and we were down the trail! I don't have a GPS so I don't know exactly how far we went but it was between 8-10 miles. They did great. I had Shilah and Tank in lead and, other than Shilah being a very disruptive dipper, they took us down the trail straight and at a good pace. They passed all skiers smoothly, even though you could tell they wanted to visit.

Keegan had fun too and was glad he went. I was glad we all went too.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTwcXle_zAc?rel=0]

Sunday Afternoon Run

Our run today was very enjoyable. My team is so great. Good runners and wonderful dogs. Some of them are real characters too (I'm talking about you Tensaw)! Here are some pictures and a video from today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGLIKRS0oAU&feature=youtube_gdata_player





Running the ditch road.


When we got back. Time to eat snow!


Shilah's doing great in lead with Okie, and she has the smile to show it'

Happy Birthday

Happy 7th Birthday Okanogan!!!

A post from the youngest Williamson musher

This weekend was my first sled ride! Mommy tied my car seat in the sled basket and hooked up Okie and Blue in lead and Tank and Shilah in wheel. Blue doesn't run much with the team but it was gonna be a short run and she sometimes feels left out. We ran up Skalkaho, the snow was good enough (but not great). I was very focused while in the sled, paying close attention to my dogs. I had so much fun! On the way down we passed by daddy's team, Paluk, Kona, Isis and Tensaw! Looked like daddy was having fun too. Blue was starting to drag with the fast pace on the way down, so mommy unhooked her and she proved she wasn't that tired; it was all a show. But it actually accelerated the whole team's pace with Bluey flying by the team and running up ahead. Now I know why mom and dad keep dragging me out in the snow every weekend because that's a blast!!

Flathead Sled Dog Days

We are currently driving back from our first flathead Sled Dog Days race. We ran in the 4-dog 4-mile race. The course was a icy but manageable and fun. I ran with Okanogan, Paluk, Kona and Tensaw. Both days went great. We were last by far but had a blast. As Cobey put it to someone after the first day we were 5 minutes behind in a 25 minute race. The dogs ran well and being there with all the other mushers and teams is a great experience. Doug Swingley was competing in the 12 dog 40 mile race and it was exciting to just be at the same race as him.

Annalisa came up on the first day and after all the races had concluded we ran the puppies (including her pups) with an awesome lead dog Aiyana Ferraro loaned to us for the run. We went about 7.5 miles and it was a lot of fun getting to have a long, enjoyable talk with Annalisa while I rode in the sled.

That was likely the last 4-dog race we'll run as our kennel has grown and can run farther distances. The Flathead Sled Dog Days next longest race distance was 25 miles and ort team is not in shape to run that distance this season.

Next weekend, the Darby Dog Derby!

Sled went for a ride

The dog boxes are finished and the equipment is ready but the snow is pathetic. Fortunately, a fellow musher suggested a trail that might have decent enough snow to sled. With that inkling of hope, Nicki, Annalisa and I, as well as our teams, headed for Lolo Hot Springs/Fish Ck Rd.

To my surprise, there was snow, though just out of the drainage next to the highway there was none. I said, I'll take it! And we got the teams ready. Nicki and I both loaned a dog to Annalisa. Tank joined his brother Thor for an adventure. They took off, then I took the other 6 of mine and Nicki not far behind ran 5. I was told to take a left on Granite Creek Road but and quickly shown a map which indicated it would be the first left which I took. About a quarter mile in I was sure it was the wrong turn. I met Nicki on the way out who had also taken the turn. After battling punchy snow we got back out to the main road and continued farther down. Finally discovering the correct turn. It was a nice trail but the early long steep downhill had me nervous for the return trip. So at about 3.5-4 miles out we turned around. It was just right for them. They were tired but not too physically worn out. Tank on the other hand went farther than he should have 11-12 miles and you could tell. That evening he was a sore/cramped pup. He'll get some well needed rest.

It was a great first run, a fun trail, and I can't wait for more! Unfortunately that trail was a little over an hour away. We need something closer that good. But what we need more than that right now is SNOW!

