Naps and some Sled-training pics

[Mirg]

Like i REALLY needed to take more pictures, but i get bored..

I was watching TV, but the commercials were so annoying, so whenever they came on, i would just turn around and take some pics of the sleeping pups. Accually, i had to make Sophie stay there, she acts like the springers are just so sickening that she can never touch them.

Then after the nap pictures, theres the sled-training pictures i promised. If anyone has any suggestions of a better way to position the dogs, i will happily read. I think i need to loosen the straps connecting them to A.j., because they look kind of crowded together.


Sophie glaring at me because she doesnt want to be near the springers.


Sleeping Sophie


Sophie begging to be released from the stay (and A.j. making a laughing face in the background)


Pearl scratching her nails on the couch.


A.j. close-up.


Sleeping springers.



Barrel sleeping.


Pearl sleeping.


Sophie spacing off.


Springers still sleeping.



Sophie really wanting to go get mom.



Puppy paws


All three.


Pearl finding a better place to sleep.


Ready to go.


Out on the road. (Simetra just started to yawn as i snapped the picture)


This was just before A.j. and Sophie started barking at some kids on bikes. Thankfully (for Simetra and for my poor leashes), they stayed where i told them to.


Sniffing a breeze.


A.j. looking at Sophie, who decided to pull back because she doesnt like the springers. Tomarrow im going to see how it works to make that strap longer so that its harder for her to pull on it.


My handsome, smart lead dog.

*More pictures in next post*

[Mirg]

The wheelers. This is a good shot for me to explain how im using their harnesses right now. Simetra's harness is just a plain old walking harness and Sophie's harness IS a anti-pull harness, BUT i did stuff to it to make it pull more on her chest instead of her armpits. Both of them arent having much weight on them, A.j. is the one pulling, then Simetra and Sophie are just in training for now, until i get them sled harnesses. Sophie was trained, but not for the wheel, she isnt used to being so close to the sled.


The wheeler girls again.


This ones a pretty good picture, but it shows another reason that i have to make the straps from A.j. to the girls longer, when he lays down to rest, he pulls on them.


A.j. resting.


All three of them resting, and A.j. staring at Baby (the cat).


Simetra resting.


Sophie acting like shes the awesomest sled dog ever. (right...)


This one would have been such a great picture, but my dad came out of the door at the last second. At least it shows the sled in the picture.

Ok, thats all! Sorry theres no action pictures, this was Simetra's just 2nd time on the sled, and Sophie's first time even since the beginning of winter so i didnt want to loose focus and make the girls uncomfortable. All 3 of them did GREAT today! Im very proud of them!

[Novel]

I have no suggestions as I know nothing about sleds and pulling type things, but I enjoyed the pictures of them all harnessed up. It seems like you're making due with what you have. Good Job.

[Mirg]

Thanks! Im glad you enjoyed them! Yeah, i dont even have a gangline (the lines going from the dogs to the sled), so i just use a bunch of different sized leashes. But it works and the dogs are fine with it, and thats all that matters to me.

[Mirg]

Lol, i just showed my first 3-dog sled-training pictures to my sister, she made me notice, on the "Sniffing a breeze" picture of A.j., look at all 3 of their noses! They all must have been sniffing the same breeze, or maybe they smelt another dog or something. Me and my sister had a good laugh at it, though.

[Rivsky]

Great pics - it's funny how the girls always seem to be copying whatever AJ is doing - I guess that's because he's the leader though!!

[Mirg]

Thanks! Lol, yeah, i dont exactly know why they copy him. Its only with the sled, if they arent hooked up to the sled, they dont see him as leader, at ALL! They like to gang up on him until he squeals like a girl. They dont hurt him, though, i make sure of that.

[Swiftwind]

Great photos! They sure do know how to relax! I also love your new avatar, I commend you on getting all four dogs to stay still enough to take that photo!

[shandoggy1]

Cute pics ! Did the dogs have a good time sledding?

[DogLover8]

Great pictures! I love the first photo.

[Mirg]

Swiftwind - Thank you! It accually wasnt that hard, Sophie, Simetra, and A.j. all know Stay very good, and Wiener is just plain lazy so he didnt plan on getting up anytime soon.

