Life with Siberian Huskies

I find it interesting that groups like PETA prefer to try and shut down a dog sled race, but let humans kill themselves climbing Mt. Everest. It’s okay for people to die doing what they love, but not dogs. To top this off, they prefer that all dogs should be euthanized in order to be “Free” from being slaves.

So if I understand PETA right, humans are allowed to kill themselves, but dog sledding should be banned and the dogs should be killed by PETA, instead of risking a death doing what they love. Now I may not be the smartest person on earth, but to me, that is some messed up thinking.

Dog’s lives are more important than humans, but they should be killed anyway to set them free. How Fucked up is that logic? This kind of thinking is what is ruining the world right now. In fact, it is not even thinking, its called blind faith, and fanaticism. Where an ideal or misguided concept is more important than the truth (See COVID-19 Anti-vaxers.)

The number of people that have reached the summit of Mt. Everest: 4000 since 1953, Number of human deaths attempting the summit: Over 250

Number of people that have finished the Iditarod: Less than 1000 since 1973, The number of dog deaths: 143 is the best estimate I can find. The number of human deaths: Zero that I can find.

I think Sir Edmund Hillary’s comment explains the Iditarod better than I ever could.

“People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.” ~Sir Edmund Hillary.

This is what the Iditarod is about, accomplishing an extraordinary thing with the help of their extraordinary dog partners. For without them its an almost impossible 1000 mile walk.

Ivan now has 60 miles in harness on his big body. About 17.5 miles of that is running solo. He’s getting more confident and stronger each day. Every night when the sun is going down he gets worked up to go run. Just like in the morning before sunup he’s ready for his 1.5-mile foot walk with Cooper and Nikki. The video is last night’s solo run. Music is a cover of Time Machine by Grand Funk Railroad. Performed by my old band. Kevin, Dave, and me. A power trio that kicked ass in my opinion.

Night Moves: So, what’s it like to hook a couple of powerhouse dogs up to a 3-wheeled contraption and head out into the dark? I don’t know what people who have been doing this for years would tell you, but I can tell you how I feel about it. As I’ve only been doing this for about five years, mostly in the daylight.

Things change and you have to adjust to your environment. It used to be that there were few dogs around the neighborhood. People move, come and go and the last couple of years have seen an increase in dogs. I don’t mind that one bit if they remain under control. Some folks think it’s fine to open the front door and let Fido out to do whatever. Then they go back to re-runs of Mayberry RFD and forget the dog.

This lets the dog run wild to do whatever. Dog’s are protective of their home ground and when someone walking their dog, or God forbid a Husky train whizzing by makes them go insane. Especially the Terriers. They think nothing of attacking a pack of dogs 10 times their size. Kamikazes with four legs absolutely have no fear. They should! So, the sun is setting and the dogs want to run. I’m thinking about all the bad things that can happen on any given run. The dogs don’t think like that at all. That is why they have me. My job is to think of those things that could hurt us and be ready for it. Now, it may be dangerous to run dogs in Alaska because of a big Moose, or a drunk snowmobiler. The city has its own dangers as well.

Pitch dark, loose dogs, not to mention cars and trucks that may be driven by drunks as well. All of this needs to be considered and planned for to the best of your ability. The dogs and your own life may hang in the balance when split seconds matter. A relaxing run you say? Not hardly, not if you care about those dogs and your own body.

For me, I have to slowly work myself up into the proper mood before I hook up any dog. I’m filled with some anxiety thinking about what might happen and how I would deal with it. The dogs, hey they are jumping around and ready to rock n’ roll. Their job is to pull and run, they leave safety up to me.

Each run to me is an intense exercise in observing everything around us. That includes watching my dog’s ears, and body language. They can see in the dark and give suttle warnings that something is out there. A night run takes concentration and a strong constitution. Once moving the game is on. You have to be ready to react to whatever comes out of the dark to ruin your run. The dogs sense it too. Maybe from me but when we are on the last stretch to get back home they cut loose. They know we are almost home. Maybe they feel my thoughts of relief that we made it without any incidents.

I know that when we make it back safe and sound from another run, that I can let my guard down at last. The dogs are happy and so am I. To them, it was a grand adventure, and to me, it was too. We did it together, and that’s pretty much how it should be.

Maybe I’m a worrywart, but I have too much invested in my dogs. Not as financially important as the emotional attachment with them. They are everything to me, and that’s why I worry about each and every run with them. That’s my job, to keep them safe to run another day. They know their job as well as I know mine. It’s a team effort. Together we get it done. There is a lot of satisfaction in that for all of us. A job well done, maybe not a perfect run, but we live to run another night. That’s urban mushing for me.

