Ren's Official Sibe Stories and Etc

[oc_spirit]

Ok so i figure so much has been happening lately and I have so much I want to share with you guys, instead of redundantly starting threads since they're fairly similar things, I'll just update you guys on one thread which is this one Got more exciting news today to share with you but I'm gonna start from the beginning in case anyone missed out...

To start off Don, who owns Howling Acres has decided to start getting out of the business of racing Alaskan Huskies because it's getting to be too much for her but one can't ever completely get out of such a fun sport so she has agreed to take me under her wing and help me out with anything I need. Already she has made me a brand new sled bag and even made sure it was black and blue which are my team colours! Currantly she's making a bunch of dog booties for me too. She also is willing to make harnesses and ganglines anytime I need them. So now I have a supplier since Chatmac is no more AND she has wonderful training tips for me.

Next, Cheri, who owns Midstar Kennels has lent me Bonnie, a 9-year old sweetie of a dog who will make an excellent teacher for the boys once I get weight off her and get her back into the shape. She won't be ready for the first race but we have 2 weeks until the one after. We've got a fun excercise regime set up which involves pulling and long walks so we can build up her speed and endurance.

It just so happens that Colleen, who has been my mushing mentor ever since I started into mushing when OC was just 8 months old, recently purchased 2 new dogs from Sergei Kennels and one is a great leader so has offered for me to run the 2 new dogs with OC and Ronan in Bonnie's place for the first race. This means I'll be running in the 4-dog class instead of the 3-dog class.

Training and persistance has paid off immensly with OC! I used to always have to run him in solo-wheel position because anytime I'd pair him with another dog he'd try to play with them and end up running the team and sled off the track, or pissing off the dog he was partnered with. Now he runs fantastically beside another dog except for a couple play bites right near the start but this is very common and I'm working on fixing still. This means that with a little more work OC and Ronan really have the potential to be a pair of unstoppable leaders. Ronan has the drive to run a team as hard as he can go all day and will never quit or go off track, and OC has the obedience to take all commands regardless of distractions and the muscle to force Ronan to go the way I want them to go. Although I gotta give Ronan credit, he's really been starting to take my commands seriously lately which is a huge breakthrough with him. It's not that he'd ignore me before but he wasn't the best listener either.

Cheri's driver might not be able to show up at Copeland so she has asked me to be her back-up driver. This means I'll be running one of the fastest Sibe teams I have ever encountered and it's not even her fastest team! I'm supposed to be going up sometime this week to try out the team to see if they'll respond to me and work with me at all.

I've offered to help Cheri at any conformation shows and it turns out she has one coming up at the end of March which she has asked if I'd like to help out at. I was expecting to go as just a "right-hand person" so prepping dogs for the ring, caring for them while Cheri's off doing whatever and basically just doing whatever she needs done but Cheri had bigger plans in mind for me! She actually wants me in the ring showing one of the dogs for her!!! This is going to be my first time every showing a dog in a REAL show! I'm so psyched! Again though it means working with her and her show dogs to see if they'll actually work with me in the ring. Not to mention I need to learn how to properly stack a Sibe LOL

So in short I'm building up my doggy portfolio with Sibe stuff and it makes me the happiest kid on earth! I'm impressed with anyone who actually read through all of this! LOL

[oc_spirit]

Went for a run with the boys today using Colleen's cart since our snow has gone to either ice, or just random patches, or non-existant. Decided to leave Bonnie behind because the purpose of the run was to see who the boys would be compatible with. We started out with T'nook and Koyuk in lead with Ronan and OC running wheel but T'nook was being a goofball (wanting to turn around and play/fight with the boys) so we pulled him off the team and left him behind and started again with Koyuk in lead and the boys still in wheel. After about 50 meters she ws just getting too freaked out running lead solo so we put her in wheel and put the boys in lead together. I was hesitant to do this thinking OC would be doing the same thing T'nook had been doing - turning around to play with Koyuk the whole time BUT he didn't!!!! I was sooooo proud of him!!!!!!!

I am just fabbergasted with the progress OC has made! He's gone from an insane puppy who would cheat the system by running just slow enough to not have to pull at all, yet just fast enough that he wouldn't be getting dragged by the neckline, who would also try to play with any and all dogs around him while in harness so we'd have to put him in solo wheel ALL the time even when I was just running him and Ronan, to a fully reliable leader who isn't bothered by distractions, has great drive (not nearly as good as Ronan's though) and will force his partner to comply to my commands!!! It's unbelievable!! I was certain this boy would be destined to run solo-wheel all his life!

In the end it was a great run and a HUGE step for us in the boys' training!!!!!

[IceyBlueSibes]

Wow Ren! I'm sooo happy for you! It sounds like this is going to be a GREAT and wonderful year for you! So full of experience!

Glad to hear that the dogs are working out too... You're hard work paid off! Nice to see what you get in return!

Way'ta go!

[oc_spirit]

Thanks Sarah!! Things are looking pretty promising but nothing for sure until we can get out there and race!

Went for a scooter run today which was great!!! Bonnie's endurance is growing which is fabulous! Ran them through construction streets (workers know us now and watch out for us so since no other chicles or people go on the street it's a nice quiet one with lots of distractions to run on) and Bonnie was shying a bit near the beginning but since niethe OC nor I were reacting to the whirring generators or the big trucks parked quietly along the side of the road then she soon got used to them too and ran by fine. Her speed still isn't the greatest but her strength is incredible! If we stay at a quick trot she just gets down and drives but as soon as we start running she lags. I think that has more to do with the weight she's carrying, it's awkward for her to run but she can trot fine.

