Voices from the Flats – The Leonhard Seppala Award
Here’s the third installment in our series of Iditarod and dog mushing posts from Mudflatter LoveMyDogs. I’ve added to it some pictures I took at the Iditarod start in Anchorage nine days ago. Many thanks to LoveMyDogs for these wonderful insights that add so much firsthand knowledge and really enhance our knowledge and enjoyment of the race.
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The Leonhard Seppala Award
by LoveMyDogs
“In Alaska, our dogs mean considerably more to us than those ‘Outside’ can appreciate, and a sleight to them is a serious matter.” ~Leonhard Seppala, patron saint of dogsledding
Sled dogs are amazing animals. They run for the pure joy of it. They are not a specific breed (in fact they have many different dogs bred into them: including Border collie-or so they say- and more recently hounds and German Shorthaired Pointers). Some are bred for speed, most for good appetites and tough feet as well as good attitudes. Some people breed Siberians for racing because they are beautiful. My first two “sled dogs” were Malamute-mixes (not fast but big, strong, very beautiful and extremely stubborn—not necessarily good traits for racing dogs). A “sled dog” is really defined by the “work” that they do. They belong in the “working dog” group, along with herding dogs, hunting dogs, etc. But they are not specifically a “breed” and not one of them would make it into the AKC (except the purebred Siberians and Malamutes). If you have ever owned a “working dog” you will know that they can go insane (literally) without a job.
~Run Baby, Run!
My Malamute-mixes and I never raced. We never needed to. The most precious times were running under a full moon. No headlamp needed. It is the quiet and the beauty in the cold of winter that I craved. Snow machines can get you there but dogs get you there in a more primitive and more meditative way. The only sounds that you can hear are the sounds of the earth, the wind, the sled runners swishing on the snow and the sound of breathing (yours and your dogs’). If the moment is truly magical, your breath becomes one with those of your dogs. At that moment in time, one realizes how big this earth we live on really is and how we are here for this one moment in time and you and your team become truly connected: Connected with the earth, the sky, everything around you and each other. To connect with another being (that is not human and does not speak your language) is a gift. And how can you help but want more.
“I would see a thing of beauty when running them, or many things, the pictures like frozen jewelry, and there would not be so much beauty when not running them. So I ran them because I wanted to see the beauty again, find the wonderful places they could take me.” Gary Paulsen ‘WinterDance’
Sled dogs are addictive. But what better addiction could you have? The problem is that one gets addicted to their speed and their power. It is truly amazing to pull the hook and feel the sled jerk in your hands as you are whisked away into that silent world of wonder. They speed up when you go around corners-just to see what is on the other side, I guess. You can spend hours watching their tails, their heads, and their ears. They will tell you what is ahead. If they really speed up it might be a moose and you had better be on your toes, or maybe it is just a smell that only they can identify with their finely evolved noses.
~Musher Michelle Phillips’ lead dogs
Then there are the “lead dogs”. A lead dog is special. Not all dogs can handle the mental work of running in front. Most dogs would prefer to chase something. Leaders set the pace and have to be fast enough to stay in front of the rest of the team but not so fast that they burn everybody out. They have to be smart and trainable because theirs is the demanding job of understanding the stupid human’s commands and following them. They are not necessarily dominant dogs but they are always incredibly loyal. They love without question even when the stupid human does something stupid. You can teach most dogs (not all) to lead, but a true leader will do it no matter what circumstances you are in. They have to know how to pull a whole team past another musher, either from behind, or sometimes head on. They have to be confident that they can do it. They are generally given the best spot on the couch or in the truck. They often get first treats. They are the kings and queens of sled dogs. Veteran leaders will teach younger dogs if they are side by side by nipping them on the neck when they start clowning around or getting out of line.
Every sled dog has a different personality. Some howl, some don’t. Some like to play, others are shy. Top teams often have mushers who can put a team together like a basketball coach. I have watched some of the more elite mushers go by our house at night and it is amazing. When they come over a snow berm, there are 64 legs trotting in unison (perfectly matched gaits) and then the sled comes over with a huge plume of snow blowing off the runners. There are 16 sparkly breath clouds above each head and then one, higher up, from the musher’s shrouded face. And then they are gone. It is beautiful to watch, but far, far better to be along for the ride.
