new trails for das mutts

The Baldwin trails were a pretty fun trip. We stuck to what was roughly just over a mile-long loop, but there were opportunities for longer runs had we wanted them. Both Linda and Patty were very welcoming. I ran three separate 3-dog teams for control and got a good look at everyone in single lead. Those who didn't single were at least run double, except for Roman and Joppy because it's how the cards fell and they were the odd wheel dogs out. All in all it was a good training weekend and our first three-day stretch of the season. I'd like to get out once this week (temperature permitting) so the dogs are geared up for next weekend's GLSDA training session. That'll be two good days of a nice trail. Dare I say the season is in full swing?

"tell them i'm not crazy, tell them i'm not mad, twas only six pints of that cider i had"

An update to end all updates.

This season hasn't been a season at all. We've raced once. It was Atlanta, and we won it, but that's the only time we've left home. I like running dogs just to run dogs, sure, but I always run with racing on my mind; with no races to train for, I haven't been pushing them. I've only had them out twice since Atlanta. It's hard to train a race team when the trails are garbage. Run them on junk and they learn to run like junk. If you're not simulating a race situation (speed-wise, etc) then you're not training. That's just how I see it. If I can get my hands on a bike, I'm not opposed to running one or two at once to keep them moving, BUT I done trying to put 4, 5 or 6 of them on the rig when I don't even have a trail surface safe enough to let 'em open up. If I have to go out there and ride the brake for five miles, what good is that? Wouldn't hurt 'em any if it were October, but late January into February? I can't ask them to hold a race trail after that.

That being said, shitty weather happens. Hasn't happened this fully in years, but such is life. Kalkaska IS the first weekend of March though, and I absolutely HAVE to field a team for that, no question. They've had a few weeks off, but if it's looking good up there, I can get the main group out a few times and just enter them as a sport team.

What's really disappointing is that I wanted to use this season as an experience builder for Bren in front and for London in general so that I would have Bren as a main dog next year with Heini and London started by now. It's still possible. For those to two alone I need to at least get back on track for training....races be damned.

There's talk of Belding this weekend if LL doesn't go. That's not a bad drive and we might swing it. Maybe I could squeeze in a Wednesday/Thursday/Saturday this week and BAZINGA, we'd be back on track. I could keep them at two-day-a-weeks until early May. (for real). Usually by late February it has been a long, cold, strict winter (doing nothing but training and racing), but this year just feels fake....I could use my leftover conviction to finish polishing up Bren and London. AND, if Atlanta was any indication, Roman was(IS)on his way to maturing into one helluva sled dog.

Here's to running mutts in spite of everything.

dirty little freaks

Routine is the best way to train a dog. Consistency pays off!

We do a lot of manual turnarounds early in the season, and I always say and do the same thing. I stop the rig, walk up behind the leaders, say their names and then "C'mon, we're done." (don't know why I decided on that...it's just what I say).

Today we did a 3-mile loop but they missed the last turn back to the truck and had us headed down the whole thing again. I had a little female in back who would not have been able to handle the six full miles (Eve), but I couldn't actually stop them and do anything because there was just enough snow to make things interesting. Figured it was worth a shot so I used our normal "whoaaa" command anyway. They stopped. Then, even though we were stopped, I KNEW they'd never hold still long enough for me to safely turn us and make it back aboard the rig, so out of exasperation, I yelled "Knock it off - we're DONE!"

Joppy and Petunia turned the team ON A DIME. Full 6dog team, leaders with a neckline and all, and not ONE dog even so much as ended up on the wrong side of the line. I'm not saying we could do it again in a million years, and I'm not saying it wouldn't have been easier if they hadn't missed the turn in the first place, but ummm AWESOME? I think yes.

It's days like this, you know?

thomas was a congressman with closets full of skeletons and dresses that he wore on friday nights

I don't even know where to start. Once we get a few 3 or 4 day weeks in, these mutts just blow me away. When the training is inconsistent (because of the weather thus far), I can tell we don't progress like we should. BUT, after one day on, one day off and two days on, they're on fire.

We have Manistee this coming weekend (Nov 12 and 13), so I absolutely MUST get two days in this week. It'll probably be Wednesday/Thursday.

I ran May and Jop up front this weekend (I haven't had Joppy in front hardly at all this season because she didn't show any desire to lead early-on), and they were both PERFECT. Jop took every turn and set the speed.

I let (er, I mean made) a friend use Tune and Brew for a run this morning. They moved along at a good clip and minded their business, per usual. I think he'll use them at Manistee....and perhaps get hooked and demand to drive 'em for the rest of the season.