Unlike “regular” dogs, sled dogs like Siberian Huskies are specifically designed to be incredibly athletic and to be able to run for so long without negative consequence. They have larger hearts to pump more blood more quickly, and through selective breeding, they’ve adapted to their functions (running great distances while pulling a heavy sled, for instance) by developing a sort of metabolic on/off switch. You know how humans produce energy?

Basically, they burn glucose, which is a simple sugar. When they run out of that, they start to burn fat. Fat requires much more oxygen to burn than does glucose, so it’s a lot more taxing on the system. As a result, fatigue sets in. Sled dogs (who typically consume very fatty diets) burn glucose at rest and in the beginning of long exercise, but after awhile, they’re able to switch to burning fat instead. They’re also able to pull as much as twenty times as much energy from their bloodstream as humans. It allows them to exercise hard for insane amounts of time without succumbing to fatigue. The exact mechanism that allows them to use their metabolic on/off switch is not totally understood. Scientists are working hard to figure it out, since they believe that it may benefit humans.

Ivan just turned 8 months old. 57lbs. 24″ tall at the withers. He’s all legs and a product of us trying to breed taller (Faster) dogs. Over the years as the breeding pool of Seppala’s has become stagnate and the COI increased. The Sepps have become smaller in size, and some reduction to performance as well. Long legs, hound-ish bodies, and efficient movement are all qualities sought after. There are lots of things that make a better sled dog. Being a good eater is another of them. I have a couple of standard Sibes that are finicky eaters. That doesn’t work when racing, they need to intake huge amounts of calories in order to perform, and then sleep when it’s time.

This is the 9th run solo for Ivan. I’m now running him solo as he is too fast for my other dogs. He still has a ways to go. He looks around, gets distracted, and does novice things that I expect and accept. I’ve increased his runs to 2.5 miles. This video is not about speed but about seeing how fast he can trot while pulling without breaking into a lope. The verdict is about 7-8 Mph. while pulling 250lbs on wheels. That is an exceptional speed for his age. I only run him every couple of days. He gets a walk every morning on foot but he only runs when I think he’s rested. It’s sort of like weight lifting for me. You work out hard one day, and take a couple of days off for your muscles to recover and grow. This is the story of Ivan, in the early days. What he becomes as an adult is due to his genetics and what I give him in training. I can only hope that I do it right. It’s no different than helping choose a school for your own child. It means that much to me to help him become all that he can be. Any parent will understand where I’m coming from. He’s part of my family, not a dog tied out on a stake. He eats, sleeps, and runs with me. RIght or wrong I’ll do my best for him.

I couldn’t be prouder of my friend and kennel partner. Some dogs have it all, and it takes a great owner/breeder to bring that out. Hannah’s new champion Acacia, “Northlane’s Tilting the Hourglass.” Service dog, Lead sled dog, team member of Hannah’s second win in a row of the 10th annual Iron Paws stage race (1500 miles in harness), and now Acacia earning the title in Florida, of International show champion. More great things to come this year God willing.

They may be working dogs, but they can also be show dogs. Some are just destined for greatness. But all of them are loved beyond belief. Thanks for reading!

I’ve been engrossed in the drama of this race. Dallas Seavey wins number 5. That hasn’t been done in 30 years and he is only 34 years old. He posted daily videos recorded in advance and released on that day of racing. It’s like he was clairvoyant. He nailed every day of the race and his strategy was perfect!. I was on pins and needles at the end but he made it happen. Beating 2nd place by 19 miles. I guess I’m a big fan of Dallas, and the race itself. This race is the crown jewels of working sled dogs.

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2021/03/15/veteran-iditarod-musher-dallas-seavey-wins-his-fifth-iditarod-championship/

It’s getting almost impossible to trust any type of dog food. I cook my own for the most part. I suggest you read this if you are using grain free food. You have to make up your own mind about it.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-continues-investigation-dog-heart-damage-linked-diet-n1255196?fbclid=IwAR1NZ-3Qc-cRy3e63Z6sq_WGb48JNy-yuysWOnE3HO4K0vf7uTGSWR0p0d4

I didn’t write this but it’s a great article.

Jake Hway

MuarchStSg uhe6Srpo, n2sorsomgecof0d19  · Dogs are descendants of wolves…Sled dogs are more closely related to their original ancestor than your average house pet. It would be unfair to sled dogs to compare them to an average house pet, sled dogs are so much more than that. Many sled dogs prefer living outside, some even prefer sleeping in the snow than in their doghouse with fresh straw bedding when it’s -40 or more. And in the morning, they are like… Oh hey, Good morning! Oh, it’s -40… whatever.

