Life with Siberian Huskies

First of all for those wondering. No dogs die in this movie, in fact, none show any real damage that an ace bandage won’t fix. The acting is very good and there isn’t a lot of dialogs. That rings true as the real stars are the dogs. Togo the canine actor looks very much like the original and his performance in the movie was sensational.

I would say this movie is at least 98% true to the book, “The Cruelest Miles.” The ending is not exactly like the book but well played just the same. The cinematography is well done and the scenery is very beautiful and breathtaking.

The storyline is well done, not only historical but filled with drama about the situations the characters found themselves in. And how they answered the call to save the children of Nome. Not much credit is given to the other mushers of the relay teams but I think that is fine. Togo was shorted throughout history for his part. Seppala and his dogs with Togo in lead ran the longest distance of any team and crossed Norton Sound not only once but twice.

It’s an awesome movie for all ages! For me, the lump in my throat watching this came from the connection between Sepp and Togo. I know what that connection feels like, and I’m sure you do too. You might not save a town, but the connection between humans and our dogs are undeniable, whether you have a Yorkie or a Husky.

That’s a love that you cannot describe or ever forget.

Well done Disney!

I’m so psyched about this tomorrow night. Get Disney+ for a 7-day free trial and see the true hero of the 1925 Nome Serum run…Togo and William Dafoe as Leonhard Seppala.

There was a time when the animals ruled this earth. The Divine had created them long before man. The Divine had given them strength and cunning, tooth and claw, fang and talon, poison and stealth so that they could survive the new world he had made for all his creations.

All his creations were part of the balance of this world. Each animal had a part to play and limited intelligence that would not disrupt the harmony but allow for the survival of the hardiest. This would ensure that only the best of the best would endure. That over generation upon generation they would flourish and become better than those before.

Over the eons They Great Divine tired of them and began to test them with natural disasters to see how they would adapt. Some perished, but others found a way to live. He was inspired by this, that his creations wanted to live in his world so badly that they would mutate and overcome his obstacles.

In time this too became mundane to him so The Divine thought to create a new animal…man.

He’d used up all the great ideas of his perfect beast. All that was left was a creature that was weak at birth and took years to learn and become strong. This new creation needed an edge to survive the beast so he gave them more intelligence. Much more than he had intended, but what was done was done.

They still retained a bit of animal in them but they learned from their mistakes, they endured tooth and claw, poison and stealth. But still, they died daily and were about to expire so he gave them fire. Fire to keep the nocturnal hunters at bay. It worked and in time their intelligence grew and they were able to craft weapons, simple things of stone. Like a blade that could give them parity against fangs, and claws.

Slowly over time, they became equals and later to master all of his beasts. But all was not right with his new creations. They could not seem to stop themselves and be happy being the masters of the world. They wanted more and more. They wanted to rule as he did on high. They not only wanted to master the beast but each other.

Great conflicts were fought by weapons created from the intelligence he gave them. Some lost and some won but still, they wanted more. They had forgotten the days of old when they had almost been extinguished for all time.

Many times, The Divine purged the planet with the forces at his disposal. He tried to cleanse them of their defects but it never worked completely. Time and again they would rebuild but still a few of the inferiors prevailed to rotten the batches of new humans.

Eventually, he recognized that he had failed. So, he left them to their own fates and went on to other blank worlds to start over again. His creations would either make it or die out for all time. But before he left he gave them one last hope.

He left them his namesake spelled backward…Dog. The one creation of his that had remained pure of heart in spite of their simple minds. He had instilled in them the qualities of forgiveness, and love everlasting. Courage and sacrifice, with the love of family and friends.

The Divine left them with this last gift and then turned his back on the first world that he created. They would either learn the lessons his dogs taught, or the world would turn to ash. The humans would learn to live in harmony with all living things or perish forever. Some day he would return to view the results.

TJ

Want to learn about Kennel style, tethering, and team hierarchy? Listen to some great insights from 4-Time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser.

Night run III. 39F/3.9C, with rain. Considering they are not in shape yet 1.5 Miles in 11:53/Top speed 18Mph/28.9Kph in the Rain seems pretty decent. I’ll take it.

NOTE: Please don’t tell me all about how running on the pavement will destroy my dog’s joints, or how their feet will dissolve without booties. You don’t know my dogs or their feet. They’ve been doing this for 5 years without even a muscle pull.

An unplanned blessing from the Siberians in Caribou, Maine. Whelped October 2nd. Meet the Halloween Litter. Contact Hannah Lucas @ Northlane Siberian Huskies and Seppala Siberian Sled Dogs on FB. These are some gorgeous pups in my opinion. Or contact me here or on FB. Todd Johnson.

Purebred from working lines with a few champion show dogs in the mix. We caught the culprit with DNA parentage testing. He still won’t admit to jumping the fence. The asking price is $950.00.

She heard the call from those on high,
those husky spirits in the sky.
Running a race against father time,
for just a few years she was mine.

