Interviews
Under Construction - January 9, 2006 - I will be adding many more interviews to this page within the next few weeks, so please check back!
I would like to thank all mentors who have taken the time to send completed interviews for our newsletters and website. I have listed them in alphabetical order. Just click on a name to go to their interview. Thank you all.
Lynzie Bacchus - June '06
Name: Lynzie Bacchus
Kennel Name: L.K. Race Team
Location:
Occupation: Working at Menards
Web Site:
http://www.kennel2005.tripod.com
Clubs/Organizations: M.U.S.H.
The Lifestyle
How did you get started? I got started in mushing when I rode on the back of another musher's sled with their dog at the 100 hundred yard dash in
How old were you? 8 years old
What has been your biggest challenge? Training the dogs to be the best they can be.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? The result of the dogs' training.
How many dogs do you have? 29
Why did you choose this/these breed(s)? To me the Alaskan Husky is the easiest, most reliable breed to work with. I find that they are willing to work and have a strong head to drive hard and fast.
Training
Can you describe your training program? In the summer we do a
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? There are some dogs that are just born great dogs and some dogs are molded into great dogs with time and hard work.
At what age do you start training puppies? My pups are started in training as soon as they can walk. I always have pups out with me walking, playing with toys and coming when called. I usually harness break them at 4 months old.
Do you have any training secrets? Yeah, persistence and hard work.
Racing
How many races do you compete in each season? Which ones? I usually try to go every weekend starting from Jan-March. I do sprint racing and usually race mush and GLSDA races.
What is your routine on race days? I get up between 2 and 3 hours before the races start, to drop all the dogs and offer them water. Then I take each one on a 20ft tracking lead for a walk of about 10-20mins. This way, they relieve themselves early on, and don't do it on the trail. I do the same thing the next day. After all the races, the dogs are fed and then they are dropped again and walked- this time a little bit longer so that they don't build up lactic acid and become stiff.
Do you have any advice for a Jr. mushers first race? Have fun. If you can't have fun racing dogs you need to quit.
Off-Season
What do you do with your dogs to keep them in shape in the warmer months? We do a lot of short runs in the morning keeping the mileage low. During this time, I work on leader training.
Have you ever participated in other dog sports, besides mushing? I do agility and obedience with some of my dogs.
‘Tails’
Do you have any favorite dog books? Winter Dance [Gary Paulsen] is very good. Other than that I just like to read dog books!
Can you tell us about a couple of your most memorable experiences behind a dog team? I have a very special dog and any one that knows me knows Wilo, My famous lead dog. While I was on the Jr. Iditarod trail on the way home my team wanted to quit on me. They were very tired. I stopped to rest them a few minutes and then I said all right and they wouldn't budge except Wilo. She got up and dragged the rest of the 8 dog team to their feet and got them going. She was only a yearling. There has been many times on the trail when Wilo has done something before I asked her. Scary at times but magical.
Do you have any favorite dogs? Wilo and Summitt are my buddies but I have many favorite dogs and they all have a special place in my heart. No matter the dogs faults I feel that it was my wrong doing in letting them learn that behavior and not teaching them something more constructive. I hold nothing against them. They are all perfect.
Bryan Bearss - July '06
Name: Bryan Bearss
Kennel Name: Bundtzen Burner and
Location:
Occupation: Tour guide, Substitute teacher, Full time dog handler
Web Site:
http://www.mtaonline.net/~bearss
Clubs/Organizations: Chugiak Dog Mushers Association, Iditarod Official Finishers Club
Sponsors: See website.
The Lifestyle
How did you get started? How old were you? I got started when I was a sophomore at
What has been your greatest accomplishment? My team finished in 1st place in my first 300 mile race (Don Bowers 300) two years ago, and 37th in this years Iditarod, but what I'm most proud of is the humanitarian award and sportsmanship award at the Kobuk 440 this year.
How many dogs do you have? Personally only 2, but the kennels I work for approximately 48.
