Americano Blue's musher/mushing chat thread

[Americano Blue]

So, Jax is smart. Good. Leader material. Good. I hope that works out.
I kyna envy your energy. I no longer have even half the drive I usta.
Yes, u have my full encouragement to live life to the fullest. It's very short. I'm almost in s panic that I'm crowding 60. I think sbout there is so much I would still like to do and I practically wasted 6 years of my life on booze and drugs. Then another 20 tryna be......nvm. Different story.
Anyway, Existing in fear of death is not living. Existing with an appreciation of life is living.

I'm glad Lightning is healed. I know what it's like to worry about the health of K9's.
And ya, Arrow too. I feel for you having to do what needed to be done to save her life. Kudos to you.

Raising rabbit for dogs is much simpler than for humans. Just bonk em on the head and "voila".....supper. On that note I would think you would have plenty of wild Snowshoe Hare around. U can just set snares and go early in the morn to check. Also, hVe you considered beaver?
Around here "Wolf and fam" live on that in spring. It's actually really good meat. Even for humans.
It seems to me you are active in many different area like school, extra curricular, mushing, etc, but snares can be done early in the AM before school. That's what I usta do. I only had 10 and I had to walk 1&1/2 miles round trip but it was for human eats. I spoze if I had to feed my dogs my line woulda been about 5miles and I would've taken a toboggan Hooked to a cpl K9'swith me though. Mind you I didn't have sprinters ....
And thanks for saying old Regal is handsome. He usta be btr looking but he's old and it had just rAined and HD got kyna dirty .

It got real warm here today. 101*F
in the shade....
My dogs are such good sports.
OMGoodness they were happy as pigs in poop to see fresh, cold water. Of course old Regal and Frosty were dry again. If I don't get out there by 9 I hear about it but they forgive me.
Just thot of sumthin, Clarify please, Jax...he the Sam?

Alaska.?? You're in Alaska ?
Summer vacation/work experience? If so..wow. Kooleos. Go u.

Jax is my Sam. Big, fluffy and white as snow. Gosh I love the way he looks. I got him thinking he would be a good wheel dog but he seems to like being in lead (or an only dog) a lot more. It will be a weird looking team this year, but I'm happy about it.

Yeah, rabbits for dogs is a lot easier. I don't think my parents realize that I really don't have to do all the crazy processing. And no, I don't live in Alaska (sadly) but I know folks up there and I've been there before, that's how I know about the misquotes.

It's been pretty hot here too. My lighter colored dogs don't seem to bothered (They don't like it by any means) but my poor black dogs. Golly I've moved them multiple times to try to get them the most shade I can. They drink more water than anyone else, even Jax (which is weird to me)

 

[Americano Blue]

Ooooooooops! Dono wut hapnd thr. After typing a veritable novel it ddn't show up. Try agn.

I would think that Jax would heat-up if he were running with Sprinter type dogs. His long coat would retain a ton of heat doncha think? Hey, did you try shaving him a bit then? About the team looking weird....so what. Some ppl say that bout me and I can outwork them anyday.
Yes rabbits are much better to feed than kibble.
,ya kibble is easier for us lazy or just plain "gettin old" ppl...but ... Rabbit is a small package of entire diet for a carnivore of Med/L Domestic K9. As I stated earlier tho', it's best served with extra fat. You know, actually 1 rabbit should do Jax and his size for a cpl days unless he's working. I mean working not just in exercise for 10 miles. This may sound awful to sum ppl but my dogs get fed every 2days and some times I'll skip 3or4 days. My dogs are sctually overweight for sled dogs. Geez!!!Max weighs almost 110lbs now. Burner weighs in @ 87whopping lbs and little wee Oreo is 49 lbs instead of the 33 she should weigh. The "birthday brood" males weigh on average 100 and the females about 70. They're all about 30-40% overweight. Mind you I haven't been exercising them. It's just been too blasted hot. Sooooooo....anyways.... Ya, rabbits... I just take scythe and go cut some fresh greens from the meadow to feed mine. Come fall I have a bunch for me and the fam as well as a cpl or 3 good meals for the dogs. Cheap...lotsa work but cheap. And nutritious. And delicious.
Ya eh "(sadly)". I'd love to live Alaska too. Or even Yukon. Or for that matter we can get some pretty darn remote places even just north of whee I live now. It'd be kinda like pioneer times. Just like the way my grandfather lived. "On the land, by the land"
With my dogs and summer heat, July & August are the worst. I have made teepee like structures for shade. I use 2x2's and plywood or OSB or posts and rails with cheap plastic tarps. I pay a buck for a 6x8@ Dollarama for the white ones. It sorta looks more like a "trekking pole" shelter. It's cheap, easy but does the job for a cpl months. ....f the wind don't get too crazy. But it's cheap to rebuild.
I also stir up the soil a bit and sometimes even throw a quart of cold water on it. The dogs dig into it and 'voila'! cool pit in the shade. Everything helps. Good luck my girl.

