Americano Blue's musher/mushing chat thread

[RezChamp]

We've been busy around here lately. Training dogs, getting the ranch ready for winter, training horses, etc.... It's hasn't been cold enough for snow lately. This week should though. We've got half an inch maybe, not enough for anything...

Rez: Your dogs are beautiful (or handsome ) as always! The shirts: if you order through the website I think they send the shirts directly to you. I'm not sure. I've been kinda just experimenting with designs...

Thank you as well. I wish I could've got a better pic of some of them so y'all would've had a better look at your namesakes.
I couldn't order from that site. I don't know why. Mind you like I said before I ain't really that good on computers and stuff.
I'll try again later this month. Probly after Xmas.
Darn it now I'm curious. Gona check it out again right away .

 

[RezChamp]

The dogs look so happy about the snow! 
We are suppose to get snow this Thursday. I'm working on getting some dogs from one of my friends so hopefully I get them before the snow. I'd love to take them out. 

We've been getting dusted with snow lately. Melts before we can ever hope for more. Hopefully the snow will hit us both soon.  

Ya, they're pretty darn happy for sure. Me too. I even went out with small snowshoes today to pack down some areas where it's really wet. It'll freeze by Wednesday .
What kinda dogs? Alaskans? Or Seppellas?
Gee this little misimokoman is nuts. She just wants to go go go. I bet if you put a decent Alaskan into her or even a Seppella you would have some haulin-A pullers.
I was just checking the forecast here. We are apparently getting upwards of another 3"s of snow. Suits me. I hope y'all get some too. It's kinda slack tryna mush with no snow now indeed with water(recently melted snow) laying all over. Let's all pray we get some cooler weather more condusive to miners. Be specific though. We don't want blizzards and -50 or -60.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Thanks. I work hard at keeping my dogs as healthy as I can. Your compliment have my ego a little boost there.
The one laying down is pipoon. She is the matriarch of the pack. She is 9 now. No more babies from her. I just sled with her when we ain't goin far.
She's treated kind of like a celebrity now.

That's wonderful!, they definitely look healthy and happy and i love the longer chains too, most you see have much shorter ones.

And aww that's awesome! She seems like a nice, silly, sweet dog haha

 

[RezChamp]

That's wonderful!, they definitely look healthy and happy and i love the longer chains too, most you see have much shorter ones.

And aww that's awesome! She seems like a nice, silly, sweet dog haha

Ya. She is a sweetheart. And she is nice. But she is far from silly. She actually very smart. She just knows how to play me. I just love her and I think she knows it.

Yes the chains are long. Most are 20feet and some are 16. I very much dislike kennels. They are confining and segregating. The efficient and structurally strong I]square[/I] construction is unnatural to a dog. Also it would have to be topped and bottom lined to prevent escape, which pretty much any husky will do and in some instances kill themself by getting hung up somehow. It happened to me a couple of times. Now I have about 800-900 feet of chain link (of different lengths) rolled up and just sitting on racks(so they don't get grown over with grass).
I believe tethering my dogs helps them to stay in touch with their neighbors and my children and grandchildren don't leave gate latches( the ones they can reach) open causing escaped dogs. So my dogs actually have more exposure to real life on tether rather than kenneled. It's also quite a bit cheaper.
The last 2 kennels I had were dismantled this summer. I may erect another if I choose to have any breeding to happen.
I've never liked kennels but chose to follow other peoples' wishes and/or instructions. I always felt it was not natural and it would cause problems.
Now I know as opposed to feeling it.

 

[RezChamp]

Re: my earlier post about being specific when we pray....
I guess I wasnt specific
We have a pretty good wind blowing the heavily falling snow. It's practically a blizzard. Thank goodness it's -3*C to -4*C and not -20*C.

Kinda funny because after me saying to be specific I wasn't.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Ya. She is a sweetheart. And she is nice. But she is far from silly. She actually very smart. She just knows how to play me. I just love her and I think she knows it.

Yes the chains are long. Most are 20feet and some are 16. I very much dislike kennels. They are confining and segregating. The efficient and structurally strong I]square[/I] construction is unnatural to a dog. Also it would have to be topped and bottom lined to prevent escape, which pretty much any husky will do and in some instances kill themself by getting hung up somehow. It happened to me a couple of times. Now I have about 800-900 feet of chain link (of different lengths) rolled up and just sitting on racks(so they don't get grown over with grass).
I believe tethering my dogs helps them to stay in touch with their neighbors and my children and grandchildren don't leave gate latches( the ones they can reach) open causing escaped dogs. So my dogs actually have more exposure to real life on tether rather than kenneled. It's also quite a bit cheaper.
The last 2 kennels I had were dismantled this summer. I may erect another if I choose to have any breeding to happen.
I've never liked kennels but chose to follow other peoples' wishes and/or instructions. I always felt it was not natural and it would cause problems.
Now I know as opposed to feeling it.