Training
Can you describe your training program? Time intensive. I cannot emphasize enough to spend lots of time getting to know your dogs and letting them get to know you.
For actual training, I slowly build up (5-10% per week) in the fall trying to hit 60-80 mile runs just before Christmas. I mix in sprints with the long runs and let the dogs energy levels partially determine how far we go.
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? Genetics help, but time and training can make or break a dog.
At what age do you start training puppies? Socializing shortly after birth is the biggest thing we focus on for puppies. 6-8 weeks start taking walks, 5-6 months short runs in harness.
Do you have any training secrets? If I told you they wouldn't be secrets!!! Stay positive. Keep a positive attitude, and train with positive reinforcement.
Racing
How many races do you compete in each season? Which ones? Our kennel may participate in up to 6 races during the season.
What is your routine on race days? Low key, focused. I like things very calm and planned out. Prior to race day everything is laid out.
Do you have any advice for a Jr. musher’s first race? Have fun. The races I've tried to compete in I've finished terribly, the ones I tried to have fun in I did really well (or won!).
Off-Season
What do you do with your dogs to keep them in shape in the warmer months? Typically nothing, other than free runs in the yard, socializing. If I didn't have to make money in the off season I'd be swimming them 4-5 days a week.
‘Tails’
Do you have any favorite dog books? For pleasure reading, one author: Gary Paulson. For learning, Joe Runyan’s Guide to Distance Mushing.
Can you tell us about a couple of your most memorable experiences behind a dog team? Iditarod 2006. I have trouble narrowing t down beyond that. I started the race with a smile and the smile kept growing the farther I went.
Do you have any favorite dogs? My little leader WSU (pronounced Wazoo, short for Washington State University) was given to me from Jeff King my first summer working with him. She had blossomed from the runt to my little superstar who even gives me high fives at the end of long runs. She was my main leader at age 2 when we won the Don Bowers 300, and lead me across the finish of the Iditarod this year.
Anna Borovich - July '06
Name: Anna Borovich
Location: Bloomfield Hills, Mi
Occupation: Loan Officer
Website: www.colbysflyingleap.com
Clubs/Organizations: Ultimate Air Dogs, Dock Dogs, Super Retriever Series, Purina Incredible Dog Challenge
Sponsors: Wellness Dog Food,
Please introduce yourself. My name is Anna Borovich I am a 24 year old Michigan State University Graduate in Human Physiology with a Minor is Exercise Physiology.
The Lifestyle
Which dog sport(s) do you participate in? I participate in Dock Diving (jumping) and Extreme Vertical.
How did you get started? How old were you? I was 22 when I started to compete in this sport. I was in
What has been your biggest challenge? Our biggest challenge is trying to combine travel time with a full time job, which doesn't always go over well with my employer.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? Colby is the 2005 National Champion for Dock Dogs Extreme Vertical and the World Record Holder for Super V in the Super Retriever Series 7'4".
Have you ever participated in other dog sports? Colby participate in Disc Dogs and Agility.
How many dogs do you have? 3
Homer- Rott/Coonhound Mix 5 years
Colby - Lab/Doberman Mix 4 years
Brie- Labrador (black) 2 years
Why did you choose this/these breed(s)? I choose labs because of their high toy drive and their love of water.
Training
Can you describe your training program? Colby and Brie do several things for training. A typical day consists of about 1 hour on the dock doing short runs/jumps. Then dryland work such as hurdles and endurance.
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? I think that good dogs are saved!! Go Rescues!
At what age do you start training puppies? 8 week introduction to water and swimming and then 6 months start the introduction to the dock.
Do you have any training secrets?
Racing
Do you compete? Yes, every weekend.
If so, how many races or trials do you participate in each season? Which ones? We compete about 20 weeks a year.
How do you decide which to go to? I go to the televised events first and then in order of which ones are the closest.
What is your routine on event days? Wake up at 6 and feed the dogs then leave for the event about 2 hours prior to the scheduled jump time.