I'm thinking I am get Jax to do weight pulls or skijoring. That or I hook him up with my friend's big sib so their is some sort of even height between them lol. He does get hot really quickly so I am going to see about shaving his belly.
My parents said I can't do rabbits until next spring so it's off the butchers. I think that if you raised your dogs feeding them every other day or so it's fine. I mean, wild dogs and wolves and their likes aren't eating every night. We don't really have a wild rabbit population where I live so I can't trap. I might see if my friend can.

I've been using those plastic igloos for the dogs and i've decided that I spite them more than anything else. They break easily, they're bulky, and they aren't high enough off the ground for dirt and water and snow to not get in them. I've also switched chains and I'm really happy with the ones I have now. Still 10ft strands.

 

[RezChamp]

So for winter the doggie door faces north, the big opening faces east. The 2 outside(facing away to left and to ground)walls of doghouse are exposed to south and west for passive solar heating.The wall(upright on right) is north side blocking wind and snow from getting in house. So what you see facing you & a bit off to the left is actually the bottom.

The door is 10" off the floor to keep straw in and mud&snow out. The 2x2 door frame is pointed so no sharp edges to catch skin hair etc and to keep the chain from catching the plywood and ripping chunks out of it. There's also 2x2's around inside the door perimeter.

This chain is attached to 2x2 skids. These house weigh about 80lbs and although not heavy fo me they are somewhat cumbersome so pulling them around the kennel is easier than carrying. The chain hangs on a screw so it doesn't get frozen to ground and is safely stored do dogs are less likely to get tangled.
The houses are positioned in the west of circle. The dogs have plenty of tether for them to maneuver in the house but far enough away the chain can't "hang" them if they slip off the back or sides of roof.
Footprint of whole setup is 4ftX6ft, the house is 24"X24".
For bigger dogs I went up to 27"X27"
All heights are 24". Helps conserve heat. As well it helps conserve plywood.
Although most of the wood products I use are repurposed from landfill site.
This design works real well in my area.
Probably work not so bad with Blue.
I hope this is useful.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Wow that is an awesome design!

Also, out of curiosity, how come you don't put the chain in the ground in from of the house like I've seen some people do?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Thank you. I thought about it for quite a while then drafted it on paper so I could actually physically visualize the vision I had and . My wife helped me lots on this part.
I've tried many designs from elevated plastic barrels to igloo shaped plastic to regular doghouses to doghouses fashioned after mansions. IMO this is probably the smartest movable one as well as good usage of wood products . It's really good for my area anyhow.

I don't quite comprehend your question but I have a good idea what you intended to ask. Please fell free to correct me if I've assumed incorrectly.

The chains are attached, via a quicklink, to a 4ft piece of rebar driven into the ground. At the dog end I attached, also via a quicklink, a bull snap. This way the dogs have a 40ft (natural)circle. Their dishes sit on the ground on the sunny side of their house place at different 'quadrants' of their circle depending season.
The chrome twist-link chain you see is in the doghouse door just so it ain't laying on the ground. That way I know exactly where it is rather than look all over the place in the snow.

A plan is always a good thing! With my chicken coop we didn't really have one, just copied an idea we saw on here cause it was cheapest (though we modified a lot so it's not that cheap anymore lol) so some parts, like how to do the roof trusses, we messed up. We did figure it out but it probably would have been helpful to have a plan haha

And yeah, sorry, it auto corrected front to from. It was supposed to say in front of the dog house but you seem to have gotten my point and answered my question

It appeared from the pictures that the dog's chain was attached to the dog house or underneath rather than in ground but I think I got that part wrong?

