Olive Update!!

Just heard back from Ken today and Olive is fitting in very well. He even took her over to his daughters place to meet her dog and the two got along perfect!! He said they were romping and playing like pups!!

And she is also getting along wonderfully with his cat! What a WONDERFUL happy ending to a wonderful foster dog story!

Hes also changed her name from Olive to Chena, though I may just refer to her as Olive here on this blog and our website to avoid confusion.

I'm sure we will be seeing her again since Ken always boards his dog here with us...

And if that wasn't enough good news, its been snowing all of yesterday and continues quite heavily today!! Looks like the four wheeler will be a thing of the past and the sled will be coming out VERY soon!!

Amazing News!

I was going to wait and post this later on when I was more concrete of the details but I cant wait!! Through an amazing sequence of events Olive is spending her first night with a potential new owner!!

The story on Olive (as you may know from following previous blog posts) is that she was here for a very long time, given a chance and adopted by a wonderful couple, it didn't work out since Olive was content to take over the house and attention privileges with 'her people' without regard to the feelings of the other dog who was already living there.

The adopters made the best choice to bring her back to our kennel and we assumed she would go back into foster care. Well, since the couple treated their adoption fee as a donation we had a choice in letting her go back to the shelter for reevaluation or accepting the change in ownership and accepting her as our dog. We decided on the latter and made Olive our first 'official' Sled Dog Sanctuary rescue!

We continued working with her, she ran with us yesterday with no problems, very happy to come along again now that the weather was cool enough for her and the heavy coat of fur she still had. I settled into the realization that she would be with us for longer still and started to make plans for her continued training and runs with the team.

Then today Dr Eastman from North Pole Veterinary called me up asking if we still had Olive (she remembered her from her last visit and x-rays before her first adoption) and said that a man is looking to adopt and if it would be okay for him to call me.

That was more than okay with me and shortly after my phone rang... I never would have believed it was Ken, a very nice man I had met some time ago and who I boarded his dog with us throughout the year when he was out of town.

Ken had told me that Nanook had died quite unexpectedly some time in his sleep and he was needing a new companion. My mind ran through the handful of foster dogs we had here with Olive being last on my mind. Then everything clicked... here was a dog with the same hyperactivity as Nanook, with the same behavior issues and a man with a deep voice who Olive could respect as view as an authority figure who is more than willing to train her and give her the only dog home she needs!!!

Now, all that remains is to make sure she gets along with Ken's cat. Fingers crossed!!

She is on trial with Ken for a few nights before we can be sure of her adoption and call this a success but for all of you reading this and following along on Olive and wishing her well keep up the good work!! All the positive energy we have put out there for her is really paying off and we welcome many more prayers and well wishes for her future!!

And if that wasn't enough good news Laya's owner also called me today and asked if she could be boarded with us for three weeks!!! This makes my heart sing!!!

I do so love when fosters call back with updates and Laya is one of those I think of so very often. She is settling in very well to her new home, she loves her new set up being an inside and outside dog and we will be so happy to see her again! With luck, and a flexible running schedule, we may even get her out on the trail with us as well!!

And if you don't remember Laya you can read more about her here:
http://leaddoggraphics.blogspot.com/2009/03/adoption.html

What a FANTASTIC day!!!

Positive Thoughts

Over the past few weeks I have been focusing more intently on positive thoughts, what I am grateful for and what I want to see more in my life. This doesn't discount the 'negatives' that are still in play, though negative is such a relative word, but it certainly takes the focus away from the bad stuff and keeps me headed on a more positive track thus increasing my speed towards the good in my life and keeping it front and center where I can enjoy it always.

I was thankful that Olive got a chance to be adopted a few days ago, though today she had to come back. It turns out that she is much more dominant towards other dogs, or more appropriately, more possessive of human attention than I realized.

There are many things I am still learning with these fosters and even though I have learned so much with my own yard, and almost feel like a sort of expert there (though 'expert' is also a very relative term!) I am realizing that even though the lessons here at home have been mastered there is still much more knowledge I am hungry for. I am finding those new lessons within these foster dogs and furthering my understanding of life through the adopters who we match them up with.

Adoption is a very fascinating process... when it works its technically a happy ending but when it doesn't its not negative, there is so much more to learn!

That is where all this positive comes in. As I heard once from a large animal trainer, "If I don't try something new, I will never learn anything different." and I hope all the adopters out there realize that when an adoption doesn't go through it is not a failure in any sense, but more so the ability to try something new and learn from it, ultimately transforming us into better people through the process.

Olive is just such a case that I am learning so much more from. Through her time spent in the other home we learned so much about her, what her limits are and what home she should be placed into.

When I started fostering through the shelter I was thrilled to have a great track record of placements. The shelter staff grew to enjoy my visits since it meant another adoption had taken place and I was there to pick up another dog. But now that Ive been doing this for so long I'm starting to realize that in order to keep a positive track record its not just the numbers that are adopted but more so the successful placements.

So I suppose this is a good time to spill a bit more of the 'beans' and announce that we will be opening our own Sled Dog Sanctuary in Talkeetna... this is a lengthy process full of paperwork (that I hinted on previously), plans, set up and LOTS of thought before we can even begin to bring in any dog under the sanctuary title.

This all came about with our move to Talkeetna and my inability to foster dogs outside of the borough. Its a technical issue that turned out to be a blessing in that it led us to our 39 acres on the Parks Hwy that already has a five acre parcel on the road that would be perfect for our sanctuary setting.

There are so many thoughts and plans in place that I will be able to go into at length later on but I feel its fitting to announce the initial idea since we will be caring over so many of the lessons learned through fostering for the borough into our own little dream further down the road... literally! :)

And, as Cesar Milan often says, it is the difficult dogs I am most grateful for... dogs like Olive... who are showing the way, not through their perfect behavior but through showing us what we could do better to accommodate special needs animals like herself.

One of our goals is to have a handful of foster homes to rotate these guys through (not quickly but for months or weeks at a time) getting them used to stimulation from other environments, other training techniques and to evaluate where they need to live to be the most comfortable for the rest of their lives.