My big team is a little slower right now than I'd like, but I think they'll speed up a little on their own in the next week or two. I've been working so far to keep them down around 16mph, but it's time to let them open up. I'll see how we do at Manistee and then try to put them on the 4wheeler for a few weeks (we'd be into December by then believe it or not!) before the snow flies. Even being a few miles per hour off, they run so hard and behave so well, I could pretty much care less about speed right now :-)

I don't think I'd be this worried about speed if it weren't for the race next weekend, so I have to step back and realize, no, we don't appear to be at REAL race speed yet BUT and don't need to be for another two months. I'm content and I'm not going to get all flustered over a 2mile dryland!

earl had a baby, baby was her name. knew she was crazy, tiny was the same.

Well, I'm tired but I want to write before I don't want to write, so here it goes.

Ran twice last weekend. Had to run out of trail head, which I typically avoid at all costs. I bet it started a bunch of bad habits, but to hell with it; we'll be on totally new trails before long. There's a sharp turn right out of the gate, so instead of running my full 6dog, I split them up into two 3 dogs. It actually worked great. It kept the speed down and let them really lean in and work. Rachel and Bren led one team on Saturday and Heini and Fred led the second.

Rachel isn't a driving leader so that was a lot of ask of her. She kept her head down, but she really didn't want to be up there doing that much work. Like I said in an earlier post, I've used her up front already this season and she rocked, but that was in front of the full 6dog. This was slower and a little more stressful, so I made sure to move her back on Sunday.

Sunday I let Bren lead again, this time next to Fred and in front of both the boys. Speaking of driving leader, Brennan is pure gold. She literally drove them hard enough to pull a tree. Yes, we actually cleared the trail when the rig got hung up on a downed tree.

The second team that day was Tune in front of Heini and Rachel. Heini needs the occasional break and Rachel was also happy to be behind someone. We would have added some speed with Heini next to Tune, but it was good to let her relax a little in back and just pull.

May has been leading wonderfully so far. I really think she'll do wonders at Jill's kennel this winter.

Hmmmm other news? We've been feeding twice a day. That paired with having the whole week off should get some weight on everyone. Rachel is a little scrawny these past few weeks.

And I suppose that is all for now.

she said, “look me up when you get back to town.” “look you up,” i said. “hell, i’m gonna hunt you down.”

This is probably the most overdone topic in the history of the world, but I'm going to write about my dogs' names. Deal with it.

Monsters I've named: Connor, Brewer, Brennan, Brother, London, Roman, Rebel, May, Eve, Elsie, Oakley, Jockey. Oh, and years ago there was a certain houndy son of a gun I called Grover. I think they all kind of go together come to think of it. They're all rather dignified and strong, but not clunky or contrived.

Names in my kennel that I would never consider in a million years but that I've come to like: Rachel, Fox, Petunia, Heini. They're sharp with tons of personality. Fox is a super common name, but it doesn't bother me. The others are quirky and cute.

I think Keytone is an awesome name for a dog. Sharp and completely unique.

Boring names: Juneau, Aurora, Star, Klondike. All so overdone. I actually named all of them except for Star, but I was 11. Give me a break.

I guess Freddie should be added to the "I would never consider this name" group. For a male, lame. But for a female? It just about works.

Oh, and in total disclosure, I should add Sosa, Delta and Trotter to dogs I've named....and summarily sold.

Let's see...what about meaning? Connor was named because of the Irish connotations. Brewer and Delta were named after places in Maine. London I like because it's rugged...as in Jack London. Grover, Eve, Brennan and Roman just came to me. One of those weird things where you look at the beastie and just know. Kenny and Lori have (had?) a Brother. He was a leader and a pretty cool guy. I just thought it was a fun name....and plus, my Brother dog has three sisters, so he really is THE brother. All of the boring names were my being a little girl with dreams of Alaska and all the snow in the word on my body; they sounded so noble and adventurous back then. Oakley, May and London were names I'd liked for a while and just needed a dog for them. I thought of Reb specifically for him, same with Jockey (now Joppy) and Elsie. Trotter started out as Johnny Walker, to be called Johnny, because I wanted to play along with the "liquor cabinet" theme my friend has. BUT, then I decided to be all witty and call him Johnny Trotter, because he was a sled dog and all, you know. But THEN, he wouldn't run for a damn so I have him to my dad. He called him Clyde, but I hated it....I sold him as Trotter because Clyde is a dumb name and I couldn't possibly let my father win. And Sosa was, oh lordy, this a terrible note to end on...Sosa was named for Sammy Sosa because, ummm, he's an incredible black athlete. But when the buyer asked what his name meant, I just said he was a sports legend. Politically correct, for the win.

What's interesting to me is that Kenny and Lori give the weirdest names, but they usually fit well enough. I don't change the dog's name after he's had a season on him, because usually they know it by then, but I do change a yearling's name. Before I had that rule (more of a guideline, really...), I tried to change Rachel's, but I kept accidentally calling her Rachel anyway. I never bothered to change Heini's because I hadn't planned to keep her. By the time I decided I wanted her, she was Heini to me. I was also going to change Freddie's, but she knew it so well I didn't bother. Brennan (Tazzy), London (Elf) and Roman (Coty) all got new and better names, though!

the incredibles