 

[theuglyduckling]

I've often voiced,"The road to disaster is oft' paved with good intentions."
I know the people that did it. I've heard them say,"I love dogs so much."
I think they honestly believe they do. Their dogs are grossly overweight. These huskies are sinew & bone with skin stretched over it. Well, perhaps not that bad, but you get me eh?
And throwing bags of food on the ground in the kennel?!. There again, clueless I would suspect. Or at least I would hope so as opposed to knowing better then doing it anywsy. Cfsç
But ya bustin through the gate and driving in the lawn.... That'd get my goat right sure enough.

Yep I get ya. I have a neighbour that throws food over the fence to one of dogs. Must think its not fat enough but I retaliate by feeding him less sense they want to throw him food(he still gets fed). Lol saves me money

 

[RezChamp]

A plan is always a good thing! With my chicken coop we didn't really have one, just copied an idea we saw on here cause it was cheapest (though we modified a lot so it's not that cheap anymore lol) so some parts, like how to do the roof trusses, we messed up. We did figure it out but it probably would have been helpful to have a plan haha

And yeah, sorry, it auto corrected front to from. It was supposed to say in front of the dog house but you seem to have gotten my point and answered my question

It appeared from the pictures that the dog's chain was attached to the dog house or underneath rather than in ground but I think I got that part wrong?

yes. I've built many little projects with a "flexible" plan in my head. Being half"Injun" I have plenty of "injun"uity.
Yes, a cheap project apparently has its own life plans to become 'not cheap'.

I've actually seen chains attached to the house. I personally have my issues with that practice but I spoze 'to each his/her own'.
And yes, I was just scrolling down when I saw the original post and saw where you meant 'front'.

 

[RezChamp]

Yep I get ya. I have a neighbour that throws food over the fence to one of dogs. Must think its not fat enough but I retaliate by feeding him less sense they want to throw him food(he still gets fed). Lol saves me money

So a neighbor's 'good intentions' coupled with your observation actually saving cash.
Dang I wish my neighbors had those intentions and dumped 'meat packs' in my kennel come 'chow time'.

 

[RezChamp]

So next summer i think I wana get pet safe paint for the houses. I think I'm gona have each one a different color.
Lighter and darker shades of reds, blues, greens, greys/black-white, purples, oranges, yellows, neons, pastels.....
Ooooooooo, it's gona be purdy.
Well, it remains to be seen.

 

[ShrekDawg]

yes. I've built many little projects with a "flexible" plan in my head. Being half"Injun" I have plenty of "injun"uity.
Yes, a cheap project apparently has its own life plans to become 'not cheap'.

I've actually seen chains attached to the house. I personally have my issues with that practice but I spoze 'to each his/her own'.
And yes, I was just scrolling down when I saw the original post and saw where you meant 'front'.

Yeah, little projects are pretty easy to just start building but this was the first time we'd built something like this haha I think it turned out pretty well though.

Yup! The original called for OSB but that falls apart so we changed out the floor for pressure treated plywood, I forget exactly what thickness. And the walls and roof we did plywood sheathing so cheaper than regular plywood but still. And we made the base bigger (6x8) and used PT 2x6s. And we covered the walls with cement board clapboard pieces (though we found a ton of it in Craigslist cheap) and shingles on the roof, added windows and vents, etc etc sooo yeah.... it added up to "not cheap" pretty fast BUT it is still cheaper than most of the super fancy ones I've seen, we just did a really basic one. And it's not technically that expensive, just definitely more than the original lol and the actual coop is only 4x8. Then the extra little 2x8 section, half is the nest boxes, and half is kind of nothing right now

Yeah, I find that weird. Couldn't they get tangled?

And glad you found it ha

So next summer i think I wana get pet safe paint for the houses. I think I'm gona have each one a different color.
Lighter and darker shades of reds, blues, greens, greys/black-white, purples, oranges, yellows, neons, pastels.....
Ooooooooo, it's gona be purdy.
Well, it remains to be seen.

Oooohhhh that is an excellent idea