So thank you Olive, thank you to all the adopters and potential adopters out there looking to adopt their forever friends and thank you all so much for all the positive thoughts you put out into this grand world of ours! Through trial and error we are shaping this world to be a better place we all can enjoy! :)

Adoption!

It sure doesn't feel like spring around here... The temps have been around 30 and 40 for most of the day and Ive gone back to my casual winter attire. I'm still finding ice in the dog yard hidden under the straw.

This all may change today with the sun being out. We've had a bit of rain off and on that has soaked the top of the shavings we spread around. They should dry shortly and keep the dogs clean again.

We hauled in the second truck load of the season, and hopefully the last. Nita came over to help spread the stuff around and we made short work of the entire lot. She was a wonderful help... I cant remember when shavings duty had ever been so easy!

And I am happy to see us all settling into summer and our routines. The sun is hardly going down now and everyones energy levels are matching the daylight. I am still longing for the summer time fields but Ive yet to get enough time to sneak away. I hope it will be soon as we all need the break!

But the biggest news is that Vixen was adopted yesterday to a wonderful active family! I think it will be a great match for her and I know she will fit in quickly. Her sister Shine took the parting pretty well. She barked for a time but quickly settled down. Ive got our new boarder Eli as her neighbor and I hope that helps her transition since she was so close to her sister.

Maybe now I can focus more on Shine free running with the other dogs so she can interact better with them. While her sister was here it was difficult to separate the two and Shine would get extra nervous around the others when her sister would run off and play making friends. We had one minor fight with Shine but she really doesn't seem to be all that dominant. I think she acted out of fear mostly and since shes been here a while it shouldn't take long to get her used to a bit more freedom.

Olive has continued to do wonderful. I saw her playing with the other dogs a bit last night and shes really come around well to our routine. Due to all the activity around here I haven't been able to let her off every night with the others but each time she is loose shes getting better and better with her manners.

I still have to shoo her off to go play every now and then though. She is still very intent on getting my attention for pets but is picking up fast that there is a time for scooping poop, spreading shavings, filling houses with straw then for pets and attention. This routine works well since I can get most of my work done while the dogs are hyper and running around and can sit with them to relax after they are calmer and my yard work is done.

What a weekend!

Wow, where do I start...

It didn't seem like much was happening in the dog yard this weekend but we got a LOT done on the rental. I'm happy to say that the end is now in sight and its very encouraging to see the other side of this steep, steep hill.

We are still on the hunt for land but the vision for that is getting clearer every day. By next month we will set out on an overnighter to scout some of the areas that have caught our attention. This is all very, very exciting!

The rental is looking really, really good after I cleaned up our mess and hauled off another load to the dump. I was loading up the old toilet into the back of James' truck and started laughing (nearly dropped the thing!) when he said, "Holy crap!" I guess he didn't think I could lift it! : )

The foster dogs have been settling in well and getting used to our daily routine. The Pharaoh sisters are a trip! They were a bit too talkative when they first got here but we worked that out quickly and they are much more settled.

I'm still having a minor problem with Shine but its not too bad now. In a few more days she shouldn't have to be told to stay quiet and will patiently wait for me to come around with her food as the other dogs do.

I had a bit of trouble with her and a fight that broke out with Juno. It was nothing really serious... Shine is very interesting in that shes really skittish but seems to have a ton of energy that adds to her jittery trait. Her sister, Vixen, is let off to run loose with the other dogs with no problem but Shine seems to trigger the other dogs into taking her down when she zips around the yard like lightning!

Its something we are all going to have to get used to and before long I'm sure the rest of the pack will see her as a fun thing to chase and play with but not to attack.

Vixen is a LOVE! She is very smart and loves her belly rubs! I believe she works well in harness but I haven't run her in my team yet. Soon I hope...

Olive is also getting along well and socializes very well with the others. Her high energy is still a bit of a concern and she tends to trip me up while I'm doing chores. She wants attention so bad but she needs to learn proper etiquette on how to ask for it. Shes getting there... Id really like to see her go to an active home, preferably with children who can keep her energy levels well entertained.

Stripe is still having trouble with socialization but is doing well. Ive had to run him around the yard a few times before feeding to get him to go into his house so he can be hooked up and eat. He handles well after hes tied, loves to be pet but is really unsure of trusting me while hes loose even after being here this long.

Madeline is also on the same level and I hope that this summer, with some runs on the four wheeler, I can get them both to come out of their shells or find out what they need to allow me to help them adapt better to life in general.

The other thing that Ive been working with is my new cell phone ringers. Ive had a dinosaur phone for a long time and we finally upgraded to Alaska Digitel (a far better company than ACS for multiple reasons) and I finally have an updated phone!

My main ringer is Griffin barking, James' personal ringer is Spock barking (its only fitting that he gets the lead dog's voice!) and my mom's is Juno talking! Which, for those of you who have met Juno in person and heard her wonderful voice knows how much of a real crack up it is! I cant help but laugh when my mom calls. Its going to be interesting getting a call from her when I'm in a more public setting! : )

Griffin and Calypso are having their time in the house today while Spock, Juno and Gaea are outside in the dog yard. Gaea is still having trouble being quiet and is protesting yard life but shes getting the hang of it... slowly...

Ive got to get back to work and prep Riverboat Discovery's 2009 order... getting over $2000.00 of stock ready in two weeks is no small feat! And that's at our wholesale rate! It may be close to $3000.00 this year... we shall see...

If you have guests in town be sure to swing by there for a visit. Even if your not planning on taking the tour their gift shop is quite impressive!
www.riverboatdiscovery.com

Mary Shields and Mush for Kids

Wow, a lot of time has passed and I'm just now getting caught up! This last week was challenging, we were going here, there in what seemed like a non-stop mode.

