The main reason we are doing fall training is just as it sounds it is training- Not like a lot of regular miles conditioning 6 new dogs, Four were not harness broke and none had run in a team with me, So getting them into a basic running group before the snow flies is our main goal and to look for leader potential in the pack, The lead we have Achilles is a SH and I have already noted that he can not keep pace with the SSS's, The progress has been good on the running team, To date the average of our run's is 3.9 miles and that's about all we care to do so as to not abuse feet .. even with that we have had a few abrasions and minor cuts... Lead dog training has not really been worked on, but evaluating the likely candadates has and it looks like Xaros and Windy are the go to guys. Xaros has been running good but is a little independent where Windy seems to want to please just based on personality, Picture is of windy a few days after we brought him here. deal with windy is he balked both times I hooked him into the team.. Really did not want to run so we unhooked him and did the runs without him and have been meaning to get to work on some one on one with him... Well I did finally take him today. First Shelly manned the cart and I hooked him up on a long tug and tried to lead him out front on a leash a bit and see if he would pull the cart alone like this... Well that was a no go he balked and did not like the big ol cart behind him.so I went back to basics and hooked him to the Snowmobile track drag and we went for a one mile walk, at first the track was a bit bothersome to him but by the end of the driveway he was pulling away and getting out front on his own. went around the streets of Wasioja allowing calling out commands at intersections and such. By the end coming into the drive and towards the house he picked it up and ran it home good on his own so I called out "take it home" to set that in his head -to speed it up for the final run... Will be doing this walk with him as many days as I can manage for the next week or so, adding a bit more weight to the drag every day ... not a lot, just a pound or two a day to gradually step him up to really leaning into the harness.. Interesting that 4 of 5 Seppala's that were not harness broke took right to it with probably less then a mile of this drag mat training, and Windy is probably the most eager to please and tractable of the 5.. So go figure.
On a side note Windy and his brother Echo from another litter (repeat breeding of the sire and dame) are not our dogs, they are here as a favor to us by there owner http://www.seppalakennels.com/ to fill our team, And were helping SK out putting them to work and training... They are possibly available to the right person, and I would keep em both if I could afford it... I have to say Jeffrey and Susan are Very attached to each and every one of the furkids as I call them and if your interested you might want to go find a lake and verify your walking on water skills before you inquire... You would not only have to pass SK muster but I assume my opinion of any one coming here to look at them would be taken into account as well... and well.... as the step dad and living with these guys now for a few months, I will hold a very high standard for anyone asking. I'll leave it at that.....