When I look up, in the night sky,
I swear I see her sailing bye.
Silver harness shining bright,
in my dark, she brought me light.

She taught me how to live my life,
no matter about, the work and strife.
You have no idea how I miss her so,
I’ll meet her again at the Rainbow.

I know she had to go back home,
to that place where all the huskies roam.
I hope that she will remember me,
her body lies below my favorite tree.

Her spirit lives on beyond her grave,
she never was a lowly slave.
She lived her life full and true,
for that’s what these huskies do.

Only God knows, how much I miss you so.

TJ 2019

To the Anti Sled Dog Activist:

Just another example of how wrong you are about everything you think you know. Anyone else in tune with their dogs will see every word Rob wrote is true. I can feel it, and see it in this video, and I know you will as well. The dogs are everything to a real musher.

Shaytaan Siberian Huskies Sled Dog Team1 hr · 

Excuse the self-indulgence. I agonized all last weekend over this decision. I really needed to drop from 28 to 24 dogs in training. Three candidates were kind of obvious and whilst I knew who the fourth needed to be I still did not want to make the decision.

However Maddie has really stopped enjoying running, the start of this video shows that so clearly, and whilst she would never give up I knew I had to make the decision. The time had come to retire her from the main team and so on Tuesday, I decided to take her out for one final run in lead with the main team who she has shared tens of thousands of trail miles with – for old time’s sake.

It is probably not a surprise but I cried a lot as we ran (and I am crying now as I write this). For her final run, I put her in lead next to Psycho – I am not sure how much she appreciated that but she has run next to him in lead so much. I wish it had not been so dark at the end of the run as she was so happy when we got back to the yard, smiling at me and wagging her bum frantically as she always does when she knows she has done an amazing job.

I have written an article about her exploits which we will share initially to Patreon and eventually to a wider audience but for now a video of her final run. I apologize for the music but it captures how I am feeling.

I’m making a frame for his portrait. Then he will be going on the wall with my other dogs’ paintings.

We got a great review from Mr. Rob Cooke. Finisher of 6 Yukon Quest, and 2 Iditarods. He runs purebred Siberians, not Alaskan Huskies. Thanks Rob!

******5.0 out of 5 stars.

A very good and informative read

October 6, 2019Format: Paperback

I set out to read The Seppala Siberian Sleddog – II with some degree of trepidation, particularly as I had promised to write a review on completion.

I have never been a fan of the ‘Seppala Program’. I don’t accept Seppala’s as a distinct breed of dog, rather a line of Siberian Husky much in the same way as Kodiak, Northome, Tsuga, Anadyr etc. are lines of Siberian Huskies albeit the Seppala line is a line that dates back to the origins of the breed in North America.

I thought, and still do think, the whole UKC program was both misguided and divisive. I think egos and personalities have also done a great deal of damage to the reputation of the line, in particular, those who think Sepalla’s are better than other Siberian Huskies lines in some way, who hold them up as superior working dogs but who have never actually bothered to work them themselves.

Without really knowing any better I had previously lumped Doug Willett into this group and so, all these things considered, I did wonder why I was reading the book. I was, however, very, very pleasantly surprised in many aspects. First, the Seppala Siberian Sleddog – II is a great history of the working side of the North American Siberian Husky. Many of the dogs that are featured in the book appear way back in our pedigrees; the pictures, pedigrees and personal accounts of such incredible dogs are priceless and highly informative.

I also learned a great deal about Willett’s history and background that was, I am ashamed to say, new to me – in particular about his race successes with Siberian Huskies. But what shocked and surprised me the most, and what I will really take away from reading the book, was how much I both found myself liking Willett but also agreeing with him on so many points – something I never thought I would do. Time and time again, as I kept turning the pages, I kept thinking ‘that could be me, I agree with that, that is how I think too’.

More than that though here was someone who really did talk the talk, he knew the only way to assess a working dog is through working and performance and he set out to achieve that. I found myself agreeing with how he assessed dogs, the qualities he thought were the most important in sled dogs and whilst we would never be able to breed the number of litters he produced, I found myself agreeing with his breeding principles.

There was also a great deal to think about in the book, new information to learn and digest. Whilst in Europe this summer a number of us were discussing Willett’s belief that some dogs can produce much stronger male offspring over females and vice versa or how some characteristics can skip a generation; I started to think about our on breedings and how that might be true.

We should always be learning and so I was very pleased to learn a great deal from a book that, initially, I was not too enthralled to be reading.

Despite my initial trepidation, I would highly recommend this book to everyone, Seppala aficionado or otherwise, maybe especially the Seppala aficionados who might need reminding of Willett’s underlying principles. The Seppala Siberian Sleddog – II is informative, well written, enjoyable and thought-provoking and supported throughout by the great prose of T M Johnson. One of the better Siberian Husky books I have read

🙂 Rob Cooke Shaytaan Siberian Huskies.https://www.amazon.com/Seppala-Siberian-Sleddog-II