Shantidog, I think you are a fool and a trouble maker whose only purpose in coming to this site is to try (unsucessfully) to stir things up and get attention. You are a waste of time and energy and have no clue just who we are and what we stand for.
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Shantidog, I think you are a fool and a trouble maker whose only purpose in coming to this site is to try (unsucessfully) to stir things up and get attention. You are a waste of time and energy and have no clue just who we are and what we stand for.
The Iditorod started many years ago as an emergency serum run to save peoples lives. I look forward every year watching the race unfold on the internet. What I understand there are check points where veterinaries check each dog over. There are rest periods for the dogs, where they have to stop. The mushers take care of their dogs needs before all else. The dogs wear boots on their feet to protect them while racing. They sleep in straw & are feed a high protein warm meals. If I could be a husky dog I would bark my head off & run like mad. But I am a darn old human.:(
Please do your research before you post here.....if you have not got the correct information do not even bother to air your viewpopints. do Your reading, and take off your blinders. First of all not all the dogs wear booties....They do not always stop for the requiered check poiints...or take the mandatory rest periods. It is not run like the original run...where there were relay teams...these dogs are forced to run the entire trip, and a a much faster spped!! DUH! NOT ALL THE DOGS ARE SIBERIAN HUSKIES...WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR INFORMATION? SOME OF THEM ARE MIXED BREEDS, AND SOME OF THEM ARE JUST POOR MUTTS1 i HAVE SEEN THEM...HAVE YOU? AND YES A DOG WILL NOT RUN ANYMORE EVEN IF IT IS WHIPPED....BECAUSE IT IS DEAD....PLEASE READ THE LINK AND THEN RESPOND......
It's not the Iditarod's fault if they don't stop at the required checkpoints. That's against the clearly stated rules. If they don't stop, they are disqualified. Big whoop for them. I doubt people actually decide to go against the rules and lose on a bunch of cash and fun.
If you read MY post, I stated not all of the dogs were sibes. I said "Alaskan huskies, Siberian huskies, etc." I saw on TV that most of the dogs aren't Sibes, but Alaskan huskies. Other people mentioned other breeds as well...
How do you know the only dogs that get whipped are the dead ones? Seems a little bit pointless...Not to mention whips aren't legal and are not used...Also, a person would be stupid not to rest their dogs. An unrested dog WON'T run. If a dog doesn't want to run, it won't run. ESECIALLY a Northern breed. Maybe you've seen Northern breeds, but if you had any experience with them you'd know how difficult it can be to get them to listen to you. If they don't want to, they won't do it. They are bred to run -- but they are also bred to be smart about running.
You keep saying you've SEEN it. So, you actually did the Itidarod? You watched every single person do it? And every single person used whips...every single person had their dogs die...Every person abused their dogs...they didn't feed them or rest them. Not to say I've run it either...But I've heard a great deal from people who have...People who are very good to their dogs. If I had a good team of dogs -- I would sure as heck run the Iditarod. I guess that means I'd have to whip them, shock them, scream at them...Pass right by the checkpoints just so that my dogs don't get veterinary care (out of spite, you know)...I wouldn't rest them and just throw their dead bodies aside when they are through with...Because that's what everyone does right? :rolleyes: Or I could follow the rules so that I'm not disqualified and actually have a CHANCE of winning. Give my dogs care...rest when they've had enough...And urge them on with shouts of excitement and nothing else.
OMG. Shantiedog, just let this thread rest!! You have been proven wrong, you've gotten some attention for your "cause" (although my GAWD your attention would SO much better be spent helping the REAL abused and neglected dogs dying in shelters everysingleday!!), so please get on with your life :)
Lets get into the race & the people. My favorite Mushers are Aliy Zirkle & Dee Dee Jonrowe. These ladies are my heros. They are great examples of two ladies that give it there all & take the best care of there dogs huskeys, muttskeys whatever. You can read about the 2005 race on Iditrod.com. It is a great site & it covers the trail they all took, pictures of them feeding their dogs. ;)" Mush on my friends of the North" :p
One question, when did this race start, and when does it end? :confused: LOL! I don't see anything wrong with it, but shantidog, you seem to be trying to cause trouble and conflict here.
