Dog Handling Training for Iditarod

 It is Iditarod time again.  This year I will be helping with running the dogs and sleds to the start line.
Today i  went to the headquarters to be trained on how to handle the dogs. Oops, the athletes.  They are the most important issue today.  Sounds like the Memphis Grizzles right, it is all about the athlete. This year the Iditarod will be running the south course.  Even number years the mushers go the northern route and odd number years they travel the southern route.  The course is 1049 miles from Anchorage to Nome.  The conditions are unbelievable.  I still haven't figured out what makes these mushers, guys and girls, do this race.  You must love the solitude and winter weather.  They do not travel with GPS or phones, there is a GPS somewhere on the sled for TV to follow the sled but nothing to help them find their way. In years past, the mushers would finish the race in about 18 days. About 4 years ago the first musher arrived in Nome in just 8 days.  That is a lot of ground to cover each day!

Here is Niki being welcomed by one of the athletes.  They are the most friendly dogs.  I can't believe all they want to do is RUN!!!!  Trying to hold them at the start line is much more difficult than it sounds.

Aren't they gorgeous. Those blue and black eyes.  This particular team has almost all related dogs. That means that many of the brothers and sisters run next to each other on the team.  There are only two dogs with bi-eyes (one blue and one black) all the others are either both blue or both black.

First things first.  All dogs get booties put on their feet. You know how it is. No athlete enters the field without proper equipment.  We made the foot salve two weeks ago and now they put it on before the booties to keep the foot pad soft so it doesn't crack.  Take note of their harness.  As handlers we had to learn the different parts of the sled, harness, ropes and where to hold and where not to hold.  First words of wisdom, don't bend down to hold the dogs. When they get excited they jump straight UP into your chin or nose.  Many handlers have battle wounds, cut lips and bloody noses, from forgetting RULE #1.  I will try to remember this rule but it may be cold and I might forget. 

 Here I am getting the instructions for handling the lead pair.  I will tell you one thing. Come Saturday, I will not volunteers for the lead team.  There is too much pressure to keep them cool and comfortable. Once the dogs hear the count down, 5,4,3,2,1, they go CRAZY!!!! On about count 3 they are on their hind legs and then they put all four legs down and there is no way to hold them.  Think of 16 dogs with all the force, or dog power, and away they go.  These dogs live to run.  If they had their way they would run all day and all night.  When they are at the kennels, they are put on merry-go-rounds because they think they are really covering a lot of territory.  This is the traveling kennel. 10 dogs on each side so there is a total of 20 dogs.  They each pray they will be the chosen one to run with the team.

Here are two athletes who were NOT chosen. The instant they know they get to stay in the kennel they become very quiet.  The one on the right loves to get warmed by the sun so he cuddles close to the bars to enjoy the warmth. Usually the dogs sit a bit farther like the dog on the left.Below are the different colored dog booties from the Iditarod a few years ago.  There I am standing next to the Winner Trophy. Isn't that huge?

This is a typical dog sled.  It is made out of wood and some are made out of aluminum.  One of the mushers is a teacher in Idaho and had his students build his sled for the race.  It worked pretty well.  A lot of duct tape was used for repairs until he reached the work station.  The sleds today do not carry 1,000 pounds of food and supplies.  They must carry 3 days of dog food and people food, the cooker, and a bale of hay (sleeping areas for the dogs) and a sleeping bag for the musher.  That is it today.  You should check out the Iditarod headquarter web site to see the conditioned these athletes and musher endure for 8 - 12 days.  Unbelievable.  The female musher that I am supporting, Angie Taggert, said the cabins in the bush are somewhat disgusting and that she will probably sleep in her sleeping bag with her dog team.

Training is over and back into the kennel.  It was a fun day.  Not enough miles covered for the dogs sake but the trainees, that's me, thought it was plenty.  The Second Rule to remember.  If you trip and fall, which we were assured each of us will, Rule #2 is to Roll Out of The Way. If you fall, roll towards the snow bank because there will be 16 dogs and two dog sleds about to run you over if you just sit still with frustration.  So I go to bed at night with my mantra, Don't bend down and Roll, Roll quickly!!!!

But before he is loaded in the kennel, one last kiss for Sheryl.  We had a great time bonding today. I only wish I could walk this team to the start line.  Remember, I may be walking or probably running the winning team to the start line. Why run?  We get assigned to a musher and sled which is parked about 8 city blocks away from the start line.  The handlers are in charge of bringing the team to the start line but we have to run the entire way because these dogs run so fast.  The snow isn't like slush snow in the lower 48, but more like bags of sugar spilled out on the road.  It is hard to get good footing on slippery sugar.  Isn't he just friendly?  I am holding a dog food bag used to drop the food at the check points.  I plan on framing mine with all of my Iditarod memorabilia.  It will be my new framed art for Memphis.

Here are my two favorite athletes to bid you all good bye.  I will be getting ready with all sorts of Iditarod events this week.  On Saturday, I will be handling the dogs and then at 4PM I will be running with the Reindeer'

s!!! yep, really.  We will all stand at the corner of 4th and G and then they say go and we run with a few minutes head start before they let the reindeer's go.  The reindeer will be safe and end at their kennel and food at the end of the very large block.

I have several events to blog so some of these will be out of order. I am sure you won't mind as long as there are lots of pictures.  Tomorrow David and his guy friends head to FL for the Daytona 500.  He is so excited. I feel safe since my brother is going along.  Well, maybe they will keep each other out of trouble.  Jensina leave for Italy on Wednesday for a bit over 2 weeks.  She will have a great time with her friend Morgan.  Tyler is heading to Colorado skiing.  I will be working the start of the Iditarod and then fly to Nome to work the end Last Great Race on Earth!!!! I am so excited. I hope it is warmer than I keep hearing.  This weekend was minus 45 degrees in Nome.  We will work in shifts to complete the outdoor building (dog houses, finish shoots, and timers tables, etc) and then a shift inside signing post cards for class rooms, answering phones and giving trail information for the TV and radio stations.  Keep warm, I hear you are all thawing out.

Hugs from Nanuq of the North.  Sheryl