Springtime Begins Vacation Season

Hello to all- we hope this finds you well!  With springtime ending and temperatures rising, our dryland running and mushing season are coming to a close.  With any luck, we can get the dogs out for one more run tomorrow before hanging up our harnesses and putting the sled and gear in storage until fall.

After the first snowfall, we were out running as often as possible.  While we prefer running at Punderson, we were unable to make it out this year due to the sudden onset of cancer and subsequent death less than three months later of Aubrey's grandmother.  Instead we chose to stay close to her and we explored the mushing trails of Alum Creek State Park.  The dogs ran well, including our newest addition Tundra, who is just now over a year old.  While resenting the intrusion of a younger, handsome dog stealing her thunder, Shelby eventually settled into showing him the ropes and flaunted her superior knowledge.  As it turns out, Tundra is an amazing puller and will make a great team dog and perhaps, with training, an awesome gee/haw leader.  Jasmine, our foster, is still with us two years later and still waiting for her forever home.  We removed her from lead position due to her regression and are now trying confidence building techniques to help her- whatever happened in her past is still present in her reaction to certain stimuluses.  Given these reactions, sadly it made her unsuitable to maintain her lead position. 

On a few future notes, we are preparing for our first agility competition in June and with any luck will receive a few Q's to start us on Sarge's agility career.  Also, we have our training week scheduled for September for all the dogs to get out and start running again.  Until then, we will be doing a lot of swimming and endurance hikes with the dogs to keep all of us in shape.  Hopefully we can try to blog a little more often than once a season.  Best wishes for your summer!

Fall Is Inching Closer

Posted on September 21, 2010 at 9:29 PM

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Greetings to all and hope this day finds you well.  With fall only being officially a few weeks off, Shelby and my fosters, Lexie and Jasmine traveled with me on our yearly trip to Michigan for some training.  This year we tackled pull training with much success.  The girls had a blast pulling me on the bike and even wore out a set of bike brakes so eager were they.

Shelby ran lead dog almost the entire week and has been walking around like she is top dog of all since our return. She did quite well at her job and even managed to show the new kid on the block, Lexie, which direction to pull and what to do. Quite a surprising development from the girl who used to only work when it was convenient for her. The trip seems to have put a positive spin on her outlook towards her new job. When on picket she could be found napping, but she spent more time riding along in her crate to the lake and to the grocery store. Each morning we went for a run and then took a break before tackling the hiking trail. Shelby was in husky heaven with the cooler temps and the higher level of activity. 

Of them all, Jasmine had the best time since she's the natural of the group and pulling and running are in her top favorite things to do.  When not running, she was picking fights with Lexie (sigh...those two are worse than sisters the way they go at it) or taking long naps on the picket line and relaxing.  Jasmine spent her morning and evening times pulling like a champ and often out pulled the other members of her pack.  She truly is amazing in harness and I was happy to have loan of her while she waits for her forever home.

Lexie seems to have gained more confidence traveling and sleeping with the pack and learning to work as a team...her disposition and willingness to be close to the dogs has changed for the better.  This week I found her even trying to play with Sarge, so perhaps with a little work her dog aggression can be turned into a more positive outlet like sledding and running with the team.

Clea being queenly and all spent most of her time on picket surveying her kingdom and enjoyed daily morning hikes and evening visits to the lake for a round of sniffing.  The afternoons found her lounging on her drop line, passed out to the world.  Traveling did seem to stress her somewhat, so this may be her last year accompanying us.  Outward appearances gave the impression she was doing well with it all until it came potty time and that showed another story indeed.  Traveling does not agree with internally any more, but she was at least given one last trip to her favorite spots in Michigan.

Sarge spent the week between being jealous of the girls being given a job or lounging on the picket line in the shade.  Mornings after a run with the girls were filled with a game of fetch and a mile or more hike on flexi-leash.  The evenings before the run he was allowed off lead (he has one of the best recalls and never travels far from camp) to sniff and enjoy some one on one time with the humans and even practiced some obedience training and targeting.

As for the humans in the group, we enjoyed much time at the lake walking along the shores and spent time learning more about the area.  Morning and evening hikes were just the thing to start and end the day and the views were spectacular.  Speaking for myself, a year seems a long way off before we can go again.  I truly enjoy our yearly vacation/travel trip to Michigan and look forward to its approach.  

Summer Vacation Is Almost Over

Posted on August 27, 2010 at 1:00 AM

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As summer winds down and cooler days begin, our fosters and Shelby have been hitting the trail for some much needed directional training.  However, I'm pretty sure they don't see it as training so much as desired change of scenery, having been bored and inactive since the Spring and Summer heat set in.  Hopefully we can escape the heat soon with a camping trip to Michigan...while we may be training and backpacking most of the time during our stay, there will definitely be some R&R next to Lake Huron for all of us.

My family are continuing the search for the perfect addition to the fur family, but are being cautious.  Unfortunately we are still limited on space and both fosters continue to reside with us while waiting on their forever homes.  Poor Jasmine has been waiting since last year and every family that is willing to drive this far out seems to have overlooked her.    

Lexie has completed her basic rehab and is ready for her forever home too.  I'm sure that if they could just meet her, they would fall in love.  Honestly, if I've ever been tempted to become a foster failure, Lexie would have to be it- I love her so much that I'm definitely going to be bawling when her time comes to send her to her  forever home.  

Sarge has yet to compete due to my poor health during the main portion of the competition season.  I am aiming to have him up and ready again for the CPE trial in September, but he is pretty rusty at this point, having only been back in class for the last month or so.   