Do you have any advice for a young person's first competition? It is all about the dogs. If you love your dog you will have a great time no matter how well your dog does.
Ray & Lorna Coppinger - July '06
Name: Ray and Lorna Coppinger
Occupation: writers (Ray and Lorna), lecturer (Ray)
Clubs/Organizations: American Society of Mammalogists, Animal Behaviour Society, International Society for Anthrozoology, Wolf Park (Board of Directors), Society of the Sigma Xi, and Wolf Research Project at the Gesellschaft zum Schutz der Wolfe in Germany.
Books You Have Authored: The World of Sled Dogs (Lorna), Fishing Dogs (Ray), and Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution (Ray and Lorna)
Accomplishments: I (Lorna) won an award from the Dog Writers Association of American for Best Technical Book, in 1977, for The World of Sled Dogs. Ray won the Chevron Conservation Award in 1990 for "outstanding contribution to the conservation of our natural resources" (had to do with the livestock guarding dog project. We've both published dozens of technical articles about our research with dogs.
Introduction
Can you tell us about yourself? Hello from Ray and Lorna Coppinger, married since 1958 (!) and still living happily ever after in rural
Ray became a professor at
What inspired the writing of your books? The reason we wrote our books, The World of Sled Dogs (Lorna), Fishing Dogs (Ray), and Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution (both of us), was because we wanted to share the experiences we had with others who are interested in dogs. We also thought we could explain the history and behavior of working dogs in a new way, from the perspective of professional biologists who had owned and worked with literally hundreds of individual dogs.
Have you always had dogs? We both had dogs as we grew up, mixed-breeds, and their only job was to be our companions. When Lorna graduated from
We began working professionally with dogs during graduate school, as Ray acquired sled dogs and began to train them and himself. Lorna’s interest in racing extended to taking photographs at the races and writing articles and eventually a book about the sport.
Can you tell about a few of your philosophies? Our main philosophy about dogs is that a good dog can’t be a bad color. Look at the dog and what it can do, not the color. Right now our house dog is a Jack Russell Terrier, a very laid-back little guy (yes, he is a laid-back, gentle terrier) who really belongs to our grandchildren but he lives with us. And, he is brown.
The Lifestyle
What has been your biggest challenge? Dogs and their behavior have been challenges for us all our lives. There’s no end in sight! We get what we think is an answer and then we discover the answer is really a question. What we’ve learned is that the more attention you pay to detail, the more successful you’ll be when working with dogs. The more you question the common wisdom and look for yourself, the more you will see and learn.
Training
Can you describe your training program? The racing season in New England goes from early January to mid-March. Ray would begin taking the dogs out for short conditioning runs as soon as the temperature in the morning was cool enough for the dogs – no higher than 60 degrees F. Sled dogs thrive in cold climates because they are excellent at retaining heat. But, as you might expect, they are terrible at radiating heat. Anyone’s training schedule has to consider this or else the dogs are at risk.
The other important part of Ray’s training program was not to over-train the dogs, not to put a new dog or a young one in with a faster team. Every dog has to be brought up to its potential gradually. The good dogs, the ones that could make the team, would show their ability if they were handled properly. It is easy to turn a dog ‘sour’ if it is asked to do more than it can. Ray would select the dogs with the best running form. He would place two dogs side-by-side in the team that were gaited alike so they wouldn’t be jerking the tow line back and forth as they ran.
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? Good dogs are both born and made. A future prize dog needs the genetics that give it the shape and personality to excel. It also needs to be raised and trained correctly. Nature and nurture are entwined with the dog’s individual environment. It is impossible to give any of these credit above any other in the making of a good working adult.
At what age do you start training puppies? Raising puppies for any sport depends on what the dog will be asked to do as an adult. Retriever pups need to be exposed to gun shots, herding pups need to have livestock in their environment, and sled dog pups need to be able to enjoy running with other dogs. In all cases, though, pups need to be handled and encouraged in non-threatening ways. Life needs to be fun.
