Sled Dogs & Iditarod

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Dec 25, 2012
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Right about when I start getting tired of the long Alaskan winter, I'm revitalized by sled dogs. These dogs love to run! The 1,000 mile, 10+ day Iditarod sled dog race starts here next weekend. I volunteer in various capacities and spectate too. Here are a few of my pics over the years. The last one, with the dog jumping, was taken at the finish line in 2012. No lie, still roaring to go after 1,000 miles!

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Great pics, beautiful dogs!
Temps here are now back up in the low 70s for about 3 hrs a day. A few days of that, then back to 50s/30s. The best part is the low humidity we get to enjoy in the winter. Summer humidity seldom gets below 50% and often is much higher.

The cold and snow is not so bad if you can play in it and don't have to work in it.
 
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I spent a few years with the sprint racers in the north but never the long distance guys. I have lots of pics of the dogs sproinging up in the air, ready to go, go, go, go!

Thank god for ear plugs!!
 
MzMolly, the Fur Rondy international sprint races were going this weekend, but I didn't make it out to see them. The sprint dogs always amaze me not just for how fast they run, but also how short their hair typically is compared to the endurance dogs. They look like they'd be cold until you see their speed and realize their potential for overheating! Anyway, all of these dogs (and their mushers) are super amazing athletes -- I am in awe!
 
Beautiful dogs! They're so impressive. It must be great fun to volunteer for the race.
 
Dennis' post is exactly why the sprint racers often have short coats .. in the past they crossed with the speed breeds like Greyhounds. I've seen everything from bird dog to lab .. they don't care as long as it's fast. I think they like a mix of husky, collie and hound but now that the breed is more stable they are starting to take on a look all their own.

Not to hijack the thread but have to give Dennis a shout out .. I had Greyhounds for many years and founded a rescue group in the north. 68 dogs through my house in a three year period .. whew! www.ncgl.ca

Here's my guys, Buddy was the first rescue .. a wild lurcher pup that had been badly abused. (the black and white) and then Stirling, an American Staghound that could not be rehomed because he was too deadly and most people didn't take him seriously enough and Viking Sail .. a retired old man who came to me at 11 years of age after spending 4 years out behind the barn of the racetrack all by himself. He was my absolute darling. All my good pics of my dogs and the sled dogs racing are in storage for the time being *sighs*

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Thank you :) She was my service dog, passed away unexpectedly December 20th. I've been grieving and put that picture as my avatar and my facebook profile.
 
Thank you :) She was my service dog, passed away unexpectedly December 20th. I've been grieving and put that picture as my avatar and my facebook profile.


Lin, you have my condolences. It's so difficult to lose a friend, helper, and family member all at once.
 
So lucky to have had your friend and helper, Lin. It's awfully hard when they go.

I told Cara that one of my dogs has racing/sledding dogs from Polar Speed on both sides of the family. She has a bad knee but pulls like a bull, but she is a mixed breed and not one you'd see in front of a sled. My other girl, the gray one, can pull on a leash but not like the white one. I went dog sledding while in Colorado and the drive of those dogs is unbelievable. They are so eager to run, it's just jaw-dropping.

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beautiful!!! I used to watch Iditarod on tv. it's amazing how much drive those dogs have!
 
she is a mixed breed and not one you'd see in front of a sled

It's funny you say this because all the racing sled dogs I met are mix breed. Some people race their purebred Siberian huskies because they're wanting points or scores toward a "title" but they race in a separate class and never against the other sled dogs.
 
I know they mainly are mixes. My understanding of Polar Speed is they breed for just that- speed, endurance, stamina and they don't care so much what they look like. Gemma, my white one, would not make a good sled dog because she is an impatient dog and not the best listener, which I think is from her mix since all her siblings are similar. I also think her size might not make her such a great puller. From the looks of it, there is a certain balance between size and strength- it seems like most dogs I've seen are mid-sized. I haven't seen things like Cara has though, being in Alaska. I know I was mightily impressed by the dogs desire to go go go. They were all hopping around like they were hot coals when they were parked. They just wanted to run!
 
