Today we went for a semi-long hike in Southaven County Park, the park we normally take the dogs for a walk in. We walked about 4.7 miles in 3 hours, and by the end of it we were all ready to nap. The red line on this map indicates the path we took:
The dogs were loving it, lots of new smells and places to pee on. It was a beautiful crisp day with the temps in the upper 30s, though between the walking and bright sun were kept pretty warm. I still dressed in layers to keep from getting too cold, I can always take a layer off but it would be hard to add on a layer I didn't bring. The dogs spotted some deer, but sadly they ran off before I could take a picture of them.
Over all it was a very nice hike, a great way to test out our new hiking GPS, and a fun way to enjoy the outdoors. Here are some more pictures I took during the hike, enjoy!
This time around is definitely one of the best ones so far with Titan, even with the few mishaps we had (which you'll get to see in the video) I'm still so very proud of him. He maintained a pretty consistent speed throughout the run and basically stayed on the trail. It seems that during each run, he tries to run off at the same spots so these actions are easy to predict and I can redirect him before he acts (so long as I'm paying attention).
There was a point near the end where he took a sharp turn to chase something, initially I was redirecting him but had stopped when I heard a few cars coming. And then once we start going again, he had to slip on some leaves on his way back to the road, poor boy was lucky that we were nearly done.
Something I notice after watching the video is my vocabulary, I seem to be using the same words to different actions. I need to train myself to communicate better with Titan and start using the proper words for each type of action. Overall, I am making less noise than when I started but that could be because there is less of a need for it.
As you can see in the image, and video, I've made a slight upgrade to the bikejor equipment. An important item to have on the bike is something to keep the line away from the front tire. If the line is not kept off of the tire, you run the risk of running over the line and hitting the dog. Initially I had Alpine Outfitters Bikejor Noodle, but it's short length and soft body wasn't doing much to protect the line when it goes slack.
Shortly before today's run, I picked up a few supplies from Home Depot and built a new antenna. I basically followed the instructions given by a local musher in his video, and modified it to my needs. Check out the video is you want to try to make your own:
As you can see, he uses duck tape to decorate, which I couldn't help but also do:
"Dill With It!" I think that's going to be my bikejor catchphrase
So proud of this boy, can't wait to take him back out.
Tikaani: Fourth time out wasn't that great, and I found myself getting frustrated which is not a state of mind one should have while training dogs. Tikaani must have not been in the mood to run as he didn't go any faster than a slow trot and kept stopping to sniff or mark. I'm thinking that I will for now I will take a few steps back with him and do some more training on foot. Sadly, this means that there will be jogging in my future, which I'm not well coordinated for. I will have to find something for Tikaani to drag while I try to encourage his speed and control his direction. At the very least he's good with listening to turning commands so I won't have that issue to deal with.
Titan: He was a ball of excitement, saw me put my coat on and grab the harness, and he just wouldn't shut up until we were on the trail. We started off good, he was running like a mad man and listened pretty well. But halfway through, he started to see the puddles of melting snow and wanted nothing more than to drink from them. With the water spigots dry for the season, and the puddles being unsafe to drink from, there wasn't anything for him to drink. I really don't want him drinking when he still has to run afterwords, but may bring enough next time to wet his palate and keep his mind in the game.
Here's a video of Titan's run, with a little musical flair:
Overall, I think what really killed their desire to run was how warm these past 2 days were. For the most part the day temperature has been in the mid 30s, but the last few days were in the mid 50s. I was sweating at the end of each run, so I'm sure both dogs were feeling the same. Will see if there is any improvement once the temperatures drop back down. I also need to get a new bike or have this one fixed, the chain fell off of the pedal several times during Tikaani's run, which can be quite scary.
At this point, I have taken Tikaani and Titan out three times each. Being that we are all still new at this, I have opted to practice them individually until they both get the hang of it. This allows for me to have better control should something happen, like an edible critter kicking in their prey drive.
ROUND 1: Mid November
Tikaani: First time out and he did better than I thought he would, not great but I was expected worse. We took some back trails at Southaven County Park, which in hindsight was a bad idea since the ground in several areas was very soft sand. This made it hard to get the bike moving, and there were times I had to get off of the bike and walk since pedaling was useless. Besides those patches of soft sand, Tikaani had managed to keep some speed though it was broken up with his desire to mark and sniff. If I tell him to leave it before he stops, he does listen and will continue to move. He would slow to a walk if he felt the full weight of myself and the bike, so I did some pedaling to alleviate some of that weight so he can maintain some speed.
Titan: Same location as Tikaani, took a shorter loop so as not to over exert him. He did some sniffing, but not nearly as much as Tikaani. Titan definitely has a desire to run, he didn't want to stop even when I had to slow down to get around the soft sand. Pedaled the whole time so as not to strain his joints, Made for a good reminder that I should exercise more so I can better keep up with these guys. After the run, Titan was still a ball of energy and proceeded to play with the other dogs when we got home.
Round 2: Early December
I have opted to run them mostly on a short loop at
Cathedral Pines from now on. I chose this path for several reasons, the biggest one being that this was a new an
unfamiliar place. Being that this is not where we walk them, the hope
is that since they haven't associated that path with walks they will be
less inclined to sniff and mark, and more inclined to associate it with
running and pull.
