Early Winter Skies Over Oake Lake

Wood Cutting and Little Dog Coats

Trying to beat the snow....

Topa and White Feather hide behind the dog house at the sight of Blue in his winter gear.

What a little cutie.

They come out of hiding to investigate

Copper remains dignified

We rushed to tackle the big pile of wood that needed to be cut before the snow came. Neil had attended a five day Chainsaw Safety and Operation class while in the UK and put his new found skills to work. We didn't finish the pile before the snow but did put a nice dent in it.

The cold came before the snow and not much snow at that. We're still waiting for our fair share. In the extreme cold temps, even though I don't like to treat my little dogs like "little" dogs, they do need some special attention to make sure they remain warm. They aren't built like the sled dogs and don't have anywhere near the coat. When temps dropped below zero, Copper and Blue needed their boots to keep their feet from freezing and gathering ice balls. We decided to also put their coats on to see how the puppies would react to the sight. It was as if a spaceship had dropped off aliens in the backyard when Topa and White Feather saw the little dogs all decked out in their winter gear for the first time! Those puppies began to bark and ran to the other side of the kennel to hide behind the dogs houses! This set Blue off and he began to bark, not knowing that all of the ruckus was about him. As Blue stepped away from the kennel, the puppies came out of hiding to investigate at the entrance to the kennel, still being very cautious as they were quite concerned about the alien beings that still remained in the yard.

Topa & White Feather; Nearly 6 Months Old!

Topa and White Feather from the recent Tuloon/McKenzie litter are now nearly 6 months old!

Topa weighed 49.8lbs. What a big puppy!

White Feather wasn't far behind at 46.8lbs.

First Run on Snow!

That's my boy Klaus!

The 2007 puppies lead on the lake.

Oken and Zala are not followers. They like to make their own trail.

Klaus, Zodiak and Sweet Pea

Temps have been well below zero at night for a few weeks now, making Oake Lake safe to run a dog team. All we needed was some snow! It was the perfect set up, really. If we were to have gotten loads of snow right away, the ice would be well insulated and may not have thickened as much as it has. We have a solid 6-8 inches of ice which is more than enough. Snow..... well, we got a couple inches last week and maybe a couple more just a few days ago. Not nearly enough to run a big team. And to add insult to injury, it was light fluffy snow and we can't set a snow hook to anchor down the team. Instead of whine about it, we decided to do all we could; take small teams out on the lake and plan to use our studded drag pads instead of our bar brakes to slow down and to attempt to stop them because the bar brake wouldn't do us much good on ice.

Our first run was with two teams of three. Better safe than sorry under conditions that haven't been tested. Klaus lead the first team and got to set the trail on the virgin snow. Zodiak and Sweet Pea were his back-up in wheel. Behind us was Neil with his team. Oken and Zala lead with McKenzie in wheel. The 2007 Tuloon/Bazil pups (Oken, Zala and Zodiak) haven't been out on Oake Lake before. We have had to leave for our up north winter adventures before the lake was safe for travel. A new adventure for the now 2 year old pups! The run began well. Not much to keep the team slow until we hit the edges of the lake where the snow had drifted. Slush was abundant and made for good training for the pups. New this year was an attempt to pass the house, go around a small island in front of the house and come back to our hook-up point from the north instead of the south. Big training moment. Klaus, being the veteran and having headed home from the south most often in the past just didn't want to grasp the new direction. Lots of deep breaths on the musher's part and lots of failed attempts on the leader's part finally got us there and we were no worse for the wear.

After a short rest, the second run became another story. Lots of wear at the beginning with a fabulous ending. Since we ended up doing more work on the lake than anticipated with only three dogs, we decided to take out four dog teams for this run. Phoenix and Journey would be leading the teams with Ilu and Icoa in wheel. Neil would have Klaus and Oken in lead and Tuloon and Zala in wheel. Much was considered when making dog placements. Three of Neil's had already gone so it would be best if they were behind the fresh team. Phoenix and Journey needed to be in front as I had been anxiously awaiting my time to do some open country leading with them this season.

I gave Neil the signal that I was ready to go. He released his team just a second before mine. Mine saw his team and went the wrong direction. They then corrected with voice command and met Neil's team on the lake. Literally. Instead of taking the right they took a left and headed directly for Neil's team. At that moment, it dawned on me that I had left one very important consideration out of the mix when planning teams. Tuloon was in standing heat and Phoenix looses all ability to grasp reality and becomes a testosterone zombie. Too late. Now we've got two teams in a tangle. What a sight this must have been! Neil did an awesome job of controlling his team, who then wanted to turn around and head back to the hook up area when it saw my team coming head on. Geez. Phoenix, at this time, is oblivious to everything that is going on. Oblivious even to the fact that Ilu is getting angry that he continues to get the team into a tangle and begins to snap at him. Deep breath. Neil gets his team turned around first and begins to head down the trail. Then a light bulb goes off for Phoenix when he realizes that Tuloon is now headed down the trail and he had better try to catch her. Alright, change of plans, Neil is now in lead and we are following right on his heels because I am barely able to hold back my testosterone intoxicated lead dog.

