Big training day...

[Glacier]

Who are those little black dogs up front?

Why it's Tehya and Paxil! Tehya lead for the first time today. She was distracted a bit by Daisy, but overall she did great. (Note from Tehya--"I ROCKED! Being a lead dog is fun!) The commands and focus will come later; Paxil will teach her all that; for now it's more important that she likes it up there! She was not intimidated at all by the pressures of leading. I'm not sure she realizes there is pressure in leading!

Paxil returned to the harness after her third tumor removal. I told her to stay home. She told me what I could do with that idea!


Pacer and Anvik are happy wheel dogs. Pacer doesn't lead ever. Anvik leads quite often, but he doesn't really care where he runs just as long as he gets to run.

[Ginger's Mom]

Hahaha, no I don't think Tehya knows there is any pressure in leading. All she knows is that it is fun, and she gets to be in front. Paxil will teach her well.

[ramanth]

What a great looking team they are. I'm so happy to hear Tehya did well leading. And it's great to see Paxil back in the saddle.

[Glacier]

She lead again today and did well. Mac was with us to distract Daisy, so less distractions for Tehya! She did think we should run on the wrong side of the trail, but Paxil corrected her quickly.

[chocolatepuppy]

Looks like we'll be seeing your snow pictures soon. I can't wait.

[anna_66]

FANTASTIC! I love it and I bet they do too

Way to go guys!!

[finn's mom]

Man, that looks like so much fun. I really need to get somewhere that I can participate in something like that. Not for competition or anything, just for hobby. Nothing like tired dogs! And, they seem to love it, even just from the photos you share!

Hey, quick question...when you say Paxil "corrects" Tehya, what exactly does she do? Does she just pull her over to where she needs to be, nip at her, bark at her? I'm curious how they communicate when they're in harness.

[Cinder & Smoke]

MUSH, Kids ~~~ Snow's a-comin!


Now - HOW'D she do that >>>?

In the first pix (from the "sled") --- Teya is on the Team-LEFT side;
in the from-the-front pix, she and Paxil have "switched sides" - Tehya is on the Team-RIGHT side!
Being tied front & back with the tug and neck lines - HOW'D they DO that?

And a qustion about your War Wagon that they tow ...
That ATV/4-Wheeler looks like a Jeep *tricked out* as a MBT (Main Battle Tank)!

What's the yellow-tipped handle for? Maybe a Axe with the blade carried loose?
Is that for your occasional need to chop a fallen tree?

And WHAT do you carry in the large "Dawg Box" behind the seat? Looks like enough room for
a tent, sleeping bag, stove, grub, change of clothes, Dawg Food - and maybe a "spare dog".

Front winch, nasty lookin tires, YEE-HAW - let's go MUSHIN!
You guys could tow a Semi if you hooked everything together.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Tamara, you and those dogs never cease to amaze me. The skill you have in training them and them keeping each other straight. It's just incredible. I can't wait to see them in the Yukon covered in snow. Take me away!!!!

[Glacier]

Hey, quick question...when you say Paxil "corrects" Tehya, what exactly does she do? Does she just pull her over to where she needs to be, nip at her, bark at her? I'm curious how they communicate when they're in harness.

For commands that Tehya misses, Paxil will just drag her to the correct response. Paxil never misses a command and she's freakishly strong for her size and age. She's a better training leader than Pingo. Pingo occasionally likes to pick her own trail and she's not as strong as Paxil for dragging her partners in the right direction. Pingo's gifts are things that can't be taught--a natural sense of direction, can find the best part of a trail to run on and an amazing safety sense. If Pingo won't cross ice, wants to turn around, stops in her tracks, there's a reason and arguing with her is likely to be lifethreatening.

When Tehya is being a puppy and goofing around, Paxil and Pingo both give her a little snarl--no nips or bites, just a curled lip and little growl. Much the same way the old dogs tell her to back off when she's too playful with them in the yard!

As soon as I can catch Sundin, I'm going to try her beside him too.

[Glacier]

In the first pix (from the "sled") --- Teya is on the Team-LEFT side;
in the from-the-front pix, she and Paxil have "switched sides" - Tehya is on the Team-RIGHT side!
Being tied front & back with the tug and neck lines - HOW'D they DO that?

And a qustion about your War Wagon that they tow ...
That ATV/4-Wheeler looks like a Jeep *tricked out* as a MBT (Main Battle Tank)!

What's the yellow-tipped handle for? Maybe a Axe with the blade carried loose?
Is that for your occasional need to chop a fallen tree?

And WHAT do you carry in the large "Dawg Box" behind the seat? Looks like enough room for
a tent, sleeping bag, stove, grub, change of clothes, Dawg Food - and maybe a "spare dog".