On Thursday it was rides with Mary Shields and a bunch of second graders out at Chena Lakes then Mush for Kids at Pioneer Park on Saturday, then the rental house to tend to on Sunday and finally fitting in work when and where I could. Whew, no wonder time is flying by... I hardly have time to enjoy myself!

The rides with Mary and at Mush for Kids was great. The turn out for both events was lower than I expected as far as musher turn out. Low numbers of mushers is always good, less confusion and the more people and teams I know the easier it is to work with them. There were many times Robert and I were out on the same trail together and that offered a nice calming energy since we had run together so many times before.

Kathy was with us as handler and did a super, super job! All our dogs know her, trust her and she knows them inside and out. I cant think of a better person to handle my dogs and Robert's. Everything goes so smoothly with her around. And with Robert there running his team we arrived as a self sustaining unit... a very nice set up for events like these.

Its funny to watch the folks in charge explain how things work, what we should watch out for and how careful they are to avoid team interactions. Ive been doing this so long that I let them talk out their fears, listen politely and let the actions of myself and my team speak for themselves. At each event we are called back to participate again and again. Before long the handlers and people in charge start to know my dogs by name... especially Juno! Shes a riot with her silly voice and bossy personality.

Around and around that track she took us barely missing a beat for each pass. Its impossible to know how many loops we make but Juno was spot on for each one. Where some dogs only wish to go once Juno will do it all day and love it, as long as she doesn't get too tired.

The pups blew me away at both events. The power the Buffalo Brothers have is jaw dropping. Those boys really dig in and they LOVE their heavy loads! I was wishing we could have had a longer sled to pile on more kids. Even with three kids in the sled the boys would pull it around like a feather. And that's with only five dogs! Well, four and half if you consider Juno's pint size...

Hermes had his shy moments but showed a lot of improvement throughout the day. He didn't do as many passes as his brothers but he held up really well with the crowds. When he started to freak out I let him go back to the truck and watch the fun from there. I think he was a bit torn, he wanted to do it but was too afraid to do it all day. I know with him watching from the truck his mind was working. Next year he will remember the routine and will be even better at participating.

Boreas, Thani and Calypso did great and did many turns around. Boreas was looking a tiny bit tired at the end of our first shift so I had him go back to the truck. Thani on the other hand was an energizer bunny and wouldn't quit! Gaea was the same way and did really great. Remus did well on the first couple passes but would have rather visited the other teams or turn back to me for attention.

I'm really not sure why the three out of four of my pups did so well when all the others didn't shine nearly as bright. Ichabod did one and half passes before packing it in, Reba was pretty good but unsure of the set up, Salmon reacted the same way. Olive was good in the team but got distracted with all the kids and she really wanted to say hi to everyone. Not the best thing for giving rides and needing the dogs to stay out front all the time.

Griffin came along for the ride but I didn't have him in the team. He probably could have done a few turns around but I didn't want to test him in that environment. Id rather do that at home when its more controlled.

Still, he enjoyed his ride into town and hanging out loose with me at the truck. The pups wandered a bit in the relaxed atmosphere (but stayed around their truck and drop area) and everyone loved watching my big boys lumber around. I even caught Boreas trying to sneak snacks from the people at the treat table!

At the end of the Chena Lakes rides the teams were treated to a big bag of donated pig ears and dog biscuits. At Mush for Kids they got left over hot dogs and more biscuits. The mushers came away with donated five gallon buckets (a mushers best friend!), bales of straw and so many wonderful memories. Those really were fantastic days with wonderful weather and trail conditions.

Unfortunately I was so busy with rides that I didn't get many photos but Robert got some great shots after our rides at the lakes. Here are my favorites:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr_ozda/3420851097/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr_ozda/3420570020/in/photostream/

After the Lakes rides Robert, Kathy and I took our teams out for a nice run to compliment the dogs on a wonderful days work. The photos posted here are from that day.

We had a nice pass by a dog walker with a barky little 'snack' that my team passed really well. Thani showed some teeth but restrained himself. And Robert and I were able to do a bit of passing here and there with Thani in wheel and a perfect place for me to easily reach him and work on his restraint. Its working really well and we had no bad incidences at Mush for Kids even when he was so close to other teams. Hes proving to be a fast and eager learner.

Breaking some tough trail...

We were really busy giving rides again today with Mary Shields and bus loads of second graders but those details will have to wait for later. For now I wanted to talk about our run yesterday and how nice it was to get out under cloud cover and bit of blowing snow...

To get the team prepared for Mush for Kids this weekend, and also to reset my mind from being caught up in the stress at work, I took the guys out for what I thought would be a pretty easy run. The temps were about 15 to 20 and the cloud cover was great.

Since Ive been so caught up with work our trails have snowed in and have not been broken what so ever. The last time we were on them was before our dump of snow during the few continuous snow storms we had. I thought for sure that snow machines would be out that way but I was wrong... its silly of me to think that recreators would be out in our areas. Its tough work out there!

We broke down the slough as far as we could but didn't make it to our trail turn off. Probably was a good thing since after the turn off there would have been more work breaking through snow. But the slough was tough, tough work, more so than a forested path.

Sloughs always seem to get more snow and if the wind comes in its likely to blow more powder on our trail or crust the top making the dogs fall through. That is what we came on mostly, a lot of heavy punching through for the leaders.

We took lots of breaks and I gauged the dogs to see how they were holding up. As our breaks grew longer the further we went I figured it was time to head back.

The key to doing this type of work and having a happy healthy dog team to take you back home is to watch their minds for wear and tear, only push them a bit harder than they had run the time before but not too far or they will loose trust in their musher. And take it slow... very slow, especially on the sections where the leaders need the time to break through the snow while the team is more than willing to follow quickly up behind them.

Technically I could have snowshoed ahead of them but this is heavy mental training for them that I need them to go through. And they were all so strong that they would have quickly over powered me and gotten us all frustrated. Hermes also needed the practice finding the trail. Hes doing it incredibly well, nose to the ground seemingly sniffing for the trail beneath the loose powder. Its incredible to watch him work.