(pictures hopefully to follow shortly)

Dog cart ride

We had another visitor to our home this weekend and so the dogs and I took Suzy for a spin. We decided to hook up 5 dogs to make the hump up the hill. Okanogan, Paluk, Tensaw, Shilah, and Tank were the chosen ones. The team made the first turns with 5 dogs smoothly, Suzy hopped on after the "treacherous" turns and we were off. Tank and Shilah were not doing well in the wheel position where they started. They were pulling on the right side of the road while Okie was leading on the left which caused Ten and Paluk to lose pulling power. A quick switch of Ten and Luki to wheel and the puppies behind Okie fixed things nicely we had more power as well as Tank and Shilah were learning to follow the lead dog better. I believe Suzy had fun, I sure did and the dogs always do. Thanks for joining us Suzy!

Here we go again!!!

We've been running!! This season's going to be great! A full team from the beginning of fall and a cart to train dryland. So exciting!!!! Check back soon for more!

Ouch

On Monday I took the team out afterwork. I hooked up the 5 (Okanogan, Paluk, Kona, Tensaw and Isis). The first turn out of the driveway is a dicey one with 5 dogs but during the previous five attempts the cart has stayed upright and I’ve managed to stay on. This time was a little different. Paluk decided to go to the left of the mailbox instead of right like the rest of the team and she snapped the mailbox post in half and out of the ground! It scared the bejimmies out of her (the team and I) and she popped out of harness and ran back to the dog yard. In the process, the cart flipped on its side and I hit my chin on the handlebars yet managed to get off still standing on my two feet. (I’m very thankful I wear a helmet…just in case that had been worse). After much work, I got the team turned around (Okie didn’t want to go back…she was ready to run). I was just going to give up for the night since nothing from the start was going too well. But Cobey had already wrangled up Paluk and put her back in the yard and said “well are you going?” So I thought, the dogs are fired up, I might as well. So the 4 and I took off. The run was pretty uneventful from there and all were glad we did so (except for Paluk, because she got left behind and was none too pleased about it).

Looks like this weekend’s project will be to dig a new mailbox hole….out of the path of this powerful dog team.

Eight Weeks Already?

Tensaw, Kona, Okanogan, Paluk and I (Brandi) will be traveling to Stanley, Idaho this weekend with a few other mushers from the Bitterroot Mushers to race in the second annual Stanley Sled Dog Rendezvous. My team of 4 and I will be competing in the 8 mile race (4 miles Saturday & 4 miles Sunday). This is my second race (of the season and mushing career) and first race away from home. I’m looking forward to it; it should be a fun weekend. Check back next week for results.

Cobey and Keegan were planning to join us but we realized someone had to be home this weekend with the puppies. The puppies turned 8 weeks old this week and their new owners will be coming to get them. I sure am going to miss their over abundance of energy and joy every time I go out to see them. I know we will be seeing more of Thor (Male 2) as we have been sledding with his new family this season and plan to more next season. We have decided to keep Guinea Pig (Male 3), to round our team out to 6 next season (Blue is officially retiring). No one claimed Guinea Pig (aka GP) which we predicted because of his lack of “typical” Siberian appearance. He has an intelligent, friendly look in his eyes, is extremely energetic and appears, so far, to have the build of his mother, Paluk. These are all great attributes for a sled dog and think he will do very well in our team.

GP’s name may change. I realized it may not be the best name for a sled dog. We already have trouble with the leaders when we call Tensaw by his nickname, Saw. Okanogan hesitates because she thinks I’m telling her to “haw.” We don’t need further confusion with “gee” by calling out GP’s name. Maybe we’ll start calling him Pig for short but I have a feeling Cobey will not stand for that.

Love your puppas!

Six Dog Team

This weekend we finally got out on the snow again. It was great! The trail was beautiful, peaceful and perfect. Saturday, I ran Okanogan, Tensaw and Kona and they did great. I was kicking myself when I got back to the truck, though, because we only brought those three and it would have been a great day to put Isis in the traces for a short jaunt. Sunday we returned to the trail with the same conditions which was perfect because this time we brought along all six dogs. Paluk has been ready to start running again, Isis is old enough for short runs, and Blue can handle short runs so she came too. Cobey took Okie, Saw, Kona and Paluk out first for a few miles and came back with a big smile on his face. No surprise there, running dogs is fun. Then I took all six out. Saw and Blue were in wheel, Isis was next to Kona in swing/team, and Paluk and Okanogan were in lead. Isis did great! She didn’t even chew her harness or lines after I put her in the team. She tried to play with Kona at first but Kona was all about working and ignored her. While the team was running I was all smiles. Isis ran well and seemed to really enjoy it and Blue was doing great. I could really get used to running six (or more) dogs. But I’ll have to calm down a bit. It won’t be until next season that Isis can consistently run more than a few miles, Blue can only do one or two (this season, who knows about next), and it will be a bit before we expand the kennel again.