Of course, just when you think things should go smoothly...... Klaus and Oken decide to test Neil and take him off on a new adventure, making a different trail that leads to something they saw running along the shore. Phoenix does take the commands I give him but then the testosterone pull leads him back the opposite way and in search of Tuloon. Journey is just plain confused by all of this as she obediently tries to take the proper commands. Gaining control of the team, Neil gets them back on track and away we go! I spent the remainder of the run with my full weight on the studded drag pad. With Phoenix pulling as hard as he was, it felt like a much larger team.

As we pass under the railroad bridge, we are close to the end of our journey. Neil attempts to get Klaus and now Tuloon (Oken was switched to wheel when he continued to make issues out of passing through slush) to go to the right and past the house as we did on our first run with Klaus. And if you recall, I had one heck of a time doing it during the first run. After a second "gee" command, Neil's leaders took the right and went smoothly around the island and returned to the house from the north. Excellent! Now all I had to do was to get Phoenix and Journey to continue on to our hook up area versus following the other team. One "haw" command and Phoenix took it and followed through! The hard run must have cleared his head of thoughts of Tuloon. It was a wonderful end to a very trying first run of the season on snow.

In the excitement I had lost my mitten out on the lake so the puppies got a fun canicross hike out with us to retrieve it. At the same time, we set another trail around the island for leader training during our next run.

For Neil's second dog sledding season, he did an excellent job with his teams today even amidst all of the chaos. And he got to be in the leading team!

Leader Training (Videos at End of Post)

Our latest run was dedicated to leader training for each of our eleven working dogs. Every dog in the Points Unknown kennel gets a chance to lead during our women's winter adventures when we first introduce the dogs and a sled to our participants. The first introduction consists of two dogs and a small sled. The majority of the dogs don't get much time leading a whole team, however and we wanted to work that into their skill set this season. We try our dogs in lead during their first very short puppy runs. This gives us some insight as to which way to go with their training from there and it gives them the chance, early on, to see what its like in the front. If it works the way we want it to, it becomes a good memory they quickly access when placed up in leader when they are old enough to actually be a full working member of the team.

White Feather and Topa will get their first taste of leading with one of our veteran leaders, in just a few weeks when we head up to Minnesota's northwoods for the holidays. During our latest run, they stayed in the truck and waited for us to return.

Each dog did an amazing job in lead. We couldn't have asked for a better job out of any of them.

Klaus - Excellent as always.

Oken - He's been heavily training in lead since he was 10 months old.

Tuloon - Back in lead after a partial season of Princess disorder. ("I think I'll go where I'd like to go so just hang on and deal with it")

Zala - This year's training has her focusing on lead.

Zodiak - He's grown up enough now to trust a little more up front. His line is quarter bouncing tight now he just needs a tad more focus. (Please, let's not follow the squirrel down the ravine, Zodiak)

Phoenix - Excellent drive and taking commands like a pro.

Journey - Ditto to Phoenix.

Sweet Pea - What has gotten into her this year?! She is actually excited about going and doesn't just act as though she's patronizing us. She had never vocalized after being harnessed before but now she is. She also did a superb job in lead and did so with great confidence, which she has been lacking in the past.

Icoa - She hasn't lead in front of a larger team for a few years. She remembered and was frankly awesome.

Ilu - He was the one that most surprised us. The last time he was in front of a larger team he was still immature. He did well while running but when stopped he would begin to be the goofy boy he is and try to socialize and go see this over there and that over here, etc. Our training objectives after his initial introduction to lead were not to work on all dogs in lead. We had to go another direction with our training at that time. Up in lead, off we go. When we stopped, he commanded our respect as he stood there so majestically. One reminder to stay still when stopped was all it took. What a great job, Ilu!

McKenzie - He came to us in the spring of 2008 at 7 years old. We have hesitated to put too much pressure on him by placing him in lead until he had fully settled in. He now has and we got to see what he is capable of doing. In wheel, we have had some training issues with him since his arrival. He gets so excited that he lunges into his harness but before he does that, he winds up by pulling back on his neckline and pulling the gangline of dogs ahead of him back too. We've made some progress on this item and were wondering how being in front would affect this tendency. Up he went and to our delight, there was no lunging and no winding up. He maintained a tight line with eyes straight ahead on the trail. We did discover, however, that McKenzie is an extreme lefty. Poor Sweet Pea tried her hardest to pull him to the right but just didn't have enough power. She tried so hard to stay "gee over" and kept looking back as if to say "I'm trying! I'm trying! I'm really trying!". So as not to affect her positive experience in lead, we put McKenzie back in wheel after he had made a very good attempt at a "gee over" (Always end on a good note) and let Phoenix end the run in lead with Sweet Pea.