Shelby is doing well too.  Her temperament seems to have changed as she has aged this year and she has slow down a bit on her energy level.  She still plays with gusto when the mood strikes, but she prefers to cuddle to me and take a nap with Lexie on my other side.  As the season has cooled, she is slowly getting back her form with our longer daily hikes.   I really think with the right dog next to her she will enjoy sledding even more.  

Clea has really been having more and more problems with her back hips I am sad to report.  She is struggling to get up the stairs or to do anything that involves moving.  I believe the only reason she is moving as much as she does is because she has the sheer determination to not be left behind by anyone.  Also, her mind is slowly going and she doesn't seem to remember her routine as well.  In addition, I think her glaucoma in her eye is worsening as she jumps anytime I touch her without letting her hear me first and catch my smell.  Although I am avoiding thinking too hard on the subject, her time is coming to a close as her quality of life deteriorates.  At best, she may have another year or two with me before that inevitable time comes.  I think the cruelest thing is that human's best fur friends live such short lives compared to ours and letting go will be hard since she has been with me since my childhood.  For me, euthanasia is like the ultimate act of compassion and betrayal wrapped all into one heart-wrenching lump.

On a less serious note,  my husband and I have been exploring the possibility of moving to Colorado in the next year or so to take advantage of the tech boom there.  I am both excited and sad at the thought.  For the most part, I am excited because I will finally be able to see the mountains everyday and have the climate to work my dogs longer.  However, the move will come as a touch of sadness with my folks moving to PA later this year, as that will put us even farther away from them.  However, we will follow God in the matter and not reject any opportunity to further my husband's career or increase my chance of being able to teach high school again.

Best wishes to everyone and I hope the coming of fall finds all of you well!

Another Year of Husky Love

Original Blog Entry dated March 25, 2010

We have enjoyed the cold winter and took advantage of it by getting out and enjoying our first complete mushing trail run (pics are in Winter Fun). Also, we went to Cleveland this winter and helped out with the Sled dog demo hosted by AAHI to help fund raise. Unfortunately, Shelby was unable to attend, but our foster Jasmine had a blast pulling me around the course as I pedaled with her for all I was worth to help her. She was in sled dog heaven and took to it like she had been doing it her whole life.

Currently my fur kids and I are transitioning our setup from the winter months to the warmer months. Agility season is upon us and I am so excited for Sarge- he begins his agility career this year in CPE and will hopefully transition smoothly into AKC agility.

Also, we are looking to add an addition of the fur kind to our family of five (humans included). We hope to find our dream pup, but realize we may be asking a lot of a potential dog. However, we are still hoping that what we offer and give in return will more than make up for this. Another fur addition to our family will be treated as a wonderful gift from God, but we will be choosing carefully. It is also paramount that we remember to recognize that it may not be meant to be immediately and not rush into adopting the first cute pup we see. As I have always said, a fur kid is not something you get and then decide later to throw out with the trash. It is a conscious decision to expand your family- dogs are not handbags! (no more soapbox today for me)

Sarge, Shelby, Clea, Justin and I hope that this finds you happy and well. Go out and enjoy your fur kids and everything life has to offer!

Slow Days of Spring

Original Blog Entry dated May 08, 2008

The dogs and I have been enjoying the nice weather we have been experiencing. We have taken long strolls through the country, visited the dog park, and have taken multiple trips to the local Petco for some serious spoiling. Sarge and I are almost ready to start competing as an agility team and are anxious to finish learning the remainder of what we need to know. Shelby is taking a vacation for the moment after going into her spring heat cycle, but really enjoyed the winter and flirting with all the male dogs she teamed up with at our rescue's kiddie dog sled pull. Clea is as queenly as ever and is surveying her pack while fluffing her fur up for her admirer, our foster dog, Butterball (as in the turkey). Butterball is absolutely fascinated by her and my husband, who wishes he could lose his fur shadow. All the dogs are making multiple trips to the groomers, but of course the Sibes are the worst fur-offenders. Its molting season here and they are all getting there summer coats in and shedding like mad. One of these days, I'm going to have to invest in the Furminator and invent a vaccum attatchment for it, so I can just suck away the hair into a neat little bag...lol. Overall, we are doing well and enjoying the season change. We have not had a new foster since Butter, which for a rescue is a hopeful sign, although I will admit to being a pessimist on the subject. Hope Spring finds everyone well and happy! 

Another Snow Day In Paradise

Original Blog entry dated January 09, 2008

Greetings to everyone! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and took some time to relax afterwards. Everyone here is sooo excited about our first major snowfall. All my huskies (and my GSD) had a rolling good time in the snow drifts. Clea spent most of her time on her back playing and the rest of it chasing her tail. Shelby's big day is coming up- she will be wearing her first harness and pulling a sled for the first time. I can't wait to see how she does!

On other topics, I was just given another foster dog. When will people ever learn? (Most likely- not ever!) He is a gorgeous purebred grey and white husky. Whatever his story, he comes to me full of roundworms (obviously did not use any heartworm preventative) and so much coccidia (a parasite that supresses the appetite and steals nutrition from the body). Poor little guy is so thin, I can see his rib cages move every time he breathes, Today he wanted to be outside exploring so badly, but everytime he spends more than ten minutes outside, coat or no coat, he starts shivering and shaking from the lack of insulating fat in his body. However, despite his circumstances, he does not guard his treats/toys/food or have any signs of food aggressiveness. What really angers me is that someone took the time to love him and train him, then abondoned him to his fate. What a throwaway society we live in! If something or someone stops fitting in our perfect little lives, we just throw it/them out with the garbage.

Well, enough of my soapbox for the day. Its snowing and its gorgeous, so we had all better get out and enjoy it before it all turns to water and much. Uch!