Every morning for about two weeks now there has been crispness in the air, telling the dogs and I it’s time to start training. As Cobey and I both work full time and we have a little almost 21 month-old, it can making training a bit difficult.Usually, I’ll run the dogs with the cart though I can only take four out at a time. I’ve been known to take five at one time, but that is extremely dangerous with the corners we take right “out of the gate.” Cobey and I have been discussing getting an ATV to train the team. As much as we want to resist the ATV, we’ll likely get one. There are reasons many kennels use ATVs for dryland training and we’re beginning to realize them.
Two seasons ago we only had the three OGs (original gangsters) and training simply involved taking them for runs, hikes, walks and then out with the sled on the weekends. We never went very far, very fast, or very orderly but it was fun. Last season we acquired the two sled dogs from Absaroka Dogsled Treks but not until early December and quickly learned that Paluk was pregnant. While Okanogan and Paluk were in great shape, the rest of the team was not at their caliber at that point. We did not have a cart and for most the season we didn’t have Paluk. I’m looking forward to realizing the team’s potential now that we can train the team in the fall and we have seven runnable dogs. This season is going to be a blast! Look for us on the trail; hope to see you out there!
Love your puppas!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
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!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The season of the sled is coming!
♪♫ It’s starting to look a lot like♪♫….MUSHING! Well, okay, around our place it may not look a lot like mushing season, especially due to all the smoke from the multiple fires burning on the forest but it is beginning to feel like fall in the mornings. SO…on Sunday we busted out the cobwebbed cart and took the dogs on a run! My friends, the Larimer’s, were visiting so the dogs and I took Victoria along for a ride. I believe she enjoyed herself and we hope they come back to visit in the winter when we can show them real dogsledding! Yay!
Tank got to run with the team for the first time. He was a little nervous at first. He was unsure why all the other dogs were going crazy but as soon as the team started to run he fell right in line and ran. He seemed to have a good time. Isis did not have a good time because she had to be left behind. She really wanted to go but she’s had a bit of a limp lately so she needs time to heal.
We’ve also got a new addition to our kennel. Shila, the puppy formerly called female 3, has returned. She’s just as leggy and energetic as Tank and I think will do very well in our kennel but she’s a bit behind on training, having not been exposed to the harnesses and pulling at her old home. With a little time I’m sure she’ll pick it right up like Tank and Thor.
Speaking of Thor, we had the pleasure of taking care of him and his “sibling” Nora this past weekend. Thor is SO strong and LOVES to pull. Both are doing great with their commands, Annalisa has the makings of a good little team already and has obviously put in some good work with them! Both dogs seemed to enjoy their time here playing with our dogs.
Tank got to run with the team for the first time. He was a little nervous at first. He was unsure why all the other dogs were going crazy but as soon as the team started to run he fell right in line and ran. He seemed to have a good time. Isis did not have a good time because she had to be left behind. She really wanted to go but she’s had a bit of a limp lately so she needs time to heal.
We’ve also got a new addition to our kennel. Shila, the puppy formerly called female 3, has returned. She’s just as leggy and energetic as Tank and I think will do very well in our kennel but she’s a bit behind on training, having not been exposed to the harnesses and pulling at her old home. With a little time I’m sure she’ll pick it right up like Tank and Thor.
Speaking of Thor, we had the pleasure of taking care of him and his “sibling” Nora this past weekend. Thor is SO strong and LOVES to pull. Both are doing great with their commands, Annalisa has the makings of a good little team already and has obviously put in some good work with them! Both dogs seemed to enjoy their time here playing with our dogs.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Summertime
It’s been a while since I posted. Summer usually does that to a sled dog kennel. Especially the hot summer we’ve been having lately. It’s late but it’s here and we are reminded by the smoke that fills the valley from the surrounding seasonal fires. The dogs mostly lay around and pant. In the evening they get a little more active and play. We’ve made some improvement on the dog yard. Thanks to a much better fencing company in the valley we added another dog yard. The first yard fencing was pitiful and in some places had 4-5 inches of space between the bottom of the fence and the ground; even after clearly expressing our intentions for the yard. The fence around the newest yard is flush with the ground. It’s not Siberian proof by any means, but it does the trick so far with the well trained ones. We plan on burying boards around the base and getting a better gate, though.
