Life with Siberian Huskies

Ivan keeps showing progress in his journey to be a sled dog. Now at 6 months and 52 pounds, the long-legged galoot is downright fast. Not to mention he has a huge amount of endurance. If you’ve been following his journey you’ll notice the improvements. He’s becoming more focused and also being exposed to new things. Today was his first encounter with another dog. They yanked me over to see him, but it didn’t take long to get them back on track. The other new thing was to ignore the vehicle in a head-on pass.

Run Metrics: Temp 36F, wind NNW22mph. Distance 1.5miles. Top Speed 17.4 mph, average speed 7.8 mph. Rider and Recumbent Bike: Weight 200 lbs. Music by Boz Scaggs. 1/28/2021

I went on a trip a couple of years ago. I drove to northern Minnesota to meet Doug Willett and Togo. Doug and I had worked on his book for a year, and I wanted to meet him. I fell in love with Togo from the first look. He was Doug’s last Seppala and probably the best dog genetically he had produced in all his years and over 500 dogs.

Togo never got to be a sled dog during his prime as Doug had retired. He had all the tools but instead became Doug’s closest friend. Togo was an escape artist that has no match that I know of. Togo was true to his name as a free spirit. One that just could not be contained by a fence or walls.

Things change in our lives, and I was fortunate enough to have Doug offer to sell him to me much later. He wanted him to be bred because of his genes. I drove to Minnesota and picked him up. I then drove him to Maine to join a new pack and a new life. I’ve felt the pressure of having Doug’s last dog. To keep him safe and to let him run. And to hopefully have him reproduce and carry on what Doug started.

True to his nature, Togo could not be contained for the first year. An 8-foot fence was child’s play to the master of escape. During that 2000 mile drive, I fell in love with him and wanted to keep him in Virginia. But that would have been a discredit to him. He stayed in Maine, and we did, and still are trying to breed him. He may have passed his prime for producing progeny. He can breed but has so far produced no puppies. His best days for that are probably past. That doesn’t mean we don’t keep trying, on the off chance a miracle may happen.

He gets to breed with every female that comes in heat. I suppose that is not such a bad thing in retirement. He also gets to run where there is snow and lots of his kind to live with. Going on 12, he’s slowed down the past year. He hasn’t jumped the fence in a year but still can run like a Seppala does. He may have passed his prime, but he hasn’t been forgotten.

Last year he ran several 30, and 40 mile runs during Hanna’s victory in the “Iron Paws.” He was on several of Hannah’s grocery runs during the Pandemic. It may not have been the serum run of 1925, but he played a part as a team member. Hannah and that team received a letter of appreciation from the Governor of Maine. The letter was for their work to deliver groceries to the elderly and those at risk from the virus by sled dogs.

Today he ran lead in shorter distances, but the important thing is he gets to be a “Sled Dog.” He can still do it but at his age, but he is certainly past his prime. He is also part of this year’s “Iron Paws” challenge. I’d say he has a pretty good retirement.

I’d bring him here to live with me, but then he’d miss out on what he needs. Thanks to Hannah for taking care of him in his golden years. He is a great dog in personality and everything else you measure a dog by. And thanks to Doug for trusting me with his care. I think he is enjoying his golden years! He’s pulling sleds as Seppalas have done since Leonard invented them. He loves his life, he has 17 dogs and two humans as companions.

I don’t think it gets much better than that for any dog. This is an example of a life well-lived. First he gave up his desire to race to be with DW in his golden years. Now he is doing what he can to enjoy his own golden years.

There is now a statue in Central Park, New York to fix the wrongs done to Togo. Balto claimed the credit but it was Togo who actually did the most.

Togo’s plaque reads: “In 1925 Togo led a dog sled team in blizzard conditions to Nome, Alaska, to deliver a life-saving antitoxin during a diphtheria epidemic. He traveled nearly 300 miles, farther than any other dog in the relay. His courage saved many lives.”

He was 12 years old, and would never race again. His efforts took the last of what he had. He did live on to produce pups that some of us still have of that unbroken line. He and Leonard were examples of what heroes are.

