dogd doctor radio

The Mail

July 13, 2010 by teamineka

The Mail

The mushers carrying the mail packets were by far the most popular. The Hudson Bay Company’s “Northern Packet” departed what is now Winnipeg on the Fort Garry dog train. Eight days and 350-miles later, the Fort Garry dog train arrived at the Norway House, located at the north end of Lake Winnipeg. Simultaneously, the York Factory on Hudson Bay sent a mail packet to Norway House. After unloading, and then repacking, the two dog trains returned from where they came. A new dog train departed Norway House and headed west to Fort Carlton, located on the Saskatchewan River. The trip was 650-miles and took around twenty-two days.

The mail drivers were so adept at getting the mail in on time, that the men stationed at the old Swan River barracks made wagers every twenty-one to twenty-two days as to when the mail would arrive. “Bets would be passed at the noon meal as to what exact time Louis Laronde or Antoine Genoit would arrive with the mail.”

The importance of the mail was also prevalent in Alaska, and was one of the most eagerly awaited shipments of the dog trail. It has been said that all sled dog trails lead to Nome, and on those trails the mail driver was treated like a king. United States law actually required all other trail users give the right-of-way to the mail drivers.

“The mail driver was the single most important person on the trail, in the mail-station, or at the over-night roadhouse. He was given the best seat at the table, the first service of hotcakes for breakfast, and the best bunk at night. When the mail driver pulled into a station or the roadhouse at the end of a day’s run, he unhitched the team and turned all the dogs loose except the leader. His leader, his parka, gloves and whip was brought into the roadhouse. He put the leader under his bunk, hung his wet clothing on the best wire around the stovepipe…and woe to him who complained about the leader under his bed!”

At the turn of the century the mail driver received a salary of $2225.00 per year, and was required by the Postmaster General to deliver the mail “with celerity, certainty, and security.”

The United States Postal Service employed dog drivers until 1963. Chester Noongwook, of Savoonga on Saint Lawrence Island, was honored in the same year. With the retirement of his loyal dog team a century of sled dog tradition slipped into history. Noongwook’s team, Spotty, Brownie, Mil-ko-lak and Donkey were replaced with an airplane, yet they remained at the ready, because there would be times and places that a dog team could make the trip and an airplane could not.

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Dr. Robert Forto is the Dog Sledding Examiner, a musher training for his first Iditarod under the Team Ineka banner and the host of Mush! You Huskies Radio Show

Nutrition by Al Magaw

July 4, 2010 by teamineka

Nutrition

By Al Magaw

In the early 1980’s, a study about nutritional requirements for racing sled dogs was done by D.S. Kronfeld and T. Adkins and was a big factor in my and other dogsled racers decision to feed raw meat in addition to a good quality kibble – a lot of effort was put in by a group of veterinarians and scientists to measure various body reactions to different diets on dogs belonging to Harris Dunlap, the top unlimited sprint driver of the time – another related study, done by Kronfield and others at or around the same time is one I missed reading until recently – the study centers on protein content and is as follows —

“Erythrocyte (red cell) counts were depressed significantly during the race, by 15% in dogs fed an experimental diet and by 27% in those fed a commercial stress diet. Erythrocyte parameters have also become depressed during the racing season in middle distance sled dogs fed 28% protein (energy basis) but not 32 or 39%. Depressed red blood cell production has been demonstrated previously in dogs subjected to stress induced experimentally in several ways, and its restoration has been affected by dietary protein. Erythrocyte parameters may be useful indicies of the degree of stress in a dog as well as the adequacy of its protein intake during stress.”

This information would help explain the behaviour of some of my teams in longer distance sprint races (30 – 35 miles) – I was feeding what was claimed to be high quality food by the manufactures, but my dogs were running out of steam about the 20 – 25 mile point of a race – I realize now that in addition to the chicken and red meat I was feeding, the kibble I was using was about 27 – 28% protein – the study shows that the kibble I was using could have been the cause of the premature tiring of my teams

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Al Magaw is a musher from Salmo, BC. Al keeps a medium sized kennel of 20 – 45 alaskan huskies as well as several pet dogs of various breeds. Al has been training and racing for the last 33 years. Before becoming involved with sled dogs, Al, along with his family, kept and competed with horses for many years. Al can be reached through his website at http://www.spiritofthenorthkennels.com Al is a guest blogger for Denver Dog Works and can be reached through our website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Cylus by Al Magaw

May 16, 2010 by teamineka

Cylus

By Al Magaw

This is an exerpt from the chapter “Cylus” from my unpublished book , tentatively titled, “Best Friends”

Cylus was my first leader, an obedience dog, intelligent, all heart, and full of bounce – we think he was a Collie/Aussie cross. Cylus was a last minute rescue from euthanasia when he was ten months old – this story took place when Cylus was four or five years old and he and I had shared many things together.

