With Iditarod starting at the end of next week, it’s really crunch time here at SP Kennel. Aliy and Allen are becoming more focused by the minute. Just as they were heading out on their training run yesterday, I handed Aliy one of my little cameras and said, “If you … Read More
You may recall that we recently took 40 dogs into town for their mandatory pre-Iditarod Blood Tests & EKGs. We are delighted to report that all of them passed with flying colors! The dogs’ medical examination requirements didn’t end there, however, as each dog must also have a mandatory pre-Iditarod … Read More
In Aliy’s recent audio post, she talked about her design for the Kennel and how she wanted to make sure the dog’s could have fun and play together when they are not out running. It’s really a pretty sweet set up for them, and every dog has at least two … Read More
We conclude “Ron’s Ride” with Aliy talking about the development of sled dogs and considerations for which dogs will become SP Kennel racers and which will be given away as pets or “recreational” sled dogs. She continues with some commentary about how dogs learn from each other, then concludes with … Read More
We continue “Ron’s Ride” with Aliy talking about lead dogs, their qualities and the differences between them. She goes on to talk about the amazing capabilities of sled dogs and her view of the misunderstanding between people who don’t really know the dogs and those who do. Many thanks to … Read More
Despite what you may hear from rumor mongers among so-called “animal activists” and some sensationalists in the media, the well-being of the dogs is the paramount consideration in sled dog racing. This is true of everyone involved in the sport. Way beyond the fact that mushers know a dog who … Read More
As “Ron’s Ride” continues, we pick up with Aliy describing typical musher activities at an Iditarod checkpoint. She then does an inspection of the team and provides an extremely interesting and informative narration. Many thanks, again, to my friend Ron for this fantastic footage! (Note: Ron is exclusively a still … Read More
We’ve spent a few days looking at “Logistics” preparation for the Iditarod, so let’s turn our attention back to “Training.” One of the trickiest things I’ve noticed about what Aliy and Allen have to do in training preparation for the Iditarod is getting all the dogs “in-sync.” In other words, … Read More
A few days ago, Aliy recorded an audio description of dog commands. Although she did her typically great job of describing things, there’s always a big difference between hearing something described and seeing it in action. Well, my friend Ron went on a “ride along” with Aliy and a team … Read More
