My throw away sled dogs

[Glacier]

We finally have enough snow to safely run a small team up here! So I gave up my Saturday sleep-in and off we went. I took several teams of four out today..the last one included one of my current fosters. This was only Raven's third time in harness. She is a pulling machine.

We left the yard in a cloud of light powdery snow and were pretty much out of control for the first kilometre! Then we hit a nice quick pace, dogs listening, working. It's a beautiful winter day here--clear, not too cold, lots of fresh snow.

We passed a group of cross-country skiers who nicely grabbed their loose dog and kept him out of the way. One of them yelled out "what a nice looking team" That's when it hit me that every one of them was someone else's throw away dog. Preacher and Franklin, who's story many of you know--Preacher was one of the lead dogs today, Franklin was pulling so hard, he probably should have been up front. Pingo--too old for her former musher...Raven, dumped because she had too much energy at six months old (she's 16 months old now and still looking for the right forever home).

This is was one of the best runs we had this year. The dogs came back into the yard after 12 km as strong as when they left and all with big grins!

When I start to wonder why I bother with rescue anymore, I will remember this day and all the fun I had in the snow and sun with my beautiful rescued babies.

[manda99]

Awesome story. Rescuing as you do is truly an amazing thing.

Cheers.

Amanda

[mugsy]

Thanks for all you do. It sounds like they had a great time. I hope you got pictures!! Although the mental picture you painted was beautiful enough. Keep up the good work. Personally, I think that the people are throw away people and the dogs are the keepers.

[Karen]

That sounds like it could be a "local color" piece on your local news station! Of at least the newspaper, with a big picture of all these beuatiful dogs that someone once threw away!

[KYS]

Ditto for me too,

Yours is a wonderful happy story of the outcome
and pleasure of how rescue dogs can
inrich your life.

[Aspen and Misty]

Wow! The joy of rescueing animals! That was really great! I bet your guys did wonderful!

I was wondering? What comands do you use and what do the ymean?
Like Sidewalk- Means get on the sidewallk.

I'm trying to train my dog to rollerbade but I need to figure out what ind of words to use but Right and Left sound to alike.

Thanx for the help!
Ash

[trisha0503]

That's a very nice and inspiring story You're truly an angel!

[lizbud]

I loved your story of the run with your dogs. A picture of their
smiling faces would be nice, but as Mugsy said, the mental pic
of the whole experience is just as wonderful. I thank you for
saving these dogs & I just know they thank you every day of
their lives with you. Great story.

[Glacier]

Originally posted by Aspen and Misty
Wow! The joy of rescueing animals! That was really great! I bet your guys did wonderful!

I was wondering? What comands do you use and what do the ymean?
Like Sidewalk- Means get on the sidewallk.

I'm trying to train my dog to rollerbade but I need to figure out what ind of words to use but Right and Left sound to alike.

Thanx for the help!
Ash

Well, there are no sidewalks around here, but I do use "in the ditch" Occasionally I have to run beside a road--a quiet one, but still a road.

For right, I use "GEE" and left is "HAW" I always teach them on leash first before I put the dog on a sled. Much safer that way. I rarely have to give a go command, but when I do it's just "let's go." They also know "easy" for going down hills and "hold" for when I want them to stop for a minute--that one doesn't work so well unless they are tired The other one we use alot is "on by"--we are getting better at that one. I use it for passing other dog teams, loose dogs or turns in the trail.

Good Luck with the training. Rollerblading with a dog would be a blast, but I like the brakes on the sled! Snow is much softer than concrete!

[lovemyshiba]

That sounds like so much fun--for you and the dogs!!!
What a wonderful thing you do, rescuing these "throw aways" They are truly blessed to have you in their lives, even if only for a short time.

[Aspen and Misty]

Yea, Sidewalk was one of my camands me and Chewy use often.(on coming trafic, I feel the road isn't safe) Acctually, I taught Chewy on reollerblades how to go on the side walk and the hand signal for left and right. Chewy's Go comand is "Go" LOL. That way if I say "go go go go go" he goes, and he goes real fast lol. I have taught him leave it and that way when he sees children or other dogs or people I just say "leave them" and, well he leaves them, LOL. I also taught him "Slow" for when we aproach corners and he now just starts to go to a quick jog instead of a dead run when we aproach corners. I knwo what ya mean about hitting the cement, LOL, got the cuts right now to prove it, although it wasn't chewys fault, my roller blades broke. But my sweet boy did pull me the whole way home on one rollerblade, such a gentleman . He seems to really enjoy it and he expecially is loving it since he can run as fast as he can and slow old me can keep up lol. He is really good about when I say stop I mean stop. He has learned a couple of tiems that when I say stop and he doesn't stop and do, Mom falls flat on her face and she is NOT happy when she gets back up, just a stern look makes him come over and apoligize. But of course, he doesn't have that pulling dog enthusiasm (sp). He wont pull all day long and then pull again the next day. A 20 min Bladin sesson 3 times a day is good for him then he comes homes and sleeps till the next time we go out lol.

Thanx for telling me the comands. BTW Ipmed you, I don't know if you got it, you can just delate it and please, Forgive my stupidity in the pm, I totally could not think of what it was called

Ash

[RubyMutt]

Originally posted by mugsy
Thanks for all you do. It sounds like they had a great time. I hope you got pictures!! Although the mental picture you painted was beautiful enough. Keep up the good work. Personally, I think that the people are throw away people and the dogs are the keepers.

I couldn't agree more!! I'd love to see photos of that. It sounds like you and the dogs have so much fun!

[ChrisH]

Wonderful Thanks for sharing,

[Cincy'sMom]

What a great story!

[AdoreMyDogs]

What a beautiful mental image!