Friday, March 26, 2010

Logging wood via dog power

In the woods, not a single day is the same.
Our huskies nor us know what boredom is. This word does not exist in our vocabulary. And because none of us, dogs or humans, like stereotype either, we try to come up with fun things to do as much as we can.

So the other day we decided it was time to do somethnig fun with and for the oldest of the last year´s pups - Chip and Lucky. Although harnessbreaking in the dog team is considered fun, and is very practical, with the older, experienced dogs acting as teachers, we think that the young dogs will have enough of running in the team in their future career as racing sled dogs.

We want to give the pups and all our dogs generally "more" than "just" running in the team, pulling a sled or atv, though. We let them play in the dog yard, take walks in the woods, where we have the luxury of loose running them, some of the guys get to go to dog shows for a change, and acompany us on hiking trips, and tourist activities we offer to the guests of our Nordic Husky Farm Outdoor Adventure Tours.

I thoroughfully look forward to getting my agility course finally built. We have already gathered all kinds of hurdles, tunnels and other obsticles, but there are a few more to be built. Hopefully this summer this project will also be crossed off the "to do" list.

I thought about my beginnings with dogs. Times when I had just a couple of dogs and used to do all kinds of stuff with them. One of it was pulling tires, children on child sleds, and other fun.
And when Jachym did some logging for extra needed firewood, I forbid him to haul it with the snowmachine. It was time to get the "kids" some fun and different activity :)

One would think that once the pups (right now these guys are nearly 10 months old) get harnessbroken, hooking them up behind a log will be the same for them. But it´s an entirely different thing! It is an individual discipline. There are no older, experienced dogs to help with the pulling, to teach the technique, and no couches to follow. They have to do the complete job all on their own.

And the strange object, making strange noise and dragging through the snow, unlike the silent and smooth gliding of the dog sled, is also something to get used to.

First they were surprised, but once they picked up the technique, it was easy to figure out the rest. And they even started to learn some of the basic commands.

By the time they hauled in the last piece of log, they were confident and all business. And very proud of themselves, with wide smiles from ear to ear.

Good dogs! And now they can tell their buddies, that they actually worked for living! :)

Look at more pictures from the dog powered logging and other fun from the dog yard here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kippsiberians/FunWithTheDogs#

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