Life with Siberian Huskies

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?

Huskies are not like normal dogs. They have their own ways about doing things including relaxing.

When your neighbor calls and says to check on your dog because they think she might be dead. Nope that’s a husky.

Thoughts on the past year:

I look back on the past year, and man, was it a bitch! The world has changed so much in such a short time. Some folks can’t deal with it or have a challenging time, which is understandable. You take everything that you usually take for granted and throw it out the window. With that change comes some positives and, of course, the negatives…like dying.

The risk of death is always behind you, breathing down your neck with that cold breath. We try and stay a few steps ahead of it, but we all know it will win in the end. When I get those negative thoughts, I do the one thing that always works for me. I seek out advice from those that have been around for thousands of years.

I’ve immersed myself the last six years into the mind of those magnificent dogs known as huskies. Everyone knows they are incredible athletes that do amazing things. But I took a different route. I wanted and still do, want to know what makes them tick. I’ve done so much research and real-world experience to try and learn what goes on behind those eyes they have. The look they have is not from this world. It’s the look of ancient knowledge handed down from generation to generation.

If you don’t believe in reincarnation, then you need to spend some time with these dogs. Not as dogs but as sentient beings that have been through far worse for over 10 thousand years. Somehow, they know what matters, and it doesn’t include a Mercedes in your driveway.

It’s the appreciation for each day you get to wake up and see the sunshine, or rain, or snow. It doesn’t matter to them. They are happy to have one more day. I struggled to bring home a new puppy. Mainly because he might outlive me at my age, but then it doesn’t matter because I know he will survive if I pass and do what huskies do. They endure, and they take what life gives them and make the best of it.

They don’t complain, they keep positive attitudes and keep on driving down the trail of their lives until it runs out, and they are called back to wherever that place is the huskies go. And then, in time, they return to this earth in physical form as puppies and do it all over again. The crime is not to listen to what they try to tell us about life.

They might outlive me, but I’m not worried about them. They were surviving and flourishing long before I got here. I’m going to enjoy every moment I have left with them. Maybe I’ll be wiser for it if I get to come back as they do. If not, I’ve enjoyed trying to understand them and am amazed by them every single day. The silent lessons they have to teach are well worth the trouble that comes with them. You have to work hard to be part of their pack. No slackers allowed. Time is too short for all of us. Take it from the dogs of winter, they know.