Front winch, nasty lookin tires, YEE-HAW - let's go MUSHIN!
You guys could tow a Semi if you hooked everything together.

They switched sides when Tehya missed a "haw"-(left turn). Paxil dragged her the right direction by ducking behind her a bit and jumping over Tehya's tugline. Paxil is very good at getting her team going the right direction without a tangle. She also doesn't have a side preference so she doesn't care when she has to move! Several of the dogs have dominant sides that they greatly prefer to run on. A couple won't run on their off side at all. Bad things happen when Pingo is on the right!

The ATV is actually 21 years old. It's a 1986 Kawasaki Bayou 4x4. Really, it's a piece of junk, but it's a workhorse and it's paid for! I asked on a sled dog list once what other mushers would recommend for a new dog training ATV and just about every reply I got said find an 86 Kawasaki Bayou! Kinda blew my excuse for a new ATV!

The box on the back holds extra lines, harnesses, booties, sometimes the chainsaw and my emergency bag--never leave home without enough basic survival stuff to make it through at least one night. If I had to, I could load a dog into it, with the lid up. I've never had to load a dog on the ATV and hopefully it won't happen any time soon.

The stick on the front is an axe handle, no blade. I carry another axe on the sled with a handle for clearing fallen trees. I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but the handle with no blade is for keeping loose dogs out of my team or getting them out. I've spent four years patching Franklin back together psychologically after a loose dog attacked him and I didn't stop it in time. Not happening again. I have frequent problems with loose dogs who's owners can't/won't control them, jumping my dogs while they are working. If your dog is that dumb and you have that little control, I will protect my dogs from yours.

[Cinder & Smoke]

The ATV is actually 21 years old. WW!

The stick on the front is an axe handle, no blade.

The handle with no blade is for keeping loose dogs out of my team or getting them out.

I've spent four years patching Franklin back together psychologically
after a loose dog attacked him and I didn't stop it in time.
Not happening again.
I have frequent problems with loose dogs who's owners can't/won't control them,
jumping my dogs while they are working.
If your dog is that dumb and you have that little control,
I will protect my dogs from yours.

WOW! --- 21 years "young" ... and still Training Dawgs!
That ole ATV could prolly handle a training run without the 2-Legger even coming along!

As for the "stick" and its purpose ... I sorta thought along those lines.
You have nothing to be ashamed of nor fear flaming ...
You have a right and an obligation to take care of YOUR Kids if / when they
are harassed by another dog! Hopefully you won't need to use it.

Tehya ~~~
Practice your lessons - HAW is turn LEFT; GEE is turn RIGHT ...
maybe write those on your front paws with Arrows pointing L & R.

[cassiesmom]

Glacier, who is in the middle row in this picture? Tehya and Paxil in the front row, Pacer and Anvik in the third row.


As far as the axe handle - We're talking about your dogs here, and you would be ready to act on their behalf if a situation arose. I hope it's rarely necessary, though. When Daisy is with you, does she know not to interrupt the dogs as they're working?

Excellent work, precious Tehya! It sounds like Paxil and Pingo are master teachers. Seeing pictures of the Glacier doggers always makes me SMILE!!! Hughughughughug!

[Glacier]

Glacier, who is in the middle row in this picture? Tehya and Paxil in the front row, Pacer and Anvik in the third row.

As far as the axe handle - We're talking about your dogs here, and you would be ready to act on their behalf if a situation arose. I hope it's rarely necessary, though. When Daisy is with you, does she know not to interrupt the dogs as they're working?

That's Hobo. He always runs alone. He's a little too insane to put any one beside him!

Daisy barks in front of the team at the very start, but she doesn't get in the way. She got run over a couple times by the leaders and stays out of their way now. She's annoying with the barking, but not aggressive at all. If Stuart is home, he holds Daisy back for few minutes and gives us a headstart. She catches up quickly, but doesn't bark at us that way!

It's rare that I actually have to use the handle. Daisy always lets me know there is something coming. I often let Mac run loose with us too. It's his job to keep loose dogs away from the team and he's pretty good at it.

If I can see the owner and have time to stop, I always give them a chance to corral their dog--usually by yelling "control your dog". There is a limited amount of time that I can hold a team back though without setting the hook and tying off to a tree. Usually, I can see a problem coming and I get off, hold the handle up and yell! (much easier and faster on the ATV than it is on the sled) For most dogs, the crazy person screeching at them scares them off!

[Ginger's Mom]

For most dogs, the crazy person screeching at them scares them off!

this made me LOL. I have to agree, I don't think many people would flame you here. You have an obligation to protect your dogs.