People might think it’s because they have been conditioned to living in these colder temps, so their bodies must have adapted to it… but that’s not true. They haven’t been conditioned not to live in their natural environment. They have always lived in their natural environment, so there is no reason to be conditioned back to it. Sled dogs live the same way as literally any animal that lives in their natural environment… which is most animals. There are some animals that don’t live in their natural environment but we will talk about them in a minute. Sled dogs have been living naturally for many, many generations, and before that, they were pure wolves.

They haven’t been forced into living in people’s ideal living conditions in a temperature-controlled environment where it is heated in the winter and cooled in the summer. We are a bald/tropical species and we think that descendants of wolves need to live in the same conditions as us. Homeostasis is the body’s natural ability to maintain a constant core temperature in the changing conditions around it. Sled dog’s homeostasis is in good working order. Their bodies adjust naturally to the ever-fluctuating conditions and changes of seasons, just like a wolf… or any animal living naturally It’s only been 60 or 70 years that Air Conditioning has been popular and now for some reason, all dogs need air conditioning. But hey, dogs were around before that… and they were healthier back then. Go figure.

All dogs are descendants of wolves and wolves used to live as far south as Mexico until people messed with them. When a dog’s body is changed over several generations to only ever be in a maybe 10-degree temperature swing… then they suffer when they are in temps higher or lower than that and they are missing out on life. But a sled dog might live in an area where it can commonly change 150*F between summer and winter. And they live and thrive right along with their wolf ancestors that also live in that climate.

A sled dog might be sprawled out and soaking up the sun and really enjoying it on a hot day, and a house pet that has been conditioned to air conditioning is stuck inside cuz he can’t handle it out in the environment that was once natural to him. Living in their natural environment is just one of many reasons that sled dogs live healthier, longer, fuller, and more fulfilled lives.

That doesn’t mean you should throw your Chihuahua out in the snow and tell them to deal with it, you are a wolf… that would be very cruel. They have been bred for warmer climates and different lifestyles just like many other breeds. It’s not their fault they were bred that way…Whatever kind of dog you have… as long as you do right by that dog, and you have allowed the dog to do breed-specific activities that fulfill their soul, and by the time they get toward the end of their life and they have no regrets, then you know you did the right thing.

They tell you with their body language and their eyes. You can’t miss it if know how to listen. This post was not meant to deter someone from getting a dog, dogs are fantastic, dogs fill our lives with joy. And as long as that feeling is mutual, and it’s a give-and-take relationship… dogs give 100% though so we need to give that back. The bond you create with a dog can be amazing.

Not much to say except I had my first COVID vaccine and the 2nd one is March 18th. Hope you have a great weekend, and this is a photo of two idiots trying to take a selfie. Me and Ivan, what a pair of clowns!

Lot’s of people get a Siberian and suddenly complain about having holes dug in the yard. That is what you get when you buy on looks and don’t do your research of the proposed breed you want. Huskies dig, they dig a lot. If you think you are suddenly going to stop this tendancy that was introduced thousands of years ago you would be mistaken.

As in all dog behavior a lot of answers come from studying the breed…historically. Many answers I found came from learning everything I could about these dogs. Do I know it all? I laugh upon you if you think that! I know enough to tell you what I have learned, but it’s far from everything Siberian.

The need to dig and the high prey drive came from one simple fact. The Chukchi of Siberia had a partnership with these sled dogs. In winter they pulled sleds, and were fed and cared for in return payment. During the short summers these same dogs were turned loose to fend for themselves until winter returned. You might imagine being laid off from work and you need to eat.

Not a problem for the Husky. They hunted anything smaller than them, and they dug for grubs and whatever morsels of food that would sustain them. Hence the trait to hunt and dig. It’s ingrained in their DNA whether they are fed or not. They can’t help it anymore than you can stop trying to itch that spot in the middle of your back. It is encoded into their DNA over thousands of years.

If you want a perfect yard, you don’t want these furry excavators. They can dig holes that would make a badger jealous. As in all of us, each dog is an individual and the amount of these traits varies. Mine do well with our cats in the house but they grew up with them. Outside is another story I’m not willing to test. Based on the many incursions by raccoons and squirrels that barely escaped, I would not trust them to leave my cats alone outside.

If it’s smaller, and moving it becomes prey. If they have a yard with dirt they will dig. Knowing why, makes me accept that. A small price to pay for them accepting my own faults they don’t understand. I’ve always said the relationship is a partnership. Both sides have to give and take. Sort of like being married isn’t it?

The bottom line is “Synergy.” The sum of the parts is greater than any individual part. That’s a team!