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...
GB Jones - July '06
Name: GB Jones
Kennel Name: Iditarod Trail Kennel
Location: Mile .5 On the Iditarod Trail in
Occupation: Dog Driver
Website: http://www.IditarodMusher.com
Books Authored: Winning the Iditarod, the GB Jones Story
Can you tell us about yourself? Greetings from the historic Iditarod Trail in
The Lifestyle
How many races do you compete in each season? Which ones? I participate in the annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race each year, and it is primarily a yearlong preparation for that race.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? My greatest accomplishment in doing this long race is in finishing it! I completed the race in 2002 and 2004 and will do so again in 2007.
How many dogs are in your kennel? My kennel consists of twenty working dogs, and two pet dogs, one of which went to
Training
Can you describe your training program? In the summer when temperatures permit it, I have the dogs pull me on an old beat up 4-wheeler, and as the temperatures get cooler in the fall, the distance will increase. When the trail freezes and the snow comes, I switch from the 4-wheeler to a training sled. Gradually we increase the distance throughout the winter.
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? I believe that good dogs are a product of their environment. With love, patience, repetition and re-enforcement you can produce a good natured and well disciplined running dog. There is no need to go out and buy a dog. Go to your local animal shelter and rescue a dog, look in the classifieds, consult other mushers. Again, there is no need to buy a dog! I would hope that all mushers are responsible kennel owners, and get their females spayed, unless they intend to specifically increase their kennel size. Unfortunately, puppy mills do occur in the mushing world, and I sincerely hope my fellow mushers will not contribute to this unethical practice which leads to the killing of thousands of un-wanted dogs.
Racing
Why do you run the Iditarod? I do not compete in the Iditarod race to reach the city of
Happy Trails Forever!
-GB Jones
Cliff Maxfield - July '06
Name: Cliff Maxfield
Kennel Name: Pawtuckaway
Location:
Occupation: Tree Farmer/dog Musher
Clubs/Organizations: Past member of Wisconsin Trailblazers; Presently a member of North Star Sled Dog Club
Sponsors: Bork Tree Farms, PKC Dog Food, Log Cabin Store and Eatery
Which dog sport(s) do you participate in? We are mainly recreational and offer rides and tours [dogsledding]. Any given season we may have four or five hundred Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, church groups and school groups visit our kennel and participate in our program.
How did you get started? How old were you? I got my first ride with a real dog when I was seven. I was hooked. At age ten I got my first real sled dog and best friend. YUP a border collie named Tip. He not only pulled a sled but was credited with pulling a blind girl out of the path of an automobile. He became a legend in our neighborhood.
When I graduated out of college I got my first Siberian and then her litter became my "team".
Life took a turn and I got away from dogs for many years then in 1991 my daughter brought home a Siberian. That was pretty much the beginning again. We moved up north and started our kennel in ernest.
The Lifestyle
What has been your biggest challenge? Probably my biggest personal challenge was surviving open heart surgery. I know that may seem odd but the outcome meant continuing our kennel or not. I'm recovering fine but it was a very scary ordeal.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? Just taking good care of our dogs, making yearly improvements on our kennel and learning to be a better Musher and hopefully a better human being.
Have you ever participated in other dog sports? No, not really. I use to have beagles and did some rabbit hunting.
How many dogs do you have? We have forty two. Four are Siberians the rest are Alaskans.
Training
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? I believe good dogs are born. I also believe most dogs are good dogs.
At what age do you start training puppies? Nine months or older.
Do you have any training secrets? I guess my biggest secret is I use a gas powered golf cart rather than an ATV like a lot of mushers.
Racing
Do you compete? No not really. I've been in the John Beargrease race a couple of times but strictly for fun. I believe having dogs in races is good for them even if they aren't competitive. I think they enjoy all the stuff going on.
How do you decide which to go to? The Beargrease Race is close to us. The start is in
What is your routine on event days? Try to focus on the dogs and have fun.
Do you have any advice for a young person's first competition?
Absolutely. Enjoy it. Don't worry about winning. I've always said there are no losers in a sled dog race. Note I said sled dog race. I hate the term dogsled racing. The dogs are doing the running.
‘Tails’
Can you tell us about a couple of your most memorable experiences working with dogs? I love seeing wildlife on the trail. We see a lot of deer, rabbits, fox, coyote, and even the occasional timber wolf not to mention all the grouse, eagles, and other birds. Seeing three timber wolves is probably our most exciting experience.
Do you have any favorite dogs? There are so many but the two loves are Sparky, Ghost, Boo, and Rain. Sparky and Ghost have left me now. They await the day I will escort them across the rainbow bridge. In there lifetime we traveled thousands of fun miles together. I will be honored when that day comes and we cross the bridge together once again.
Boo is my little clown leader, Rain is the serious type. Then Vicki and Sweetie are my little speed machines but a lot of fun and the other two favorites. The fact is I love all forty two.
Donald McCaig - July '06
Name: Donald McCaig
Location:
Farm Name: Yucatec Farm
Books You Have Authored: Nop's Trials, Nop's Hope, and Eminent Dogs, Dangerous Men. A Useful Dog will be out next spring.
Can you tell us about yourself? The first thing to remember is that every expert was once a novice. The second thing is there's nothing new under the sun. Stockmen have been breeding and training stockdogs for at least three hundred years before clickers and shock collars were invented. Nobody sensible uses either training stockdogs.