Races
How many races do you compete in each season? Which ones? During his racing years, from 1964 through 1973, Ray would compete in all the New England Sled Dog Club races, 10 or 12 per season. It’s a tough schedule: load the dog truck and the family (we had two children by then) and drive off to a race anywhere from 50 to 150 miles away. Race his unlimited team on Saturday and Sunday, and our daughter would race a five-dog team, and then drive all the way home late on Sunday. Unload, feed and water, back to work on Monday, rest the dogs Monday and Tuesday, take training runs on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and then back into the truck for the weekend. The routine on racing days would be as close to non-racing days as possible, with the training runs scheduled to take place at the same time of day as the races.
Do you have any advice for a Jr. handler’s first trial or race? Our daughter, a junior handler, had learned from her dad and also from her own talents as a dog driver, to keep the dogs focused while in harness and to make it fun for them. She was relaxed around them and happy, and that attitude seemed to translate to the dogs.
Off-Season
What do you do with your dogs to keep them in shape year-round? Off-season, the dogs got to relax under the pines, hitched to their individual cement dog houses. They could dig out the dirt from underneath and make delightfully cool and bug-free caves. They could see each other and touch noses with their nearest neighbors. They would get together in the evening and sing us a sled dog symphony, complete with a high-pitched string section, loud trumpets and clarinets in the middle, and some bass rumbles and staccato percussion. They always ended simultaneously, as though the conductor’s baton had come down.
What dog sports have you participated in? We have also worked with retrievers. Our son raised several litters of Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and trained a half dozen of them to participate in working dog trials and workshops. His best earned their W.D. and W.D.X. certificates. Again, the secret to training was to make it fun and not to ask too much of the pup.
Ray also trained a few border collies to herd sheep, not for trials but to be able to move our small flock of sheep around. He was less successful with the one-on-one training necessary with the collies than with the sled dogs. This might be because Ray is tall and has an intimidating voice when addressing a misbehaving dog. He is well aware of this, and lost interest in training collies even faster than they did.
In Kenya, Africa, a few years ago, some villagers took Ray on a genet hunt with their hunting dogs. He has also been monkey-hunting on the island of St Kitts, fox hunting in Scotland with foxhounds, and watched lurchers gallop over the moors after rabbits. These adventures are related in our book, Dogs, published by Scribner in 2001.
‘Tails’
Do you have any favorite dog books? Our favorite dog book has to be the one we wrote, Dogs. It has more detail about what motivates a dog’s behavior and why certain dogs look the way they do, than any other book we have seen.
Do you have any favorite dogs?
Ray’s favorite dog was Perro, a rangy border collie who came to us because chased cars in town. Ray thought he might make a good sled dog. Perro certainly did, and in fact became Ray’s champion lead dog for many years. Unlike the independently-minded huskies, Perro’s border collie instincts responded faithfully to the commands. His speed and responsiveness led Ray’s team to many first-place finishes in New England. His loyalty and endurance after three days running in the World Championship in Laconia, New Hampshire, when he could barely make the finish line but kept the dog team coming, brought cheers from the crowd and tears to Ray’s eyes.
Lorna’s favorite dog was Tinker, a goof-off Chessie who thought Frisbees were ducks in disguise. She would climb staircases in mid-air to get high enough to bring one down. She would run full tilt after a Frisbee heading for a high dirt bank and then time her catch so that she could twist in mid-air and land against the bank on her shoulder, rolling to absorb the shock. She never learned that she wasn’t a puppy anymore and so could not sit in Lorna’s lap.
Melanie Desotelle - July '06
Name: Melanie Desotelle
Kennel Name: There and Back Again
Location:
Occupation: College student and Veterinary Technician in training
Clubs/Organizations:
Please introduce yourself. I've been racing sled dogs since 1999. I started recreational mushing a few years before that. Currently, I'm attending college at University Wisconsin La Crosse and working at La Crosse Veterinary Clinic.
The Lifestyle
Which dog sport(s) do you participate in? My dogs and I compete in 4-dog sprint races.