Our son is positive he’s one of the dogs. He and Isis have a special bond. They love to play fetch. He throws the ball and she gets it, gives it a few bites, drops it and waits for him to throw it again. They follow each other around and it is adorable! He was also determined to have the leash hooked up to him a few days ago. Try as he might he couldn’t get it to stay on his neck (because I do not keep a collar on my child, believe it or not). I tried reasoning with him that it is only for dogs, but I’m learning these days you can’t reason with a 1.5 year old.
I’m getting really excited for the first snow!!! Tank has grown SO tall. He is full of energy and just wants to run. He is going to make a GREAT addition to our team. Isis has lots of heart but I worry that her small stature and unathletic build (compared to the others) will make it difficult for her to keep up with the team. I’ll keep an eye on her this season in the traces as she will probably be more prone to injury if I don’t. I’m sure all the dogs are just excited as I for the snow. Well, at least for them, the cold!
Our son is positive he’s one of the dogs. He and Isis have a special bond. They love to play fetch. He throws the ball and she gets it, gives it a few bites, drops it and waits for him to throw it again. They follow each other around and it is adorable! He was also determined to have the leash hooked up to him a few days ago. Try as he might he couldn’t get it to stay on his neck (because I do not keep a collar on my child, believe it or not). I tried reasoning with him that it is only for dogs, but I’m learning these days you can’t reason with a 1.5 year old.
I’m getting really excited for the first snow!!! Tank has grown SO tall. He is full of energy and just wants to run. He is going to make a GREAT addition to our team. Isis has lots of heart but I worry that her small stature and unathletic build (compared to the others) will make it difficult for her to keep up with the team. I’ll keep an eye on her this season in the traces as she will probably be more prone to injury if I don’t. I’m sure all the dogs are just excited as I for the snow. Well, at least for them, the cold!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Canicross
It’s been a rather cool spring around the Bitterroot valley enough so that some mornings I take the team out with the cart or I get home from work and canicross with 1-2 of the dogs. This is basically the same as skijoring but instead of skiing behind the dog(s) you run. The runner has a belt that connects by a line to the dog in harness.
Now that sledding is behind us (or ahead of us for those optimists) I’ve been doing more canicross. Around these parts it’s simply for exercising myself and the dogs but in some places, especially in Europe, there are races for it. In my research for local canicross races, I found Minnesota to be a hot spot for these races. Disappointingly, I did not find any local races. I have been putting serious thought into trying to organize a local canicross race.
Our blog does not have a huge following; mostly family and friends that peruse the sight, most likely looking for more puppy pictures BUT….If you are a local, eh heck even if you’re not, could you email us or put in the comments if this kind of race/event would interest you.
Now that sledding is behind us (or ahead of us for those optimists) I’ve been doing more canicross. Around these parts it’s simply for exercising myself and the dogs but in some places, especially in Europe, there are races for it. In my research for local canicross races, I found Minnesota to be a hot spot for these races. Disappointingly, I did not find any local races. I have been putting serious thought into trying to organize a local canicross race.
Our blog does not have a huge following; mostly family and friends that peruse the sight, most likely looking for more puppy pictures BUT….If you are a local, eh heck even if you’re not, could you email us or put in the comments if this kind of race/event would interest you.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Chickens Take 2
This weekend we were given 4 new egg laying chickens from some fellow Siberian owning friends. These chickens are very different than the ones we had before. Which ended badly, no thanks to Ninja dog, Paluk, and retiree, Blue. We will be much more careful this time around. We checked and double checked the chicken coop and they are secure. Paluk no longer has her puppies and has been returned to her chain. And we're keeping a close eye on Blue (and the rest of the pack for that matter) but after the chicken fatality she caused in the last flock, she understands they're off limits. We sure are enjoying fresh, home grown eggs again though! (Thank you for the chickens fellow Sibe friends!)
Saw wants to be a Pretty Sled dog by being a sled dog and a show dog!
And a smile to seal the deal!
Isn't Tank so cute!