Tikaani: Boy was that an adventure, will have to remember to leave earlier. Took him to the same trail as I did with Titan's 2nd run, giving him a few minutes to sniff and mark at the trail head before starting. Once we got going, Tikaani wanted to head into the woods at the same spot as Titan did but was easier to redirect. After that point, Tikaani took off down the trail. This time around he didn't mind the weight of the bike, allowing me to not have to pedal most of the run. I really wasn't expecting this kind of speed from him, it was kind of scary at times especially when he decided to go even faster every time he spotted a squirrel.
I swear, with a little more recall work Tikaani would probably make a great squirrel hunting dog, he just has such a drive for those little buggers. Good thing I was able to notice his signals when he caught sight of one (head lifted, ears tightened), and manage to hit the brakes before he was able to drag me too far. Luckily, I spotted the deer before we were close enough to excite his prey drive and waited for them to scamper off before continuing. By that point, Tikaani was still in the mood to run just not at the speed he started with. Overall, he did a lot better than I thought he would. Was expecting it to be all sniffing and marking, and not nearly as much running as he actually did.
Titan: Rocky start as this was a new trail and Titan caught wind of something (probably deer) that made him want to go off trail. Grabbed his harness and walked him down the trail a bit before hopping back on the bike. Then it was like a switch went off in his head, he realized that he gets to run, and off he went. Kept on a fat trail with plenty of room, just in case we happen to come by anyone else, which we didn't. A few times Titan had wanted to go down side trails, but quickly ignored them when asked. Made it back to the car in one piece, to which Titan tried to pass by and head back into the trail. Silly boy did not want to stop.
Round 3: Mid December
Tikaani: More running than usual, though he still had a desire to stop and sniff a few times. Did less pedaling this time and he maintained speed even with the full weight. Purchased a cheapy camera and accessories so better chronicle each run. Here is a snippet of Tikaani's run with camera attached to the handle bars:
Titan: The minute he saw me pack the bike in the car, he would howl nonstop and pace at the front door. He still needs to learn his directions better, but he was just all about running once we hit the trail. There was one moment where he went to go chase a squirrel, but he redirected well and continued going. Towards the end, we were going along a road and had to stop to let some cars by. There were some cyclists that stopped to give him some loving, both were very impressed with what I was doing with him and kept complimenting on how gorgeous he is. Here's a video taken with the camera hooked to my helmet:
For the longest time I have been wanting to do mushing and had thought that mushing was only done with a sled on snow. Living in an area where we don't really get much snow, mostly a lot of cold, I was excited to find out that there was such a thing as dryland mushing.
In dryland or urban mushing, instead of using a sled that requires snow, mushers will have the dogs pull a wheeled vehicle such as a bike, scooter, or rig. Being on wheels allows for a greater range of terrain to run the dogs on, allowing for more training to be done during the year. When I first saw videos of dryland mushing, I knew that this was something I wanted to do.
However, I was restricted due to the limitations of the dogs we kept. Tetsu, being a mere 21lbs, was too small even though he does have a great desire to run and pull. Tikaani has LP, and though the vet did give the okay to do some mushing, I would have to take it easy and wouldn't be able to run him as much as I wanted to. I was hoping to do some mushing with Miyu when I brought her home, but her bad hips meant that this was not the sport for her.
And then came Titan, a husky born to mush. Coming from racing/working lines, has been built both physically and mentally for this sport that I have been dieing to get into. Bringing him home renewed and invigorated my desire to mush. I began to research and join online groups to learn from those more experienced than me.
Sadly, there hasn't been much local interest, have found barely a handful of people who mush in my area. I did manage to find mushing groups in neighboring states and though they aren't close enough to visit regularly, they're still close enough for me to attend events once in a while and pick mushers' brains in person.
One such event was the Betty Carhart Memorial Sweepstakes Race hosted by the Jersey Sands Sled Dog Racing Association (JSSDRA). That was an incredible experience and even though it was really cold, I still had loads of fun. It was just me and Titan, Tom stayed home with the rest of the pups as he wanted to spend his day off relaxing instead of freezing.
There was a lot of energy, so many dogs barking out of excitement and desire to run. I talked to a lot of great mushers, got to see so many different type of equipment and drool over some of the rigs. Though the real fun and action, if not racing, was being part of the trail help. Helped make sure the dogs didn't go the wrong way, and was rewarded with being able to see up close the teams in action. Hoping to race at this event some day. Check out the images I took, you don't need a Facebook account to see them:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151817629506379.1073741831.681261378&type=1&l=a24d3aeb25
Anyways, I've been bitten by the bug and have started training Tikaani and Titan. Will try to keep a log of each endeavor. Stay tuned to see what adventures we have during these practice runs.
This is Titan, his registered name is Fort Illio's Clash of the Titans. He is a Siberian Husky of racing lines and the newest addition to the family. Born June 26th, Titan is an amazing pup with a stable personality and loads of energy. He is such a smoosh, loves to cuddle and attention, often going out of his way to get some.
Miyu and Titan got along immediately, the second he came into the house Miyu just wanted to play with him. It took Tikaani a few days to warm up, and Tetsu a few months. Overall they are all getting along fairly well.
My big plans for Titan is to do dryland mushing, mainly hooking him up to a bike either on his own or with Tikaani. Would be awesome to have a small team of huskies someday, pulling a rig or sled, but for now I'm happy with the pups I have. Anyways, here are some pics of Titan so far:
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