Life with Siberian Huskies

From 8 weeks(photo 1) to 7.5 months old (photo 2.) 57lbs. and still growing.

Years ago when I used to fly planes. I hated flying at night. All you do is listen to the engine and hope those strange noises don’t mean you are about to fall out of the sky. Running dogs at night is fun compared to that. Already being on the ground, is better than becoming a lawn dart. Tonight’s video run is with the “Big Boys” team. Short-run but it’s all about teaching Ivan. To date, Ivan has 27 miles under his harness pulling a 3 wheel contraption. Most runs are 1.5 miles except for one run of 2.25miles. I love running at night with the dogs. All the yapper dogs are in their houses watching reruns of “I Love Lucy.” That leaves the night to us. Music by CCR/Hey Tonight.

This post is only about my opinions based on what I’ve seen. You can believe it or not, but the point of my blog is to show my own journey and what I’ve gleaned from this adventure with these dogs.

I truly believe that the Seppalas of high percentage realize that they are a cut above their Siberian cousins. Yes, they are all purebred Siberians. The difference between the Sepps and the generic is line traits is easy to see once you have both to compare.

So what separate’s them? First, you have to have some of the histories to understand that. The Seppala line dogs are the direct descendants of those very same dogs that Leonhard Seppala ran in the great serum run to Nome in 1925. They don’t look quite the same as 100 years ago. These dogs have evolved over time, but for those of us that want to preserve the line that’s okay. They evolve and with work also improve. If you’ve read my post on how performance is also a genetic trait according to me. Then you get my drift.

All Siberians for the most part come from the first 20-30 dogs Leonhard bred and sent to Elizabeth Ricker in Poland Spring Maine. They are in fact great dogs, and you can trace everyone of them back to these original dogs. The true high percentage Sepps have a certain look. They have certain attitude, and they have a work ethic not matched by their watered down brethren.

To me the telling factor is in the eyes. You can see a distinct difference when you lock eyes with a true Sepp and a generic Siberian. The intelligence in the gaze says it all. These dogs can see into your soul. They judge if you are worthy. And they recognize each other without a doubt in my mind. If you put 20 dogs together the Sepps seem to know who the other Sepps are. They seem to know they are different, and yes they think they are special. I can’t argue with that, they are a cut above if you care about performance.

I live with 3 other non-sepps and they are fantastic dogs. I would never say any Siberian is sub-par. They are great companions and workers. But the next level is true Seppalas. They are the real deal, they are a cut above in temperament, work, and companionship. They have a down side and that is the never ending need to work. They are so driven to work that its more than most people can deal with. If you can’t build your life around their needs, you should not apply.

This line has been fading for years now. The gene pool is shrinking and its difficult to breed and keep the COI under control. We do the best we can with what we have. It would be a real shame to lose these dogs in their pure form. It may be inevitable but we will keep on trying as long as we can. To do less would be a sin to these magnificent dogs. The dogs that all Siberians came from, the originals. The dogs that started it all.

My partner Hannah Lucas in Caribou Main does the real work. She races and breeds the dogs. I just do what I can to help. Together we work to continue this amazing line of dogs.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a good working dog. It helps if you start with a dog from a working line whatever that line happens to be. In sled dogs I’ve been told that performance can be bred out in as little as three generations. I think that’s true, and doesn’t mean that they lose the instincts. They lose the physicality of the work. Pups from a continuous line of workers seem to literally hit the ground running.

That’s not to say you can’t start from a non-current working line and build. But it will take longer and the results will not be as good. I spent a year with my boy Cooper teaching him commands on foot walks. I think we walked 500 miles. To this day he is perfect on his commands. But, he is not fast or driven enough to be competitive. That doesn’t matter to those who mush for fun. The jump to being competitive is huge. I’ve also found it’s much easier to train a new pup by using an experienced one. Dogs will learn from each other much faster than they will from humans. Especially if you start from 8-weeks; that’s the time when what they learn will last a lifetime. Much like it’s easier for us to learn a language as a child than an adult.

Currently Ivan has 15 runs on the trike for a total of 21 miles. All of these were no longer than 1.5 miles each. This run I upped the distance to 2.25 miles and slowed the pace down. We also stopped to talk to some folks which is good socialization for him. He was a tad shy when I got him but that has all but disappeared as he matures and is subjected to more things. Maturity takes more than physical growth. It take growth of their minds as well. Meeting new and strange things; so the next time they happen its not a shock and taken without undue problems.