DEDICATED TO THE INDOMITABLE SPIRIT OF / THE SLED DOGS / THAT RELAYED ANTI TOXIN SIX HUNDRED MILES OVER ROUGH ICE / ACROSS TREACHEROUS WATERS THROUGH ARCTIC BLIZZARDS FROM / NENNANA TO THE RELIEF OF STRICKEN NOME IN THE / WINTER OF 1925

ENDURANCE-FIDELITY-INTELLIGENCE

Ivan’s run #7. He is coming along nicely. He is faster than Cooper. But Cooper knows his commands. Puppy brains are still in effect. Coop outruns him at the start but he gets outpaced at the last. Ivan is still showing great promise and speed for his age. I don’t doubt he’s going to be a great sled dog.

Training regime: All dogs get a 1.5 mile walk by foot every morning at the crack of dawn. They also get a second foot walk in the afternoon with the distance determined by temperature (Huskies do not like warm temps and it can cause them to overheat.)

Bike runs for the pup don’t exceed 1.5 miles and are very infrequent and based on temp/humidity, age, and general body condition. Ivan is now 51 lbs. and has more strength than my 6-year-old male. There is much to be said by almost everyone about running on a hard surface. You’ll hear that it will damage the dog because the growth plates are not fully developed. Running on hard surfaces causes damage to joints and pads. Running and having a dog pull before two years old will cause them to age quickly and end up with arthritis etc. I know several professional mushers who have completed the Iditarod and Yukon Quest multiple times. I asked them about this. They don’t agree with any of it. They start training dogs at 4-6 months using judgment, not the calendar. They have retired dogs who have completed those 1000 mile races multiple times and lived to be 15-17 years after retirement.

All I can tell you is my own experience. I’ve been running dogs on asphalt for over five years and have never seen any of this to be true. I’ve never had a dog come up lame, damage a pad, or anything else. Is hard packed dirt, Ice, or snow any softer than asphalt? Are sharp rocks, sticks, glass, trash anymore dangerous than smooth pavement? I guess as the owner you have to decide about that. The only result I’ve seen is their toenails get worn down. Too me this is a plus as they never need trimmed.

It takes time to learn your dog breed before you can judge what you are doing. Error on the side of caution if you are new to this type of exercise. In time you will be able to watch your dog walk around the backyard and be able to tell if there is something not right about their gait, health, and mental condition. That comes from paying close attention to everything they do. They are not vehicles that give you a warning light if something is not right. They are living sentient creatures that rely on us for everything in their short lives. Food, Medical, Exercise, Companionship with humans/dogs, and above all Happiness.

So, the civil war continues. Soon to be gone are the great dogs of the North. First was the Greyhound and now the sled dogs. PETA is a brain jacked organization that hopes in time for the demise of all pets. They have money and where does it come from. It comes from those who give it to them. What do they do with it? They destroy the lives of working dogs first, and your pet next. Their ultimate goal is to return all pets to home (Death.) If you support this so-called calling you are contributing to the end of all pets. If you don’t believe me do some research about the nut job running this so-called organization. Keep contributing and you are next on the list, and so are your pets.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Iditarod, the world’s most famous sled dog race, has lost another major sponsor as it prepares for a scaled back version of this year’s race because of the pandemic, officials said Thursday.

ExxonMobil confirmed to The Associated Press that the oil giant will drop its sponsorship of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The move came after ExxonMobil, which has been a race sponsor since 1978, received pressure from one its shareholders and the race’s biggest critic, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

“After careful review of sponsorships in light of current economic conditions, we’ve decided to conclude our sponsorship of the Iditarod following the 2021 race,” ExxonMobil spokesperson Ashley Alemayehu said in an email to the AP.

“The health and safety of the dogs, and everyone involved in the event, has always been an important consideration for us,” Alemayehu said.

Messages seeking comment from Iditarod officials were not immediately returned.

The loss amounts to $250,000, PETA said, but ExxonMobil could not immediately confirm the sponsorship amount. In 2009, ExxonMobil committed to giving the Iditarod $1.25 million over the ensuing five years.