One evening, my wife Carol was putting our kids to bed, and I was playing with Cylus in the living room. I was getting ready to have him do some of his tricks, but he wasn’t waiting for me to give the command. He would do the trick as soon as the idea entered my head. I stopped and wrote down a series of tricks that Cylus knew. I called Carol to come and see what was going on. I asked her to watch to see if I was unconsciously giving any signals by my body language. I silently read the first trick on the list. Cylus did the trick. We went through the whole list. Cylus did each trick in the order that I silently read them . I was not aware of giving any signal at all, and Carol could see no motion on my part. It was so eerie, that it sent shivers up our spines…

While driving home from work one evening I hit a deer on the highway. I wasn’t hurt, but the deer was dead and the truck was not drivable. I was able to catch a ride home with the next following vehicle. I arrived home to find that some friends had come to visit. Everybody was sitting around the living room having a pleasant conversation. Cylus was on the floor beside Carol. I sat in my usual chair and listened for a few minutes to catch on to what the conversation was about. When I did start to say something, I didn’t have more than two words out of my mouth, when Cylus started to moan and wail. He crawled towards me, belly down on the floor, this horrible moaning/wailing sound coming from deep in his throat. Carol asked, “What on earth is the matter with that dog?” I replied that I had hit a deer on the way home.

I didn’t think I felt particularly stressed, and I sure wasn’t hurt. But Cylus had picked up something in my voice and had reacted with a huge concern for my well being.

In my very first race, Cylus in single lead, at the crest of a hill, I couldn’t see where the trail went. Cylus, who was about thirty feet in front of me, facing away, felt my uncertainty. His head and his ears came up, he hesitated and slowed for a moment until I could see where the trail went. Immediately that I was confident that we were on the right track, his ears and his head went down and he was back to full speed ahead –

These are just a few examples of how that remarkable little dog seemed to live inside my head. Cylus lived to be 18-years old, and although he’s long gone these many years, I still miss him badly.

Do you have a remarkable story about one of your dogs? Contact us at live@dogdoctorradio.com We would love to hear from you.

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Al Magaw is a musher from Salmo, BC. Al keeps a medium sized kennel of 20 – 45 alaskan huskies as well as several pet dogs of various breeds. Al has been training and racing for the last 33 years. Before becoming involved with sled dogs, Al, along with his family, kept and competed with horses for many years. Al can be reached through his website at http://www.spiritofthenorthkennels.com Al is a guest blogger for Denver Dog Works and can be reached through our website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Mush! You Huskies

December 22, 2009 by teamineka

Mush! You Huskies

By Michele Forto

Starting Saturday December 19, 2009 a new mushing radio program will launch under the Twine Group Radio banner. Mush! You Huskies is hosted by Dr. Robert Forto and his business partner, wife, handler and greatest fan, Michele. Mush! You Huskies can be heard bi-weekly on Blogtalkradio on Saturdays at 11:00 am Mountain time.

Mush! You Huskies is brought to you by Denver Dog Works, Team Ineka and Dog Works Training Centers. The host, Dr. Robert Forto is a musher training for his first Iditarod run in 2013 and is bringing this show to you for several reasons: First, to bring insight, education and awareness to dog sledding. Second, to establish a listenership to a show that is like no other Mush! You Huskies will have frequent guests, recreational to Iditarod musher interviews, reviews of dog powered sports, call-in’s, chat, live email, and video about everything dog sledding. Third, Robert is looking for corporate and individual sponsors to help get his team to Nome in a few years.

In the coming weeks on Mush! You Huskies we will discuss: dog driving dynasties such as the Reddington Family, Seppala, Butcher, Jonrowe, Buser and more. We will discuss training a dog team, sled dog psychology, training leaders and communication. We will discuss the history of the sport. Dog Sledding has such a rich history that few know about it; from the Siberian dog drivers, to the diphtheria serum run, to the Iditarod, mushing in the lower 48 (states) and all over the world. We will discuss mushing in the Olympic games and the future of the sport.

Dr. Robert Forto has been a musher since he was a teenager when he bought his first Siberian, Axl and has been involved in the sport in varying degrees for more than 20 years. In 2000, Robert wanted to go back to school so he sought out a doctorate program that would allow him to write about what he truly loved, dogs and the sport of dog sledding. In 2005, he earned his doctorate and defended his dissertation successfully, Chasing the Dream: The History of Human-Canine Communication in the Sport of Dog Sledding (2005).

Team Ineka has been duly named after our Siberian Husky, Ineka. You can view photos of Ineka on his website www.teamineka.com. Ineka will post short stories monthly discussing the dogs in the team that he will be in charge of and will welcome fellow lead dogs insight and suggestions. Ineka has retired from his lead dog duties on the sled but he still manages to keep everything and everyone in check.