How did you get started? How old were you? When I was 12 years old, I got my first dog from the local animal shelter. I knew I wanted to train him to pull, so I started bikejoring. There wasn't as much information on the internet when I started (this was before sled dog central), so I was basically on my own. Luckily, I met some really great dog people who helped me out a few years later.
What has been your biggest challenge? My biggest challenge has been balancing school, work, and training. It can get very challenging during racing season because I have to travel so much for races.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? What I feel to be my biggest accomplishment is to maintain a fairly competitive team with a small kennel.
Have you ever participated in other dog sports? When I was in 4-H, I was involved in the dog project. I competed in obedience and showmanship, but was never very competitive.
Training
Can you describe your training program? Training begins as soon as it is cool enough. For me, that is often somewhere in mid-October. Usually I can get a few bikejor runs in late September, but I can't start consistent training until later. I am extremely cautious about running dogs in warm weather. A hard driving dog can over-heat very easily, especially early in training, and this will affect a dog for the rest of his/her life.
I usually start off training just over 1 mile, keeping the speed down to avoid injuries. This can be hard, because it's so fun going fast, but it's not worth injuring a dog.
Last year, most of my training was done on a bike. I enjoy bikejoring more than 4-wheeler training, and it allows me to train leaders. However, there is less control than with a 4-wheeler, and there are definitely times when a 4-wheeler is a very valuable tool.
As temperatures cool, I increase the miles. Since I compete in the 4 dog class, my goal is to train up to 6 miles by the end of December. I have very limited trails where I live, so even getting up to this mileage is challenging.
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? I believe the most competitive sled dogs are born. They have so many more advantages genetically to succeed (conformation, natural endurance, drive). However, very good sled dogs can be trained, so long as they have the drive to do it.
At what age do you start training puppies? Each dog develops differently, so it really depends on the maturity of the litter. I harness broke last years pups when they were about 5 months old because they seemed ready. Because I have such a small kennel and the racing dogs are on a tight training schedule, the pups didn't get to run much their first year. It's really important to keep runs fun when they are pups.
Do you have any training secrets? For my team, they have been most successful when they've been conditioned to run farther than the distance they race. There are no shortcuts where training is concerned.
Racing
Do you compete? Yes.
If so, how many races or trials do you participate in each season? Which ones? My goal is to compete in as many races as I can before the snow runs out. Usually I travel every weekend from December thru the first or second week in March. I compete in races in
How do you decide which to go to? Usually the weather decides which race I compete in; I go wherever the snow is. Sometimes that means driving 12 hours or more. It's fun traveling to new places and meeting old friends and making new ones, but it's also nice to be home before 10:00 on Sunday night. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen much for me.
What is your routine on event days? Race preparations usually begin on the Friday before the race. I like to feed 24 hours before the race, but the dogs eat better at home, so usually I feed at home before I leave. I water the dogs either on the road or after I arrive at the hotel, depending on the drive. I feel it's really important to develop a good dropping schedule to avoid accidents in the box.
The last drop is at 10:00 pm and the first drop is at 6:00 am. If I'm competing in the afternoon, I give baited water in the morning and 3 hours before the competition.
About 20-30 minutes before my chute time, I drop the dogs and walk them to make sure they poop before the run. Then it's just timing to make sure I don't hook up too soon so that they wear themselves out before the race. I usually get ready too early though.
Do you have any advice for a young person's first competition? If you can, meet with an experienced musher before your first race. They can give you tips about feeding and dropping schedules (everyone does it differently). Try to handle for an experienced musher at a race or two. You can pick up a lot of things following a person around. Most experienced mushers would be happy to give you a hand at your first race (as long as they're not running the same class as you), and they can advise you on how to time things. There are so many little things, like where to get race bibs and timing sheets. It's so helpful to have a mentor there so you don't get frustrated.