At our turn around point the trail back was still tough for the dogs. It was well broken out but the snow was still incredibly soft and they were starting to get tired. They held up really well though and were really glad to get back on the packed trail again.

After running a mile or so we stopped for salmon snacks, pictures and another rest. From there we headed back to the truck with all the dogs fully tired out and ready to call it a day.

Our new foster, MacKenzie, came with us today and did incredibly well as a leader and as an 'anchor' holding the team out. She also did very well with all the hard work I put her through. She is a real trooper and so calm in harness. I really enjoy running her...

Gaea was able to come again and Salmon too. Both girls held up incredibly well and its really nice to not have to keep Gaea away from the boys anymore. She is able to romp and play with everyone again and every one was back to work without getting distracted.

Hermes licking the salmon crumbs off his lips after snack time

Necklines hang off my handlebow at the end of our run

Thani stands over his brother while Boreas looks up wondering how this new seating arrangement is going to work out!

Hermes keeps the team lined out on the home bound trail while MacKenzie keeps her leader line tight

Adoption!!

Trying to unwind today, taking it a bit easy tonight getting rested and ready to hit my desk tomorrow at a full run.

Today was full of errands all over town and by the time I got back, ate dinner and settled in I was pooped. I wanted to pick myself up and get another nights work in but opted to take it easy, just for one night. Tomorrow will be another story...

The big news today is that Laya has been adopted!! This is good and bad news for me... out of the many fosters we have had (18+) she was by far my favorite. She is off to a wonderful new home with a young active couple that she will fit right in with, but gosh, we will miss her little gentle pip-squeak heart. I know I cant keep them all but Laya has a way of working her way into the strongest of hearts and even though I tried to keep her love at bay, in the end, I lost and gave in...

We will always have the wonderful memories of her and hopefully some updates from her new home but the yard will be empty and quiet for now while we adjust to her absence. *sigh*

And as James pointed out she is famous now, or soon will be, since she has her own card in our 2009 series and is gracing the cover of our new note card catalog (cover and page images to come soon). She will be in Riverboat Discovery shortly as well as the Yukon Quest cabin. She might even have her own post card too! We shall see, the post cards are still relatively new to our product line and we are working through their development.

Madeline also had a big day when I brought home her new wire kennel. With her resting in this new den I will be working with her to drawing back the cover over time to help her adjust to the outside world and not be so content to hide away in a corner. Already she is adapting to her new bed quite well and seems to be very comfortable there. Ajax has found a nice new perch on top that will be perfect for catching the suns rays. We have quite a few happy campers tonight!

And I want to give a quick mention to my very talented friend Robert's work. These images are simply striking and reflect the feeling of our weather lately:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr_ozda/3381742630/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr_ozda/3380922519/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr_ozda/3380922739/in/photostream/

The weather man says the wind will die down soon... I really hope hes right... at this time of year every run with the dogs is precious and we would like for it to be as perfect as possible to hold in our minds through the hot months of summer until winter visits us again.

Foster Dog - Madeline

I'm a bit rushed today with work but I just had to share this image with you all...

This is Madeline, one of our four shelter fosters, enjoying her morning run. Madeline is an extremely shy dog who came to us very skinny and terribly afraid. She is still working her way through her mental recovery but slowly we are seeing improvements every day.

The expression shown in this photo is her at her most relaxed. She has a very hard time holding this feeling before reverting back to the fear that she came to us with but knowing that she has found this comfortable place we hope to build on this more in the future.

Madeline is available for adoption through the Fairbanks Animal Shelter but she will need to go to a very patient quiet home...

Nenana Hospitality

Yesterday Robert, Kathy and I took a trek out to Nenana to our good friend Jasin's kennel. Its always a pleasure to head out that way and any excuse to run new trails in that part of Alaska is tough to pass up.

Due to my dog truck being a bit iffy on its breaks I had to leave it at home and pile as many dogs as I could into my Jeep. Kathy took extra dogs in her truck and Robert carried all of our sleds on top of his dog box as well as his own team in his cab and in their boxes.

My pups are used to traveling in the back of our Jeep but aren't quite as accustomed to having to share the space with everyone else. They did really well though and only had one growling incident which ended right after I told them to relax.

I took them out for a 20 mile run with only eight dogs on the line, and at the end, only seven since Salmon was getting tired. It was something I was expecting and I welcomed the extra weight to slow my guys down so we could stay with the other teams. The Jeep ride on the way back was very quiet, everyone was sleeping soundly!

Despite the older age of some of Robert's dogs I was extremely impressed with how well they held up and their pace! It was good that my younger guys had the weight handicap (I carried our usual load) but even on the way back when the dogs were the most tired I didn't have a need to pass him and my team enjoyed a bit of chasing.

Kathy was also well equipped with a few borrowed dogs from another kennel, one (or two?) from Robert and three of mine. Laya was in her team and did great. I could tell she was impatient to go when I heard what sounded like a squeak toy instead of a dog barking! Shes a riot!

Ichabod and Reba were also in her team and did great. My team stopped very well out on the trail and we didn't have nearly as many whoa issues as we have had on our past few runs. It makes sense since I didn't have Ichabod in or Laya. I had suspected those two of jumping the gun and lunging on their harness but they are usually far enough ahead in the team that I'm not watching as closely.

The trail was beautiful and Jasin was a stand out host, as always... I just love his cabin, its so rustic and full of charm. We were treated my Kathy's salmon chowder and Jasin's warm pizza that tasted oh so good after being out on the trail. Many of us came back cold and hungry!

Jasin also provided us with a yummy ice creme pie. I was so stuffed from the other food that I could barely manage but it was far too good to pass up. The dogs got their treats as well, frozen chicken skins on the trail, fish baited water (thanks Robert!) when we got home and nice full meal for all before I fell into bed exhausted.

Thanks again to Jasin for an excellent time! Its always a wonderful thing for good friends and dogs to get together... something we don't do nearly as often as we should...

Our caravan... Kathy out front with Robert in the middle carrying his dogs and our sleds.