Enjoy this video of our latest run. You’ll see how fluid the pup is. He was built for speed and can run my 6-year-old to the ground. Cooper is of the standard Siberian lines. His body is built more for strength than speed. Ivan happens to have both of those traits. But, he comes from our racing line and that is the proof of what I’m saying. Performance is also hereditary as far as I’m concerned. I’m no scientist but I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Not just our dogs but many other working/racing lines of huskies have the same characteristics. They are both purebreds, but there is more to dogs than just pedigrees.

The answer is simple…You don’t. These dogs pull and run because it’s been instilled in them by selective breeding over thousands of years. The animal rights activist claim that races like the Iditarod are done by evil humans that “Force them to Run” for a thousand miles. Watch this training run of mine and tell me how I managed to “Force” these two dogs to pull me, and a bike with a combined weight of over 200 lbs. at speeds up to 20 mph.

Nobody can force a dog to do this. If they don’t want to do it they simply stop and refuse to go any further. I’m their guide and dead weight. They do it for love and adventure. These dogs love to explore and see what’s around the next corner. Even if they’ve seen it a hundred times before. They want to be on the move. They don’t mind the minor inconvenience of pulling some weight to get there. I live with them 24/7. I eat with them, I play with them, and we run together. It’s called a team, or family, and to the dogs, it is their pack. And this is what the pack does. It runs and has many great adventures.

Ivan’s run number 11. He’s getting better and better. Not to mention faster, but he is that as well. Distance 1.5 Miles, Top speed 19.7mph, Pace 7 min./mi. Average speed 8.5mph.

Took Ivan and Cooper on a run last night in the dark. This morning it snowed. That’s how things work out most of the time. He did very well and is now a bit over 53 lbs. and 23 inches and the withers (That’s shoulder if you don’t know.)

Hat’s off to the Iron Paws virtual racing. It’s a very positive way to get people and dogs away from the T.V. It’s a way to give working dogs a job. A way for us owners to build a bond with these amazing dogs, that doesn’t just involve a food bowl. It’s more than just taking your dog out of the back yard to show company. If that’s all you do, I hope your dog pee’s on their legs! It covers every area of dog sports. You should check it out at the link below. Pure genius!

https://www.monsterdogsports.com/ironpaws/index.html

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Looks like my Kennel partner in Maine… Hannah Lucas is on her way to her second consecutive Iron Paws win in the 6-dog sled class. She’s built up a considerable milage gap from second place. With only 2 stages out of 8 remaining. It would be hard to catch her and the 6-dog Seppala team. Ivan’s mom and dad are the lead dogs. No wonder he’s crazy to run! Good luck!

Not my words, and from a post on FaceBook. No truer words were ever spoken as far as I am concerned.

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Your Dog is Not a Baby!

Todays culture is absolutely ruining dogs and as behaviourists we are seeing more and more preventable problems appearing not only at our facilities but in the public domain! People are treating their dogs like children, and no matter how much you say it, or what you believe, they are not children. They are dogs… An apex predator with forty two teeth in their head and a bite pressure that can break bones. They deserve to be treated like dogs!

Somehow treating your dog like a dog has become a taboo subject and it’s because of the warped generation that’s flooding the industry. Can’t say no to a dog. Can’t go in cold weather with a dog. Can’t let a dog get muddy. Can’t give a dog a job. Can’t feed a dog raw meat. If your dog is in shape it’s too skinny. We are walking around in a world where giving your dog a job is cruel beyond belief but having a dog 30kg overweight with diabetes is absolutely fine.

It’s warped and twisted and wrong. They are dogs! Treat them as dogs. You cannot take any animal on this earth and pretend that it’s a baby. Oh hello, this is my whale, he is my baby. It doesn’t work like that, and if you respect the dog, it doesn’t work with them either. We have to push back on this mentality because it is literally killing dogs.

Dogs are being euthanized every day purely because nobody taught them what rules they were supposed to follow, or because they weren’t given a job they so desperately needed. Let’s start honoring our dogs for the absolutely amazing creatures they are. Dogs are magnificent, majestic, intelligent, robust. For me, they are the best animal on the planet so let’s stop killing them and treat them for exactly what they are. Honor your dog.

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Animals are not humans. That is plain and simple. Understand the difference between them.

We have snow and here are a couple of photos of Ivan during his first encounter with it. They know what snow is from DNA memories, and they love it. It’s like going home to a place you have never been before. It’s like eating in the finest restaurants, or sleeping in your own bed after a long vacation kind of good!

