Retirement Home

Last good byes

Isis and Tukisi in their new pen

Tukisi and Isis has been wonderful members of our team and then were retired a couple of years ago. Since then, they have not been able to run with the team but have spent much time every day during the off season, running free in our fenced enclosures. They have needed much more stimulation that, due to the needs of the other dogs and the schedule of the musher, we haven't been able to supply. We decided quite a while ago that if the proper retirement home came up, we would place them. It did!

Genevieve, a long time friend living north of Winnipeg, Manitoba was Tukisi's breeder 10 years ago. When discussing with her what would be best for the dogs, she agreed to provide them both with a retirement home. Genevieve and her husband live on 640 acres in the Canadian bush with 22 Canadian Inuit Dogs. There are numerous trails running through their land that the dogs get to run on in groups every other day. Each group of dogs gets a huge pen. Tukisi and Isis would get a 50'x50' enclosure to call their own and a huge dog house with a covered front porch. (Michael is very handy with his chainsaw sawmill.) I was so excited that our two retired Inuit Dogs would get what they needed and more in their older years and so sad that I wasn't in a position to give it to them myself. It is about the dogs first and foremost.

Neil and I drove Tukisi and Isis up to Grand Forks, North Dakota on Saturday to meet Genevieve halfway. Isis has been to visit Genevieve before and Tukisi spent the first weeks of his life in her care. She seemed familiar to both of them and Tukisi cuddled up to her right away.

Isis and Tukisi will be missed at Points Unknown kennel but we know that they are in good hands, living good lives.

Arkansas Visitor

Mom with grand dogs, Topa and White Feather

Look at those long legs on Topa!

Our craft fair booth

Last week, my mom flew up from Arkansas for a visit and to participate in a large craft fair where we would be sharing a booth. We sold our Scent from Nature; 100% Pure Beeswax Candles, (which helps support the Points Unknown sled dogs), her award-winning quilts and my Dad's wood turned items. Our dog handler, Chris, took excellent care of the dogs while we were away, as usual. With Zulu's demadex and White Feather's tremor issues, it was nice to know they would be in good hands.

Long story short, we determined very quickly that the craft fair wasn't the proper venue for our items. All wasn't lost, we still had a very nice visit and Mom got to see the granddogs again which included the now 11 week old puppies!

It was White Feather and Topa's first time in a harness just the other day. Both took turns in harness as Mom and I walked them on leashes around the property. I think we've got ourselves some more naturals here! They took to it right away and made no issue of the new experience.

A Day at the Vet

Poor Zulu!

White Feather and Topa

Last Thursday turned out to be a very difficult one. The night prior, White Feather had her puppy class and did exceptionally well, all except for about a half of dozen, almost indistinguishable head tremors. It took me a few times to actually pick up on what was going on they were so mild. A head tremor is not a seizure. It is, in her case, a split second bobbing of the head almost like a bobble head doll. It didn't interrupt her function and otherwise she is acting completely normal.

Thankfully, for observation sake, she did this again in front of the vet the next morning. Blood work was draw which subsequently came back normal. All the research that has been done and that has come from all of the wonderful people I have been in contact with tells me that the most likely scenario is related to her recent vaccination and it is something that will just go away.

What can happen if a vaccination is given when there is still immunity is an outward expression of this oversupply in the dog's system. I have had it expressed in the form of an autoimmune flesh eating disease and an autoimmune hepatitis years ago and as a result, changed our vaccination protocol but I have not seen it in the form of head tremors. How can an 8 week old pup have an oversupply of immunity? It is called maternal immunity and it is carried on from the mother for several weeks of the puppies' lives. The understanding has been that it expires about the time a first shot should be given at approximately 8 weeks. If this is the cause, then we can assume that she still had her maternal immunity.

There is still research to be done and White Feather is being watched very closely. For the next few weeks she will be kept out of situations that may cause stress such as puppy class and we are hopeful that it will resolve on its own.