My group in the back of the Jeep on the drive out to Nenana

Juno, the backseat driver

Robert's team out on the trail

Running the Trails

Took the team out yesterday and ran our new loops, nothing too fancy. The trails were broken in places but most of the time we had to rebreak our new trails.

Ran into new trapping activity again on a trail Ive run for years without incident. Of course the trail was not marked as a trapline and this time Juno got it but she was more than willing to ask for help. I was surprisingly calm, probably due to all our past experiences, and got it off her hind leg easily enough. I cant imagine any dog, or wild animal, getting out of something like that. The traps are incredibly tight and I had to brace it against my knee to get her out.

Fortunately she didn't come away with any damage but I can see how serious it can be if a dog is left there without help. The fact that she let me help her was a bonus in that the incident was over just as quick as it began.

Ive always coddled my pups when they were hurt and trained them to come to me if they are injured. They know that mom can fix it and if the pain just needs to pass that I will be there with a hug and love to get them through it. This has helped establish a deeper level of trust and keeps everyone safe. I cant imagine any dog I cant trust loose and if their natural instinct was to run from the danger things could get worse quickly in a very bad way.

I think this applies to tangles in the team as well. When one of my dogs is tangled, or the whole team bunches up, they know I'm right there to help them and that our training is about staying calm (no lunging on their tug lines) so that everyone can be set right and no one has to get hurt.

Its all about trust...

The rest of the run was a lot better and I was able to be a lot more calm on our own trails that are only a sled width wide. The signs were clear that trappers haven't have moved into our new areas and I could enjoy that part of our trip.

On the way back we saw many moose, snowshoe hare and ptarmigan. Such is the case when we head back at sundown... the wildlife is really active at that time.

All the moose crossed our path and got everyone really excited. One set of three passed in front of us like Russian dolls, the momma followed by older calf, followed by a younger calf... it was such a neat display.

Laya and Olive came with us again but Olive couldn't do the full run. I had to bag her for about five miles back to the truck and it was kind of a hassle. She will settle in the bag okay but given the chance she wants to be out running even though shes too tired to keep up.

It was tough juggling her excitement in seeing the wildlife that was matched by my teams exuberant speed! Many years and training on the sled is a wonderful thing to have... at times I had to focus completely on keeping Olive in the sled while the rest of the guys chased at break neck speed after the elusive moose!

Total miles: 20

Busy, busy days

A lot has been going on around here... too much actually...

James birthday was this weekend and we had a nice dinner out, then we have had to tie up a lot of loose ends with our rental place plus trying to find time to get my regular work in. Unfortunately all this has pushed the dogs training off a few days but hopefully today we will be back on track.

I have so much information to catch up on with the fosters. They all have been improving and evolving nicely. Madeline is now in the house full time and coming with me in the house or in the car when ever I have to be out. I'm hoping it will help bring her out of her shell a bit more as she is still so shy.

Most of the time she prefers to stay in her crate but Ive seen her stretch out a bit (rather than huddle in the corner) and she has eaten her dinner while I'm still in the room which is a huge jump for her.

Getting her to be with me around the house requires a leash but shes willing to try new things. Shes still not sure about relaxing with us at night on the couch but Ive worked up the time shes with us to about two hours and have caught her trying to nap and relax. Its going to take a lot of time but I am seeing the improvements already.

I have more information on Olive, Stripe and Laya but am pressed for time today so I will been updating them later...

... of broken snaps, chewed lines and lost team

Our run yesterday was filled with more adventure, most of the time good but at the end not so much...

We broke out more trail, actually more than I thought they were capable of, but they came in looking so fresh that I think I need to adjust my views on how much they are ready for. Its just so incredible how strong these guys are and its been a bit of a disservice to them to cut them so short. There is a large part of me that doesn't want to hurt them or put them in a position that they cant get out of. That would be a fine place to be if I was getting close to their abilities but from the looks of things right now Ive only just started tapping into that wellspring.

Sorry about the lack of photos... the run was so hard most of the time that I barely had a chance to get out the camera. The first few miles were on broken well used trail and in those first few miles we met two skijorers and a few dog walkers.

Fortunately we only had to pass by the skijorers and the team did very well considering how close they were. Only Juno had a bit of trouble but I held off from correcting her until we were just a few feet from them. I said her name in my 'behave yourself' voice and she popped right over on our own trail. The others barely pulled over to investigate which was a great sign.

Even Hermes, who was up leading with Juno, barely batted an eye. He wants nothing to do with strange people or strange dogs. My confidence in his leadership is skyrocketing... hes accomplished so much for one so young. Hard to believe that last year I was doubting if he even wanted to be a sled dog!

Once we hit the unbroken trail they were still charging and did excellent if the path through the trees was obvious. When it wasn't I had to break out my snowshoes, drop the team down to four and break it out myself. We spent a long time doing that... up and back, up and back, while the other dogs who I can trust loose romped and played in the deep snow as if they were on spring break!

They all have been getting much better about not tromping on my snowshoes. That has been a HUGE help but since the temps were above zero my pants were getting soaked from the snow and it was too hot to keep anything over them to keep dry. It wasn't as much of a discomfort as I thought it would be and I didn't freeze any body parts... that's always a bonus.

Its been tough finding the trails back there but we are making a lot of head way. Ive found that we need to break new trail out for a mile if its deep, or hard to find, or at least five miles if the dogs know where we are going. After that I have to direct them to existing trails quickly to get even more miles in (at least 15 more) before it gets too dark or we run out of trail time. Even then when we are headed back to the truck they are still asking for more.

We did manage to break out an old trail that we broke out weeks back. That was much easier than I thought it would be and every one made short work of it. It is still rough in there though... we broke a few snaps and a tug line got chewed somewhere along the way.

Once we hit the packed trail they were flying again... so much so I couldn't believe my eyes. I had both fosters, Olive and Laya, in the team and they were helping keep up the pace and working very hard. They both were great when we were breaking trail. When we stopped they were both calm and when we got back to work they pulled wonderfully.

