Puppy's first day sledding!! (2 pics)

[Robb]

This is Eir (pronounced "air"), and this was her first day on the sled team!

She was an absolute superstar. Zero training from me, 100% instinct.

Did about 10 miles this morning at a good clip. I'm so proud! :D

[afraid_of_the_dark]

1. What a beautiful dog! n/t

[WoodrowFan]

2. geeeeeeeeeeeze

Dude, where do you live? It's 60 degrees here in DC!

cute dog. but then the ugliest dog is cuter than the cutest cat.

[afraid_of_the_dark]

4. Spongemonkitty?

What on earth is that thing?

[WoodrowFan]

6. it's an angry kitten

from rathergood.com

[demnan]

5. Hiss and growl!

And a swat at Wilson for the "Iron Jawed Angels".


Lovely gorgeous dogs you have there, Robb

[Robb]

7. We're in Colorado

We usually run at about 9,000 feet, but there's snow on the ground around here as low as 7K. :)

[WoodrowFan]

8. so which dog is named 'dingbat'?? NT

[Robb]

9. Hey man,

...the only Dingbat is the one on the sled. :)

[MuseRider]

3. How cool!

I spent an interesting 4 hours talking to Mary Shields and meeting her dogs and learning about sledding and the races she has been in. I thought it was fascinating stuff. Cute doggies.

[northofdenali]

22. Mary is one of the best around - still lives near me in

Goldstream Valley. I get to hear her "Goldstream Chorus" (the dogs) at every feeding time!

[MuseRider]

24. I just got back

and wanted to respond to you. Mary is the coolest lady! We prowled her garden while she talked. She made us cookies and hot cocoa and showed us all the things she got from her trips to Russia over the strait while frozen. She is amazing. I wanted to BE her for a while but then I came to my senses. My version was a Disney version. As tough and hardy as I may be y'all up there in Alaska make me look like a wuss. I love your state. We explored as much as we could (we hated the tour crap) so we rented a car and went as far as we could go. Cheno Hot Springs was pretty cool. You live in a beautiful area if you are that close to Mary. We hope to go back someday and get a really hardy vehicle and spend the time ourselves getting to know it better. I had a friend from Barrow and always thought it would be cool to see it too. Ahhh Alaska.

[northofdenali]

26. Yes, I'm lucky!

Chena Hot Springs just built an ICE HOTEL!!! Really something else. We went up to the resort for our anniversary last month - it was 43 below and the northern lights were amazing. Spent about 3 hours in the outdoor pool freezing my hair and watching the lights! Here's info on the hotel (and some photos): http://www.chenahotsprings.com/icehotel.html

Next time you decide to come up, PM me and I'll buy the first beer! Drag you out to the Howlin' Dawg Saloon! And Skinny Dick's Halfway Inn!

Meanwhile, we need to get Robb and his pups up for the North American Open Sled Dog Championships! Winter Carnival starts this weekend.

[geniph]

10. What an adorable little fuzzball!

I love working dogs. There's something so inherently happy about a dog doing what it was bred to do. Yours are just beautiful.

[Az]

11. Why doesn't he get to ride in the sled

What kind of puppy slave driver are ya..... think of the kittens...

[WilliamPitt]

12. Christ, where do you live? McMurdo Sound?

Cute dog. :)

[GOPisEvil]

13. How beautiful!!

Your surroundings AND your dogs.

Man, want a neighbor? :D

[Robb]

15. Aw, it looks good right now...

...but when that three feet of snow finally turns into two feet of mud, you'd have to change yer name to GOPisSunken. :D

[GOPisEvil]

16. Can I justify a horribly inefficient SUV then?

:bounce:

[Robb]

18. Hell, we do!

Six huskies in an SUV is where I draw the line, tho'. Any more than that and they're doing the driving... ;)

[GOPisEvil]

19. Wunnerful!

Sign me up.

[Richardo]

14. Puppy dawg!!

Me gusta mucho los perritos...que bonita!

Plus your pic makes me miss Colorado :(

Richardo <--- breaking into Spanish for no discernible reason

[proud patriot]

17. Very Cute

:D

[VelmaD]

20. So pretty

What gorgeous puppies. :)

[sonias]

21. Damn fine looking dogs

They look right at home in the snow. Beautiful beasties.

Sonia

[northofdenali]

23. Beautiful dogs, Robb. When are you gonna run the Yukon Quest?

I'll send you the sign-up form!!

[Robb]

25. Ha!

...In my List of Things Alaska can Keep, next to mosquito season! :)

I just like doing short day or overnight trips for fun, just for me and the critters. Competition isn't in my blood... and besides I think other mushers would make fun of me for having a big enough tent for everyone on the team to sleep in! :silly:

[northofdenali]

27. Robb, ok, then we'll start small, with a little race

far easier than the Quest..............the Iditarod! :evilgrin:

[Robb]

28. Hee!

:)

Actually, two of my doggies have littermates who'll be running Iditarod with the Stormwatch team. :thumbsup:

[SoCalDem]

29. How about a challenge race... with these racers??

SoCalDem (1000+ posts) Tue Mar-02-04 12:18 PM
Response to Original message

3. There ARE sled-cats.. I have proof..(pic)



http://www.siberiancats.com/race.htm

Cats Glide to Easy Win in Atta Boy

BEND, OR (AheadOfNews.com) - Dog mushers expressed dismay yesterday when a sled pulled by Siberian cats won the Atta Boy 300 Sled Dog Race in central Oregon.
Rachel Tucker of Baker City, Ore., was allowed to enter the race with her 200-cat team as a publicity stunt. Apparently no one except Tucker expected her to win.




"I told the puppy lovers to watch out, that these cats were for real, but they thought I was joking," said Tucker, also known as "Fur Muffin."

Tucker and her Silver Classic Tabby Kravchenko Siberians took the lead during the first stage of the race, a 47-mile loop around Mount Bachelor, and increased it during each subsequent stage. They completed the entire 300-mile course in just over 22 hours, about an hour ahead of the nearest dogs.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Mike Kensington of Bear Creek, Yukon Territory. "My poor Huskies almost died of embarrassment."

...snip

[Robb]

30. LOL!

I almost bought it! ...Until the "200-cat team" part! :D

[WarNoMore]

31. We used to have

2 huskies and raised a litter--2 were sold as sled dogs and one won several prizes. They're wonderful, beautiful dogs.

[ChoralScholar]

32. beautiful pup

I also see a smiling puppy dog in the background.

Dogs just love to have a job don't they? :)