Oh Lin, how awful! I'm so sorry! I just put my 17 y.o. cat down 2 weeks ago, but I knew it was coming. It is hard enough to lose them that way, even more so when you it takes you by surprise. I hope your heart is on the mend and a new animal is in your life.

Kudos to those of you who have adopted or fostered "retired" greyhounds. It is tragic how some of those racers have been treated. The world is better with people like you.

I want to clarify that I would never support Iditarod or mushing in general if I wasn't 100% sure those dogs are extremely well loved and cared for. I am so glad that it is not money driven. Sled dogs are a way of life much much more than a sport. I myself am a cat person and could never lead that life, but I do admire the intense bonds and teamwork it requires to be successful. There is no way around that in the extreme arctic environment.

MzMolly, you're right about sled dogs being mixed; there is no purebred, and the "Alaskan husky" is a mutt that is selectively bred but not recognized by AKC. But I'm not sure that is what newbie was getting at. Also, while it is not common to see Siberians in Iditarod and other races up here, it does occur and there are no special points or recognition for it. It might be different in Alaska since there are no "classes," in the sled dog races here, just distances. I think there are actually 3 Siberian teams registered for Iditarod this year, more than I've ever seen. Slow, steady and strong!

Ya'll have posted some fine looking dogs here. Now here was my one and only dog, my best pal for 13 years. Been gone since 2009. Esa!

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For those who have had that special bond:

At Rainbow Bridge

By the edge of a wood, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
when their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,
is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
for here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,
until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met:
together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
the time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,
has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
and then, side by side,
they cross over . . . together.
 
LOVE this thread! The Iditarod has inspired me for a long time. And we are on our second pair of adopted couch potatoes- I mean greyhounds. We also have a shepherd/rottweiler mix. One of the 2 girls snuggles with me on the couch every evening. The boy greyhound is his daddy's boy and won't get on the couch.
 
Tessa was actually a rescue, all my dogs up to now have been rescues. But its very rare to find a rescue that can be a service dog, most dogs don't have what it takes. I was working with trainers with my dog Emma hoping she would be my next service dog, but she washed out. So she'll just help me at home until I get my next one. I wish I had already taught her all the tasks Tessa did, but of course I didn't expect this to happen, thought I had years still. So due to the progression of my disability, the risk of washout and the fact I can't give up the dog after they've washed out lol (family member still!) I'll be going with a breeder dog from an organization next. I have 2 options I'm currently looking at, its super hard to find reputable organizations (everyone that has a webpage does not produce reputable dogs, I'm also active in service dog advocacy and I know many organizations that were forced to close and sued due to dangerous dogs, and many who are still operating pumping out dangerous dogs (in some cases I actually mean aggressive, in most cases its dangerous due to not performing what they're being relied on to perform) SO, anyway, because I demand to stick to GSDs, I currently have 2 options that I know of which is to go through a very small but reputable organization that places mobility GSDs at no cost (don't know their current wait list, can be stuff like 6 months to 3 years), or fundraise (through the parent charity to the advocacy group I'm in) to purchase a GSD pup from a breeder (which brings the risk of another wash out) and have it trained by an organization where I'm friends with the head trainer (who is a GSD person/trainer) but they currently only have labs. So my total fundraise cost for 2 years for training plus pup comes to 8-9k (which is very reasonable, even cheap) and probably a 3 year wait between fundraising and training. Cross your fingers the small group doesn't have a huge wait list and accepts me, haha. I'd rather go that way period due to not having to deal with the washout possibility and the lack of fundraising. I'm crap at that, I tried when my dog Logan was in the ICU for a week and cost 4k by the end.... I think I made like 50 bucks in donations, and that was too low for the donation site to even collect and send me the money.

Insert soap related part.... I believe May is the awareness month for my genetic disorder. Due to it being rare, its considered a 'medical zebra' so I was thinking about making a bunch of zebra striped soap (idea from the elephant soap!) to sell to start my fundraising. I could make informational cards to go on the soap, so people with the condition can buy them for themselves, and also buy them to give to people to raise awareness.

So, here's Tessa, RIP.

Raring to work
 
Emma



Logan, RIP


Sorry for the novel, and so many pictures! Once you're looking at them all its so hard to choose ;)
 

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