Sled dogs are fed like kings (far better than their owners-who often subsist for months on Top Ramen or mac and cheese). They are fed the best meat, fish and fat sources that their owners can buy. They are generally fed twice a day. They get their shots every year. Their feet are tended to as if they were all Paris Hilton. Every toe nail is cut, every split is tended to. The shadow of a limp is cause for immediate concern. They are massaged and stretched. They have special shoulder coats with little pockets to put hand warmers in to keep muscles warm while they are sleeping. There are leg wraps, wrist wraps and any number of liniments, supplements and ointments that go with having sled dogs. Taking care of more than 5 is a full time job. The dogs should always eat before the musher does (even if it is just a snack).
~Musher Aliy Zirkle and one of her lead dogs
The most amazing part of having sled dogs is that they become family (often more important than the musher’s human family). Mushers often eat, sleep and even pee with their dogs. I like howling with mine. On the trail, you are family. You depend on one another for everything. The very air that you breathe is one and the same after all. They can heal you after a bad day at work or a fight with your spouse with one look over their shoulder as if to say “Are you there? We are here.”
For all of these reasons, the Leonhard Seppala Award for exemplary dog care is probably the most coveted. It is awarded by the veterinarians on the trail and, unfortunately (my opinion), it tends to go to the front runners.
Anybody else have the urge to run through the night under the full moon howling with the dogs?
Love you, LoveMyDogs. You took me there. That’s some mighty powerful medicine. Quyana. Toda raba. Thank you.
compelling and beautifully written. i have really enjoyed these boots on the ground posts. thank you
great writing , makes me wish i was there
Thank you for this. Made me long to have sled dogs and do this. (though my cats pee with me. I, however, do not pee with my cat. Can’t believe I’m telling you this.)
We have had working dogs all of our lives, and they work. They love their work. On our farm, for a short time, there was a big nasty bull who’d come around the side of the barn and just put one eye around the corner, looking for the dog. If the dog was anywhere in sight that bull would run like hell. At 4 am, while we set up the milk house and milking parlor, our heeler would go out to pasture, round the cows up and bring them in. In the yard, out heeler would lay in the sun and watch our kids and their friends. If any kid got “out of bounds” the dog would come up behind them and nip them in the heel of their sneaker to send them back in bounds. Dogs who are bred to work love to work. I always hate to see people with a working “house pet.”
My husband still dreams of running the Iditorod. I think it’s a manly man thing -for manly men who LOVE dogs.
#1 @ thatcrowwoman Says:
March 17th, 2010 at 3:24 AM
Anybody else have the urge to run through the night under the full moon howling with the dogs?
Love you, LoveMyDogs. You took me there. That’s some mighty powerful medicine. Quyana. Toda raba. Thank you.
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I echo thatcrowwoman’s sentiment. Thank you LoveMyDogs for a wonderful story.
I was in Jim Thorpe, PA this weekend specifically for an experience to learn the basics of dog sledding. Unfortunately, it was canceled due to the heavy rain. I was disappointed, but there will be other times and occasions.
#3 @lemonfair – my cats keep me company in the bathroom too, just in case I need support and/or encouragement, I think. : )
Oh, thank you again! I could see, hear, and feel because of you.
Beautifully written. I could see and almost touch the dogs from your descriptions. Thanks for opening up your part of the world.
Thanks LoveMyDogs, knowing that the care of the dogs is important enough to have an award is great. Your writings on sled dogs and your experiences has been wonderful to read; not just from a human’s perspective, but the dog’s also. They really enjoy what they do don’t they?
Running under a full moon. Howling all the way. It beats jogging any day.
Thanks, LoveMyDogs. Health and peace to all.
What wonderful writing! I’m going to go give my dogs a kiss and tell them how lucky I am to be part of their life!
What a really great article! I have been following the race, but all the attention is on the people. I want to know about the dogs. They are a very important part of the team. I am disappointed that not much is written about them during the race.
I have had little dogs and now cats, but each and everyone of them have different personalities. They are all smart in their own way.
I would love to have a big dog to run with, but in the city where I live it’s not the best idea. I don’t think they would be very happy cooped up in the house all day while I am away working.
I have had so much fun following my nine teams in the Iditarod. I have a log that I wrote for each one. I love the pictures of the mushers with their dogs.
I’m also very glad they found ‘Whitey”. My pack and I were very worried.