Our training focus for the next run will be passing. Chris will come along with his team and we'll practice minding your own business when being passed by a team, coming head on to another team or running along side another team.

Topa and White Feather Updates

Photo by Rich Baker

Lexie and J.J. spend some time with the pups

Another puppy run

Topa is actually taller than Tuloon at this point, however in the photo is on a side hill, making her appear shorter.

The two 5 month old Tuloon/McKenzie pups continue to grow. Topa is the largest of the two and has longer legs. She has been going through a cautious stage, stepping back momentarily from people she doesn't know very well. The "naughty" stage began as well. This includes running the other direction when called. This usually lasts about a month until it is nipped in the bud through training. White Feather appears to have her half sister Journey's build so far, which is a little beefier with more proportionate legs. White Feather is more attentive at this stage but still very much a pup on her own mission. Both have excellent dense coats.

To keep them on their toes during our Thanksgiving travels, Rich came over to visit and brought J.J. and Lexie. They spent some quality time playing in the back yard together. Shortly after we arrived home, we took the dogs out for a run and did another very short puppy run to make sure these pups continue to be introduced to fun experiences while in harness.

Winter just arrived with temps down into the teens at night so the dogs houses have been filled with straw. This morning we awoke to ice on the lake with a light covering of snow. As I look out the window, I see our Trumpeter Swan family trying to make their own channels as they swim through and then walk on the thin ice. Looking back at the calendar, this scene occurred in early November last year. We're hoping that we catch up soon and that the winter soon brings good ice and deep snow. This will be the puppies' first winter!

Thanksgiving Travels

These aren't sled dogs! Copper and Pip take a spin around the living room. I've never thought of Copper as a big dog before I saw him next to Pip!

Nephew, Andy, helps prepare the traditional yam and apple dish.

All six dogs are in there somewhere!

Garvan Woodland Gardens lights

Neil took some great photos of the lights.

Our Thanksgiving travels included a visit to some old friends in Iowa on our way down to visit family in Arkansas. After my father's 30+ years of service with the USDA Forest Service, my parents decided to stay in the Hot Springs area for retirement. We'll talk them into moving up to the snow sooner or later! Unfortunately it was too warm and an unnecessary journey for all of the sled dogs so they stayed home and hung out with our handler, Chris while Neil, Copper, Blue, Zulu and I drove the over 1700+ mile round trip journey.

It was Zulu's first warm weather "vacation" as a retired sled dog. He understood being let out of his crate every so often for a quick run around before being put back in and heading back out on the road. What he didn't quite seem to understand was the warm temperatures and lack of snow at our destination. After a bit of disorientation and a "walk through" of the large fenced yard at our destination with Neil so this mostly blind retired leader could get his bearings, he took to being away quite well and enjoyed exploring a new area with the little dogs.

We've got a dog family and six of them were in attendance at the Thanksgiving Day feast. There were our three, a Sheltie and two Chihuahuas. Mollie is the Sheltie and the queen of the bunch. She had no desire to spend any time at all with the little dogs but did take a shine to Zulu. My brother and his wife were instructed to keep the Chihuahuas at a safe distance from Zulu. He's 13 and mostly blind but he's still got some get-up-and-go when he feels the urge so he might mistake the little guys for rodents and well, need I say more. The oldest Chihuahua, Pip, did spend some time playing with Copper and Blue while Zulu was napping in his crate.

A traditional Thanksgiving meal of Turkey and all of the fixins was prepared. My mother goes out of her way to make sure that everything is perfect and everyone is well fed, dogs included as they were treated to some table scrap turkey.

Holiday lights are in full force in Arkansas and it is a family tradition to drive to wherever they can be seen. Garvan Woodland Gardens is a botanical garden in the Hot Springs area and does a fabulous job at stringing lights all through their grounds. It is quite a sight and best of all, they allow dogs during this event!

The 15 1/2 hour, straight through, return drive home began in the Ozark Mountains. There are vast views of the valleys below from the windy and mountainous roadway where switch backs are not uncommon. As we drove, I thought about how exciting and treacherous a dog mushing trail with this topography would be!

Back at home that evening, we reflected on a fun trip away visiting loved ones, our aches and pains from the long journey and the fact that we were now back at home with the dogs where we love to be. Of course, our first steps out of the truck were to the dog yard.