The Lifestyle
Why participate in herding? How can someone get started? There are two reasons to get involved in stockwork: you want to have fun with your dog; or you want to work livestock. If the former, many dog breeds will more or less chase sheep and most can be trained to stop on command. There are hundreds of instructors offering "herding" lessons and any number of events sponsored by the American Herding Breed Assn, the Australian Shepherd Club of America and the AKC. Find them on the web. You'll have fun, your dog will have fun and you'll probably learn a thing or two. Next, you'll want an instructor. Traditional sheep and cattle trials are listed at www.USBCHA.Com. Attend a trial, and talk to the handlers. Most are willing to help novices and many give lessons and clinics.
What is the best breed to work with? If you actually want to work livestock, your choices are narrower. You'll want a Border Collie, McNab or Kelpie. There are a few working Australian Shepherds but you have to know where to find them.
Training
Can tell us about the training involved? Training and handling a stockdog is very easy and very difficult – easy because the dog is bred for the work and will, if you don't mess him up, do the work in a rough and ready fashion. What's difficult is that third species: the sheep, cattle, hogs or poultry you're working. If you can't read sheep, you won't get far with the best sheepdog in the world.
Trialing
When is a dog ready to trial? The scots say, a sheepdog is ready to trial when it has as many years under it as legs. They also say it takes ten years to make a handler. Half true - it took me that long. But as you get better you and your dog will have tremendous challenging fun in beautiful country locations, among some of the most dog savvy people on the planet. It's a friendly country culture and everybody wants you and your dog to succeed.
Do you have any advice for a Jr. handler? And sometimes young people - those with horse or livestock backgrounds - abbreviate the learning curve. Derek Fisher ran in the top twenty at the National Finals Sheepdog Trials and Haley Howard competed at the World Trial in
Good luck, stay calm, have fun with your dog.TopCarmen Rasmussen - July '06
Name: Carmen Rasmussen
Kennel Name: Momentum Kennels
Location:
Occupation: Owner, Alpine Outfitters
Web Site: www.alpineoutfitters.net
Clubs/Organizations: member of Cascade Sled Dog Club
Sponsors: just myself :)
The Lifestyle
How did you get started? How old were you? I started in sled dogs in 1999, so I was 33. I got a siberian husky, connected with some sledding folks in the area and learned from them. Then, I started by buying some good Alaskan Huskies and racing sprint races locally.
What has been your biggest challenge? I live in the city, so my kennel license is only for 10 dogs - I've had to choose dogs wisely, knowing that I don't have room for all the dogs I might want.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? Racing wise - I won the Pacific Northwest Championship in 4 dog Sprint. Other-wise I think I've introduced alot of folks to the sport through Alpine Outfitters, and that makes me feel good.
How many dogs do you own? 6 right now
Why did you choose this/these breed(s)? Best breed for sprint racing
Training
Can you describe your training program? I start in late Aug-early Sept, try to run 3-4 days a week, alternating heavier cart training and faster scooter training. We race in October-February and pretty much stop for the season in March, except for some fun scooter running over the spring.
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? 80% born, 20% made
At what age do you start training puppies? 9 months
Do you have any training secrets? Have high expectations and be positive. Be quiet, dogs hate it if you talk to them non-stop while you are running.
Racing
How many races do you compete in each season? Which ones? Probably 2-4, it depends on our schedule which ones we choose to run.
What is your routine on race days? Water early, water again 2-3 hours before the race, feed after the race. Hang with friends :)
Do you have any advice for a Jr. musher’s first race? Have fun and enjoy it instead of stressing about the competition side of it. There is plenty of time to worry about competing, just take it all in, enjoy that this is your FIRST RACE and try to capture all of it in your memory, since you will cherish the memory.
Off-Season
What do you do with your dogs to keep them in shape in the warmer months? Nothing :) - I believe dogs need time off to heal any possible underlying soft tissue aches and pains. I think racing dogs need time off without any mental stress that comes from competitive training and racing. We take them on walks or hikes or a scooter run maybe, but usually they are totally off work from May-July.
Have you ever participated in other dog sports, besides mushing? No - before dogs I rode horses, did stadium jumping, dressage, etc.
’Tails’
Do you have any favorite dog books? Winterdance [Gary Paulsen]
Can you tell us about a couple of your most memorable experiences behind a dog team? 1. Going off the trail (all but my wheel dogs and me) and over an embankment to chase a suicidal squirrel. 2. Following a couple of bald eagles down a trail in
Do you have any favorite dogs? Pebbles, my first real lead dog - a truly amazing dog. Noel, the leader I have now that I've had since she was a puppy and we've gone through everything together.
Tammi Rego - July '06
Name: Tammi Rego
Kennel Name: Running Swift Kennel
Location:
Occupation: High School Teacher
Website: www.geocities.com/runningswiftkennel/
Blog: http://runningswiftkennel.blogspot.com
Clubs/Organizations: TRDMA, ADMA,
Sponsors: None at this time, but always open to Sponsorship for our 2008 Yukon Quest
Please introduce yourself.
