SPK Dog Log

Sorting dog booties is an endless task. There are two types of booties: NEW and USED.

We receive NEW booties in bags of 100 – either small, medium or large. We then put same-sized booties into convenient “dog packs” (sets of four). We will have enormous piles of small, medium or large “dog packs”. Before packing dog booties for a race we then look at the individual dogs that make up the racing teams. Let’s say the RED TEAM is: Boondocks, Chipper, Olivia, IV, Scooter, Bonita, Tatfish, Biscuit, Mac, Boris, Mismo and Woody. The first four dogs wear smalls, the next four dogs wear medium and the last four dogs wear large. So, we take a gallon Ziplock bag and fill it with 4 SM, 4 MED and 4 LG “dog packs” – those bags are only for that team. Obviously the BLACK TEAM will have different dogs and different sized booties.

USED booties are any booties taken off a dog’s feet. Some of these booties are ruined after 50 miles and have holes. These are normally thrown away or sometimes used as giveaways. The booties that are still good will be dried, sorted into sizes and made into “dog packs”. We use these for training runs. The number of dog booties generated throughout a season of training is enormous.

We found a video from December 2009 about booties!

If you are interested in checking out some of our older videos see the video archive section down the right hand side of the doglog.

Two Rivers, Alaska has no lack of dog mushers. There are many dog teams out enjoying the trails. Some mushers wear their serious “game face” and are training for races whereas other teams are just out for fun. Whatever the intent of the musher we all share the trails.

I started thinking a lot about traffic on the trail when I came out of the kennel yesterday and in the first two minutes we passed a sprint team training with an ATV 4-Wheeler and a Siberian/Malamute team training with a sled. Both were generally good passes. Then I thought, people might not realize how dog team actually pass. So, here it is:

When one dog team passes another there is a general “protocol”.

1. When the teams are coming from opposite directions, it is best if both teams keep moving. That way the dogs don’t have a chance to mess around or “visit”.
2. While passing, the dogs can share the trail, but the sled or ATV 4-Wheeler must try to get off to the side so as not to interfere with the dogs.
3. When one team is faster than another and it comes up from behind, the slower team is expected to stop or at least slow down in order to let the faster team pass.
4. Dogs are supposed to mind their manners. “Alligator” dogs are not looked on very highly in a community like Two Rivers where your prized Lead Dog is worth more than your neighbor’s car.

The dogs have been on a perfect training schedule thus far this season. The trails are exceptional with plenty of snow and the temperatures have been cooperative (only two cold snaps down to 30 below zero!) However every once in a while we have to pause the training schedule just to try and get other kennel chores accomplished. It is AMAZING how much we need to get done before the races start.

Here is just a small glimpse of some of the SP Kennel “to do’s”:

L-R: Moira put a new collar on Chica, Meghan looks at Ranger’s feet.

All of the dogs get brand new collars annually. After a year of summer dirt and grime and winter straw and bedding the collars desperately need replacement. But every dog’s collar has to have two forms of identification: the dog’s name and a metal tag with SP Kennel’s phone numbers and address. So, the task of changing collars is no small feat.

Next, all the dogs are weighed. We keep track of dog weight’s on a spreadsheet. As many people can imagine some huskies have incredibly thick winter coats. We might look at Nacho and say “Boy, Nacho is as fat as a hog right now!” But, in reality his fur coat makes him look a little chubbier than Waylon or Viper. So, having realistic weights throughout the training season is helpful. Of course, both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod require dog weights as part of the Pre-Race Veterinary Exams.

A dogs’ feet are everything. Can you imagine trying to jog with a tiny blister or rub spot nagging you? Well, the dogs are the same. So we take time out to bring every dog inside under the bright lights and look over their feet carefully. We also take this time to cut their toe nails. The dogs actually enjoy running around the garage – although a few boys can’t help but lift their legs! Argh!

THANK YOU to all who have joined the Dog Fan Club. The whole of the SP Kennel Crew (canine and human) appreciate your support.

As promised, the first draw for the winning Dog Fan was today and the winner is JEN REITER who supports MISMO.

Jen wins a certificate and glam shot of Mismo and a pack of other little goodies! We hope you enjoy it Jen and thanks of your support. As you see, Mismo dog enjoyed some treats from the Dog Fan Biscuit Bucket.

The next draw is Sunday, December 15th and the names of everyone who didn’t win today, and all new members will be in the hat.

Click the button below for instruction on how to join:

Click this button below to take you directly to the Dog Fan Page.

We captured a lovely afternoon of dog mushing through the sunset.

ENJOY!

We put together some footage from four different yearling runs over the last few days to give you an idea of what goes on when the yearlings go out! It’s kinda long but we hope you enjoy it.

IT’S HERE! The SP Kennel Dog Fan Club kicks off today!

You will find two new pages on the doglog – the first one gives you information about the Fan Club and instructions on how to join. Click the button below to take you to this page.

The second page is the Fan Page itself with pictures of the dogs along with the names of their fans. Click on the button below to take you directly to the Fan Page.

Every two weeks, starting December 1st one lucky Dog Fan will win a prize pack; the Fan’s dog will get an extra handful of biscuits from the “Dog Fan Biscuit Bucket” and at the end of the mushing season all Dog Fans will receive a postcard from Nome (or Two Rivers) following the Iditarod.

For a limited time, if you have already “supported the doglog” and wish to switch your “team”, “wheel”, “swing” or “lead dog” support to become dog fans please email us on spkdoglog@gmail.com before December 15 and we will happily switch it over for you.

Please note also that the fan page doesn’t automatically update, we do it manually, so we will try to keep up with demand as much as possible. We will update the page at least twice a week.