Oken Plays with (Fends Off) Wimzi

Oken is shedding and looking more naked at the moment. We still wait for Wimzi's ears to become fully erect. As you'll see, this is one of only a very few photos I was able to take where Wimzi isn't blurry!

There she goes with the tail grabbing!

Maybe if I put my leg over her she can't bit my face any more.

Face biting

More face biting

Oken tries to ignore her

Now there's a fancy move.

The little alligator is back.

Now she tries to bit his legs to see if she can get a response. Little stinker.

English Visitor Gets a Glance into the Lifestyle of a Musher

Rebecca with Oken

Klaus and Oken were the house visitors last evening.

Rebecca arrived on Saturday from England and will be staying a week to get a glance of the lifestyle with sled dogs. Unfortunately for her, winter is over and she'll be seeing us all in the off season which is a very different picture. At the same time, she can take this time to really get to know the dogs so that if it works out for her to come again during our Fall and Winter seasons, she'll at least have a head start.

Mastering the art of poop scooping, Rebecca has now moved on to walking the puppy and visiting the sled dogs while the musher works away at the computer, being very careful not to let anyone escape from their kennels. She received an introduction to Canicross Hiking a couple of days ago when we went for a short hike with Zala who showed Rebecca how a real sled dog does her job. This was also the puppy's first time in harness and pulling from a short leash. With Zala ahead to follow, Wimzi was set up for success and did a wonderful job for an 11 week old pup.

This morning our guest was fortunate enough to see how fun it is to feed the dogs in the pouring rain. Klaus and Oken had the privilege of spending last evening with us then spent the night outside in the kennel near the house. This pen is a temporary pen with only a black dirt base. Had we known it would be pouring rain over night they would have been relocated but we didn't and they weren't. Oken managed to stay on top of his dog house and out of the mud but Klaus just wallowed in it. He loves to get dirty and wet. Upon approaching the kennel this morning, I was greeting with literal mudslinging. Wonderful. Rebecca held Klaus while I hosed him down and then both dogs were put back into their pens for feeding. I then hit the shower myself.

More exciting new experiences await Rebecca. She'll take a break from the dog yard later this week and spend a day at the Mall of America while the appraiser/musher does her job around the city. On Friday, Hailey arrives for the weekend which will give Rebecca a chance to spend time with an American her own age. And on Saturday before our guest boards her plane back across the pond, she and Hailey will attend puppy class with me, Wimzi and Topa.

White Feather and Sasha Go to Class

White Feather during play time

Sasha sits for a treat

Legs!

Today was White Feather's turn at dog obedience class as she and Topa are alternating weeks. White Feather took to it quite a bit more quickly than Topa. Topa was a bit too concerned to stay focused for very long. I'm sure next week she'll have an easier time of it as it won't be "new" anymore. This was Wimzi's second class and she continued to amaze us with her focus and eagerness to please. At 11 weeks old she's got a consistent "sit" and a very good "down" and "wait" and does not pull on the leash when walking.

Chris, our excellent dog handler, joined us with Wimzi's sister Sasha. Those legs of hers just continue to grow longer and she has a wonderful coat and beautiful markings. Wimzi went out of her way to immediately show Sasha that she was the boss and after the initial reintroduction during play time, they took turns pinning each other to the floor during subsequent play periods.

Sasha is a bit less focused than Wimzi at this stage but did catch on quickly. She was very outgoing while meeting new dogs and the new surroundings didn't bother her in the least.

Fun stuff!

Ilu's Back Pain Returns

Ilu rests in his crate while the sedatives wear off

I rolled over this morning to turn off the alarm clock at 6:27AM, hoping to avoid being jarred by the obnoxious sound of the alarm in just a few minutes. I was delighted, when, at exactly 6:30AM on the dot, I was greeted with the call of a loon. The loon's have been scarce on Oake Lake for a while so it was a wonderful start to the day.