Of our pack of 10 Newfoundlands, two are trackers, one pulls a cart and one is a therapy dog. Two are moms and the rest are retired couch potatoes.
I love reading Gary Paulsen’s dog stories. I can almost feel the sled, see the dogs, breath in the cold air.
So. Who won the award?
“At that moment in time, one realizes how big this earth we live on really is and how we are here for this one moment in time and you and your team become truly connected: Connected with the earth, the sky, everything around you and each other.”
Well said.
How sad that “Modern Man” so rarely experiences that connection. But that “inferior” species live their entire lives that way. They never question their place in nature. It is only man’s interference with them that can force a disconnect on them.
We
lovemydogs, I’ve never had any desire to run a sled, but your description makes me want to run under the full moon and feel the joy the of the dogs, the beauty of the land, the glorious night sky at least once. I will never do this, but I definitely got the feel of it from your story. Thanks so much for sharing your feelings in such a way that I became part of the joy.
Dog sledding is now a wonder to me and something that I can dream about while safely tucked into my warm bed
I am not much of a cold weather person, although I like cold better than suffocating heat. I lived in Las Vegas for two years and found it absolutely enervating. I guess I am truly a Pacific Northwest person, heart and soul. Moderation in all, even the weather 
lovemydogs – fabulous post! You took me back to days up north when I lived up north, surrounded by howling dogs including my own. My little husky girl, the ex-sprint racing dog, taught my big guy how to howl and I got to watch the whole thing. It happened at night of course, with the classic full or almost full moon. I woke to a single howl right outside my window, very loud. There were always dogs in the background howling and yipping, but this was different, close and really loud.
I looked out my window and thought I must be dreaming. There was a small hill in my yard, with my little husky standing there in the moonlight. My big guy was there, and maybe three or four other dogs surrounding her. My gal threw her nose to the sky and let out the longest howl, which I had not heard her do before. She was pretty new to us then, and due to being a sled dog it took some patience, time and a lot of energy to teach her to be inside the house, to ride in the car, and to act just a tiny bit like a pet. There’s a book in there somewhere, also, too.
While her long clear howl showed the moon just who was who, my big guy started in. His howl was long and deep, and gave me chills. He had a huge chest, deep bark and now this incredible, soulful howl which I fell in love with. Then the other dogs started in, but I could pick out the my husky and my big guy easily out of the group howl. I watched them until they stopped, feeling like I was living a chapter of somebody’s story of the frozen north.
I never heard my little husky howl once after that, although I’m sure she must have. My big guy never stopped, although he didn’t howl often, and I loved getting him wound up so he would do it. We had great laughs, and he loved it.
Being a round A dog, and a TEAM of dogs is completely different. They have a group psyche that is a joy to behold, and I learned more about dogs in three years than I had my whole life, even being raised with dog after dog and then my own. This is why it makes me sad when people do not understand this sport – and think it’s cruel. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Love My Dogs you are a gifted writer. thank you my dear. I loved every word and as i wrote yesterday, you give wonderful dreams. Big hugs and sloppy kisses to all those doggies.
Martha Uys…I just read your comment and decided to howl. So I did. My kitteh came strolling out of my bedroom, watched me howl in front of the computer for a moment and when I stopped and looked at him he said very clearly and succinctly “MEH.” Everybody is a critic. “MEH” indeed.
LMD, wonderful writing. You make it so alive and express the shear joy of those wonderful doggies. Hope you’ll tell us more about the race.
4 Woofs for you!
What a lovely description. I can hear the runners on the snow.
typos, bad typos! Not enough coffee, sorry.
Lovemydogs – now I’m homesick for a place that isn’t my home anymore! Hug those furry, loud critters and throw a howl or two in there for me.
bubbles,
I think cat’s have a collective dislike of such nonsense! In their eyes, dogs are just loud, slobbering beasts who get a big kick out of chasing kitties. They are so uncouth! MEH!
I’m leaving, can’t seem to get my brain to catch up with my typing. Now I’m into apostrophe abuse.
@14 MUYS: We call those singing lessons.
@15 Bubbles: I wrote a message to you yesterday. It touched my heart that anything I could write would help someone with their pain. I hope that this one and anymore that I write may continue to help bring you healing dreams.
@13: Never count yourself out. You never know what life will bring you.