‘Tails’
Can you tell us about a couple of your most memorable experiences working with dogs? One of my best experiences working dogs was driving to
Do you have any favorite dogs? As I tell my dogs, they are all my favorite. But I love when a dog surprises you. I have a dog in my kennel who is very shy. His name is Gully, and he has always been hard driving but he wouldn't lead. Every year, I'd try him in lead, and he would just lie down. But last year, I tried him again, and he was fantastic. He's now my main race leader, and it just goes to show that you need to be patient with some dogs.
Linda Frederickson - July '06
Name: Linda Frederickson
Kennel Name: Points Unknown
Location:
Occupation: Owner Points Unknown; Dog Based Adventures, Owner of Blue
Shadow Enterprises a Real Estate Appraisal/Investment business, Part
Owner of Ames Farm(Beeswax Candle Maker among other things)
Web Site:
http://www.points-unknown.com and http://www.amesfarm.com
Sponsors: None – Freight Mushers don’t need sponsors.
The Lifestyle
How did you get started? How old were you? I have had a dog all my life and got into dogs in the early 1990s then began training dogs. In 2000 I married into sled dogs and began my own freight dogs/adventure trip team. I was 31 when I got into sled dogs.
What has been your biggest challenge? Being with the dogs more and working less. Also, the aggression that is in the Inuit Dog breed can be quite a challenge.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? My greatest mushing accomplishment is that my dogs are happy, healthy and have very full lives. I am also quite proud of a trip that I did to Lake Nipigon north of
How many dogs do you own? I have 12 sled dogs and 3 house dogs. My husband has 10 sled dogs at a different location to keep the noise in our area down.
Why did you choose this/these breed(s)? The Inuit dogs are the original dogs used by the Inuit people for polar bear and seal hunting. They are built to pull heavy loads for long periods of time. They are the ORIGINAL sled dog. Tradition is important to me and having traditional dogs supports that value. I chose the Freight Alaskans to compliment the Inuit Dogs. The big Alaskans also like to go slower and pull heavy loads.
Training
Can you describe your training program? In the Fall we begin training with a four wheeled cart in teams of 5-6. We begin with 3 miles runs for the first couple of weeks to get them warmed up slowly for the season. We then ramp up to 6, 12 and higher gradually over the Fall months so that by the beginning of winter we are ready to do some high mileage trips and pull heavy loads. Training must be done slowly, at 5mph whether you are a racer or a freight musher. This way you have a chance to make sure each does his/her job of pulling while you monitor the progress of each. Going slowly you can also catch any bad habits that are developing and nip them in the bud before they become a big problem. Since I am a freight musher, speed doesn't matter to me. While racers may be increasing their speed slowly as the season moves along, I am increasing weight.
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? I think that any dog can be a lead dog and that any dog can be a good sled dog. If they aren’t, it’s the owner’s fault not the dog’s. Granted, some dogs are born with more aptitude for certain things than others. With others you have to work just a little harder to help them reach their full potential.
At what age do you start training puppies? You can teach a puppy to sit and stay at 6 weeks old. I think that from the minute they’re born you are teaching them things. You are teaching them to trust you and be social with people right away. There are endless things a puppy can be taught. As far as pulling – I really want to take it slow because puppies don’t fully develop until they are a year old. I would never ask a dog under the age of one to pull more than a few miles with very little weight behind them. If they are under 6 months then I will not let them pull at all.
Do you have any training secrets? Be kind and be patient. Remember that if the dog isn’t doing what you have asked them to then you haven’t successfully taught them the command OR they are confused.
Racing
How many races do you compete in each season? Which ones? I don’t race. I am an adventure trip musher.
Off-Season
What do you do with your dogs to keep them in shape in the warmer months? Let them run free with plenty of water around for them. A 65 gallon stock tank comes in handy because they will wade right in when they are too hot.
Have you ever participated in other dog sports, besides mushing? Agility, obedience class, canicross hiking, skijoring, herding.
'Tails'
Do you have any favorite dog books? I have many. I tend to like the dog books about adventure – people living in the bush and running dog teams.