She seems like a wondeful dog! And ahh, I bet she does know it lol my dog I admit is spoiled and plays us. We actually really should work on training him out of some stuff and are starting to. For example, he loves being petted and if you stop, he will perk up and look right at you with a look on his face he knows we can't resist LOL now that particular one is cute. But thebad one is he also lays on the floor grumbling for attention sometimes and gets louder and louder but if you didn't, he used to just shutbuo eventually. Now he gets progressively louder until he's barking at you. Not good and hard to ignore. Sometimes he does it if we're watching TV or something too. But then he usually gets sassy too and scoots back and snaps the air and stuff (a cute sassy and also playful behavior depending on situation) but also grabs your arm and pull you (dad encouraged that). Well now he barks then too if you ignore him. It's obnoxious. Heck, he barks when you tell him he can't have what you're eating too.

Long story short, he used to just beg or ask for attention and if he didn't get it, that was that, but now he barks and gets "mad" lol begging he has done that bit for a while, he progressed to getting sassy, now he added barking.

So I guess the next step is back tracking and teaching that barking for what he wants is NOT cool. And he is a BIG dog so his bark is deafening.

Now that said, often he has to go to the bathroom and that's how my dad started encouraging it but we gotta get him some bells to ring or something haha

Anyway, not sure how I got to this topic lol, but I think dogs can definitely know they are cute or loved or spoiled in our case and manipulate you hahaha

As for silly, Gator is very smart too but he is also silly/goofy, not dumb but like funny, lots of personality. Like the sass thing, if he can't go for a ride or walk or wants to play, etc. He scoots backward and snaps the air and makes noises and generally talks back. Lol and when he goes outside in the summer he usually always rolls around in the grass first. And often when he wants to play or is just feeling cute he rolls around on the couch or bed too and looks at you with a certain look and spark in his eye and his little snaggle tooth he gets when he's upside down and his tooth catches on his lips, it's adorable and hilarious. And he LOVES being laughed at, he does it to make us laugh I think, so he looks to see if you are looking snd if you laugh, keeps doing it. I love dogs LOL

So I just thought maybe she was rolling around in the snow having a good time

As for the chains, yeah, I agree, kennels are unnatural. It's like a jail cell and far less space.

And I've (proper) tethering for pit bulls and some other breeds as 15 to 20 feet of chain minimum and I think that's what it should be, it provides so much room, far more than a kennel, crate, or even a room of a house. Yet for some reason, sled dog chains tend to be around 8. I don't really get it but I guess it's to pack more dogs into a yard??

I have also seen chain free operations but I only saw one or two and one was a touring operation. I doubt it would work with tons of dogs. I can see why some don't do it because there could be fights.

Sorry you lost dogs

One kennel we left ours at said to take his choke off (and he doesn't wear a regular collar) cause he could get caught. Although this time they let him keep it on, same kennel, so idk. But with no collar probably less likely to get hung but taking a collar on and off every time you work them is probably a huge pain especially with lots of dogs. Plus even with collar, a dog could squeeze under or over something and still find a way to hang themselves or otherwise get killed or escape.

So tethering to me seems much better

 

[ShrekDawg]

At least you're getting some snow? Lol

 

[Americano Blue]

Ya, they're pretty darn happy for sure. Me too. I even went out with small snowshoes today to pack down some areas where it's really wet. It'll freeze by Wednesday .
What kinda dogs? Alaskans? Or Seppellas?
Gee this little misimokoman is nuts. She just wants to go go go. I bet if you put a decent Alaskan into her or even a Seppella you would have some haulin-A pullers.
I was just checking the forecast here. We are apparently getting upwards of another 3"s of snow. Suits me. I hope y'all get some too. It's kinda slack tryna mush with no snow now indeed with water(recently melted snow) laying all over. Let's all pray we get some cooler weather more condusive to miners. Be specific though. We don't want blizzards and -50 or -60.

I think they're Sepella Alaskans. I might just lease some again. I'm looking for older leaders right now. Arrow isn't turning out to be a leader, but she certainly loves running wheel and swing.

Ya. She is a sweetheart. And she is nice. But she is far from silly. She actually very smart. She just knows how to play me. I just love her and I think she knows it.