Just got an e-mail from Liz (race co-ordinator) and turns out the Copeland Race for Rescue has been cancelled Ah well this just means we have a week to prep for the race in Toronto! Hopefully our snow will come back with full fury in time for that one!!!! Right now there is snow on the trails in Copeland however it's under water and the dogs end up punching through the snow when running on it which can cause paw and shoulder injuries so that;'s not fair to ask them to run it. If things were to freeze back up suddenly we'd be running on a sheet of ice which is just plain dangerous.

[D.Schäferhund]

Oh wow that sounds so great..

i tottally feel with you i had a simmilar year, too. and i hace a guess how you feel, ther happened so much for you and oh wow i am just so happy for you!!!!

Keep us posted how it is going it all sounds so very exciting.

[oc_spirit]

Thanks D!

More bad news Kortright #1 has been cancelled due to no snow. Personally I think it's a little early to have already made the official decision but I can't do much more than go along with what's been decided. This means no more races until February *sigh* What a horrible winter! I wish I were in Japan!

[IceyBlueSibes]

Aw that sucks! This were going so well for ya and then they just went right down hill.

Well, things happen for a reason... maybe there is a race in February that you'll do really awesome in! This'll give you more time to work with Bonnie too.

[oc_spirit]

Sarah, very true, I'm hoping we get a late snowfall...

YAY FUN!!!!! Today was such a great day!!!!!

At 9am this morning Colleen came by ti pick me, Bonnie, and the boys up and took us to the golf course where she does her training (they have great gravel golf cart tracks which they let us use). We hooked up the boys in lead and had Koonie and Bonnie running wheel together. It was a fairly good run except that Bonnie kept ducking under the gangline to be on the right side and would push Koonie over to the right even more but that will be fixed next time we run by simply making sure she's hooked up on the right side of the gangline next time. We did the big extended loop and Bonnie got forced to run the whole way (no trotting for the boys or Koonie) which was good for her so she doesn't think she can get away with trotting all the time. We were going well, Bonnie wasn't pulling the whole time because it was hard enough for her to be forced to run (so I didn't bother getting after her at all). When we were about 100 metres from the truck Bonnie just quit on me. She stopped running, sat back on her haunches and got dragged along. I had to stop the team for her own safety, rested for a few seconds, then sent them to the truck for cookies which was no problem. Surprisingly enough though she had a fantastic time! LOL

After the run we treated and watered the dogs then went back to Colleen's place where we put OC and Bonnie in her kennel, put Koonie in the dog yard with Koyuk, and Hogan, and took out Gus, Slate, Faygan, Jerri, and T'nook. Colleen drove us out to this country road in the middle of nowhere and we hooked up the 5 dogs to the cart with Gus and Slate in lead, Faygan and Jerri in team, and T'nook in solo wheel since he really doesn't do well partnered with any dog other than Faygan. The best part - I got to run the team!!!! It was sooooo much fun!!!! They were so fast! Colleen drove her SUV with the dog box in front of me to flag any on-coming vehicles (which were few and far between) and to be able to help me if I needed it. We went a little over 4 miles before deciding to end the run since it was starting to get warm out and the dogs hadn't run that far in a while (yay for crappy weather!).

Gus is such an incredible leader! He amazed me to no end! He would pick the smoothest path on the road (since it was gravel there were pot holes in some parts), make sure to keep the team to the right side, and I could just whisper a command and he'd follow it immediately! I was very impressed!

Oh ya and in case you guys were wondering what happened to Ronan during the second run, he stayed in the dog box and went along with Colleen for the ride since I can't leave him and Bonnie together (both dogs unneutered) and I can't trust Ronan with Hogan (both dogs dominant and Hogan is blind). He was more than happy to stay in the box though and ended up sleeping the whole time! LOL He loves the dog box so much! All the dogs do! I would too if I were a dog because they really are quite cozy being packed with straw and such.

*sigh* what a magnificent morning!

[IceyBlueSibes]

Sounds like you had an awesome day Ren! And Bonnie.. what a nut! Just decides "Eh, I don't feel like running anymore." LOL Sheesh..

But sounds like so much fun! You ought to take some pictures sometime!

[Carrie]

Oh wow! (you can be impressed. I've read through the whole thing. LOL.) It wasn't hard. It's very interesting and I can see how thrilled you must be. This is all such a huge opportunity for you. What a neat lady to take you under her wing like that. It is a shame about the snow. I know...we haven't had that much here either....weird winter. But there will be more.

It sounds like Ronin is coming right along and what a kick OC is to have such a playful attitude. Even though sometimes it's a nuisance, it's a good thing in a way....it will keep him happy and exuberant for his job.

Keep us updated on how things go.

[TribalRats]

Looking forward to the continuing saga!!!

[oc_spirit]

Carrie, good job reading all the way through, I am proud of you LOL I'm deffinately very greatful to everyone who has helped me. Sledders in this area are few so they're quite a tight knit group and always encouraging to anybody who is interested in getting involved, especially young'ns LOL

I'm deffinately perserving OC's happy, goofy demeaner throughout training because I never want him to feel he has to pull to make me happy, I always want him to feel that he's pulling because that's what he wants to do.