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NEWS

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Dec 18 2003

Twinkle returns home and we begin her rehab plan! As soon as I fatten her up I will post some new photos.

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Nov 12 2003

Well someone better design a rig that is safe...shit I almost killed myself yesterday. Maybe I should just buy the dam german rig. My brand new Risdon rig, brakes didn't hold worth a shit. Went hurtling down the field bouncing and thrashing, barely staying upright. By the time we hit the woods we were going mock-10 and steering was becoming touchy. My fault, I didn't check/put enough air in the rear tires, didn't test it in a safe place. Just decided to take 6 dogs out back down my new woods trail, never been down that either with a team before snow. I am still shaking thinking about it. My god. For some reason I decided to bring a 4 dog cable picket line, which helped when I finally hit a boggy area and slowed up enough to steer into a tree. By then front tire assembly was smashed up and tire wasn't rolling anyway. I cabled off 2 dogs, left 3 on gangline (mistake) and walked one back. When I came back little Juniper was holding the leaders by her neckline, as she had chewed the mainline in her section. She seems ok but I bet she is a little sore. I am sore all over, bashed my forehead into the T-bar when I was crouched down trying not to fly off, bashed my knee too. How stupid can I be? Sometimes I am so sick of trying to do this alone all the time. I wish I had a twin. I just had a spare 2 hours, which I haven't in so long. I am not ready to hook up enough to pull the 4-wheeler. Thats 10+ and I want to focus on training the dogs to listen and work on commands. Just thought I could run a team and still get enough work done to not get fired. Now my head hurts and I don't know how long I can look at the stupid computer screen. I have to throw out one thanks, the team had never gone that way and initially made for the road out the upper side of the field. Nikka single-pawedly turned the team the right way. If we had hit the road I might be less hurt but we'd have been in the lazy-useless-stupid neighbors* ducks again.

$2800 for the german made rig sounds much better than hurt dogs and a hurt me. I bet you can take that thing up a mountain cliff and back. Thats what I need around here.


*Anyone who has provided over 200 small animals to the coyotes to eat is stupid and should move back to the city and raise pigeons or lab mice.

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Ramblings from Wednesday....October 8th 2003

Blue Dog went on from the below adventure to getting to go "try" his paw at sheep in an evaluation session at Lana Petty's farm. He did ok, showing that he does have the genetically programmed desires to herd things. He was a wee hysterical about it, and I am sure Lana's sheep were really happy to see Blue Dog get into my truck and go home. We have a lot to do before we try that again, he needs to firstly learn to lie down on command.

We've started fall training. I went to Mushing Boot Camp as a handler for my friend Lidia (see her on my "fun" page). I learned a lot, then returned to the camp for the one day Pull Clinic. That was much harder, working your own dogs in this type of setting is very stressful and such a deep learning experience that you come out the other end at a totally different place then where you started. I came out with the knowledge that I had to throw everything away and start again. It's hard to explain, but I was stripped of everything and it was painful, but the gains were immediate. I guess for me it was about not thinking how great everything I have done so far is...and realizing what exactly needs to be done to really progress. I was so happy about running a nice 8 dog team, but knew I would never get beyond that. The 12 dog team of my dreams seemed to be a fantasy I had no idea how to make real. Now I know what it will take, and know how much dam work it really will be! I confronted some realities about my dogs, my kennel set up, my own stupid smugness, and the holes in my training methods. I still believe in very positive training, and I have lots to say about what I have gotten the dogs to do this summer. But now I know that I can "not accept" certain behavior and do something about it. While being totally fair and kind, but FIRM. So I can comfortably approach situations in which my dogs might be naughty, and know that I can handle them and get them through it. And the bottom line is TRAIN them in so many more situations! Including "running", which after all is both conditioning their little bodies AND minds.

Lets see, what else can I blab about to cyber-nobody. Snow's puppies are cute as hell. They are seriously the most attractive and lovable little pups ever. With only 2, its so easy to fall in love. I will be hard pressed to make a rational choice between them.

OK, more. The dog truck is ready, with the exception that I did not paint the doors so now it is a 3 tone blue dog box. Whoops. Maybe there will be some warm days where I can work on that. I think this week we are supposed to get some?