The Case of the Missing Chicken: SOLVED

All of my dogs have their tales to be told. Each has a distinct personality and disposition. I’ve written many of Nikki’s stories. Ivan being a normal Siberian, thought he needed one.

I woke up today with my phone buzzing “WARNING!” Being 4 AM, I wasn’t inclined to read the details, but you know how things can set your mind to wondering? I tried to go back to sleep, but I had this nagging feeling that wouldn’t stop. What was the Warning about? The dogs seemed happy to keep sleeping. I didn’t hear any howling winds or someone with a crowbar trying to break in the house.

I gave up and read the important message. It was a storm warning for the D.C. area. We expect 4-6 inches of snow starting Sunday at 1 AM and going through Monday. Now, this may not seem like the end of the world to most folks. But here on the East Coast, where snow is as rare as hen’s teeth. It certainly scares the bejabbers out of the locals.

People in Virginia can’t drive to start with. Throw in a few flakes of snow, and you are taking your life in your hands. Travel the roads with these dry-landers is an exercise in luck. The last time we had that much snow, it shut downD.C. for three days. People abandoned their cars and walked. Which probably saved some lives! The mindset driving this plays out like this: You can’t expect a 35oo pound vehicle to go through 2 inches of snow! Are you mad! I’m not driving in this sh*t.

Okay, back to the story. Being one of those who have lived through the significant power outages and ice storms of Oklahoma. I’ve gotten wiser in my old age. I now have a generator and a Hemi-powered snowblower in case of emergencies…like a few inches of snow. Seeing how I hadn’t started them in 2 years, I thought I might want to check that they still work.

But first, I needed to beat the crowds heading for the grocery store to buy bread, milk, toilet paper, and alcohol. Some things are universal, and you need lots of booze to deal with potential life-threatening snow.

I made a trip to the store and got the essentials. Including a couple of whole chickens to cook up for the dogs. I can put a 6-pound whole chicken in the “Instapot,” which makes enough to feed four dogs for 3-4 days when mixed with kibble. At .99 cents a pound, it’s a great buy, and they love it almost as much as pizza.

I return from the store with the essential 24 pack of toilet paper, three 12-packs of Soda, Beer, and two whole chickens. I also grabbed a 30-pound bag of kibble and a few other needed items. When I got home, I unloaded all of this stuff downstairs, where I have a spare refrigerator for unique things like this. I gave the dogs each a snack and put the food away. The mistake I made was leaving one of the chickens on top of a five-drawer dresser next to the fridge. Why I have a dresser next to the refrigerator? Only a dog runner would understand. I use it to keep the myriad of harnesses, lines, winter clothes, etc., related to running dogs.

The dogs left happy, and I planned to put that chicken in the pot after making sure my generator and snowblower still worked. They did with a little tweaking, but I let them run for a while and wondered why the dogs were not bothering me. I should have realized that something was afoot. I didn’t, and it took time to make sure all the machines were right.

I put the machines away, satisfied they would work if needed. I was feeling pretty good until I went back into the house to get my chicken. It wasn’t where I’d left it! I went upstairs and asked my wife if she took my chicken.

She looked at me with that, “Did you start drinking early today?” look. I ran for the yard because I knew who stole my chicken. I only hoped those three dogs hadn’t eaten already!

I went to the front ¼ acre and heard a sound of cats being boiled in oil or a dying calf in a mud-hole. I spied Ivan standing over his frozen bird and fending off the swooping attacks of Cooper and Nikki trying to get it away from him.

I yelled, and the jig was up. Cooper and Nikki backed off, and that was all the room Ivan needed to pick up that 6-pound frozen bird in his mouth and run for it. He ran like the wind with this old man yelling and chasing him. Even if I were a world-class sprinter, I would never catch him without a brain.

He ran for the pool area, and I shut the gate behind me. He was mine now, but Ivan wasn’t going down without a fight for his bird. In his mind, he stole it fair and square. I cornered him finally and gave him the old scare tactic. Yell and run for the prize. It surprised him, and I picked up the chicken. It didn’t look too bad, with a few tooth marks on it. That’s okay because it was going in the cooking pot for them anyway.

That was my first Ivan tale, and I’m sure others will follow. We are ready to “Ride the Storm Out.”

Was I mad at him? Of course not, he’s a dog and doing what he does. I’m a human and doing what I do. Together we have some stories to tell. I wouldn’t change our relationship for the world!