What a wonderful post lovemydogs!
mlaiuppa–I am pretty sure the trail vets decide at or near the end of the race. With 41 teams still on the trail, it may be a few days before we know.
@5 Paula: It isn’t just a manly MAN thing. Women have won this race. There are many women who have sled dogs. There are two women (the Collins sisters) who live in the bush and go everywhere by dog team. They also write books about it.
@11 mlaiuppa: We won’t know who won the award until the race is over. They give it out at the finisher’s banquet.
Beautiful piece Jeanne, thanks for publishing it.
I’m glad everyone has been enjoying this series so much. I know I have. LoveMyDogs is a great contributor, and I get excited when I get her updates, and even more excited to be able to share them with all of you. AKM
What a wonderful, interesting post by one who knows! Thanks for taking the time to write and share.
@10 10catsinMD: The dogs ARE the team. They are the elite athletes. They aren’t really written about during the race because no one but the musher can really tell what is going on with them. Oh, you can watch them come into checkpoints-sometimes tired, often bouncy and raring to go when the musher is falling asleep on the runners. But only the musher, who works with them 365 days a year knows every quirk and every personality. Reporters get star struck with the humans but all they can report about the dogs is how they are eating, how they look in general, etc. These experiences that I report happen on the trail and no one else sees them.
Oh, the sheer joy of spending part of St. Paddy’s Day in the crisp, chill air of the far north; bundled up against the elements and surrounded on all sides by Mother Nature…and reveling in the exuberance of sled dogs!
If only vicariously.
I marvel at the gift so generously afforded me: Being allowed to learn more about myself and my place in the universe through one of Nature’s many magnificent wonders. My soul is expanded by the experience, and once more, I am enriched beyond measure by the community found on the ‘flats.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, LoveMyDogs and mudpups, for the imaged-words that make it happen! beth.
Martha UYS, you brought back memories for me! I used to have sled dogs (in name only) and because of an unexpected pregnancy, wound up with about half a team! I forgot how fun the howl sessions were. The dad of the group always needed prodding to get going- he’d start with what sounded like clearing his throat. And then this deep howl would come out! The puppies would yip and yap until they got the hang of it. It was great. (of course, all the pups went to good homes eventually)
Bubbles, cats are ‘above’ that howling nonsense!
There must be something wrong with Colleen’s GPS tracker. This will be enough to put Joseph in the looney bin. You know those people who think the glass is half empty? Well, Joseph’s glass (during a race) generally has about 2 drops in it. He went all freaky on his blog about how she went off course, turned around, went back to the checkpoint, etc. NOT the case. I looked at her times and the people around her and thought “no way Joseph, she is fine”. Now he reports that “Apparently the trail from Shaktoolik to Koyuk is extremely windy and took mushers on a detour several miles onto the sea ice. In doing this, it somehow tripped the GPS units and caused them to read in a way that made it look like mushers had passed the checkpoint and were back tracking to it.” She is out of Koyuk and on her way to Elim. I KNOW she will make it to Nome. She still has 14 dogs.
Aliy Zirkle made it into Nome this morning! She finished in 16th with 8 dogs.
The Scotsman is the only person left with all 16 of his dogs. He is running a leased team belonging to Dean Osmar. It sounds like he is taking good care of them.
Just fabulous, lovesmydogs! Truly, truly, and thank you so much. What a joy to read and know from your other posts. We are so lucky to have this first hand knowledge from you.
Happy St. Pat’s to everyone…sunny weather for a parade in NYC! (hugs to Irishgirl and bubbles)
Loved that post, LoveMyDogs! ….and I’m a cat person
I don’t mean to bash on Joseph. He is doing the best he can. Part of being a handler is managing boredom and worry at the same time. It is an artform (I think) to be able to remain calm when your worst fear is that everything is going bad out there. And then there is the waiting….Perhaps GPS tracking is not such a good thing for the worriers.
Oh, good for the Scotsman, my team pick. I’m proud that he took such care of the dogs, however he finished. Good job.
@34: He isn’t finished yet. It will be a couple of days before everyone gets to Nome.
MinJ: He’s in 45th position right now. There are 40 teams still racing.
Thanks for the update, lovemydogs. Your fascinating insight into and experience of this race has me glued to your posts. I root for everyone’s safe return and the health of the dogs. To know the race from your perspective has been just wonderful and very exciting. I’m not much into races of any kind, but your posts have been thrilling and educating. From my livingroom, of course!!! Just amazing.