Ramblings from Tuesday September 9th 2003

With farm business, you never know when you are going to get called away for a cow out, a wood order or to hay till dark bcs the weather was finally just right. We hayed Sunday, and it was great fun. All the usual kids were away, I got Terry nearly to myself, road the tractor with him while he tetted the hay. We even brought Blue Dog down for the final pass to load my truck and trailer with all the bales that didn't fit into the 2 hay trucks. Then Blue Dog came to the farm, herded a cow, treed a cat and then stood frozen pointing at a kitten. So...he's part Border Collie, part short haired pointer, and part bear dog maybe!!!!!! Its great to see him finally not afraid of the farm and everything there. He was so proud of himself, and I was too, when we were just at "herding the cow". I got a little horified once we progressed to treeing cats and pointing at kittens. But hey, big progress! He used to be afraid of even me at the farm.

Boy, enough about the non-husky eh? The brothers (Triton andf Kub) got in a wee brawl and Triton is no longer a fluffy faced duckling colored buttercup-pup. He is now Franken-Pup. A shiny staple right between the eyes. On a good note, Kubota went to have his eyes checked, bcs the twins want to use him at stud with one of their new girls from Canada. He passed the CERF and even had decent drainage angles (not required testing). So one day he might get to be a daddy.

What else. We have 3 spays scheduled in the next 2 weeks. Hera, Denali and then Nikka. Hera bcs of the glaucoma disaster. Denali for failing her CERF (on something painless...that doesn't affect her vision and no one I know has ever heard of - PHPV) and Nikka bcs she gets too zinc deficient when pregnant. Very tough decisions, as all 3 are truly fabulous dogs. Nikka is the Uber-Mom. Her puppy Granite has an ego the size of the entire Granite state he is named for. I am sure he will be a good leader, just like she. She is a brain in lead. Hera is both a great leader (ok, accept for when there are ducks around) and a drop dead gorgeous dog. And even Denali, a great leader in training and a beauty, although not passing on her shreik to another generation isn't bad. She sounds exactly like a coyotee. So, a sad day indeed for future generations of good looking adorable leaders. I hang my hopes on the remaining dogs...and pray that I have met up with enough punishment from Mother Nature...and can spend the winter at least in Her Good Graces.

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August 23 Snow's puppies are born! See the Snow Pup Page.

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July 2003 Turbo returns home, settles in and makes Miss W love him to peices.

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June 20th Miss Snow arrives at Barking Brook to make new friends and meet Smiley. Several breedings later and we are hopeful for puppies. Tentative names for joint breeder names include "Barking Blackwater".

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June 2003 6 new dog houses built by Stanley, painted by W, really cute!

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May 30th 2003 YSHC SPECIALTY SHOW Judge: Mr. Thomas Hartel

Blanche: placed in Veteran Bitch. Winner was a very adorable and much elderly gal, well deserved.

Kubota: placed in bred by exhibitor in a very large class. I was very proud of this, judge was very funny about Kubota (who was looking rather bald despite the application of mouse!) saying to him "Your different! But I like you!" and asking me as we left if I worked him in harness. Of course!

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May 23 2003 - Nikka puppies Born! 5 boys (omigod!) and 1 girl. See their page.

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May 3rd 2003 YSHC AKC Sanctioned Match Judge: Ms. Indrid Bower

Kubota: 1st place in puppy boy 12-18 months

Hakka: 4th place in Obediance, pre-sub-novice ...B? A? oops I forget.

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March 1st and 2nd 2003: Alisha and Whatleigh enter teams at the Meredith Sprint Race. See race page.

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February 2003: Whatleigh enters her first sled race. The SANDWICH NOTCH 30! See race page.

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January 2003: Hera's puppies go to their new homes, the keeper puppy is chosen: PEARL!

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Dec 5 2002: Hera's puppies born.

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October 2002: the dog boxes built and put on truck!

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September 21 2002: Miss W and Terry get married!

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April 2002: Miss W purchases the new Truck for her dogs "Zelda"

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