Fall Training 2010 Report

The Season Has Begun!

Fall training has started at Mushing Loon Kennels. We have several short runs under our belts, as the weather has allowed. Still running the mile loops around the farm, but we hope to get out and travel a bit real soon.


The dog boxes are now completed. For this morning's run, I decided to load the dogs for the short, 100 foot drive across the farm. Everyone understood the process - except for the puppy, Maggie. She was mad to be put in a box when she really thought we were going for a run!


The box works great for a staging area, prior to hook-up. And for Maggie, it can double as a band stand!

Today's run was the best of the young season. We are settling into a groove. The leaders and I are beginning to understand one another. It is a learning experience, mostly for me! But there is quite the feeling of oneness when calling out a command, watching the dog turn the right way, look back for confirmation, and then gleefully charging down the right trail! We DO speak the same language!

The musher is the weakest link in this team. I have more to learn than the dogs. They know how to run, I am learning how to drive them. I switched dogs around today while stopped on the trail - a first for me! I put Alice up next to her brother Nick, so they could run together. And while they enjoyed being side-by-side again, I had forgotten how easily she can control him! We stopped before going on the road, as there was a truck in the distance. Alice pulled Nick and the team to the road in the opposite direction, apparently telling them, "Hey guys, if we go this way, we can go home!" I got them back and put Ellen back up front with Nick. She had been complaining the entire time she wasn't in lead anyway. And I knew Alice doesn't like the pressure up front. It turns out that Ellen pacing us, with Nick who just wants to GO! is the best formation for us.
It was time for another rookie mistake. I'll just turn the team around on the trail by hand. I started leading the leaders past the stopped team. Oh, they didn't know they were supposed to wait and go in an orderly manner! I've seen tangles before, but this was my first one that involved the entire team! But that was soon fixed, and we were off. Lessons learned by the rookie musher again.


Then it was over and we were done. Trying to keep it short, so they all want more. Just over 2 miles today. They are getting stronger each run - it is fairly hilly here, and they have to pull me and the motor-less quad up the half-mile hill to the farm. Stronger and faster, longer and farther, these are the things that give us joy.

When Dogs Run

Today, I experienced a true dog sled run. After struggles and frustration, it came together.

After my previous post, I had more troubles with Alice, ending with her refusing to run after a couple of miles deep into the woods on a trail a two weeks ago. I ran Nick with Biscuit (our small farm dog) once and then just Nick, leaving Alice behind. That last time, she whined so much that it freaked out Nick. We could hear her even a half-mile from home, and he whined and wanted to turn back. So, I hadn't been having a lot of luck actually getting pulled. With just one dog (and the occasional small farm dog), I wasn't able to be pulled very far. I would run to get Nick into a lope, when he could pull me easily, but if I didn't run fast enough, we just couldn't get moving. I ended up walking all but a few stretches of downhill. In 4 or 5 trips down the trail, I had yet to have a smooth run, where I just rode the runners.

So today, I loaded Nick and Biscuit into the dog box on my truck. Alice was really whining, and she had seen the sled, so she knew what we were doing. I decided I would bring her, and if she balked, I would simply tie her off to the rear of the sled and she could run behind. No pressure on her was my goal. We were going to have fun, and if she didn't, then I would just let her off the hook.

I drove us about a mile and a half to another gravel road where the snowmobile trail crossed. Organized the sled and lines in the ditch, then proceeded to hook up the three dogs to the gangline. After a couple of tangles I showed Nick to the snowmobile trail. He took off, pulling Biscuit by the neckline, Alice ran along in line, and I grabbed the sled and jumped on as it pulled by. And we're off!

Nick sniffed the trail and turned, knowing what to do. They all kicked it in gear, and I called for them to "Hike up!" and we did! They broke into a nice, fast lope and we raced up the hill. At the top, I stopped us and went up to thank them all. Alice was happy and not freaking out, so I gave her a ton of love. The boys got tangled, but after fixing that, we took off again in the right direction. Down the hill, turning to run up the waterway to the electric transformer station. Nick was going to pull us right onto the gravel road, so I stopped us and turned the team around. We just started back down the trail when I saw a couple of snowmobiles on the trail. I pulled the team off the trail and gathered them up by the gangline. I thanked the sledders as they passed, straightened out my team, and we took off. Fast!

After a nice, easy run, we came back to the road near my truck. Nick was following the trail, and he actually led us across the road to the field, where the trail continued north. I stopped us, because it went past a house that I think has loose dogs and at this point, we were having fun and I didn't want to risk the distraction or have any troubles. Plus, I wasn't sure how far we could go, and I really didn't want to finish running uphill.

Biscuit, being under 35 pounds, was getting tired, but the other two seemed ready to keep going. Even though Biscuit pulled out of his collar, I tightened him up, turned the team around and told Nick to head back onto he trail we had already done. "Hike!" and we were off!