My husband and I have been running sled dogs for over 10 years. We started with Siberian Huskies, moved into Alaskan Huskies and now run a mix of Hounds and Huskies. We run mainly mid distance races but my husband plans to race in the Yukon Quest in 2008. We have two sons, ages 7 yrs and 1 yr. Our oldest son races in the 2 dog class and has been racing since the age of 3. We have a kennel of about 30 racing sled dogs right now.
The Lifestyle
Which dog sport(s) do you participate in? Mid distance and sprints just for fun now and again [dogsledding]
How did you get started? How old were you? My husband and I were stationed in
What has been your biggest challenge? Getting enough training on the dogs prior to racing. We both work full time, so it’s really hard to train. As a result, our dogs start off strong, but then fade farther into races. Additionally, I am a disabled veteran and have difficulties with my back. This caused problems for me this last season in the 06 Quest 300 and the 06 Chatanika Challenge 200.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? Surviving the 06 Quest 300.
Have you ever participated in other dog sports? I used to show my Siberians for fun.
How many dogs do you have? We have about 30 sled dogs and about 6 pets.
Why did you choose this/these breed(s)? Hounds have an incredible drive and desire to please. They bond really well with their musher. Alaskans have a better coat though.
Training
Can you describe your training program? We begin fall training sometime in August, when the weather cools enough to begin training. We start off with 3 mile runs on the ATV 2-3 times a week. After about 10 runs at a distance, we up the mileage by 1-3 mile increments. We look for the dogs to come in strong for at least 2-4 consecutive runs before we increase mileage. The goal is to be up to 20 milers by October, 30-40 milers by November and then begin 50 milers in December and start the first of the mid distance races (100 milers). At that point, we vary the distances and runs for the rest of the season, trying to get in some fast runs where we concentrate on speed, and then some slower, hilly runs to work on muscles. Ideally, the dogs would be running 2-3 days on, 1-2 days off by October/November.
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? This is a tricky question. I feel it’s a bit of both. Most dogs can be trained to run, but if they don’t have the physical characteristics to run, say a 4 hour 50-60 mile run, that isn’t something the dog should be asked to do. I feel that most dogs can be good dogs with the proper training, food, conditioning, care and development.
At what age do you start training puppies? We like to wait until our pups are about 6-8 months old before we put them in a team and don’t usually race a dog until they are at least 1 ½ years old, if not 2 years old. However, we do start them pulling a little toboggan or piece of wood around when they’re about 4 months old. This gets them used to the idea of something behind them, and let’s them get used to the harness.
Do you have any training secrets? Not really.
Racing
Do you compete? Yes.
If so, how many races do you participate in each season? Which ones? Usually 3-6 races, sometimes more if we’re running some sprints or fun runs. We race the Two Rivers Tune up, the Solstice 100, ADMA races, the Quest 300, the Chatanika 200 and the Valley Funale.
How do you decide which to go to? Time, distance, money and training on the dogs.
What is your routine on race days? We get our gear/sled, etc. all packed and ready to go the night before. We get up in the morning and water right away. Then we have some breakfast, get ready, load the sleds/gear, load the kids, the dogs, then head to the race. We drop the dogs ASAP upon arrival and get the sled/gangline and harnesses out. We snack the dogs and offer them water about 1 hour before the race, harness/booty about 30 minutes prior, then hook up at the 5-10 minute mark, depending on number of dogs racing.
Do you have any advice for a Jr. musher's first race? Have an experienced musher around to assist, preferably use experienced Junior dogs who know the course and are good with kids, relax, and have fun. And you should definitely have a run or two BEFORE attempting a race. Also make sure you are familiar with race/club rules and expectations. Be friendly, courteous and remember that EVERYONE out there racing was in your shoes at one point.
‘Tails’
Can you tell us about a couple of your most memorable experiences working with dogs? I started off training leaders with a bike. I spent all summer working with my main girl, Stika and she did ok on the bike, but was goofy with a team. However, the very first time I got to use a sled, I had a 3 dog team with my self-trained leader, Stika running single lead. And she did GREAT! It was an awesome feeling to know that I trained her and there we were out on a sled in the snow. Another time was on the Quest 300 right after the start. My dogs were flying, passing teams really well. It was warm, and we were running on the
Do you have any favorite dogs? Stika was my first sled dog. She was a Siberian Husky and was the first leader I’d trained. We had a lot of fun times over the 12 years I had her. She passed away in Nov. 05, but she was with me, in my arms, knowing how much I loved her. I’ll never forget her. Another great dog was Mars. We got him later in his life at 12, as he’d run an Iditarod with Doug Swingley, then a couple more with the Galleas before coming to us in his retirement. He was an Alaskan Husky who was a fantastic Gee/Haw Leader! While Stika was ok in lead, Mars was awesome hands-down. He gave us what we called “Power Steering”. He lived to be 16 years old when he developed cancer. Now, I have several dogs who I really love, but each have their own traits that make them special to me. I have stories about each and every one of them, as I’m sure most mushers have with their own teams. Running sled dogs creates such a bond between dog and human…there’s really no way to describe it. Talk to another musher, and there’s no need to even try to explain. They just get that look in their eye, maybe nod their head, and say, “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
Sebastian Schnuelle - July '06
Name: Sebastian Schnuelle
Kennel Name: Blue Kennels
Location:
Occupation: Tour Operator, Musher
Web Site: www.bluekennels.de, www.dogsleddingtheyukonquest.com
Sponsors: friends and family
The Lifestyle
How did you get started? How old were you? I never had much to do with dogs while living in
What has been your biggest challenge? I really cannot pinpoint any particular scene. I have challenged myself the last 2 years with running the Yukon Quest and Iditarod back to back. Both races had lots of ups and downs. In each one of them I had thoughts of scratching at some point or other, but kept on going anyhow.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? Although my 6th place finish in the Yukon Quest looks better in number than my 35th place in the Iditarod, the Iditarod finish was a bigger accomplishment, as my team did not look very well at the beginning of the race and it took me a lot of massaging and babying them, to get the team to Nome. Towards the last third of the race, the team came back together nice and I had some very enjoyable runs.