Can you tell us about a couple of your most memorable experiences behind a dog team? As a musher, I always seem to remember the treacherous moments the most because they scare me to death at the time and when the moment is over it has made a very strong imprint on me. I learn what NOT to do again or what TO do IF it happens again.
I am heading towards the portion of the run we so affectionately call “THE ROCKS”. I stop to wrap a long piece of rope around one runner to help slow me down. I’m all set. Rope around runner. Drag pad in place. Heavy duty steel brake ready and waiting. We begin the decent. Down the rocks we go. But wait. There’s a problem. The next thing I know the sled is on its side and I am hanging on to the brake bar, sliding down the rocks, behind the sled, on my stomach. After much struggle, I finally have righted the sled but as soon as I thought all was well, I find myself on my stomach again, skiing down the rocks AND my drag pad is caught up in my heavy duty steel brake and I can’t even lean on the brake with my elbow to try and slow us down. The dogs can’t hear all of the commotion and they really don’t seem to care that they can’t see me and there is a strange looking object chasing the sled, which would be me. All they want to do is run. And run pretty darn fast for a bunch of freight dogs who must pretend they like to go slow because they sure aren’t now.
So I know that at the bottom of “THE ROCKS” which is possibly 400 more feet, there is a “T” in the trail and I had planned on taking a left. So I am yelling to Zulu, who, keep in mind, can’t see me and wonders what the heck is going on by know. I am saying, “Haw! Haw! Zulu, Haw!!!” “Well”, he his thinking, “I guess she is still with us, I don’t know where but I can tell she’s in trouble.” So we get down to the bottom of the hill and just about to the “T”, and remember, I had originally decided to go left so I again, shout “HAW!” as I am cruising behind the sled on my stomach, hanging on for dear life. (Because the first rule of dog mushing is NEVER LOSE YOUR TEAM.). Zulu takes a quick right at the “T”. “What?!” I say to myself. “Zulu is disobeying me?!” I set aside the fact that I now had arms that are at least several inches longer than they once were from being dragged and the fact that I had large amounts of snow packed in my hood and around my head, to discuss with myself how upset I was that I had just been dissed by my ever so sweet and usually obedient leader. I knew I said “Haw” and I believe I said it at least 25 times. (After a while, it become “blah, blah, blah, blah” to my infamous leader) Well, the second I ended the dialogue with myself, the sled got caught up on a tree like is does EVERY time we take a right in this section. Perfect! I now have time to get up, untangle my brake pad and plant myself firmly on the back of the runners, not even remembering the anger I had seconds earlier knowing that Zulu had just disobeyed me. Disobeyed me? He did indeed but that wonderfully intuitive leader of mine KNEW that I was in trouble and he KNEW that every time we take a right the sled gets caught up in a tree. So, that is why he disobeyed me because the second I got myself untangled, he looked back at me as if to say, “You alright know, mom?” and took an immediate left or the original HAW I had asked of him and didn’t even skip a beat. Talk about the bond between dog and (wo)man….
Do you have any favorite dogs? It’s hard to call a favorite. They are all favorites for different reasons – I can’t just list one or two.
Sky, Copper, Blue, Zulu, Sweet Pea, Klaus, Tuloon, Phoenix, Adja, Amaruq, Ilu, Icoa, Tukisi, Isis and Bingo.
Don Herr - July '06
Name: Don Herr
Kennel Name: AtLastAr Kennels
Location:
Occupation: Ultra High Temperature Fusion Specialist..(welder:))
Clubs/Organizations: Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club, Colorado Mountain Mushers, ISDRA, Park Co. Sheriff's Office
Sponsors: Bighorn Veterinarian Service, Pro Signs, Me
Please introduce yourself. My name is Don Herr. I'm 59 yrs. old and have been mushing for 20 yrs.
The Lifestyle
Which dog sport(s) do you participate in? Sled Dog Racing.....6 dog sprint class
How did you get started? How old were you? I was 39 and someone gave me a 6 mo. old female Siberian Husky. I obedience trained her and decided to see if she would pull a sled just for fun. I was lucky enough to be a neighbor of Terri Newberg, who had been racing several years before that and final won an ISDRA Bronze medal in the 4 dog class in '91.