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Those..who have written..have almost all lived with canines..in their past..and most probably now. Speaking as one who has been around dogs..since I was brought home from birthing..I know that we only progress as humans..if we learn to move with our animal family..in the dance..of learning-knowing. ah hey..
We had Border collies that were working dogs(most are).You could see the excitement when the coats and collars came out. They just jumped around i joy to be working.We also trained both to find dead bodies or any scent of blood or death and both knew just what to do.We had to stop with the one for search and rescue because she would get confused about life and death.So one was used for live search and rescue and the other for death ec t.I gave a pulled tooth to be used as a training tool.
PPS LMD excellent writing this is only the second one i have followed.
Thank you for a beautiful experience, Lovemydogs.
Lovemydogs! Excellent work! I can almost feel myself on a sled. Your series led me to avidly follow the race on the Iditerod website. (even though I had to put up with looking at Palin every time I opened it) When the top 3 were out of Safety it was exciting without even being there. Still watching it and hoping that all make it in safely.
I enjoyed hearing about the Seppala award. I think it probably ranks right up there with actually winning the race. Is there any way of finding out who the previous recipients of the award are?
Also, do they have to carry the dog’s food on the sleds with them?
http://www.facebook.com/JamaicaDogsledTeam?v=info&ref=mf#!/JamaicaDogsledTeam?v=wall&ref=mf The Jamaica Team has a following on Facebook and they mention they work with rescue dogs as well….. Niiice.
Wonderful piece of writing, lovemydogs!
Trini–I’m pretty sure that they’ll carry food they’ll need between checkpoints with them, but the food drops are done to checkpoints, where it’s also easier to set up cookers to get the food hot for the dogs and to get water.
That is what I love about Gary Paulsen.
He was a musher who could write. Or a writer who was also a musher. But he has a way with words. When you read Paulsen, you’re in the sled, traveling through the moonlit night on fresh snow behind the dogs.
I read The Daily Coyote. Charlie (the coyote) taught Chloe (the dog) how to howl. But she howls up high like him. Shreve loved Chloe’s deep, dark bark and misses it a bit.
My Caesar taught Goliath how to howl at the fire truck.
Ramses doesn’t howl at all. Maybe because he has no teacher. I’ve played sounds of Charlie and Chloe howling on the computer, but he doesn’t pay any attention. Maybe something is lost through the intertubes.
Thanks Injuneau @50
I was trying to calculate what I would give my dogs and increase that for highly active dogs and the average number on a team. I figured my kibble for 8 days for the number of dogs running would be a lot of pounds and a drag on the sled. It just seemed unreasonable that the sled would carry the food for the duration. Thanks for the info. Oh and water. I just can’t imagine the work that goes into the logistics of this! My dogs would probably love this kind of work (they are working dogs) but they are short coated and would not like the cold.
My school’s 3rd grade class follows the Iditarod every year. I’ll be sharing these posts with the teacher. Each student picks one musher to follow for the length of the race; I’ll ask her if anyone picked any of the mushers followed here.
@47 Trini:
Now I shall explain pre-race madness. You are allowed to send a certain number of “drop bags” to every checkpoint. In these drop bags there is: food for the dogs (including kibble, meat, fish, fat, anything that you can get them to eat–they expend at least 10,000 calories per day per dog on the race–so you have to calculate all of that out before the race is run and what you send where is part of the strategy), food for the musher, extra batteries for headlamps (they used to use lithium batteries because they last longer in the extreme cold but this year they weren’t allowed to use lithium…so their batteries only last 1 and half to 3 hours…yet another thing to freeze your fingers doing out there without gloves), dry clothes for mushers, extra gloves, ointments, liniments, blankets, extra coats & booties for the dogs, handwarmers, etc.
There is mandatory equipment that must be in your sled at all times including food for the dogs and the musher, a cooker, fuel for the cooker (they use Heet usually), an axe, snowshoes, your vet book (where the vets make notes at checkpoints), a sleeping bag, extra booties for the dogs and probably a few other things I have missed. Oh, and they also carry mail, a couple of specially stamped envelopes that they have to deliver in Nome.