Taking White Feather to the vet happened in the morning that day. We ended up taking another trip to the vet that afternoon. I had been gone for a couple of hours to run errands and returned to find Zulu's front legs bright red and missing patches of fur. Fairly sure this was another one of his demadex issues, off to the vet we went. Demadex is a mite that all dogs carry but it only expresses itself when the immune system is down. Zulu came to us with undiagnosed lyme disease at the age of five which is an overall stress on his system and ever since then has had this affliction just about every year at this time or in early winter. He was given prednisone and an injection of Ivermectin. In two weeks we go back for another Ivermectin injection and in a few days he will be tapered of the predisone which is a steroid that helps the itching and swelling and he should be back to his old self.

Puppy Nanny in Training

Tuloon with Topa and Zala with White Feather

Observing

Zala, still almost a puppy herself, gets silly with the pups.

A bonding moment with Topa

Zulu has just about had it with the puppies getting under foot but continues to be patient.

Since Sweet Pea resigned on the spot recently, Zala has been learning the ropes from Tuloon on how to be a puppy nanny. Very soon, the puppies will need to be separated so that I can work with them individually and they can bond to me more than they are now bonded to each other. When I do this, I want to make certain they each have a reliable adult to teach them and look after them. The pups will then be rotated between Zala and Tuloon until they are fully bonded with me. I do have a bond with each pup, however it goes as far as their interest level at the moment. If the other pup is doing something more interesting, then off they go. Once this new depth of bonding has ocurred, then they can be back together and likely will be big enough to live in a small pack with a couple of other older, mellow dogs.

Canicross Hike 2009: Minnewashta Regional Park

Our new hiker team. It's a Newfy pup!

Oken and Phoenix

Temps were in the low 60s today but quickly heated up with just a tad of humidity in the air which made it too hot for the dogs too soon. Our hike was relatively short today but were very excited to welcome a new hiker team. Sue and her 7 month old Newfoundland joined us. Wilson caught on almost right away. A very important component of the hikes that makes it successful for new dogs is that the dogs learn quickly from each other rather than trying to figure out what their owner wants them to do. This makes it easier for the owner then to reinforce the behavior that they want and put a command to it. When you think about it, it would be like trying to listen to directions on how to complete a task in a foreign language. Wouldn't watching it be done first be so much easier?

Dogs are smart and can pick up quickly by watching. Be careful, however, because they can also pick up behavior you might not want just the same way!

Canicross Hike 2009: Afton State Park

Oken got to go!

Our new hikers

Conan has become well known for his love of water.

Two German Sled Dogs!

Last month our Canicross Hiking Club visited Afton State Park. Temps were in the low 60s and it was bright and sunny. How lucky we were to have had two German Shepherds along on this hike!

Reminiscing

Zulu at 6 years old, just having lead us into the BWCA from the Crane Lake entry.

Zulu at nearly 13 years old, staked out next to the cabin just before being brought in for the night.

As I sit at my computer sorting through photos from last winter season with, now 13 year old, Zulu laying at my feet, I can't help but reminisce about the times when Zulu was at his working peak.

Zulu was quite the handsome and majestic specimen of a dog; long legs, thick weather resistant coat, keen senses, mild temperament and great intelligence. Zulu had amazing innate abilities as a sled dog and leader. The knowledge he possessed about being out on the trail trickled down to me little by little over the years. He was a true mentor and I often felt humbled by what he would teach me.

Zulu still has the long legs, but he is a little less sure on them as arthritis has set in. He's got the amazing thick weather resistant coat but it's a bit more coarse and brittle than it used to be although he does look quite good for his age. His intelligence hasn't faded. His mind has just shifted from thoughts and analysis about the dog yard and trail to how to get the best spot on the couch in the sun room and which way to lead us on leashed walks through the nearby meadow. He is still so gentle that toddlers and young children are able to tug on his coat, coo over him and pet him as he soaks it all in. Although his hearing is still impeccable, (This dog can hear a cracker drop on the kitchen floor from the other end of the house!) his eyesight is fading. If his crate is moved a couple of inches either way, he could miss is completely. He knows exactly where everything is in the back yard and overcompensates for known obstacles to make certain his not so agile legs are able to successfully clear the object and he doesn't fall on his nose.

In his old age he continues to humble me with his teachings. Please be patient with me. Slow down. What's the hurry? It's been a life with Zulu of never ending lessons. As he continues to age, I am quite certain he has more great things in store for me.