Yes the chains are long. Most are 20feet and some are 16. I very much dislike kennels. They are confining and segregating. The efficient and structurally strong I]square[/I] construction is unnatural to a dog. Also it would have to be topped and bottom lined to prevent escape, which pretty much any husky will do and in some instances kill themself by getting hung up somehow. It happened to me a couple of times. Now I have about 800-900 feet of chain link (of different lengths) rolled up and just sitting on racks(so they don't get grown over with grass).
I believe tethering my dogs helps them to stay in touch with their neighbors and my children and grandchildren don't leave gate latches( the ones they can reach) open causing escaped dogs. So my dogs actually have more exposure to real life on tether rather than kenneled. It's also quite a bit cheaper.
The last 2 kennels I had were dismantled this summer. I may erect another if I choose to have any breeding to happen.
I've never liked kennels but chose to follow other peoples' wishes and/or instructions. I always felt it was not natural and it would cause problems.
Now I know as opposed to feeling it.

What size chains do you use? I mean like the links. The one's I've been using have been breaking on me lately so I need to get a new chaining system. (Probably need some car axles too...)

 

[Americano Blue]

She seems like a wondeful dog! And ahh, I bet she does know it lol my dog I admit is spoiled and plays us. We actually really should work on training him out of some stuff and are starting to. For example, he loves being petted and if you stop, he will perk up and look right at you with a look on his face he knows we can't resist LOL now that particular one is cute. But thebad one is he also lays on the floor grumbling for attention sometimes and gets louder and louder but if you didn't, he used to just shutbuo eventually. Now he gets progressively louder until he's barking at you. Not good and hard to ignore. Sometimes he does it if we're watching TV or something too. But then he usually gets sassy too and scoots back and snaps the air and stuff (a cute sassy and also playful behavior depending on situation) but also grabs your arm and pull you (dad encouraged that). Well now he barks then too if you ignore him. It's obnoxious. Heck, he barks when you tell him he can't have what you're eating too.

Long story short, he used to just beg or ask for attention and if he didn't get it, that was that, but now he barks and gets "mad" lol begging he has done that bit for a while, he progressed to getting sassy, now he added barking.

So I guess the next step is back tracking and teaching that barking for what he wants is NOT cool. And he is a BIG dog so his bark is deafening.

Now that said, often he has to go to the bathroom and that's how my dad started encouraging it but we gotta get him some bells to ring or something haha

Anyway, not sure how I got to this topic lol, but I think dogs can definitely know they are cute or loved or spoiled in our case and manipulate you hahaha

As for silly, Gator is very smart too but he is also silly/goofy, not dumb but like funny, lots of personality. Like the sass thing, if he can't go for a ride or walk or wants to play, etc. He scoots backward and snaps the air and makes noises and generally talks back. Lol and when he goes outside in the summer he usually always rolls around in the grass first. And often when he wants to play or is just feeling cute he rolls around on the couch or bed too and looks at you with a certain look and spark in his eye and his little snaggle tooth he gets when he's upside down and his tooth catches on his lips, it's adorable and hilarious. And he LOVES being laughed at, he does it to make us laugh I think, so he looks to see if you are looking snd if you laugh, keeps doing it. I love dogs LOL

So I just thought maybe she was rolling around in the snow having a good time

As for the chains, yeah, I agree, kennels are unnatural. It's like a jail cell and far less space.

And I've (proper) tethering for pit bulls and some other breeds as 15 to 20 feet of chain minimum and I think that's what it should be, it provides so much room, far more than a kennel, crate, or even a room of a house. Yet for some reason, sled dog chains tend to be around 8. I don't really get it but I guess it's to pack more dogs into a yard??

I have also seen chain free operations but I only saw one or two and one was a touring operation. I doubt it would work with tons of dogs. I can see why some don't do it because there could be fights.

Sorry you lost dogs

One kennel we left ours at said to take his choke off (and he doesn't wear a regular collar) cause he could get caught. Although this time they let him keep it on, same kennel, so idk. But with no collar probably less likely to get hung but taking a collar on and off every time you work them is probably a huge pain especially with lots of dogs. Plus even with collar, a dog could squeeze under or over something and still find a way to hang themselves or otherwise get killed or escape.

So tethering to me seems much better

Most mushers use shorter chains (especially racing kennels) because they feel that the dogs don't need that much room since they are going on long runs almost daily, if not daily. Since they are getting used so much, the dogs tend to just sleep, eat, and rest while they are chained. It also keeps certain dogs that want to fight (Mainly females) farther apart. Being able to put more dogs in an area is a bonus usually. Now, theses are just the things I've heard from other mushers I've talked too, not my own.

I agree with the kennel. Training collars such as chokes and prong collars are made to use only during showing or obedience training. When they are used for the purpose of a normal collar is when you get the stories of dogs choking to death or getting stabbed by the prongs.

 

[Americano Blue]

“Is tethering any worse than crating 8 – 10 hours per day, a common practice among dog owners? Is having a single dog in your home better than a group living environment? These are the types of questions I ask myself.”

https://craigmedred.news/2016/12/04/sled-dogs-nets-win/