Sometimes mushers will stop at a checkpoint just long enough to grab extra food and straw and carry on and camp out on the trail. if this is the case then they have to melt snow for water. Otherwise there is generally water (not always hot), fuel and straw at most checkpoints. Everything else that you need had better be in your drop bags or you won’t have it. A lot of checkpoints have free food for the mushers.
Colleen carries bleach with her to help with viruses that she or the dogs can get from the water (it can be sort of like going to Mexico). She puts a couple of drops in a gallon or something like that.
Unfortunately, this year she was told in Kaltag that they lost one of her drop bags that was supposed to go to Elim or Koyuk. So she would be carrying extra weight in the form of dog food from the previous checkpoint (somewhat of an unfair thing). Sometimes you can rifle through the bags that mushers who have already gone through the checkpoint have left (you can ship one bag home from each checkpoint–the rest is free for all for the villagers or mushers that come through later). You can’t depend on there being anything there other than your bags though (and apparently can’t even depend on your bags being there–I have never heard of this happening before).
Getting drop bags ready is a pretty big ordeal (the logistics always remind me of people getting ready to climb Mt Everest or go on a big expedition somewhere else where everything has to be thought out in advance). It takes about 2 weeks to cut all of the meat and fish and fat (all frozen) with a band saw and then count it out into plastic bags. I like to put silly things on the bags (like Phish instead of Fish) just to see if the musher will catch it out there in a sleep deprived state. Hopefully it can bring a smile when one is needed.
Colleen is on her way to White Mountain where she will have a mandatory 8 hour rest. She left Elim at 4:40 this afternoon with 14 dogs.
OK, so I am mostly a cat person, and a bit of a dog person. I live in the SW, not
Alaska, and for all my time of lurking on this blog, I have only done one other post.
This one pretty much made me cry, and certinaly appreciate something I really didn’t understand before.
As an aside, I have enough cats to make a team [OK, I am a sucker for feral and abandoned cats], but they really don’t like the cold all that much. And putting sweaters on them would likely be a lethal activity [bleeding out from angry claws].
If you’d like to hear some sled dogs make beautiful music together, try out the following link. It’s the SP Kennel, home of Aliy Zirkle and Allen Moore, who truly seem to put the dogs first. It’s a great site, with other wonderful videos, including a couple videos of Aliy crossing the finish line in Nome. It’s hilarious becuase 2 of the dogs are more interested in reaching the people on the sidelines for some lovin’, as Aliy is trying to get them to keep going and cross the finish line. Anyway, here’s the link for ”Doggie Duet”—
[url]http://spkenneldoglog.blogspot.com/2009/01/outtake-doggie-duet.html[/url]
Many thanks, LoveMyDogs for the lovely sled dogs story. Warmed my heart to read it.
<3
OK, GUESS THIS ONE’S GOING TO BE LONG. HAVEN’T POSTED ABOUT THIS LATELY AND REALLY FEEL A NEED TO DO SO. So please bear with ….
OMG, your “Run Baby Run” photo looks so much like our two dogs, especially the one on the right …… you probably remember our Stryder.
The one on the left is too white to be our Duke, but when I saw the photo I immediately thought of our two border collies. They run just like that too. (Last night they went nuts, because we had a lynx patrolling out near the house and they definitely let us know about it.)
You are so right. Sled dogs are definitely no one breed. They’re something else, all of their own. That’s what makes them so special. Hopefully the AKC will never get their hands on that special thing. (I know many border collie people who do herding with their dogs, and they say it’s quite controversial. They don’t want some AKC judge looking at conformation, perfection, etc. — they want their dogs judged on how they WORK! — or no judging at all.)
Lead dogs ……. there are so many incredible stories. Billy Mitchell wrote about his in his book “Opening of Alaska.” He figgered he probably wouldn’t have been alive without that dog.
Howling — We always thought our Buddy, a rescue border collie mix who died suddenly at about age 6, was part coyote. He had a different gait, and a different look. He was incredibly smart too. But the most curious thing was that he could sing (with pitch, even!), and howl. Now most domesticated dogs don’t do that. – they can bark, and kind of squeak, but not a real howl. Buddy would let out the most incredible howls you ever heard, snout up in the air, and we loved it every single time. We came to appreciate the special “mix” in him, and came to understand how that kind of mix could also apply to sled dogs.