How many dogs do you own?
119 right now. Just got 6 pups from Lainy and Gas 3 weeks ago.
Why did you choose this/these breed(s)? I like their character. I totally fell in love with that breed. They are incredible athletes, so eager to please and mentally tough. I like their social behavior, a lot of my dogs are loose, I loose train them behind the ATV a lot, they come in my cabin, sometimes 20 or more at a time. This was the first breed of Sled Dogs I was exposed to, and it went from there.
Training
Can you describe your training program? I run the dogs all year round. In the summer they do cart rides 5 days per week, about 8 miles per day. Than at the end of September I give them 2 weeks off, do some loose running to stretch them out an start training in October with a few shorter 15 mile runs but go up to 30 miles on the ATV pretty quick. I try to be on snow by end of November to do the first 50 milers and than first races like the Sheep Mountain 150 by middle of December From then on the main training runs are the races, like
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? Both are somewhat true. Physically good dogs are born. Mentally good dogs are made. But no matter how hard and good you train, you can never overcome a dogs physical limitations. So a good breed is essential, to make the hard work of training worthwhile. I have worked with a lot of Rescue Dogs from the Shelter. I like running them, but I am also very much aware that they often have physical limitations. The mental issues, being shy, or picky eaters, those things can be easily overcome with training and positive experiences.
At what age do you start training puppies? In harness anywhere from 8 to 15 month. It depends on the litter but also my time commitments. If I have a summer litter, I try to harness break them by February or March and than run them on a cart the following summer. Usually as yearlings I like to put them in a puppy team in smaller races.
Do you have any training secrets?
Not that I am aware off. I am known for having very calm dogs at hook up. I like that a lot, other people might think that is lack of enthusiasm in the team. I think screaming and lunging is a waste of energy. The way I achieve the calmness is with allowing the dogs to be loose a lot.
Racing
How many races do you compete in each season? Which ones?
I try to do as many preparation mid distance races as I can in December and January,
What is your routine on race days? Before the races I try to spend as much time with the dogs as I can. If possible I stay at a place where I can loose drop all dogs before the race and see them move. I drop my dogs on the truck usually very late before the start, just in time to get booties on and take off. I do not want to have them all wound up, but that is because all of my races are longer ones. I have never run any sprints, but I think I would do things different than. On the trail in the long runs, I used to snack them every 2 hrs. I have gone away from that and run them for 6hrs straight with no snacks and just feed them 2 good meals in a 6hrs stop at a checkpoint. Seems to work for my dogs, as once again I had fat dogs by the end of the Quest this year.
Do you have any advice for a Jr. musher’s first race? Just enjoy yourself. Try not to be competitive and just see how racing works. If you are getting all stressed out, the dogs can feel it. Make it fun for yourself and the dogs, with no pressure of how well you want to do. Doing well will come in time.
Off-Season
What do you do with your dogs to keep them in shape in the warmer months? I run them 5 days a week on carts pulling tourists, 1.6 miles per day, 5 times a day, about 5 times per week. Other than that I turn them loose a lot.
Have you ever participated in other dog sports, besides mushing? I tried skijoring once, with my first dog Blue. I am a very lousy skier, so I spend more time dragging though the snow than standing upright, so I abandoned that idea.
‘Tails’
Do you have any favorite dog books? I just finished reading "Running with Champions " from Lisa Frederic, where she describes getting into sled dogs and her first Iditarod. Very well written and very inspirational.
Can you tell us about a couple of your most memorable experiences behind a dog team? I had some great moments in this year’s Iditarod. When leaving Unalakleet on the coast to Shaktoolik, that is usually a very windy stretch. Rick Casillo, Hans Gatt, and myself traveled together. The moon was going down over the
I also enjoyed running on the
This year the Yukon Quest finished in
Do you have any favorite dogs? Chevy is the second pup of my first litter ever in 1997. He was an incredibly grumpy dog, did not like nobody, till about a year ago, where he finally decided to let other dogs be nice to him. Since then he is like the grumpy old man, who all for sudden discovered a soft spot.
My all time favorite is Tang. She is the female leader I was given as a pup from Cowboy Larry Smith. She has raced every race with me, never been dropped. Born in 1997 she finished this year’s Iditarod and Yukon Quest with me at 9 years of age. Tang and me are like an old couple. We need no words, we know each other so well, the bond I have to that dog is beyond words.
Skunk is a female dog I just bought. Even though I have not had her very long, we already have a great connection. Maybe she knows that it is time to retire Tang and she will step in her footprints.