We spotted a few snowshoe hares after dark which got them going even more but I was so tired after all the breaking trail and stopping to work out various trail issues (sled getting stuck, fixing chewed or broken lines, untangling dogs) that I didn't notice a bump at the base of a hill, lost my footing and fell face first on the trail at an odd angle.

The crack I heard in my back really scared me and I couldn't say anything to the dogs for at least five seconds. When I looked up they didn't realize I was gone and were traveling so fast that they were out of sight in seconds. I didn't have any chance to call whoa to them before they were around the bend and any of the dogs who were ready to stop where encouraged on by those who weren't. Olive and Laya have gotten so strong doing runs with us that I bet those two were helping to keep the team well on their way.

After a few minutes of walking and not finding them I called James at the house and had him make the ten minute drive to the parking lot. He got there well before the team did and Juno brought the whole team right up to him. James was able to get most of the dogs in the truck and safe while he tied off the three who he couldn't manage and walked down the trail with Spock to find me.

It was pretty lonely walking the 2 1/2 miles back but when Spock was close enough to hear me call he shot away from James and came to my rescue. That moment is one I will never forget... my loyal boy, such a welcome sight for my very tired eyes...

I learned a lot of things that day... that Ive gotten too lax about loosing my team and that I need to be more vigilant. There were at least three times I could have lost them that day due to my carelessness. In the 12+ years Ive been mushing Ive never had to walk so far to recover them... it was a good lesson though and everyone was safe at the end with only one more chewed line to add to the damage of the day.

On that trip I found a peace within myself that I never knew existed and I also realized how much I didn't want to have to depend on James, or anyone for that matter. Its been the story of my life... ever since I was little I was taught that no one can be depended on for anything. Its been a positive lesson in that its made me fiercely independent but it appears that this time of my life is about being humble and accepting help from someone who has proven over and over to be my most dependable dearest friend. I am extremely lucky that he also happens to be my husband! : )

There have been so many times this season that Ive been on the sled reflecting back on my life, on all the many changes and realizing that I am entering into a different time, that I am a different person, a different wife, a different musher... its exciting to look to the future and see the possibilities, very, very exciting...

James and I are planning a few big changes in our lives that are so very exciting but I dont want to speak of it now until its more concrete. When it happens it will be amazing and my goal of offering an even more rewarding and enriching life for the dogs and us can continue beyond my wildest dreams!

Total miles: 18

Adventure!!

The team and I are back on exploration duty! Yea!!

We had so much fun and it was really nice to see everyone in perfect form and strength. The last time we broke trail both Reba and Juno gave sign that they didn't want the duty so I was wondering if they were out of the trail breaking business.

They were both loose but this time they went right to the front of the team, ran side by side, in stride and broke trail about four feet ahead of Hermes and Ichabod who were leading. It was one of those priceless moments I wish I could have gotten on camera!

But I'm getting ahead of myself, lets start at the beginning...

We changed our hook up point to the far end of the dyke to cut out some miles and hit the fresh trail they would need to work through early. The new take off spot did offer its challenges and it was really weird to have an audience so far out. A couple of walkers were taking advantage of the gorgeous day to walk along the top of the dyke and stayed long enough to see the team and I take off. If they wanted a show they weren't disappointed!

I pulled the snub line and off they flew while I rode my drag pad with both feet trying to slow them down! It was like snowboarding with a handle! They were going so fast and the accent down the ramp off the dyke helped increase their speed a bit more than I liked!

Once we got on the flat stretch it was time to think fast, our normal trails were coming up quickly. The dogs hit the turns and we were flying! Before long we hit the new trail that had only been broken out by us twice. They made short work of that and when we hit the fresh patch they did excellent, hardly missing a beat!

It was really fortunate that a moose, or a wolf (both tracks have been plentiful this year) had taken the exact trail we wanted to and it gave the leaders a place to follow. Once we passed up the game trail they were back on cue and only had trouble taking commands once we hit the field section where it was wide open. Juno did her best with only Ichabod being a bit challenged on where to go.

Below is a short video of the team after we hit the field. It was so beautiful out there, the sun was high, the mountains on the horizon... one of the best moments we've had all year...

(video clip may be a bit fuzzy, I didn't have it on the normal settings)

Once we past the field section I was able to confirm our location and realize that we had made another training loop for the team! Whoo hoo!!

But after we had gotten to the other side and back on the old trails I had worried I was taking them too far. I phoned up James just in time before he left work and he agreed to swing by and repark the truck in our usual parking spot. That saved us about five miles off our trip. It was a very good call since the team ran a full 20 miles yesterday! That's a big jump up from the ten they had done the run before. They all came in looking fantastic with only Olive and Salmon looking a bit worse for wear.

The sled was fully loaded and about midway I snacked them heavily with chicken which helped reduce the weight a bit. But that quickly changed as Olive was having trouble and showing signs of fatigue so I loaded her up in the sled and that brought back up any weight we lost from the snacks and then some!

Olive really didn't like riding in the bag so after a few miles I let her out to run again and put Salmon in her place. This may be Salmon's last run with us this season... shes showing signs of fatigue and, as some sled dogs too, decide they would rather enjoy couch life than hard work for the rest of their days.

Other dogs will work up until the day they die and never want anything else but after I saw Salmon all snugged up in the sled bag completely content I think she may want to stay home. Next season may be different but only time will tell...

All the dogs came in looking far better than I expected. Every one of them had wonderfully high spirits, great appetites and shot out of their boxes after we got home. Even Olive still had energy to spare even though she couldn't keep her tug tight the entire time on the trail. I have a feeling she may be like Ichabod, never knowing when to quit and wanting to run up until the day shes done with this life. Shes hard working, loving and I cant wait to see how she exceeds up with the team as we extend our runs even farther. Shes going to make some musher very, very happy...

Miles: 19.8
Max Speed: 18.7
Moving Average: 6.6

Bluff Run Today

I planned on taking the team out today for a short and simple run but I just cant help but have an adventure so we took a side route, putting in a few extra miles, and tackled the bluff for the first time this year.

