Americano Blue's musher/mushing chat thread

[RezChamp]

OMGoodness!!! The skeeters here are horrendous. I was wearing 2 loose fitting, light (weight and color) shirts and 2 light pants, put repellent on my hands and wore a screen(like a beekeeper's)hat. Them skeeters bit me right through my shirts right along the belt line and shoulder area. They also bit me several times on my hands, RIGHT THRU THE REPELLENT.
Thank goodness for my DOLLORAMA head screen.

It was really warm today and with these skeeters this eve ain't gona be no dry land rig goin down the road tonight. I feel sad for my K9's with this is crazy amount of bugs. I've gone through about 10or12 cans of repellent. Nothing works. Not even Wormwood this time.
As well the darn flies(many kinds)got the tips of my dogs' ears raw and/or scabbed. Axle grease, pine tar, homemade eco/bio-friendly repellent, polysporin, OFF, nothing's working for me this year. Not even wild sage. Dang it just irks me to see my dogs so chewed-up by bugs.
Anyone else got troubles with pests? Cures for the troubles with pests. (Willing to try just about anything now). Anybody training? What's your weather like?

 

[Americano Blue]

Blue.
Like your sled.
Very do-able for tweeking.
I would personally seek out a cpl spools of rawhide strips. Some ppl call it babiche. It's actually lighter than rope and it tightens as it dries. That part would be trial and error because if you tighten it too much as you're installing it it'll snap when it dries. Once it's dry though you just use marine varnish to keep water off of it. Are u gona install QCR. In my opinion it's probably gona be more practical, convenient and efficient for your application(racing) in the long run.
Re- the Sam... Ya, I hav a cpl too that won't sit still. Geez I love my dogs. (Hada thro tht in thr in a momnt of [mushy]appreciation). So any ways....
Re: job.... It's actually kinda sickening with all the political crap hoops I'm required to jump through to ascertain employment in some fields. I need a criminal records check and a child abuse registry check & to do that I need UTD photo ID's. All mine are expired. I had no idea that actually happened. The newer ones actually have expiry dates on them. The old ones didn't. I knew I should've kept.
But it still looks good for me. I ain't bragging but merely stating a fact when I say I'm close to a perfect candidate for this position.
(Get it? Just like 'I'm just too cool')

Cool! Thanks for the advice! Yeah I plan on getting some QCRs once I get paid. Truthfully, I got the second sled because my folks aren't okay with me going out alone. I have two friends that can handle a small team and are pretty fast learner. They've agreed to go out with me on some of the shorter trips earlier in the season. I'll probably run a 4 mile sprint this year, so once the race gets closer (So not until Jan really) I'll have to convince my folks to let me go alone. I'm excited to introduce Jax to the team, but I doubt he'll on the race team this year since. Good dog though. Smart thing. I've been teaching him just basic agility and he sure learns quick. Hoping to honestly get a leader out of him.

Whoops wrong button.
"stung on the eye"..? Right on the eyeball??! OMGoodness. That must've been agony. Ooooo he musta sang a song of agony eh. Aaaaaooooooooooooch!!
I think I can relate. I got stung just above my eyebrow once and it swelled my eye right shut and the whole right side of my face. But I would most certainly be in more pain if I got stung right on the eye lid or more so the eye ball. I actually got welding slag in my eyeball once. Aaaaaaaoooooooooooooch! Phew. I ddn't know I knew so many cussin words.
Meat rabbits. Yup. Good idea. You'll still need to add extra fat though. Dogs need fat. Especially in winter. If you know any butchers in the area that process for local hog, beef farmers/raisers and/or hunters I think they would probably accept a cpl $$ per box to seperate the bones away into just fat and meat trimmings.
Where I live there are a few. I got lucky last winter and found one that let me clear his freezer(big walk-in) for $5/box(60/100lbs). I got a lot of bones though. The dogs enjoyed the bones too but I needed to makes sure there no little 'riblettes' and/or any bones cut to a sharp point. Whether it's that or raising rabbits it's more work. Not hard or very heavy but more tedious. You've got my support/prayers/good thoughts on that endeavour. You'll create more character for yourself........than my lazy, 'entitled' daughters. (Love them but facts is facts) even though it's hard for me to accept they can't seem to love and appreciatte mushing and the work involved I accept partial responsibility for their love affair with the '9-5' culture.
Rock it Blue.
Gona try upload a cpl pix of Regal. 12 or 13 now. Mom was Pipoon,ArcticWolf/Qimmiq, dad was Borealis,Sibe/Qimmiq. He still wants to work but I just take him for walks/jogs now. He still can make pups, he's still really healthy taking into consideration how old he is in relation to bloodlines and size. I believe his health is due to the larger part of his diet being raw meat and his activity level(hardworking).

Lightening is all better! He got a bite on the inside of his eye lid some how. But he's back to his normal happy self! Arrow is all healed up too. I don't remember if I said I got her fixed. I'm not happy about it though. If it wasn't for her own health and safety I wouldn't have.