Again we raced up the hill. Stopped for lovin' and a treat, then I decided they were up for it, so we headed down the trail to the waterway. Off into some deeper snow, we struggled a bit, so I turned us around and told them to takes us back to the truck. Part way up the hill, I called them up and we took off full speed, flying down the trail!

Once back to the truck, Biscuit was done. I knew Nick wanted to keep running, and Alice seemed like she would keep going, too. But I decided to leave us wanting more. We loaded up and drove home. Loving and water and treats were handed out at home. The Alaskans were calm and happy, and the farm dog was beat. So, too, was the musher.

Mushing Loon Trail

Here is one complete loop around my trail, 1.4 miles. shot by Angie over my shoulder on the back of the quad.

First Training Run '09

And we're off!

Crisp and clear, 52 degrees, cool weather forecast for the rest of the week, so I decided - "Let the season begin!"

The dogs knew it, could sense the change in the air. When we have cool days, they've been looking at me like, "Well?" We all knew it was time.

Two dogs are not a lot, but they're what I've got - for now. Which one to hook up first? The other one will throw a fit. Hmm, as I did last Spring, start with Alice, because her fits are worse. Of course, she tangles herself up before I even get Nicky harnessed - first tangle of the year and we're not even hooked up yet!

But eventually, both are harnessed, hooked to the tuglines and the neckline in tact.

"Line out!" I command. (Suggest?) They respond!


So far, so good. I snap their picture, like the first day of school, and climb aboard the quad. Man, do I like this view:


"Ready, guys? Let's go!" We take off, and immediately go off the trail.

Now, these are sprint dogs, and not "Gee Haw" leaders, so I know that we'll struggle as we learn the new trail. This trail goes around our acreage, across the yard, around the garden, a couple of loops through the trees and tall grass, until it straightens out for a nice long stretch through the cornfield waterway. A full loop is 1.33 miles. Today's goal: complete a loop!

Where the trail is obvious, we run. When it opens up to the yard, they stray off the trail. Alice runs on the left and pushes against Nicky's shoulder, and pushes him off the trail, towards the dog yard. I stop a lot, pull them over to the trail, love 'em up, jump on the quad as I tell them to "Hike!" We take off, and run anywhere from 5 feet to 100 feet down the trail. It's exhilarating when we're moving - we start to air it out just a bit to stretch our legs, but there are areas that take excrutiatingly long to get through: the big loop through the East Lawn is only slightly worn down and although marked with flags, we have trouble finding our way. But, eventually we make it all the way back, with much more success on the return run. The doggers do great with all the intersections, and Alice actually pulls Nick the right way on occasion! I'm so proud!

One lap and we're finished. I could go more, but they're both straining towards their houses. Ok, it's the first day, we're done. Water all around. Easy unhook, time for breakfast. Life as a sled dog is eating, sleeping, running.

Fall is here, dogs are running, life is good!

These Dogs Have Zip!

Summer doldrums. Yet, there is a feeling in the air, Fall is just around the corner. The daylight is getting shorter and the air is cooler – sometimes. Those sled dogs can sense it and they want to run!
Alice can be trusted to free run around the farm. She doesn’t run off and she comes when she’s called. After she runs for a while, she is ready to be back on her chain again. Nicky is another story. He totally ignores us. He refuses to even return to the part of the yard that we are at. The last time he was free, he went onto the road and into a field. He just cannot be trusted.
So last night I put Nicky on the zip line and let Alice free. Usually whichever one isn’t on the zip line whines the entire time, so I thought this way they’ll both get to run around. But Nicky was jealous and he wanted to free run, too! He ended up pacing and running back and forth along the line, which is actually the intended use. Normally he just sniffs around the trees and bushes and doesn’t exercise. So they both burned off some of that pent-up sled dog energy. I think it was quite the success!
Now, come on cool weather, we want to hook up that quad and hit the trail!

The Dog Yard

The Mushing Loon Kennels dog yard is behind our house, 100 or so feet to the north. We can see it from our kitchen window above the sink, from the kitchen table, out of the basement sliding door and directly from our deck.



To the north is our windbreak, behind that is a cornfield and across that is the woods that we'll run in the winter. I chose this location to be close to the house and easily viewed from inside. Each dog has a tree to the SW to provide shade, plus they can dig at the base. There is room for four more dogs, one more in this row and then three could be in a row across from them.



I used some old water pipes we had on hand, and bought the rebar swivel from Cold Spot Feeds for their stake outs.

I made the single-sheet plywood dog houses with the plans from Jon Little.

Alice and Nicky can reach each other and have a nice big hole between them. I gave them a nice log to play with and they take turns pulling it across the hole to their individual circles.

Alice loves to run around her entire circle, while Nicky runs along this side of his, then hops around to jog back.