I had forgotten what a fun trip that is! What a blast!

The video shows the highlights of our trip from the flat trail to tackling all 522 vertical feet of the bluff for two miles straight. I wish I could have shown some of the downhills but that's a bit difficult to manage when I'm trying to drive the sled. As you can see the branches on the simple sections provide their own unique challenge!

And if its not clear in the video I'm trying to explain Juno's reluctance to being kicked out of lead and put in swing so Hermes can learn leadership without being pressured by her. Juno handles the change of command pretty well until we get going then is content to bark orders from the back seat!

It was soooo nice to have them all back together again. I saw some lingering doubts from some of the guys as a result of our last run, especially on the open stretch back to the truck where they lost power, but over all they did amazingly well. At one point I had 12 dogs on the line since Gaea was being such a pest that she really needed to be hooked in the team.

She did really well but started to falter a tiny bit so I pulled her out for the last few miles. Her gait is still so awkward and there is the potential for injuries with her being so young so I'm not pushing her to stay hooked in the team at all. When she slows or starts to mess up I pull her right out.

When she does finally grow into her legs she will be AMAZING and so graceful! She might just put Remus to shame! : )

And Laya came with us again. She had a great time and continues to be so adorable and fun! Shes learning slowly to calm down when we come to a stop but shes still got a little of that anxious sprint team mentality. She isn't a line chewer so she really doesn't have any bad habits. The only thing that bothers me is her protest whining when we are stopped but even then shes pretty quiet.

At the start I noticed she wasn't too great on her speed at first. She seems comfortable at 15mph but cant keep up enough to pull. At that speed shes able to stay right with us but cant put in any work until we slow a little bit then shes all business. This may change with time though since I'm not sure how much she has worked before she was brought to the shelter.

She is also very content to stay with the team and right by my side. So not only will this little lady make a perfect mushing or skijor dog but she would be a great dog to loose walk on hikes!

My 'new' GPS is still out getting fixed so I brought the antique with me today. I forgot to turn it on until we were almost two miles into our run so I might have missed an accurate reading of our max speed.

It was so fantastic to get out today and I am really looking forward to more exploration trips so we can break out more of that new trail we've been working on. I have to be careful though since the dogs are still working on getting back up to speed and strength and my schedule is full. Its trying to snow today too so that will make the trail much harder to work with.

Total Miles: 10
Max speed: 18.0

Madeline - Shelter Foster Update

Since the weather has been cold Madeline has been able to stay inside and get some more human socialization in. She does pretty well with other dogs but is still extremely wary of people and of inside noises.

While she's been inside Ive decided to work her into my office schedule a bit more. She is up in my office right now in the 'luxury crate' that I use for my own dogs.

Its a bit of a luxury due to its large size, comforter and location up here in the office. Gaea likes to use it the most and has 'customized' the comforter to her liking. Its a bit less fluffy but its provided her with a lot of busy work during the somewhat boring hours of the day. Not boring for me mind you, but its usually nap time for the adult dogs during my work hours.

Madeline is coming along really well and opening up the more I work with her. We just got her a nice jacket thanks to the Fairbanks Shelter Fund (thank you donors!) and we plan on beefing it up even more to keep her extra warm and so we can take longer walks with her.

Id love to have her outside with the other dogs during their free run time but its just too cold right now. If we can get her a heavier jacket she can be much more comfortable.

Laya tried out her new jacket last night (thank you again donors!) since she had to be shaved for her spay. I cant say that she loved it exactly but it was very effective and I didn't have to worry about her getting frosted in the -30 something degree weather.

When she is tucked away in her house she does really great and had created a nice little straw hollow to keep her extra warm but since she loves to run and stretch she really needed the protection. She is also going to get even more use out of it when we get back to running the team again. That should be very, very soon...

The weather is still harsh but not too bad. Its been around -25 this morning but still too cold for our training cut off. There is still so much work to do so its actually been a bit of a relief to be forced to stay at home.

Speaking of work Ive posted up our new Husky Hair Scarf to our website (www.LeadDogGraphics.com/Musher_Wear) . This is only the second made in the line and is available for purchase along with our other Husky Hair Hats.

All of the Husky Hair Hats you see on the web will be available to check out this Friday at the Yukon Quest cabin in downtown Fairbanks. I will be doing their first, First Friday art show with many of my other art pieces.

For more information contact the Yukon Quest office at (907) 452-7954. A percentage of all purchases made at the cabin will go directly to helping support the race efforts of the Yukon Quest.

Weather isnt so bad after all...

Looks like the forecast wasn't on target in a good way! We had -10 yesterday and -20 that morning. Since then its been snowing lightly but hasn't quit all day and all night. We should be able to get a steady accumulation at this rate. Breaking trail will be a bit harder with the new snow but we'll take it!!

Got out to the trail Thursday and had a blast! Kathy helped me bring along the two new fosters for a quick mile run to see how they did before we ran the main team on our longer route.

Olive did great and loved to be in the team running but Stripe didn't pull for a second and fell over immediately in harness to be dragged by the team for a few seconds before I could stop. I stopped many times to let him pick himself up and one time to pick him up myself but nothing seemed to work. He really didn't want to be there and I cant understand why.

There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with him physically and mentally hes doing much better in the yard. I also made sure we were going very slow at the beginning so we didn't stress him out but nothing seemed to be working. We must have been less than an eighth of a mile from the truck before I decided to bag him. If he didn't want to work I certainly didn't want him to hurt himself.

Olive trucked along well though and since I didn't have to watch Stripe I let the team get a little bit of speed to see how she would do. I'm very impressed in her drive though she was off her tug during the run so that could mean that we were going too fast or that shes out of shape... probably a little bit of both.

After that short trip I loaded those two back in the dog truck and Kathy got her four dogs ready, borrowing Reba to fill her team out a bit more. That helped us stay together though my team was a bit slower than normal since most of them were not sure about having a team follow us so closely.