(Keegan and the team)
(The team returning from Saturday's run)

On the way home Cobey and I were talking about Tensaw. I’ve been a rollercoaster ride of feelings about Tensaw as a sled dog but I couldn’t help but agree with Cobey Sunday when he said “Tensaw is a sled dog.” He gets so excited to run when you put his harness on. He’s practically jumping out of his skin in the gangline. Once we get going, if he doesn’t get too distracted, he pulls well. He does not appear to be contributing much but he adds a lot of pulling power to the team. When there is slack in his tug line, you notice it. I still worry about his need to socialize with sled dogs at events, his distractibility, and his feet. The structure of his feet concern me and I’m keeping a close eye out for problems, but, lacking in experience on this matter, I can’t say yet whether his feet would be a problem or not. I applaud his enthusiasm and willingness to work, though. That goes a long way in my book.

(Okanogan, Tensaw and Kona after a great run)
(Keegan and his "Nuk" looking at the team)

(Note: I've been meaning to include more pictures and even video clips in my posts but keep forgetting the small camera. Sunday I forgot all cameras. I'll do better...)

Drying Out from the Darby Dog Derby

Now that the lines, harnesses, bags, boots, clothes, dogs and musher are drying, it is time to write about our exciting and soggy weekend. This weekend we competed in the Darby Dog Derby. The event included 8 dog/26-mile, 6 dog/14-mile, 6 dog/7-mile (no participants), and 4 dog/4-mile races as well as a 4-mile skijor. Fourteen mushers and three skijorers showed up and showcased their talent. Our team competed in the 4 dog/4-mile race. It was our first race and it couldn’t have been any more fun. We met many mushers including Trent Herbst an extremely friendly and inspirational Iditarod veteran and his daughter Lila, also racing for the first time.
Saturday the trail was getting light rain but still in good condition and I decided to run Blue which, in retrospect, was not the best decision. Halfway she was showing her age and was dragging the team back. I considered throwing her in the sled but, because I’ve never put any of them in the sled before, I decided we’d hobble in; it was not the time to test it out. We dropped Blue the next day and ran only Okanogan, Kona and Tensaw. It was raining when we left home and it was raining even harder when we arrived at the race start. All mushers were soaked through before the races began. The race was still on but, because the trail conditions were poor and extremely slow, the mid-distances races were dropped down in mileage. Since we were the slowest team Saturday, as I expected, we went out first in our class. Tensaw did better in the rain that I thought he would but Kona did not like it one bit and shook off every ten steps.
About 200 meters after the turnaround, I came upon three other teams in my class and had near tangles with each of them, no thanks to Tensaw, so I decided to pull the team aside and let them pass, which they most certainly were going to be doing in short order. It was a nice idea in theory except that once I started the team up after the other three passed (two of which were fellow Siberian teams) my dogs found new motivation and stuck right with them. I had to continue to brake the dogs until we made nomad’s land. At this point it was a mess of passing and re-passing, for each time a team would take the lead they would find no more dogs in front of them and they’d slow down prompting another team to pass and run into the same issue. The finish for the three Siberian teams was a photo finish with Deb’s team crossing first. I had an immense amount of fun with Deb and her daughter Sierra who made the trip all the way from Utah, and another young musher and his mom from Potomac, MT. I hope to see them in the future and wish them all the best on their season. Our team, as was predicted by me from the start, won the Red Lantern award (the last team). Despite the weather the Darby Dog Derby was a success. I hope the other mushers felt the same, spread the word and return next year.

Kona

I was cruising about checking out the North Wapiti Siberians today (like I do many days). I was reading about their dog, Barq. On his profile it says "he is one of those dogs that you can just put into a team and forget about. He just goes about his job without question or complaint." This comment made me think of Kona. I had to double check and make sure it wasn’t Kona’s profile I was reading. She is a wonderful dog and too often I take this for granted.

When I first met Kona she quickly became my least favorite of Cobey’s three Siberians because she did my biggest doggie pet peeve (pun intended), she jumped on me. But after a few years of constantly having my attention drawn towards the idiosyncrasies, quirks, and bad habits of the other dogs, I came to realize (long awaited for by Cobey) that he was right, Kona is the best dog. Kona is extremely smart, exceptionally friendly (hence the jumping, she wants to be your friend that bad), the best listener, and the hardest worker.