Roy Smith June '06
Name: Roy Smith
Kennel Name:
Location:
Occupation: I am self employed small business owner, I produce and sell Bio Diesel (an environmentally friendly alternative to diesel fuel)
Web Site:
http://www.freewebs.com/adirondackkennel
Clubs/Organizations: I belong to the Quebec Sled Dog Club, New England Sled Dog Club, Downeast SDC, and Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club. I also a member of the National Off Road Bicycle Association (NORBA).
Sponsors: My sponsors are Outlaw Sleds and Heather Emanual, Physicians Assistant.
The Lifestyle
How did you get started? How old were you? I didn’t pick up the 'habit' until well into my adulthood. I first got interested in sled dogs from my moms boyfriend (my dad died when I was 14) who has been involved with sled dog racing since the early 1970's. It was 1991 or 1992 I believe. But I went right to racing the following year.
What has been your biggest challenge? My biggest challenge has been in trying to produce an Unlimited Class Sprint team to be competitive (top 5)
What has been your greatest accomplishment? Accomplishments probably two ISDRA Silver Medals, but I feel that other accomplishments I enjoy most are many top 3 finishes across the
Have you ever participated in other dog sports, besides mushing? I have participated in Field Trials with my dad when I was growing up. He raised German Shorthaired Pointers and took them all over for Field Trials which I enjoyed going to.
How many dogs do you have? I currently have 28 adult dogs and one litter of pups in my kennel, but this almost always fluctuates between 30 and 40 total dogs.
Why did you choose this/these breed(s)? I researched what was dominating the Sled dog Racing scene in Sprint Classes and it was the hound, so I slowly started integrating this breed into my yard. I am currently attempting to find homes for all my Alaskans in the yard (with exception of a select few) and have a yard of hounds.
Training
Can you describe your training program? My training is Year Round. If I have pups in Spring, they will get introduced to my 'system' starting at 2 Months old. System includes loose dropping, listening to ME with minor distractions, not running away and NO fighting, loose dropping, going places and having say 16 dogs loose is a MUST for me.
All year the dogs stay 'limber' or loose by free exercising/playing in a 2 acre fenced in yard, as well as going to the trails and free running or following me on a bicycle or ATV, going for rides. There is rarely a dog not with me while I go places in the car, all dogs come inside and spend 2 days off the tethers and spend the night.SO, I believe these practices ARE part of 'training' dogs.
Anyway, my harness training begins in Mid September, SLOW runs for a couple weeks. I'm talking 12-13mph usually. I won’t even go faster than that if I could. Running around in the yard keeps them loose. I slowly start incorporating some speed work (sprints) into the team by end of September. My training routine can be broken down into 3 categories or phases. First is endurance/muscle building where we go very slow and easy, rests are common. Second phase could be categorized as Pacing with some speed work. Third Phase concentrates on getting the most out of the dogs as possible, sustainable speed work, ordinarily last week of November through 3rd week of December, before tapering off for last two weeks before racing.
This is just a summary of my routine, of course things such as weather, truck problems, etc, etc, can have an impact on training sometimes.
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? I believe a good sled dog is BORN and that it’s in their genetics, but I also believe ONCE the groundwork has been laid that leaders CAN be MADE, most definitely. In terms of an adult dog not doing what you had expected, well maybe those won’t make sled dogs. There always seems to be one or two out of 20 that just don’t want to be sled dogs no matter how hard you try and you can NOT MAKE a dog do it if they don’t WANT to.
At what age do you start training puppies? As mentioned briefly, I start 'training' pups at 2-3 Months old. I start Harness breaking at 7 months. I don’t go over 4 miles until the dog is over a year old. AND with the hounds, the dog will not fully mature until 3 or 4 years old. Very different than Alaskans or Huskies.
Do you have any training secrets? I have no training secrets, although there can always be things one does that is unexplained or unseen to onlookers that may be considered part of training I suppose.?
Racing
How many races do you compete in each season? Which ones? Last year (2005-06) was not a very productive year for me in terms of racing. But, ordinarily I try to get to 8-10 races. Mostly in Quebec, New England and a couple in Pennsylvania and New York. I tend not to drive more than 10 hours to a dog race.
What is your routine on race days? My race routine is like many others. BUT, basically I like to do many drops with half being loose drops and I believe in lots of watering before hand (not at ONCE, however) and afterwards as well. I think I will give you an example that may show my routine better:
Leave for race in Quebec (10 hour drive) at 7am on Friday. I feed dogs at 5am. for the day. Drop dogs at 9am, 11am, 2pm and 5pm. I now go get my hotel room and get situated with that. I immediately drop and water around 5-6pm. I like to shoot for before 6pm. This is always baited water. I never offer dogs plain water unless they haven’t drank or are picky (not many). I then drop again at 8pm and 11pm. Go to bed. Wake at 6am, drop and water with a good amount 1+ quarts for the bigger dogs and 1 quart for others. Eat Breakfast and 'relax' for a while, drop dogs before heading to the race site. (say 8am). Get race packet, sign in. then get all my stuff out and ready (Harnesses, lines, sled, etc.). Drop dogs again (basically every 2-3 hours drop dogs), water with a very small amount of baited water about 1 hour before they 'go', race at say 12-1pm. Wait for them to cool down (loose drops), Immediately feed them a good meal with some water. Go some place to eat lunch, have a drink, etc., loose drop someplace other than hotel and offer more baited water,go back to hotel, now I have 3 or 4 hours to work with it might be, oh, say 3pm now. Drop dogs at 6 pm and do a good sized Watering again. Note I feed with about 1/2 qrt of water too so they got some water with their meal as well. Basically I start the routine from where I left off at 6pm above. Pretty hectic, you got to stay on schedule to stay 'sane' so you have SOME downtime.