Shandoggy - Thanks! A.j. did, the girls werent too thrilled about it. But A.j. seems to have the brain of a Husky or some other sledding breed, he just loves it! When i ask him if he wants to go "Hike" (the only word he knows sledding by), he will jump up, perk up his ears, and if i end up getting on the computer or reading instead, he will whine and "woof" at me.

DL8 - Thanks! I like that one, too. It really shows the dogs' personalities. Both the girls are kind of lazy and really dont like to be the center of attention, but A.j. loves the attention and is always looking for a ball or toy to play with (in that picture you can see his eyes darting around, looking for a ball).

[oc_spirit]

Cute pictures!!! I really recommend NOT using the no-pull harness or the walking harness though...its amazing how fast you can end up hurting a dog using improper equipment. Maybe for now just rotate working one-on-one with each dog and using the sled harness until you can get more. also personally im not a fan hof having big clips bouncing around near their face like you have as ?necklines? If the dogs are running smoothly and then suddenly they're getting bopped in the face by the big clips they might take it as a correction and then when they still keep getting bopped in the face they might start to even fear it. I would suggest findind a short piece of rope (no more than 1ft no less than 1/2ft and attaching two small clips to either end then use that as a neckline between the girls (without attaching it to the gangline at all). other than that you look pretty good since you are already going to lengthen AJ's line a bit. If i see any ganglines on sale for cheap price I'll let you know.

[Novel]

Excellent advice OC... What you said makes alot of sense.

[Mirg]

Thank you, OC! Yeah, i dont like using an anti-pull harness for sledding, for obvious reasons. I wouldnt even think about in, except that i tied them in a way that A.j. was the only one doing some work. The girls' lines look tight in the pictures, i have no idea why, but i know for a fact that they werent pulling at all, only A.j. is.

Oh, thanks for telling me about the clips! I never would have realized that! That is accually a coupler (for walking 2 dogs on 1 leash) so i thought it would work, but for some reason i didnt realize that they could smack the pups in the face! I have the perfect thing, though. When Wiener got sick once and had to stay at the vet's overnight, he didnt have a collar (i dont know why, though), so they gave us a cheap leash. Its light, thin, and has no clips at all, its the type that the ASPCA use and a lot of rescues use. So i can tie the girls' collars together with that. I also know an instant-release slip knot (how most people tie their horses), just for safety, i will use it.

I have awesome news, though! I just cleaned our whole living room (not fun because people spill stuff everywhere and the cats sometimes find a place to pee in there) for my sister becuase shes having a friend come over, so shes going to pay me for it! She will pay me $30. I know thats enough for 1 harness and maybe 2 from Alpine Outfitters, where i got A.j.'s harness (IMO, a great place). I dont know if youve ordered from there or not, but their harnesses and equiptment are hand-made, they sew the dog's name into his harness, and they called us and emailed us, to make sure we had all the measurements right (it was accually a big mess-up. Since A.j. is bigger than most springers, they thought i was measuring wrong, so they asked me to send a picture. The harness turned out the perfect size, though). And, maybe, if i clean some more, maybe i can get about $50 and be able to get some ganglines or something.

Anyway, thank you, OC, for the advice!!

[oc_spirit]

Glad I was able to help I've never ordered from Alpine Outfitters but I hear really great things about them. Keep your eye on the classified ads at www.sleddogcentral.com especially as we're drawing to the end of the racing season. People often have some used equipment for really good price thats still in pretty good shape.

Have you ever thought that maybe the girls dont pull much because of the harnesses they are wearing?

In all honesty I really dont like hooking up a dog with a whole team before they understand that they are supposed to pull. This is how you can end up with what I call "free loaders" Basically dogs who just put on a good show in harness but never actually put any weight against the harness. Again, work the girls individually teaching them that when the harness is on you want them to pull. Just put a harneess on one, hook them to the sled, put a leash on her and encourage her to pull. when she does, praise! Make sure the sled is empty for now, then once she is pulling consistantly, add weight. Yes the best way to train a sled dog is to hook them up with experienced dogs but only after they figure out what you are wnting from them. Running with an experienced team is more for them learning the commands and how to behave on the trail.