What has been your biggest challenge? It’s all been a challenge. Just learning from everyone and then applying that to my situation.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? From the time I switched from the 3/4 dog class to the 6 dog class, I've been at least in the top 3-6 dog purebred teams in both of the western state clubs I belong to.
Have you ever participated in other dog sports? Not really. I love racing and the competition too much.
How many dogs do you have? Currently I have 13 dogs. 12 Siberian Huskies and 1 German Shepherd Narcotics Detection K9.
Why did you choose this/these breed(s)? I was given a 6 mo. old female Siberian and found her to be so smart and loyal that I wanted to stay with the breed and promote it and try to improve its abilities.
Training
Can you describe your training program? Most mushers out here start training the first of September. In the mountains it is generally cool enough to start with short runs. I use an ATV and hook up all my runnable dogs which is about 9 this year. I let them pull the ATV dead weight for several weekends only helping them on the hills. (We have 'hills' out here in the
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? I believe good dogs are born. All you can do is help a dog with conditioning and training to bring out its full potential. But it has to start with the 'want to' to run and work.
At what age do you start training puppies? I've hooked up puppies to a small board at 4 months.. Just to get them use to something behind them. I start harder training at 6 mos. and even had my best leader leading at 6 mos.
Do you have any training secrets? The biggest 'secret' I can pass on to any musher is to listen to EVERYONE. Get all the training techniques you can from anyone and everyone and then sort it all out and use the parts that work best with your dogs and situation. No 'one' method works for everyone but different pieces and parts combined sometimes works well for many.
Racing
Do you compete? Yes, in the 6 dog Purebred Sprint class.
If so, how many races or trials do you participate in each season? Which ones? There are about 6-8 races here in
How do you decide which to go to? I try to go to all the races in
What is your routine on event days? I get up at around 6am and drop the dogs, unless I'm very close to the race site in which case I will just drive to the site and get my spot and drop them there. I will water them with baited water and give them all they want. Then put them up. Then I will get my sled and equipment out and start hooking everything up. I will drop the dogs about an hour later and then put them up again. They will usually stay in the boxes until about 30 minutes before my class starts. I'll then get them all down again for a few minutes then put the non racers back up and start harnessing the team. After the race, I will water them, unharness everyone and get the rest out of the truck. I'll let everyone hang out for a while as I unhook the sled and put things away. Then they go back up.
Do you have any advice for a young person's first competition? The best advice I can give a young person is to HAVE FUN!! But, learn the rules of the trail, know how to handle your dogs and equipment on snow. There is a big difference trying to untangle someone with only a snow hook holding your sled than a 600 lb. ATV.. Pay attention to the racers around you. Don't race in a tunnel, meaning watch behind you. Generally a musher coming up behind you will tell you if he wants you to stop or not and which side his dogs pass on. If you can, go talk to faster racers who will start behind you BEFORE the race and let them know you will watch for them. If someone comes up behind you, try to keep your sled over to the side of the trail as far as possible and ONLY drag a foot to slow them. Wait until the leaders of the passing team are PAST your sled before hitting your brake but only use the brake if it appears difficult for the passing team to pull away. NEVER HIT YOUR BRAKE BEFORE THE LEADERS ARE PAST YOUR SLED!! Unless the passing driver INSISTS that you stop... Then stop right there. Some people worry about their first race but if you are aware of things around you and know the rules, everything will go smooth and you will have fun and gain some respect from the experienced racers.
‘Tails’
Can you tell us about a couple of your most memorable experiences working with dogs? Every time I work with my dogs is memorable. Each year they seem to all change in some way and require different training methods.
Do you have any favorite dogs? Of course my first dog, Kelli, is a favorite. She was a red Siberian and very smart. But all my dogs are favorites and special each in their own ways. They are also all family members... They might stay outside in their kennels but each has its own personality...