This will be my last Sunday entry for a while, so here is the second and last group of dogs for this part of the expedition. All of the dogs have been great this season. It’s really interesting to watch them having fun pulling the sleds. These are working dogs and enjoy getting out on the trail. They have learned how to deal with long sled trips by eating snow along the way when they need water. Often you will see a dogs move to the side of the trail and reach down with their mouth or just their tongue to get some snow. They have to do this without losing their speed, which would slow down the whole team. They also have to go to the bathroom while they are moving! They get pretty good at it without missing a step!
Zora is a very confident lead dog. She would never get you lost.
Daphne is a good dog but can be a bit of a troublemaker!
Zora is one of the best lead dogs in the yard. She has a calm and friendly manner that is nice to be around, but she takes charge when she is leading on the trail. She listens to instructions and is great about not getting lost of taking the wrong trail. Daphne is the sister of Taxi. Daphne is right on the verge of being a troublemaker. She was another dog that would not let anyone catch her to put her back on her chain. She ran around in the yard for a couple of months! While Mike and Corine were away during the winter Daphne figured she really didn’t have to listen to anybody else. She didn’t cause any real problems, but would sleep in some of the other dog’s houses and just let everybody know that she wasn’t chained up. Then there is Blondie. Blondie is a shy and pretty quiet dog. She likes attention but doesn’t push herself on anybody for it. Blondie has a bit of Pit Bull in her and is a very good sled dog.
Blondie is a good strong dog in the team. She is very sweet.
Then there are the new puppies. They don’t really have names yet because nothing has stuck on them yet. The puppies are going through their training as sled dogs, even being only 5 months old! They have going for runs with the teams for more than a month now. They are not harnessed into the team but they run along side of the team. Lot of the times when the runs get too long for them Corine will put them in the sled and let them ride. By next season they should be able to take up a harness and begin training as part of a team. I think they will do well.
The puppies are going to be good sled dogs in the next couple of seasons.
One of my favorites they season is turning out to be Thing. I’m not sure yet how he got his name, but he has a very distinct look about him. At first you think he is a crazy wild dog that you shouldn’t get near. He is pretty active and loud and a bit on the nervous side at times. But then you realize that he us just trying to get you to pet him and give him some attention. He loves it! He will even push up against you once you start rubbing him. He’s different and another great team dog.
Thing is just looking for attention and love!
I will talk with you all tomorrow!!!