 





From the moment we put her in harness ‘til the moment we take it off, Kona gives 110%, consistently. When a run is not going smoothly, Kona’s name is rarely called (except when followed by a "good dog"). Sadly, she is often forgotten because, like is said of Barq, you can just put her into the team and forget about her. Usually I’m too busy wondering what Tensaw is distracted by or trying to get Okanogan to ‘gee’ instead of ‘haw.’ Unfortunately, I shouldn’t forget about her, and should instead focus on her, praise her more and let her teach our dogs good behavior in and out of harness. This is what I intend to do. Kona deserves more recognition and this is why I wrote a special post just about her, so everyone could know what an exceptional dog she is.

More Puppies!

In a few weeks our team will be running in the Darby Dog Derby. It is a local race in the Bitterroot National Forest put on by the Bitterroot Mushers. I entered the team into the 4-dog, 4-mile race. Last week I took our two newest dogs to the vet to get their vaccinations and as I sat with Paluk (see pictures above & below) in the waiting room I began to think the barrel shape I thought was a part of her confirmation might actually be a pregnant belly (especially since it appeared bigger). Minutes later my suspicions were confirmed and I was getting a crash course in pregnant dog care and whelping. Since that day Paluk’s pregnancy has become glaringly obvious and she is no longer training with the team. After contacting Mark, we learned of the date of conception and determined she is due the weekend of the Darby Dog Derby. We prepared a whelping box last weekend and have been feeding Paluk more in preparation for her puppies. Winter is not the ideal time for a litter of pups, especially since it’s been especially cold the last few weeks. I’d love to keep the puppies, or at least 3 (so Cobey and I could each have a 4 dog team next season) or at least one. The more I say that the more raised eyebrows I get from Cobey. And I know my comments are wishful thinking because we are not yet set up and prepared for 9 dogs. Hopefully we can find good homes for the puppies. If you’d be interested in one of the puppies please contact us at info@bydog.org.

Building the Dream

In mid-December we packed up the truck and headed to Pray, MT to pick up our new dogs, Okanogan and Paluk. The roads were clear and we pounded out the drive, arriving at the Chico Hot Springs Resort, headquarters of the Absaroka Dogsled Treks, by late afternoon. There we met Mark Nardin and he led us to his home and kennel. Mark and Sharon have a well run outfitting business with some very talented dogs (mostly Siberian husky). He led us over to Okanogan and Paluk. Paluk is full Anadyr Siberian husky, 6 years old, noisy and very friendly. Okanogan is an Omar/Ramro Siberian husky, 5 years old, and extremely timid but Mark claimed she is a different dog in harness (and boy was he right). After some introductions, questions and discussions we definitively decided to purchase the dogs and were soon headed back down the road. That night we stayed at a hotel in Bozeman. Letting the dogs out to do their business was a loud endeavor that, I’m sure, caused many eyes to peer out windows; though I avoided checking this notion because ‘if I can’t see it, it isn’t there’.

We are now home forcing this chorus upon our new neighbors. We try to keep them quiet the best we can but sometimes you just can’t stop an eager dog from talking/howling when it’s feeding time. Nor can you stop them when you’re not at home. Though like the old saying (rephrased), “If a husky howls in the kennel and you’re not around, does it make a sound?”

For the inaugural run we went to our old familiar trail, the Nez Perce Road up the West Fork of the Bitterroot NF. In that way, at least the trail was familiar for Tensaw, Kona and I, hopefully making it the easiest place for the new dogs to adjust. The run went really well. We only went 3 miles, too short for the new girls but we did not want to overrun Kona and Saw, who are not in as good of shape. Okanogan turned our team of 4 around with 2 simple commands. “Okanogan Haw” followed by “Come Haw.” I was so impressed I decided then and there my future team will consist of nothing but Okanogan offspring! Paluk on the other hand, while she pulled well, showed no leader qualities on this run. She may need more time to adjust to her new home/team, or she just may not lead for us; only time will tell. Tensaw didn’t have much motivation that day but, like always, Kona pulled hard the entire way.

Since that run Okanogan has struggled to adjust to her new home. She is still nervous and doesn’t have much of an appetite. On runs she will “haw” but not “gee.” I am surprised the more we go out the trail how similar Okanogan and Kona are, which at first I would not have guessed. Okanogan and Kona have similar gaits (same with Tensaw and Paluk) and both are very eager to pull. I look forward to many more runs with these two and the rest of the gang.