Do you have any advice for a Jr. musher’s first race? Advice for Junior Mushers first race is to relax and Have FUN. Walk around as much as possible to observe and learn from other mushers. Make SURE you find out how many minutes you have after the lst. musher in your class leaves the chute. Don’t get all worked up, relax knowing just how long you have and then take your team up to the line with say 2 minutes to spare. That’s PLENTY of time. Big mistake to just sit in the line of mushers for 5 minutes or longer. It only makes you more nervous and it’s not good for the dogs.
‘Tails’
Can you tell us about a couple of your most memorable experiences behind a dog team? Some of my more memorable experiences behind a team of dogs is when I have 'discovered' 'new' leaders while out on the trail. (Gazer was a wheel dog for 3 seasons. Never wanted ANY part of leading. Then one day, I had problems with sore feet and couldn’t get around that well, had to load 2 dogs. Gazer really was pounding on that line so hard. I said, what the heck, and he’s been one of the best leaders I have ever owned for limited class 4-6 mile runs. He is 6 now.)
Those kinds of things are memorable and I can tell you only maybe 6 times that’s happened. I can tell you exactly which dogs were on those teams. It just sticks out in my memory. They were all so happy at the end of the run, and the discovered leaders seem so proud.
Do you have any favorite dogs? Some of my favorite dogs have passed away, my first great leader "Lewis' I got from Nancy (Seeley) Carbough. He will be missed dearly. He and his sister died at a very young age of tragic accidents, not worth mentioning here. They were Alaskan Huskies.
Ed and Tasha Stielstra - July '06
Name: Ed and Tasha Stielstra
Kennel Name: Nature’s Kennel
Location:
Occupation: kennel owner/tour operator
Website: www.natureskennel.com
Clubs/Organizations: Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race board member, UP 200 Musher Representative, Mush With Pride Member
Sponsors: Bayshore Vet Clinic (
The Lifestyle
Which dog sport(s) do you participate in? Dog racing, dog sled touring operations, and skijoring
How did you get started? How old were you? I got started with my husband in 1996, I was 21 years old.
What has been your biggest challenge? I really didn’t like racing the dogs too much. I liked the kennel chores, taking care of the puppies, raising the adults, and going along on training runs. I really didn’t want to go fast or run big teams so I stayed away from the race circuit. It took me about 6 years to be comfortable enough to enter a mid-distance race.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? Running La Grande Odyssée last year in the French Alps was pretty amazing. The course was extremely challenging both mentally and physically. I have never run dogs in the mountains before so it was a new experience learning how to handle the sled on extremely steep descents and having to run behind the dogs on the steep climbs. I finished 3rd during the second week of racing and 5th overall so I was extremely proud of my dogs. I also finished 1st in the UP 200 this past year, and was thrilled to have won my first race!
Have you ever participated in other dog sports? Yes, I have skijored with many of my dogs and used to enjoy racing them in skijoring races when we lived in
Kennel Program
How many dogs do you have? We own 98 adult dogs and 11 puppies!
Which breed(s) do you work with? We own all Alaskan Huskies.
Why did you choose this/these breed(s)? Since we run in distance and mid-distance races, we chose dogs that were very fast, athletic, and fun to work with!
Training
Can you describe your training program? My training program is to run in the morning on our trails with some of the dogs that are too old to run hooked to a team. I have one dog who is blind and he has to run with a bell collar so that I can find him if he wanders off into the woods! I usually take about 5 dogs with me on the morning run and it’s quite a site to see us hobbling down the trail. The dogs’ training program begins in August when we run with the four wheelers and have them work up in both speed and distance. I use a really low gear at first, run a 16-dog team, and have them pull the four wheeler so that they build muscle. Once we get snow (in early December) then we can switch to the sleds.
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? I believe it is a combination. Many dogs have great potential and we, as trainers, have to help the dogs become the best they can be.
At what age do you start training puppies? I “train” them as soon as they are born. They get held everyday when they are little, go for walks twice a day once they are bigger, and then at 8 months they get to run in a dog team with other trained adults. I do not put the puppies in lead until they are very confident running in the team.
Do you have any training secrets? There are two “rules” that I try to follow at all times when I am working with the dogs: Be Calm. Be Consistent.
Racing
Do you compete? Yes.
If so, how many races do you participate in each season? Which ones? My husband and I share our competitive teams, so between the two of us, we compete in about 4-5 races each season. Those races include: Iditarod, La Grande Odyssée, and the UP 200. Sometimes we also do the John Beargrease and the Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race.
How do you decide which to go to? We often enter multiple teams in one race. Either Ed or I run the “competitive” team made up of only adult dogs, ages three to seven years old. One of us also runs a “B” team made of any of the left over adults and a few two year old dogs. Then we usually have a couple of our handlers run our yearling teams made up of one year olds. The one and two year olds do not “compete” in the race, but rather “run” the race in a very non-competitive manner. We want our young dogs to have the experience running in a race, but not have the pressure of “racing” until they are ready.