“We’re glad that they have recognized that it’s absolutely bad for business when corporations support abusive industries and events like the Iditarod,” said Colleen O’Brien, a vice president for the animal rights group.

PETA has lobbied ExxonMobil to drop its major sponsorship of the race since 2007. In December, the organization submitted a shareholders resolution to “end all sponsorship of activities in which animals are used and abused and killed,” O’Brien said. PETA owns 102 shares of the company’s stock.

ExxonMobil executives met with PETA on a teleconference on Tuesday, in which they confirmed they would end sponsorship. O’Brien said PETA then withdrew the resolution and canceled ExxonMobil-targeted ads it had planned to run on buses in Anchorage, in the Anchorage Daily News and the Texas edition of The Wall Street Journal leading up to the March 7 start of this year’s race.

PETA also called off planned protests for at least a dozen ExxonMobil locations around the countrdropped

The animal rights group has been targeting national sponsors of the race to end what it sees as the abuse of dogs it says are forced to run the thousand-mile race.

The group claims more than 150 dogs have died since the race began in 1973. The Iditarod disputes the number but has not provided the AP with its count despite numerous requests over the years.

PETA last year took credit when Alaska Airlines and Chrysler, through an Anchorage dealership, dropped their sponsorships after PETA conducted protests at the airline’s corporate headquarters in Seattle and the carmaker’s in Detroit. At the time, neither company confirmed PETA’s protests played a role in their decisions.

Other national sponsors that have dropped out include Wells Fargo and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.

The loss of ExxonMobil leaves only one national sponsor of the race, Millennium Hotels and Resorts through its Anchorage location, the Lakefront hotel. It also serves as the Iditarod’s headquarters during the race.

O’Brien said PETA will contact Millennium Hotels and Resorts and “urge them to sever their ties with the race before they’re targeted next. We’re not going to stop until dogs are no longer forced to race until they’re dead.”

A message sent through the Millennium website seeking comment was not immediately returned.

The race’s other sponsors are Alaska-based businesses or those with close ties to the state.

The Iditarod normally starts in Willow, Alaska, about 50 miles north of Anchorage, and takes mushers and their dogs nearly a thousand miles over rugged Alaska terrain to the finish line in Nome. However, this year’s race has been scaled back to about 860 miles and will start and end near Willow.

Twelve mushers, including defending champion Thomas Waerner of Norway, have dropped out of this year’s race, leaving 53 teams.

That’s among the three smallest fields in the last two decades, and all in the last three years. Last year, 57 teams started the race and 33 finished. In 2019, 52 teams began the race.

This story previously misspelled ExxonMobil

Front in center is “Yara” from our “Y” litter of Seppala outcrosses. She is one of Ivan’s 3 sisters. Already a huge pup at six months. She is surrounded by 9 other of her tribe in Maine. 9 more didn’t fit in the picture.

Over the years the Sepps have lost size. I personally want to change that and also love big dogs. That may come from my years of breeding GSD’s. Erect ears, strong bodies, and strong attitudes mixed with intelligence is important to me.

For a sled dog, there is a fine line between size and speed. It depends on what you want them to do. Size is power but also can mean short endurance. Size can mean long ground eating strides, and tall enough to overcome deep snow. It can also mean a sprinter vs. a long distance runner. What is the perfect balance? That depends on what you need. That is what breeding dogs for a specific function came from.

I’m so tired of hearing the call to adopt not buy from a breeder. If you want a generic dog fine, adopt one and good luck. Why? because you have no idea what you are getting. You might get a dog that is fine, or you might get the devil. I know because I’ve adopted special needs children and raised them. Dogs are no different. They are the product of their genetic background and how they were raised. That affects them for the rest of their lives. Choose wisely.

Not all breeders are evil puppy mills. We are trying to save a historic line of dogs. The Seppala Siberians. The same line that delivered the life saving serum to Nome in 1925. That is our calling. That is why we work so hard with these dogs. They are not for everyone, but they won’t become assimilated into generic dogs if I can help it. They deserve better than that.