After spending an hour in the beeswax candle workshop and feeding the little house dogs, I was awake enough to head out for a visit with the sled dogs and to give them their breakfast. All was well in the dog yard until I came to Ilu and Icoa's kennel. Ilu was his rambunctious self alright but he was still in obvious pain. As he ascended the ramp that leads to the top of a low dog house, he yelped out in pain. Back in February we visited the vet for what appeared to be a sprained back. With all of the ice in the kennels, this wasn't hard to believe. We went home and Ilu was on rest and pain and anti-inflammatory meds for two weeks. After which time, he was back in harness but only doing light work. He seemed just fine until a couple weeks ago when he began to walk stiffly. When the vocalization of pain began, we knew he needed to go back in for a check up.

The vet took x-rays of Ilu's back today and will be sending them to the University of Minnesota Orthopedic department for analysis. The x-rays showed a fuzziness near the sacrum which can indicate a bone density difference. We are trying to wait patiently and are hoping for the best. If he can't be a working sled dog, our hope is that he can still live a pain free life.

Surprise Envelope!

Group Photo

The "dog garage" is converted into a classroom for the winter with straw bales as benches.

The leaders are hooked up first as I explain what we will come next.

Sweet Pea gets in "the zone" before she's harnessed.

McKenzie was caught on film in one of his mid air jumps. This is to get my attention so I don't forget to harness him.

All happy now.

Phoenix checks back to see what could be taking us so long while Tuloon keeps her eye on the trail.

We head out on to the lake to show the Girl Scouts what dog sledding looks like.

We then head into the dog kennels to begin meeting the dogs!

The girls learn how to harness the dogs.

All smiles

Icoa and one of our guests.

We received a surprise envelope today from Girl Scout Troops 13180 and 12515 that included a beautiful 8x10 group photo, a lovely "Thank you" note and a CD of photos taken from the day.

What a wonderful gift to remind us of winter now that it has so quickly gone away. Thank you for this lovely reminder!

Puppy Class!

Class begins with some free time fun. Topa is the biggest puppy there.

Topa warming up a bit to the idea of a strange dog in her face. Her initial reaction was a calm stance but bared teeth. The other pups got the picture loud and clear and backed away.

Wimzi showing excellent eye contact while heeling at 10 weeks old!

Wimzi's sit for a treat.

Wimzi redeemed her little naughty self this morning at puppy class. After quickly working through her initial fear of bigger dogs that didn't look like her or act like her, she blended right in. She was much more focused than I had anticipated for her first class and for a 10 week old puppy. She kept very good eye contact when in a relatively acceptable puppy "heel" position and soon began to sit whenever we stopped. There were extra long play periods for those short puppy attention spans which helped her stayed focused when working.

Topa was to attend the next class but was invited to join in the socialization fun of Wimzi's puppy class. She was actually a bit more concerned and bothered about having strange dogs in her face. Hedlund Huskies don't tend to appreciate or tolerate obnoxious behavior by those they don't know well, even when they are puppies like Topa.

Topa's beginning obedience class was up next and she was very happy to get out of the crate at ring side. She stood motionless and drooling, pressed against the wire crate door for Wimzi's entire class. She was not happy about being in this crate and between two dogs she didn't know yet. She ignored treats so I just left her to calm herself while I would occasionally check in with her as we walked nearby. She has had what we thought was motion sickness all winter during trips in the dog truck. When we would go to retrieve her from her crate, the straw would be soaked as if someone had doused it with a gallon of water. We tried various things that didn't work and hoped she would out grow it. She has done just fine in that same crate in the truck over night and in a crate in the house over night so, again, we assumed it was motion sickness. On the way to our class today, she didn't drool but did throw up, again adding support to our theory. An observation by the instructor of Leader of the Pack Canine Center indicated that it might not be motion sickness after all. She suggested that we treat it as nervousness; an uneasiness about what is happening or where she is going. This could be a training issue and not a physiological issue at all. This means we have a training strategy to work on. More to come....

