You’ve probably noticed that I try to bring you something “a little different” on Sundays, and today’s video certainly fits that description.
Clearly, most of the footage you’ve ever seen here of the dogs has been of them either running in harness, getting ready to run, frantically trying to be picked to go run or some other enthusiastically active behavior.
There is another side to daily life at the Kennel, however, and it is dramatically less energetic. The dogs do, after all, spend a fair amount of time resting and sleeping, eating, playing with their neighbors and hanging out at — or most often on — their houses.
As you might imagine, there are many, many dogs in a sled dog neighborhood, and pretty much any time of the day or night you can expect to hear dogs somewhere in the area. Sometimes, the dogs of SP Kennel can be seen listening to the chit-chat from their canine neighbors and spontaneously responding with a little “over the back fence gossip” of their own.
I recently found this little piece of video footage on Aliy’s “pocket camera” and thought you might enjoy a glimpse of something “a little different” in the life of an SP Kennel dog.
Hi Mac, you don't need to post this but if you have time, can you talk about the weather this year vs last year. We've had an unseasonably warm winter here with reduced snowfall. You've had a few races canceled due to lack of snow up there. What does it look like along the Iditarod trail this year?
It kind of reminds me of a high school basketball game. When the home crowd chants something and the visiting team responds. Very cool to watch the dogs just hanging out!
A cacophony of communication! How sweet it sounds!!!
Wonderful vocalizations!
BTW: Did you lose a year? 2011? LOL
Hi Frank — The weather here has been very strange… warmer than last year (i.e. no prolonged -40 and below temps) and practically no snow at all… The trails around here are all very hard packed, so the Team has had to travel to the White Mountains regularly to train in conditions that are good for the dogs… One more challenge in an already grueling training regimen… I cannot speak about the Iditarod trail because I do not know… I believe there has been more snow in the south and that is good… We'll have to wait and see!
Anonymous — It seems we only lost a year until you provided your helpful "heads up"… thanks for pointing out my late-night editing faux pas!
About 3 miles down the road from me someone has a few Wolf Highbreds and when it's there dinnertime my 3 sure answer there calls just like yours. I love listening to all the howls. But now, with another one of your awesome videos, I can have howling anytime I want and so can my 3 boys. LOL
I played this for Hoss (for those of you who do not know, he is a retired SP veteran)…and felt kinda bad afterward. It was like he was looking for his yard buddies..and howling along.
Hi Tom — Please give Hoss a big hug for me!… and please tell him I really am planning to do a series on retired dogs!… Maybe during a "lull" in the Iditarod coverage!