“The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” ~Jack London 1876 – 1916

Dogs live in the moment. They don’t stress over what happened yesterday, or worry about tomorrow. Jack London only lived to the age of 40. But look what he did in those few short years he had. Life is not about how long you live, it’s about what you do with the time you have.

You won’t find me being a Vegan, drinking bottled water, or going to the doctor whose job is to find something wrong with me. I’m always busy writing, painting, playing music, or working with the dogs.

“To spend time is to pass it in a specified manner. To waste time is to expend it thoughtlessly or carelessly. We all have time to either spend or waste and it is our decision what to do with it. But once passed, it is gone forever.”

“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” ~ Bruce Lee

Ivan is almost 6 months old. He’s slowly transforming into his adulthood. You can see it in his body and I can tell his mind is getting better. He’s a real pain in the ass at times, but then what kids aren’t? Long of limb, strong of body, if not a bit weak in the brain department so far. He is becoming what he was meant to be. I think he will eventually be a good ambassador of his breed.
All dogs have some funny traits and I’ll tell you what his is. He is all about recycling. During a walk he looks for something to pick up and carry in his mouth. It might be a stick, or a discarded water bottle. Even a beer or pop can gives him joy. He will carry whatever it is all the way back home. We’ve since discovered this trait comes from his dad. Who never did this until recently. What does it mean? I have no idea but I know he is pretty proud of himself when he brings these treasures back home.

Great read from the CKC on these dogs. This is part 1 but the other 2 parts are linked in the text. If you are interested in Sepalas this is a great read.

https://ckcusa.com/blog/2020/january/togo-and-seppala/

What’s the difference between a generic purebred Siberian Husky and one from a working/racing kennel? Tons of things to be honest. Ivan is a good eater, a good rester, and a driven puller. All the things that make a competitive sled dog. In today’s video you might see some of those. It was easy to fix his pulling to the left problem. I put him on the right and he did much better. He’s got a name. His name is Ivan. I’m so impressed with him so far as a future sled dog. Once he get’s over the puppy antics he should be a well rounded dog that also lives in the house. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was a trained sled dog.

Because he is a young dog I only run him on the bike no more than 1.5 miles and only after several days of rest (Bike.) Every day not on the bike we walk on foot twice a day, 1.5 miles each time. This “Walk” is not like what most people consider to be taking the dog for a walk. Try walking 3 huskies amped up from sleeping all night and it’s cold outside. This “Walk” is more of an aerobic workout with weights. The pulling power of these dogs is incredible and it’s no wonder I’ve lost so much weight and toned up. One more dog added and they would surely drag me down the street. That’s okay, I signed up for this. Huskies are not for normal people who like to relax. There isn’t much “Relax” to them. They have two speeds. Wide-open and sleep.

They demand exercise daily. If you don’t comply they will make you pay many times over. They can’t help it, they were bred to be exactly like this. There only fault is how good looking they are. People buy them on looks and find out there is a nuclear engine under the hood. Sadly, this is why so many end up in shelters. This is why I wrote my first book about them. I wanted those that actually research the breed before they buy to get the real story. The story of my first husky and all the lessons I had to learn. I think I’m a better person for it now. But it wasn’t easy to learn. I made a lot of mistakes but they forgave me, and taught me how we could actually work together as a team. You don’t ever “own” a husky, except in legal terms. If you work hard enough you become a life long partner, but you have to earn it by doing your part. Sitting on the sofa isn’t going to cut it with these dogs.

6 days short of being 6 months old. Ivan is now 50 lbs. and 23″ at the shoulder (withers). He can pull as hard as my adult dogs, but they are not from racing or Seppala lines. Even being only 3/4 Seppala, and the progeny of two lead dogs he is miles ahead of my standard Siberians in work ethic. This litter was an outcross to reduce the COI (Coefficient of inbreeding.) He still has a puppy brain but that will change in time. No doubt looking at his gaze, he is smarter than I am. My job is to try and help him become the best he can be. In return, I get a lifelong companion that will not one day decide he doesn’t love me. Dogs don’t have those flaws. Unconditional love. What more could you ask for?