(BTW, current rescue dog Stryder will “sing” almost every time he hears a fiddle or harmonica, or something high-pitched and squealy. But he just can’t howl.)
Yeah, they’re family — for sure. If we were younger, we’d probably have a team, but at our old age it’s just nice being here where we can see the dog teams go by. And once in a while we even get a little ride from mushing friends.
Bless their wonderful waggin’ tails.
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Absolutely – the dogs ARE the team. So much of the news coverage just focuses on who’s ahead. The real story is about things like who had to drop dogs and why, who is dealing with a female in heat, who has bigger but slower dogs vs. smaller/faster ….. and the weather, terrain, overflow ….. there is so much to be said in the coverage without even *mentioning* human beings!
Awww, do you want the Scotsman to get the Seppala award? I haven’t followed closely enough to have an opinion. But you’re probably right — it shouldn’t necessarily be one of the front-runners!
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@56 Non Sibi: WELCOME!!!! So glad Lovemydogs’ beautiful work brought you out of hiding!
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LMD –
You are priceless. Such immense thanks for these one-of-a-kind insider reports — over the whole race!
What a great comment on the food drops, dear lovemydogs. You brought cat lovers out of the closet! You brought lurkers out of the ether! Good job.
I remember a lot of organized chaos at the checkpoints. We were allowed to help our musher find the “food drop” location, but could not help after that. We couldn’t carry anything – but we sure could point at things and create our own handler sign language on the fly.
Another aspect that is so rich about this race, is actually in how it has changed over the years. The mushers used to be able to stay with friends at checkpoints, local families, “buds”, fans, whoever! In later years, this was considered to be an unfair advantage for the veteran mushers who made more friends along the way each year that they raced. Also, handlers could “handle” more, do more for their mushers than they can now.
With the growth of the race popularity and international interest, each year brings changes to the race rules in some form or other, mostly for the good. The scrutiny on the humanitarian side of the sport is high, even though it the sport itself is often misunderstood. However, some changes come from within – from the mushers themselves.
I’m glad Lance won this year, for that reason alone. Lance’s peers, at least some of them, felt he had an unfair advantage due to the use of medical marijuana. OK – exactly who, living where and on what planet, thinks someone is going to go faster on marijuana? Are they better able to deal with the sleep deprivation because the musher is having great revelations on his medical marijuana?
This was flat out ridiculous, and petty, and as much as I support so many of the increased safeguards for humans and dogs on this race, to me, this just looks like jealousy. ‘Nuff said !
@MUYS:
“OK – exactly who, living where and on what planet, thinks someone is going to go faster on marijuana?”
———–
EXACTLY!
Yup, ’nuff said!
yukonbushgrma, thanks for the welcome.
I actually do love dogs. I tend toward Really Big dogs [I am kind of Really Big myself], and somehow I can’t picture them playing with 13 cats…. But rescue isn’t species-specific, so … some time I am sure there will be one or more here.
@Non Sibi:
Heh, we once had a cat who was totally in love with our lab/collie mix. They went everywhere together. They laid out on the lawn, curled up right next to each other, soaking up the sun. They went for long jaunts together out in the woods. Best buds.
They’re both gone now. Really miss them.
What a great article. I could really feel the emotions of the sled runners and how the teams work. Thanks for bringing this info to us. I am really enjoying learning about this sport.
A few years ago I worked for Iceland Air. At a sales meeting I met the rep from Paris who was from Finland. It turns out her father raised sled dogs and had a business giving sled tours to tourists. Do people do that in Alaska too? I hate the cold and the snow more than anything, but reading these articles has made me think that someday in the future I might be up for a try at somthing like this ( Not the race. just a tour)
Thanks to eveyone who has posted this cool info.
Beautifully written and touching article. If fellow dog owners or other people ever wonder if the dogs are treated humanely, this article answers that question.
Talk about howling we now have two rat terriers and only the male howls and boy does he,we can even get him to howl bi howling our selves. Great article LMD with a very good look behind the scenes.
@64 Hmmmmm:
Of course people do sled dog tours up here! We have friends who do it, and they do a great job. They have very friendly, well-socialized dogs too — which is important when working with visitors. If you’re ever interested, PM me!
LoveMyDogs, you took my breath away with your posts. I’m home sick in bed in California, but you really made me want to be out on snow on a moonlit night. Good luck to all the teams still racing!