I do knew a few hunters, but I haven't seen them lately. I'll ask about that next time i run into them. My mom and I were talking about meat and I'm going to talk to some local butchers and see what they can do for me. My friends raise meat rabbits and they are teaching me all about the raising and butchering part. They eat their rabbits and mine will be for the dogs only, so some things are going to be a bit different. I really appreciate your support!

Oh golly, he's just gorgeous!

Yo Blue, I only just now noticed in your pix, there's a plant type,and lots of it, growing all around your sled. I call it Frog Leaf. It's good for a lot of thongs but 1 of the easiest is simply pick it fresh, kyna crush it by rolling it in your fingers and rub it on an insect bite. It relieves the itch and kyna sterilizes it. It's the kyna oblong one growing close the ground. It'll eventually get at least one spike with lotsa seeds growing up out of the middle of th plant where the leaf stalks confluence. My older sister(adopted) uses it in herbal mixtures for lotsa stuff. The vast majority of which I know little to none.
But ya, you can even use it on the dogs.

Huh, that's really cool. I'll keep that in mind.

regal is beautiful!

100% agree!

 

[Americano Blue]

OMGoodness!!! The skeeters here are horrendous. I was wearing 2 loose fitting, light (weight and color) shirts and 2 light pants, put repellent on my hands and wore a screen(like a beekeeper's)hat. Them skeeters bit me right through my shirts right along the belt line and shoulder area. They also bit me several times on my hands, RIGHT THRU THE REPELLENT.
Thank goodness for my DOLLORAMA head screen.

It was really warm today and with these skeeters this eve ain't gona be no dry land rig goin down the road tonight. I feel sad for my K9's with this is crazy amount of bugs. I've gone through about 10or12 cans of repellent. Nothing works. Not even Wormwood this time.
As well the darn flies(many kinds)got the tips of my dogs' ears raw and/or scabbed. Axle grease, pine tar, homemade eco/bio-friendly repellent, polysporin, OFF, nothing's working for me this year. Not even wild sage. Dang it just irks me to see my dogs so chewed-up by bugs.
Anyone else got troubles with pests? Cures for the troubles with pests. (Willing to try just about anything now). Anybody training? What's your weather like?

We have them pretty bad here too. I haven't been training though since it's been way too hot for them. Other than walks in the early morning or late afternoon
I know there's basically nothing that can repel the misquotes that they got up in Alaska. Honestly, I've stopped trying to repel them and just focused on treating the bites.

 

[RezChamp]

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.

 

[RezChamp]

Gona c if I cn gt sum pix of Birthday brood up. They b a tad more thn a yr&1/2. A little scruffy from shedding but dang good looking K9's.

 

[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)

 

[RezChamp]

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)[/QUOTE

Well Jax is probably hot. The breed comes from a land where it gets to -60*F for weeks st a stretch. The white does help a bit but I would think his genetics would have a lot to do with his wanting water to keep cool. Know what....try SowThistle juice/sap/milk. I know it helps to recooperate after passing out from too much heat. Actually maybe read up on it first. It's hard for me to describe how to use it bkuz it takes 2 long to type.
Have you shaved his belly?

Ya, I can relate....my darker dogs too...
I found some old plywood and OSB pieces where I usta work and made some teepee kinda things to make shade for my K9's bkuz where I have them there's no trees. They're in a sorta bayed-out point that protects the area from winter winds.
I remember an old man from here that usta mush about 25 years before I was born. We spent lots of time working together cutting pulp. In the evenings I'd listen to his stories. One time he said to me,"if you wana take the wild outa your dogs feed them rabbits. The whole thing. Even the fur and head. They'll have working power but that's it. No wild to fight and get crazy to play."
It took me years to get the whole ansr. There's no fat in rabbit. Pure raw protein. ......and of course vits&mins and some veggie matter in the digestive tract.
So...... Ya. Rabbit is good. Lotsa work feeding them. More especially if you feed them straight home/wild grown greens...as opposed to commercial bunny grower rations. But ya, rabbit is good dog food. However, you will hafta add fat. Especially for the short haired K9's.
If you think Jax is gona make it on a 20 miler then go for it. He will probably heat up tho'. But for Rec mushing or a smaller team going a tad slower than "sprint racing" he'd be great I think. SAMs are good dogs. Imtelligent, eager to please, pleasant, usually good with kids, good with stock, good work ethic..... ..but like I said, it was -50 to -60 winters that bred that breed.
Gee, I wish you well. I'm excited for you.

 

[RezChamp]

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.

 

[RezChamp]

Hey y'all. Does anyone know how to find all the pix we all had on this thread? Plz LMK ASAP
Thnx

 

[ShrekDawg]

Rez, I think your post showed up just quoted by accident! If you expand the quote you quoted your post should be in there somewhere! I feel bad you had to retype it all

As for pictures, I think there's an option like see all pictures in this thread or gallery or something like that and they should be there