In 1925 in Nome, Alaska there was a diptheria epidemic. They could not fly the serum in by plane because of a blizzard & the Bering Sea was frozen. The Alaska Railroad rushed the serum to Nenana. From there Native Alaskans with their dogs, huskies, malamutes, mutt crosses from the lower 48, & wolves & wolve crosses, you name it, there were 20 some mushers in this RELAY for life,they raced 700 miles & it took approximately 6 days to get to Nome with the serum. They went over a mail & supply trail in a -60 degree blizzard with high winds. Dogs were used to hail gold out of Nome, along with mail etc. Dogs were a life line to the survival of humans in this harsh environment. They were a major part of the Alaskan economy & life of its people.
Today the Iditrod starts in Anchorage & there are two routes the northern & southern. They average from 1,112 miles to 1,161 miles. They start with an average of 16 in a team. :)
The team of 16 is dogs. This year they had 70 some human entries with their sled dog teams. ;)
I find it amazing that a person who has seen a few sled dog races is suddenly an expert and knows how everyone in the sport treats their dogs.
You mushers out there, I can comiserate. I'm a racing greyhound owner and the stupidity and wretched ignorance I deal with on a daily basis is appalling. Nobody gets into these labor-intensive sports because they hate or want to abuse animals. Nobody stays up 'til all hours of the night helping a bitch whelp pups for the "glory" of winning or the "money." I haven't made a dime, but I'm madly, madly in love with my dogs, this breed and this sport.
Most Anti-Racing "experts" have never been to a track, seen a kennel or been on a farm. They are nothing more than internet busybodies who read web sites created by other ignorant internet busybodies. The furor created these past few days by an outfit that knew nothing of the circumstances of the Plainfield closing alarmed thousands of people for no reason. They didn't have a single one of their facts right.
My guess is that the AI (anti-Iditarod) activists know as little as AR (anti-racing) activists.
A Dalmatian has to run 12.5 miles for a Road Dog title and 25 for a RDexelence, so it this too abuse? and from one of the posts on the 1st or 2nd page, PLEASE don't compare dog fighting with dog sledding:(
i smell a troll... a close minded troll.
I own a retired racing greyhound and a puppy who is on the farm right now waiting to go to training. She'll be racing in a year or so and you can bet yer hiney I'll be backing her all the way :)
Funny that both jcsperson and I should come over and have a 'looksee' here :)
He's much more eloquent than I.. so with that said... Shanti, you're an idiot. A typical know-nothing nobody with nothing to do with their time but spew vitriolic hatred... over an INTERNET MESSAGEBOARD!
Anyone wanna take some action that this guy/chick is full of it?
:eek: This is quite a thread! I don't think I've ever seen things get so heated. Being the proud, loving, concerned owner of three beautiful Siberians (IMO one of the most wonderful breeds on this planet) all I can say is: MUSH ON!
You truly cannot make one of these dogs do anything they don't want to because they choose whether or not to listen to you (famous husky selective hearing). You can actually see them thinking it over! And they're truly happiest when they're on the move.
As many have pointed out, there are far more dogs that suffer cruelty at the hands of their "owners" right in their own backyards.
(just had to add my 2 cents in)
AMEN!Quote:
Originally posted by cyber-sibes
:eek: This is quite a thread! I don't think I've ever seen things get so heated. Being the proud, loving, concerned owner of three beautiful Siberians (IMO one of the most wonderful breeds on this planet) all I can say is: MUSH ON!
You truly cannot make one of these dogs do anything they don't want to because they choose whether or not to listen to you (famous husky selective hearing). You can actually see them thinking it over! And they're truly happiest when they're on the move.
As many have pointed out, there are far more dogs that suffer cruelty at the hands of their "owners" right in their own backyards.
(just had to add my 2 cents in)
I live in Anchorage, Alaska. I support the Iditarod and the mushers. Are there cruel mushers? Yes, just as there are cruel people everywhere. But the majority of us are good people. The cruel people always get payback at some point.
Last year we had an incident where an animal rights group "freed" some sled dogs. It was one of the cruelest things I've ever seen. A musher had brought his dogs into Anchorage. They were bedded down in their truck all warm and cozy. This group "freed" them into downtown Anchorage traffic!! Luckily none of them were hit by cars and locals helped round up the poor, frightened dogs.
If that's this groups idea of kindness, I don't know what to say.