What is your routine on race days? We try to keep everything as normal as possible for the dogs (and ourselves). Remember, get a good night’s sleep before the race, and make sure the dogs do too!
Do you have any advice for a Jr. musher's first race? Remember, be calm and be consistent! Never do anything different in a race that you don’t do in training! Find a race that has a junior class, or go to a race to watch before you decide to enter one.
‘Tails’
Can you tell us about a couple of your most memorable experiences working with dogs? My most favorite part of working with dogs is that they are always happy, honest, and will give you everything that they have. Dogs never have a bad day!
Can you tell us about a favorite dog or two? One of my favorite dogs is Vinnie. He is always very calm and cool around the kennel, but when he gets to race day, he is a maniac! We had him up for sale for several years, but no one ever wanted to buy him. In 2004, in the UP 200, I had trouble with some leaders so I put Vinnie in lead. He did fantastic, and we ended up finishing in 4th place. That same year, he ran 930 miles of the Iditarod in lead!! He wasn’t for sale any more. He has always finished every race and is one of my favorite dogs.
Dan Carter
Name: Dan Carter
Kennel Name: JHI Racing
Location:
Occupation: Musher
Website: www.dancarteriditarod.com
Sponsors: Bank of Jackson Hole, Snake River Brewery, Paul's Auto & Diesel,
Please introduce yourself.
My name is Dan Carter. I am 36 years old and have been mushing for ten years.
Which dog sport(s) do you participate in? I participate in dog sled racing events. I specialize in stage and distance racing formats.
How did you get started? How old were you? I started mushing at Gunflint Lodge in northern
What has been your biggest challenge? My biggest challenge was in 2003 when I finished 5th in the International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race in
What has been your greatest accomplishment? My greatest accomplishment was a first place finish in the 2003 Grand Portage Passage Sled Dog Race. It was the last race in a long season and I managed to beat 41 other teams over 120 miles. I finished with all eight dogs.
How many dogs do you have? I work with Frank Teasley who is an Iditarod veteran. Our kennel has 180 dogs. We also offer dog sled tours. We will start this season with about 45 dogs in our racing pool. The dogs who don't make the racing team will go into the tour yard for the rest of the winter. We have several litters of young dogs who will begin their first season as sled dogs.
Which breed(s) do you work with? We run Alaskan Huskies. Much of our breeding is from Ross Sonderson but we also have bloodlines from Ed Iten, Doug Swingley and Keith Ali.
Why did you choose this/these breed(s)? We feel that the Alaskan Husky is best suited to the type of racing we do. They offer both physical and mental toughness as well as speed and endurance.
Can you describe your training program? We start training in the fall using an ATV. We go early in the morning when it is still cool outside. We start with short runs and work on building muscle and conditioning as well as developing manners and obedience. We usually have about 800 training miles on the dogs by January 1st. After basic early season conditioning our training schedule varies depending on what our race schedule is for that year. This year I am focusing on Iditarod. I plan on doing a lot of camping trips with the dogs.
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? I think all dogs are born with a certain potential. It is up to the musher to maximize that dogs potential and bring out the best in them. Ultimately, you have to have the genetics in the breeding, after that, it is up to the musher.
At what age do you start training puppies? It depends on what time of year the puppies are born. We generally start running puppies at six months but we spend a lot of time with them before that working on manners and socializing.
Do you have any training secrets?
Have a goal in mind for each run. If you have a problem, stop and fix it.
Race like you train. Spend lots of time with your dogs. Don't ever think you have it all figured out. Don't forget to have fun.
Do you compete? Yes.
If so, how many races or trials do you participate in each season? Which ones? We have run up to 8 races in a season. I have competed in the International Pedigree Stage Stop Race in
How do you decide which to go to? We always race in the Wyoming Stage Race because it is our home town race. Other than that it really depends on what sounds fun and what the race dates are. We will consider other factors such as purse, if it fits our training plan, what our long term goals are, how far we have to travel, and how well the race is organized.
What is your routine on event days? I work hard to be well prepared. I try and be as relaxed as I can. I don't want my mood or mannerisms to be any different than they are on any other day. The dogs pick up on it. I just do what I always do. Nothing should really be different.
Do you have any advice for a young person's first competition? Don't expect more from your team than they have done in training. Stay relaxed and have fun.
Can you tell us about a couple of your most memorable experiences working with dogs? I was running a young team in a tough race. We were well over 150 miles into it. The sun had just come up and there was a fog rolling on the landscape. I stopped to snack the dogs and check booties. After a few minutes, the whole team started howling in the purple glow of winter dawn. I knew right then that I had a team that would make it to the finish line. A howling dog team is a happy dog team!
Do you have any favorite dogs? One of my favorite dogs name is Lotus. She is no longer in the race team but she still runs in lead on a tour team. The first year I raced, Lotus was my main leader. I often ran her in single lead because she would harass her running partners if she thought they weren't working hard enough. When ever she saw another team in front of her, she would speed up the whole team until she caught and passed the other team. The first year I ran the UP-200 she lead the whole way and we finished a very respectable 4th. When we crossed the finish line I went up and gave her a huge hug. I wiped the tears from my eyes in the fur on her neck so no one would see me crying.