Okanogan
Blue and Isis laying in symmetry.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Powered By Dog
Neighbors here in the Bitterroot have Belgian draft horses and, with the coming of spring, drug out the farm implements, hooked up the horses and began tilling the fields. These same people also use their horses for pulling carriages. I applaud them and others who use their animals for the purposes they were bred for. It’s healthy for the animal and makes them happy. This is partly the reason why we got into dog sledding. Not only are the dogs happier since we’ve started sledding and dry land training regularly but they listen and behave better too.
The neighbors seem to live closer than most to self sustaining capabilities with their horses and I wondered if we couldn’t also be doing so with our dogs. You’d think by having sled dogs we’d be living “green” yet our hobby is causing us to live less so. Instead of burning less gas by running dogs we burn more getting to a place with good enough snow to sled. This causes me great torment and I constantly wonder why we didn’t move to Alaska. In the right place, we could have simply run the dogs from our front door. But since we didn’t move to Alaska we must deal with the cards we dealt ourselves. While we try and find a closer place to sled in the winter so we burn less gas getting there, I’d also like to attempt some other ideas too.
While Cobey has big dreams of running the American Discovery Trail by dog, I have my sights set a little closer to home. I’d like to commute by dog to work and back. It probably wouldn’t become habit, unfortunately for a number of reasons, one of which is that the infrastructure doesn’t exist for this to be done safely daily. To prove a point though, I’d like to at least try it once or twice. There may come a day (the way the gas prices are headed) sooner than later that it will become more practical (and only in the cool months of the year). It would take a little coordinating such as a safe place to kennel the dogs while I’m at work, training for that mileage, and waking up earlier (yikes!) but I think it could be done.
Another dream of mine is to build a “dog wheel” like Martin Buser has in his yard (a short clip can be seen at 3 min 38 sec in this video). His dogs really enjoy it and get to run to their heart’s content in the dog yard. But mine would have a twist to it, it’d take someone with more knowledge on this subject then me, but I’d like to use it to create power as well. I think it is possible. I don’t know how feasible it is.
One last dream I have is to use Siberian fur (that they shed…don’t worry) to spin into yarn and make warm garments out of. We recently moved within ¼ mile of Willows and Wool, a local spinning, weaving and knitting shop that gives classes on all of these skills.
So there you have it. Some dreams. If they all occur, we still won’t “break even” on our carbon footprint, not even close, but we’re working on making that footprint smaller by driving less and finding other ways to power our lives, By Dog!
Love your puppas!
The neighbors seem to live closer than most to self sustaining capabilities with their horses and I wondered if we couldn’t also be doing so with our dogs. You’d think by having sled dogs we’d be living “green” yet our hobby is causing us to live less so. Instead of burning less gas by running dogs we burn more getting to a place with good enough snow to sled. This causes me great torment and I constantly wonder why we didn’t move to Alaska. In the right place, we could have simply run the dogs from our front door. But since we didn’t move to Alaska we must deal with the cards we dealt ourselves. While we try and find a closer place to sled in the winter so we burn less gas getting there, I’d also like to attempt some other ideas too.
While Cobey has big dreams of running the American Discovery Trail by dog, I have my sights set a little closer to home. I’d like to commute by dog to work and back. It probably wouldn’t become habit, unfortunately for a number of reasons, one of which is that the infrastructure doesn’t exist for this to be done safely daily. To prove a point though, I’d like to at least try it once or twice. There may come a day (the way the gas prices are headed) sooner than later that it will become more practical (and only in the cool months of the year). It would take a little coordinating such as a safe place to kennel the dogs while I’m at work, training for that mileage, and waking up earlier (yikes!) but I think it could be done.
Another dream of mine is to build a “dog wheel” like Martin Buser has in his yard (a short clip can be seen at 3 min 38 sec in this video). His dogs really enjoy it and get to run to their heart’s content in the dog yard. But mine would have a twist to it, it’d take someone with more knowledge on this subject then me, but I’d like to use it to create power as well. I think it is possible. I don’t know how feasible it is.
One last dream I have is to use Siberian fur (that they shed…don’t worry) to spin into yarn and make warm garments out of. We recently moved within ¼ mile of Willows and Wool, a local spinning, weaving and knitting shop that gives classes on all of these skills.
So there you have it. Some dreams. If they all occur, we still won’t “break even” on our carbon footprint, not even close, but we’re working on making that footprint smaller by driving less and finding other ways to power our lives, By Dog!
Love your puppas!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)