Once we started breaking trail Kathy decided to head back to the trail head and my guys got to work. They did much better but the going was still slow since we were going down a new path that no one has traveled yet this year.

Its another route we can work on breaking through to expand our training loops and this one could possibly be more beautiful than the rest! We've only broken out a mile but in that mile it was extremely beautiful. I LOVE forest runs and this trail might offer quite a bit more of that.

The dogs did great and I found myself missing Laya and her bright energy more than I thought I would. I didn't realize I would be so attached to a sprinty girl like her so soon after her arrival but shes got a personality that is wonderful to be around. She might not be the best at breaking trail for us because of her small size but there are plenty of trails she can run that are wide and flat and shes so small that I don't mind letting her ride in the sled if she gets tired.

Our mileage today was a little over 18, a bit more than I had planned but every one did amazingly well. I was really impressed with their speed on the way back from the new trail and everyone held up beautifully.

If we had gotten out there earlier we could have taken advantage of a bit more light and gotten some more trail breaking in but it all worked out well. We were back at home in time for me to drop the dogs and run over to KJNP so they could do an interview on the basics of dog mushing. I had thought it would only be on the radio but apparently it was broadcast to TV. If I had known that I would have at least brush my hair! Oh well, it was authentic at least... I was representing mushers as they are in real life, fresh off the trail and a disheveled mess! : )

Wonderful Run

Laya came out and joined us yesterday and she was excellent! Its a miracle I had a harness small enough for her and she pulled very well against it.

Since she is so light I had no worries about bagging her if she got tired, which she did but made it much farther into our run than I thought she would. She was great!!

And she rode in the bag incredibly well. Most times I had forgotten about her since she was so quiet. She nestled in on top of my down filled pants with my down parka over her and tried to sleep through the rest of the bumpy trail.

When we got back to the truck I was busy unharnessing and loading every one else so I let her sleep. Apparently the sled was stationary long enough that she woke up and got out half way before it was clear she needed my help. Shes a real gem!

The team is shaping up again and made it well through our run with a bit of energy to spare. I kept their speed constant and a bit slower than last time so I'm sure that helped a lot. And I remembered to bring Hera this time! Boy was she ready to go! She even loaded herself into the dog truck which is a stretch for her since she hates vehicles.

She loves to run and would love to run all the way there rather than ride but its always a struggle for her to load in her box. Once shes in shes calm but being carried by sled or by truck is something she has never enjoyed.

She did peeter out at the end but only at the very end, probably a mile and a half before the truck. I let her run loose a little bit but she wanted to stay on the line either next to Remus in wheel or further up next to Salmon. I tried to get the team going fast enough she would realize she could run behind but every time we went faster she did too!

Laya will have her spay appointment on Thursday so Im not sure if she will be able to run with us before then. My schedule is still tight so we may be running while shes in surgery. Hopefully we can take shy Stripes out and see how he does but I will have to play that by ear. Hes still very timid and I need him to relax more within our routine before putting any more stress on him.

Im not sure what our mileage was since I didnt have my GPS with me but I know they were moving along at a steady fast speed. We probably went 11 or 12 miles?

I finally found the new trail Ive been looking for so Im super excited to get back and break it out. You can see the difference in the snow from our warm spell by comparing the photo posted here to the video here: http://leaddoggraphics.blogspot.com/2008/12/breaking-video.html ... a HUGE difference. Not so great for setting a hook but its a godsend for breaking trail and exploring. Its snowing now though so we may have a bit more work cut out for us but probably not much.

I also found my leader hook that I lost weeks ago... thats one of the many good things about running trails barely used. If I loose something out there its a good bet that I can get it back!

On our way back to the truck is sometimes a bit boring on the long straight stretch so I switched leaders around and tried some new things. Thani still loves to lead as well as Hermes. Reba is getting a bit more stressed about being up front so Ive taken her off that position for a while and Boreas does not want to lead at all!! He HATES it!! Very interesting to see, and his opinion may change over time, but for now he can stay in team and put forth his effort there. He runs best next to his brother Thani... those two are a very strong source of power!

Foster Postings

Tonight was a great night for all the dogs. Everyone was very well behaved during free run time and the new fosters are getting used to our routine.

Laya got the chance to run around with the other dogs in the main yard and did extremely well. She had one minor tiff with Ichabod but it couldn't be helped. They both jumped in the same house with a bone and neither one knew what to do. There was only a bit of growling but I quickly broke the two up since growling always seems to lead to something more serious.

Our fosters used to not integrate with the other dogs. Ive always been worried about how everyone would get along and if it would encourage fighting but so far things seem to be working out well and I think the others are enjoying the break in their normal routine. It will be a few more days before Olive and Stripe will be allowed with the other dogs but when they do I will be posting updates just for them.

Its far easier for me to update this blog than work on updating the foster pages on the website. If your looking for detailed information on the fosters, their personalities and their progress type in "Shelter Fosters" in the search box above to get a list of all the posts relating specifically to them or click on the highlighted label (seen at the bottom of this entry) of any of their posts. Their regular webpage (www.leaddogspockkennels.com/FosterDogs) will be updated as new ones come in and the others are adopted.

We are scheduled to run tomorrow and Laya will be joining us so be sure and check back to see how she does. Shes a tiny energizer bunny so this should be interesting! I should have some photos of her by then as well...

The Best Birthday Present Ever

The best gift I could ever receive is doing something good for someone else and sharing in the reward!!

So Id like to share with you this wonderful photo I received today, on my birthday, of our latest adopted foster MollyAnna in her new home at Point Lay, Alaska.

That smile tells all! She looks great!!

Her adopter says her son and Molly have already started a wonderful relationship together. It is so wonderful to see... so very wonderful...

Fostering and taking care of these dogs, who will eventually pass through our kennel, is a hard job that takes time each and every day. The logistic of adopting them out, working with their adopter, taking care of the paperwork, arranging the flight and getting them to the airport takes even more time and effort but the end reward is so worth it! : )