Topa, although distracted, as puppies typically are, did a wonderful job at her first obedience class. She did not pull on the leash when in heel position and sat whenever asked. She does go out a bit further on the leash while in heel position than I would like so I'll be working with her on this by using a tasty treat to "bait" her in closer to me. When she has remained in the appropriate spot for a short period of time then she will receive the treat and a word of praise. The treat offering will become intermittent then will go away all together once she is on track but the verbal praise will remain. She's not to keen on "down" at this point. Practice, practice.

Next week, Topa will get a rest and it will be White Feather's turn to go to class with Wimzi.

Birds and Hedlund Huskies

Glorious evening on Oake Lake

Phoenix and Topa greeting Wimzi

Goofy Phoenix does his typical "lay down to greet the puppy". The orange mesh in the background is to keep the puppy from jumping off the deck.

All four playing.

Tuloon with "baby" Topa

Wimzi is the focus, as are all naughty puppies

Tuloon reminds Topa to play gently with Wimzi

She's got my cheek!

Wimzi begins to follow Topa around the yard.

More fun

I gotta tell ya somethin

Another puppy bite

Now she's got Topa's ear as Tuloon chews a Nylabone, completely unaffected.

After reporting that the ice went out just four days ago, it has been 80 degrees for two days in a row! The Bald Eagle and his young apprentice have been out fishing in the mornings then again in the evenings on Oake Lake. Two Trumpeter Swans have been spending their days on the lake, swimming slowly by the dog kennels and honking a hello. After hearing the honk, honk, honking of the Canadian Geese ALL day, I'm not complaining, but I'd like to request another tune for tomorrow, please. The Starlings came in droves and I could not hear myself think over their chitter chatter way up in the trees, while out in the dog yard. Having said all of that, I'll take that honking of the Geese and the loud conversation of the Starlings over the honking of impatient drivers and mind numbing freeway noise of rush hour traffic in the cities any day.

On this glorious evening, I watched a remarkable sight. It was Topa and Phoenix's turn inside tonight and Topa's first chance to meet baby Wimzi face to face without a fence between them. We began the introduction outside on the deck as I and Tuloon acted as the referees. It seems Tuloon has softened up to the idea of being a mentor and protector to this new little one. Phoenix did his typical "lay down for the puppy" greeting. I was ready for any rowdiness that could come out of a 9 month old pup towards a 10 week old pup. But none came. Topa was as gentle as a kitten with Wimzi. Tuloon made sure of it, and reminded her how to behave on a few occasions by wrapping her muzzle around Topa's. Fairly soon, all three "big" dogs were gently playing with the puppy and each other at the same time. It was a heartwarming sight. This gentle interaction and behavior is one of the most notable traits of the Hedlund Husky. You don't just find this in any breed or line of dog. It is part of what makes them who they are. Our Hedlund Husky Preservation group has been recently discussing how they seem to have a "knowing" about them that is hard to describe, that sets them apart.

Once inside, Wimzi began to assertively harass Blueberry, our 22lb house dog, as she does every chance she gets. Watching Topa, still a puppy herself, place her herself between the puppy and Blueberry consistently throughout the evening, while gently licking Blue's face was yet another fascinating observation. Wimzi eventually retreated, deterred by the blocking tactic of a very smart and young Topa.

Although Wimzi has only a small portion of Hedlund Husky in her, we are hoping she is able to pick up some ideas about how to behave from the Hedlund Huskies in the Kennel. Poor little Blueberry would sure like to see this happen. Little Miss Wimzi has made a habit out of trying to drag the poor guy around the house by his wispy tail. She's becoming quite a bit less modest in her confidence and quite a lot more cocky. We're working at nipping that in the bud. It isn't acceptable when asked kindly not to bite my hand to then bite it again. Actually, the "asked kindly" is a swift but gentle grab of the muzzle and strong eye contact as I utter the word "no". This request has grown from offering her something else to chew on to a more abrupt consequence as needed. Lately, her answer to my kind request has been "heck no!" as I remove my grasp from her muzzle. And this "heck no!" has come in the form of more continuous snapping of my hands. Oh, the joys of a precious but bratty puppy!