Dog Yard Routine

Wolves still a problem for us... still no snow so sled dog injuries are getting pretty common in these parts. Not for us though, we are still staying home. A few of my friends are thinking the same... it helps me stay sane, heck, I think it helps all of us to stay sane knowing that we aren't the only ones off the trail.

I got sick there for a while but feeling much better now. The dogs are really excited to get back to training but I have to be the responsible one and say no. Snow will come, eventually... in the mean time we will continue to direct the focus within ourselves and our little family enjoying every day and the extra hours we are home.

Was enjoying a bit of those hours tonight with the dogs... sitting out on my favorite bench with them, being mobbed by all the pups and adults who wanted to get their pets in before I fed and hooked them up for the night. Its been wonderful to have that excuse just to sit and love them. To not feel the pressure of the trail, to not have to worry about injuries or wolves... just to be... right in that place that I love the most, my face buried deep in dog fur. Its heavenly...

Everyone is trying to stay on their best behavior but Ive caught a few being naughty. Some fights here and there but, as usual, nothing serious.

I think the worst one was over an old moose hide. The twins (Gemini and Hera) LOVE to eat it, tear out the hair and show dominance over their 'prize' towards the rest of the dogs. Hera has had it for days and slowly ate it down to just about nothing. Finally Gemi got a chance at what was left then the next day Merk managed to steal away the last little bit.

I didn't think anything of it when I went out of the dog yard to dump poop buckets. I guess Merk wanted to follow me to the edge of the perimeter fence but still wanted possession over his hide. He must have left it for a few moments then Hera noticed it was unguarded and took it. Merk, being the rough guy he is, insisted that it was still his and fought her for it.

It wouldn't have been so bad if Aquila hadn't gotten involved. Poor old toothless Quez... *sigh* she will be queen of the dog yard until the end. Shes only about 10 years old but her teeth are all broken off from bones and other things, not from fighting as one might suspect. Actually Aquila only has to look at another dog and they get her point. She has that kind of power in her. She also knows that I don't allow fighting and found this form of communication to be a good way around it. Smart girl...

So Merk and Hera are going at it and then Aquila comes in. Usually all my fights can be broken up with a word but with Aquila in the mix encouraging which ever dog she can get her gums into with a bite, well, its tough to break through that.

I came flying around the fence, just in case it was going to be serious... Merk is getting older and I worry about him... I'm running to them, screaming for them to stop and just when I'm about three feet away Hera and Aquila realize I'm close and both drop the fight. Merk, my tough old man, wants to go after Hera still and I have to remind him that its time to quit by grabbing his tail.

No scratches, no blood, just a lot of display of how tough everyone is... so frustrating. Why cant they master the glance like Aquila? And why does she feel like she needs to make my job of peace maker tougher. Shes a challenge, they all are... ironically, thats what I like the most about them. Through all our tough and challenging times I still walk away with an incredible desire to grab them all up and give them huge bear hugs... my loves, my kids...

There is a kind of respect between the dogs and I... Ive broken up fights with sticks, my bare hands, harsh words, water (when I can get a hold of it), some times an empty bucket... seriously, you should try it some time. When a fight breaks out and I'm scooping poop I use its diameter to my advantage. When it hits the side of the dog it doesn't hurt but the sound is very startling. Its very effective.

Now I don't believe in hitting dogs or abusing them in any way, but its like this... if one of my dogs is getting hurt or has the potential to get hurt I will do all I can to stop it right there and then. If it means someone is going to get a spanking so be it... its far better than another dog drawing blood, breaking bones or requiring an expensive trip to the vets office.

I don't like being angry at them, don't like to be that way at all but its the only way Ive found to work in keeping order with 16 loose dogs running around all together to keep them interacting in a peaceful way. And the respect and love I get back from them on a daily basis is proof enough to me that I'm doing something right.

Its so interesting to see the other dogs come over after I break up a fight. Its like all the dogs who weren't in on it need to come in to get attention from me. As if our bonds need to be reinforced right there and then. Or maybe they want me to realize that they were being good and staying out of trouble. It also helps the dogs who were fighting to see the love and attention they are missing out on. After they fight they loose a lot of privileges for the rest of the evening.

They loose their free run privilege and are immediately hooked back up to their house. Its a routine we've done for many years and all the adults know the procedure very well. In fact Mercury knows it so well that he will discipline himself!

Every dog loves free run time and we mostly do this at night before feeding. If you can imagine 16 dogs running every which way, some getting bumped into, some trying to stay out of the way, hierarchy always being tested in invisible ways. Mercury tries to get along but some times hes too much of a grump and looses control.

So, instead of letting himself get into a fight and forcing me to punish him, he will do it himself and go direct into his dog house to wait until its his time to eat. Even though he is hiding away he still cant help himself, if some of the dogs he doesn't like gets too close to his house he will let them know to stay away by growling or barking... gotta love that boy... what a problem solver!

I feel bad for him that he misses out on free time but we make it up with house time and car rides. Merk is my special old man... so very special... I cannot possibly describe how much I love him. As a result he comes in the office quite a lot and sits at my feet while I'm working. I take many breaks and bury my face in his coat. We groom each other... he licks my face, hands, feet, what ever skin is exposed and I scratch him all over, digging down into his deep thick coat to massage the skin hidden there.

Feeding time in the yard is pretty wild. While all the dogs are still running loose I go to the sled shed, get their food then go to each house, always in the same order, hook a dog to their house... Griffin first, then Hera, Mercury and so on... feed, then proceed on to the next... its very organized chaos and I'm so very proud of how well they all behave. Some times we have scuffles but mostly its a "Get out of my way, this is my house... its MY turn..." type growl. The babies are learning this routine now and are doing very well staying out of the adults food.

I encourage the adults to guard their food, its theirs and they have the right to say so. Same with treats, if they have possession over it its theres, if they leave it then they no longer have a say in who gets it next.

The dogs are always tied when I'm not out there. I don't trust them loose together if I'm not there to maintain order. I know of some people who can do this and have had incredible success but some of my guys tend to be a bit bossier than others... fights can and do break out and its fine if I'm there to stop it... if I'm not, serious injury may occur.

The babies are all getting so big. Boreas is now 35.5lbs and so hard to pick up. Thani is almost exact in build to Boreas so I assume those two are the same weight. Had Thani and Calypso in today for Office Time. Its so wild to see Thani crash on the floor, his chest is so wide when he lays down, reminds me of a lion.

Chronos is also coming along very well he grows bigger every day. He is getting larger than his sister now but I still hear his heart beat much stronger than his siblings. He seems to be at the bottom of the puppy hierarchy now but is okay with it. Hes really gentle so I don't worry too much that he will stress himself out play fighting with his siblings. But I still worry...