They can see the driveway when cars pull up and they can see to the farm dogs in their run out by the barn. With bird feeders nearby they can watch them, as well as stalk the chickens who come to feed beneath.

I have a fifty-foot zip line behind them between two trees that they can run around on for exercise. Alice does great free-running but Nicky won't return reliably, so he is limited to the zip line for now. I hope to build a larger fenced in area for them to run, time and money allowing.

It sure is heartwarming to look out and see sled dogs in the yard!

The First Run

I'd had Nicky and Alice for one week. We'd been getting along great. The weather in early May was still cool. We decided it was time for our first-ever run!
I get out the quad and the harnesses - this is gonna be great! The dogs are fired up, they want to go! I get them hooked up (Alice was a challenge, she can't stay still) at the quad, parked by the trailhead, twenty feet in front of us.

I had cut a short walking trail around an acre of mostly grass and weeds with a few trees and scrub brush - the "East Woods" as we hope it will become. It is crossed by a grassy waterway that runs a quarter mile down through a cornfield. "They will just follow any trail" I was told, and I think that the waterway "looks" like a trail. I fire up the quad and yell "Hike!" and the dogs pull completely to the side, around towards the back! So I go up and talk to them, and pull them toward the trailhead. A couple of false starts later (I am working on remaining calm) and we actually get moving! We make a fifty foot run and hit the junction with the waterway. "Haw" commands the dog driver. Straight run the sled dogs. I stop and pull them to the left. "Right here, let's go" I tell them. Eventually, we head down the waterway. Hmm, it's really wide and nothing like a trail, I realize. Part way down, we stop and I physically turn them around and we actually RUN back up to the East Woods trail! Yay, I'm a MUSHER! Sweet, this is fun! We go around the trail (they DO follow a trail) and come back to the waterway. "Haw" commands the driver, straight run the sled dogs. Time to jump off the quad and pull them to the "trail". This is a good workout for me, I'm working up a sweat already! Down the waterway, stop, drag them around, back to the trail. This is fun when we're running, but we need to work on our "Gee" and "Haw".
After about a mile and a half, I turn them around and we head back to the kennel. Hey, they'll run that way! We unhook and get petted and watered. I was a bit frustrated, I waited years to actually "mush" and it wasn't very smooth. Mrs. Loon reminds me that it is our first run and I knew that we will ALL be learning, but you know, I just wanted it to be easy!

Stay tuned for more later...

Dog Trip

On Saturday, May 2nd, my wife, daughter and I drove 4 hours to Minneapolis. Got a room and went to the Mall Of America. (Ugh!) At about 9:30pm (Central time), Nicky and Alice were being dropped off at the Anchorage airport. Got a call from Greg saying they were delivered and on their way.
They landed in Minneapolis about 5:40am, about 15 minutes early. We were at the Northwestern Cargo office at about 6:45, as they said it would be about an hour until they would arrive there after landing. After 15 (nervous) minutes waiting, they were here! I signed some papers and backed my pickup to the loading dock. Pulling up on a forklift were the 2 carriers on a pallet. We quickly loaded them into my truck. Both dogs were nervous and growling. Nothing to do at that point but get them home as fast as possible!
About half an hour towards home, I received a call on my cell from the cargo office. You "forgot" the paperwork! What, after I signed the receipt, I asked if that was all I needed. Oh, the veterinary certificates and the Pedigrees were left behind. Did I want to turn around and get them? Oh, and add an hour and a half to the 4-hour drive home for the poor doggies who have been cooped up for 10 hours already? Can they mail them to me? We should be able to...
Thanks.
After we got out of town, we stopped at McD's for breakfast, and I talked to the dogs. Nicky was a little less bothered, and he accepted treats. Alice was quite concerned and wouldn't take the treats from me. But at least they had both settled down some.
Four hours later we arrived home in Iowa. I had their chains and houses set up and ready for them. We locked up the farm dogs (see earlier mushing posts) so there would be less distractions. Then came time to reach into a kennel and grab the growling dogs by their collar and pull them out! I knew to be calm and confident and Nicky came out easily, he was glad to get out of that box. Alice was more nervous (foreshadowing) and I had to be a bit more forceful with her. Once out, they were excited by all the smells! That evening, we took them for a walk around their new farm and we all got along fabulously!

These photos are from their first night with us. You can see they are still a little uncertain...

We Get Sled Dogs!!!!!!

Mushing Loon Kennels is proud to announce the addition of two Alaskan Husky/GSP mix sled dogs: Nicky and Alice


Nicky is a nice strong boy with some leader training and Alice is a pretty little girl who just wants to go fast. Both are being worked in lead during the off-season ATV training.

Born two years ago in New Jersey, they spent the last year living and working in Willow Alaska for Mushing Magazine publisher Greg Sellentin and has wife Jane.

Stay tuned for much more about these fine athletes and their integration into our kennel in the coming weeks.