New Man in Charge

New snow is a bit of a mixed blessing, on one hand its exciting to see since it truly means winter is on its way but on the other hand it means that four wheeler training has to be shut down since the roads are too slick to be safe with the team.

If we were able to train on quieter streets, on our regular mushing trails or eliminate any kind of road crossing we could continue training as usual but its the little things that worry me. And it only takes one bad trip, one wrong encounter with a vehicle, to ruin a single dogs life or an entire team.

Fortunately we have been extremely lucky in our travels and everyone has stayed safe and sound but there have been a few close calls that remind me we still have to be careful and always watchful for cars and drivers who don't expect a six dog team to be attached to the front of a four wheeler and hidden just below the willows on the trail beside the road.

Its snowing again but slowly and not much is sticking to the ground. Might be just the right conditions for a quick run if the roads are snow-free but my schedule lately has been more packed than usual and its taking all I have to keep ahead of everything. This year I have sworn not to let my work get in the way of good trail time but right now I wouldn't consider this a good trail experience, it could be but its still a bit iffy.

And if we only have to wait a few more weeks to get back on the trail its more than worth it considering the lives that may be put at stake in our haste to get running again...

The biggest news of the week, and my biggest conflict, is that Thani is taking over command of the dog yard. It is extremely good news in that I trust his judgement 100%, love his loyalty and his gentleness but the down side is in realizing who's spot hes filling... the discipline of the pups was always Spock's job, he was the one who kept peace, who helped me catch rogue foster dogs in the main yard, who established dominance over the troublemakers and who backed me up every single time in enforcing the lessons of the yard. Spock would do this even when I wasn't looking... we were partners in every sense of the word.

Now with Thani taking over that role it fills my heart with pride and joy but a little confusion that hes not my little baby any more. Its hard to imagine him as a partner, as an equal, as my go-to guy that Spock always was.

And of course there is the sadness knowing that I have to shift my focus and trust onto another since I can no longer depend on Spock to be there for me. I know he is there in spirit but every time I see Thani back up a command I give to another dog it reminds me of how much Spock isn't here to do what he always loved to do...

What is amazing is how much love and complete adoration Thani had for Spock when he was alive. Thani would practically pee himself in Spock's presence and I often interceded making sure Spock wasn't being dominant over Thani just because he could.

There are so many dog dynamics I miss in not speaking the canine language as fluently as they do with each other and I wonder what I missed in each interaction with those two. Surely Thani was taking notes from Spock from day one. Its clear today in the way he works with the other dogs and taking cues off of me. Its like he is Spock... Ive never seen a dog fill an absent role so completely before.

And what is even stranger is that hes trumped his father and his grandfather for this position, not with any fighting display or aggression but his very presence shows authority in ways where no action is needed. Hes still bouncing off his brothers and sister but in the end they know they stand just below their big brother.

What is the most humbling is that I can truly call this boy my friend, my dear, dear friend and completely trusted companion. He has so many qualities that Spock had... so many comfort levels that Spock was able to provide for me and for the other dogs in the yard.

I always thought that having a working companion being so close to another would have to be related but its clear this doesn't have to be the case. Spock and Thani didn't share a scrap of genetic material and yet how did I become so blessed to have a working partner with a pairing so close that only the definition of telepathy comes even close to describing how it works?