Ed Streeper - July '06
Name: Ed Streeper
Kennel Name: Streeper Kennels
Location: Osage MN
Occupation: Musher
Web Site: www.fastestreeper.com
Clubs/Organizations: Frazee Sled Dog Club, ISDRA member for decades, Founder of OPEN PRO TOUR
Sponsors: Rod Streeper, Trucking-Reddeer,
Please introduce yourself. I have been racing OPEN class and others for 33 consecutive years-- I specialize in OPEN sprint.
The Lifestyle
How did you get started? How old were you? I inherited 4 dogs from a trapper that died - I was 13 when I started.
What has been your biggest challenge? Lack of finances to fund all the expenses that come with having a large kennel.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? Being the first Canadian to win Fur Rondy in
How many dogs do you own? We have around 100 dogs counting puppies and old retired dogs.
Why did you choose this/these breed(s)? Because they have proven to me they can WIN sprint races.
Training
Can you describe your training program? Start in the fall at 4 miles working up to 25 mile training runs. We use 4-wheelers till snow flies.
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? Both.
At what age do you start training puppies? We start running them in pen at 6 weeks, then outside free running till 4-5 months. Put them in harness at 5-6 months going 3-4 miles.
Do you have any training secrets? No--just remind people you have to feed them right to get the best out of them.
Racing
Do you compete? I have competed in more places in
If so, how many races or trials do you participate in each season? We try to hit at least 10 races per winter. Frazee MN-FT Nelson BC-Fairbanks and other
How do you decide which to go to? The ones that have the best competition and most prize money.
What is your routine on event days? Water dogs at 7 am-drop them 2 hrs later and head for race site.
Do you have any advice for a young person's first competition? Don't get too nervous-keep everything the same as practice for the dogs’ sake. Be aware if you are going to get passed.
'Tails'
Do you have any favorite dogs? One time decades ago my brother and I hooked 35 dogs to a small steel sled.
Can you tell us about a favorite dog or two? My all-time favorite was a female leader named LUCY--she put the Streeper name on the world mushing map.
Aliy Zirkle
Name: Aliy Zirkle
Kennel Name: SP Kennel
Location:
Occupation: Dog Musher/Carpenter
Website: www.aliyzirkle.com
Clubs/Organizations: Two Rivers Dog Mushers Association
Sponsors: Eagle Pack Holistic Natural Pet Foods, Horizon Lines
Which dog sport(s) do you participate in? I am a long distance dog musher and race 200, 300 and 1000+ mile dog races. We also have a small tourist operation post race season on the North Slope of Alaska.
How did you get started? How old were you? I was in my early 20's when I moved to a small
What has been your biggest challenge? The biggest challenge is to keep you kennel at a small manageable number and stay competitive. Most mushers fall into the "breeding trap" and produce more dogs then they are comfortable training and caring for. I like to think quality dogs over quantity. Ever dog is an individual with pluses and minuses and I try to work with these aspects.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? I have two. Winning the Yukon Quest in the year 2000 with a fabulous group of tough village dogs and winning the Iditarod Humanitarian Award in the year 2005 with offspring from the winning YQ team.
Have you ever participated in other dog sports? No, but I have participated in horse sports.
How many dogs do you have? We currently have 51.
Which breed(s) and why? We have stuck with the ole stand by of Alaskan Huskies and are happy with their strength, desire, and attitude. They are true working dogs with the physical and mental capabilities to be very competitive athletes. Plus they are a Northern breed and can handle the extreme climate of Interior Alaska.
Can you describe your training program? Our training program is year long with a short "vacation" in the hot summer months.
Do you believe good dogs are born or made? I think that's the question about everything.... is it genes or environment - I believe both. We definitely put our dogs at an advantage from birth by breeding only the finest athletes with fantastic pedigrees and resumes - but training, conditioning and patience go along way as well.
At what age do you start training puppies? Our puppies are trained as soon as they are born. They are trained to be the type of dogs that we want - friendly, happy, responsive dogs. We think puppy training starts young so that the bond with your dogs is from birth. Alaskan Husky learn from both human and dog influence so we do a lot of puppy training in a field near our kennel. We do not harness our puppies until they are 6 to 9 months old.
Do you have any training secrets? Mostly patience... dogs are dogs which is hard to remember sometimes. But also expect a lot from individuals and they will often reach for those expectations.
Do you compete? We race in a variety of distance races through out the season. Both my husband, Allen Moore, and I compete.
If so, how many races do you participate in each season? Which ones? Alaskan/Yukon long distance races.
How do you decide which to go to? We usually have a "winning team" and a younger "learning team". Which races we run depend upon timing, dog numbers and of course human time commitments. In 2006, we had a team in the CB 300, a team in the Kusko 300, a team in the Tustemena 200, a team in the YQ 300 and a team in the Iditarod. There were about 34 dogs involved in this racing season and it was very hectic.
Do you have any advice for a Jr. musher's first race? Enjoy - this is why you trained all season.
Do you have any favorite dogs? Pedro was a very special dog that we just lost a few months ago. He was the Golden Harness winner in the Yukon Quest in the year 2000. He and I were of the same mindset - at times, I thought he could read my mind. He was incredibly tough and there was nothing he didn't think he could do. He enjoyed his life as a sled dog. He raced eight Yukon Quests or Iditarods and finished every race in lead. He was an inside dog at retirement and even had a stuffed animal. He will be with me forever.