You can follow Team Ineka and Mush! You Huskies on Facebook, Twitter, on our weekly blog and through our website: https://teamineka.com

If you have any show suggestions or topics, would like to be on the show or know someone that we should interview please contact our studio at live@twinegroupradio.com or by phone at 303-578-9881. We would love to hear from you!

See you on the trail!

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Michele Forto is the business manager for Dog Works Training Centers and the co-host of The Dog Doctor Radio Show and Mush! You Huskies. Michele is also the lead trainer and contact for The Ineka Project in which she trains service dogs for a multitude of impairments. Michele can be reached through her website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

The Dog Doctor Radio Show

November 28, 2009 by teamineka

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Sled Dog Psychology: The Slump

November 24, 2009 by teamineka

Sled Dog Psychology: The Slump

By Robert Forto, PhD

This is a weekly series in which I explore a different topic relating to the sport of dog sledding and its impact on the social fabric of America and our canine companions. I have been a professional musher for fifteen years and was given the privilege of writing my doctorate on the sport of dog sledding: Chasing the Dream: A Study of Human-Canine Communication in the Sport of Dog Sledding (2005). In these weekly articles I will showcase the sport, the history, how a dog team prepares for racing, and many more topics. If you have a story you would like to share about dog sledding please send me an email anytime at train@denverdogworks.com and be sure to check out our new website at https://teamineka.com

The Slump

“Has your team slumped yet?” is a common question in January. After heavy training in November and December, the whole team can go into a slump. In a way, the slump is good, because the dogs learn that they must work whether they enjoy it or not. The trick is to pull them out of it before the Big Event.

Mushers should first recognize the problem. Are the dogs eager on the chain or in the kneel, but lack spirit on the trail? Do you climb a hill and there is no power? Do they not have any rhythm or unity? Tugs go slack and enthusiasm wanes. They bicker, goof off, and look for excuses to mess up.

Next, a musher must determine the cause of the problem. Are the dogs fatigued, dehydrated, on a poor diet, suffering from infections or bad feet? Or are they simply bored? Only in the last case is the problem psychological and this usually goes together with general fatigue.

The musher should rest the dogs for a few days, then run them on new trails, even if you have to truck them somewhere. Surprise them—head out the twenty-mile trail but turn back after three miles. Time off is the best bet. The dogs will bounce back eager and responsive, without backsliding much physically. This is called peaking the team.

Pep talks along the trail can work wonders. Most mushers will walk among the dogs, telling them how fantastic they are, even if you have to sometimes lie. This works well after a bad run. Maybe the dogs were pushed too hard on a hot day, or maybe the dogs had a fight, and they are now shooting dirty looks at each other. After correcting the problem and the dogs are going reasonably well, the musher should stop and walk among the dogs. They will not feel so bad. On a long, tough pull, frequent stops keep the dogs motivated. They will not worry that the musher will never stop, so they slack off less. A musher should be careful not stop too often or it will break their rhythm and annoy the dogs.

If the dogs rebel during a slump, a musher should not demand too much; but should not let them take advantage of you either. The musher should just cut the run short. A good musher will keep the trip home upbeat, because the dogs go to sleep remembering the last thing that they learned during the day, not the first. If the musher must run them the next day, they should go on a different trail or they will almost certainly have a repeat disaster.

A veteran musher’s advice is to make certain the dogs think you are holding them back, even when they are tired. The question is how? The answer is by using reverse psychology. When the dogs are tired, they are glad to stop, but after a few minutes, they are usually ready to go again. This time lapse is called the recovery time. If the musher asks the dogs to go before they recover, they will have no enthusiasm. If the musher asks the dogs to go afterward, they need no second bidding; this is reverse psychology.

Many mushers feel that like children, the dogs are trying to get the better of them. If they think that you want to go, they want to stay, and vice-versa. The turning point in their mood comes after they have recovered, when they feel like going again. Standing up, shaking off, harness-banging, braking, and looking back are signs that the dogs have recovered. It is important to note at this time that most behaviorists believe that dogs are not out to spite their owners, or “get the better of them”. Whichever view an individual may hold it is important to ask, “What is really happing here, and what is the dog trying to communicate?”

By stopping when the dogs are not ready to stop and by resting longer than they feel is necessary, the musher is using reverse psychology to make them want to go. It keeps them willing to go on a tough trail. If the musher knows his dogs well, they will know when their dogs have recovered, even if they do not stand up together. Shaking the handle-bow, whistling, or clucking brings the dogs to their feet readily. The recovery period varies considerably, but half a minute to five minutes is usually all it takes.

Lead dogs require special attention because their attitude can hold together a ragged team. Depressed leaders often turn a deaf ear to commands. They must be replaced to avoid a worsening problem. Just moving them back in the team can work miracles; or ask the dogs to go slower so that they are not pushing the front end so hard.

Next Week: Problem Dogs

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Dr. Robert Forto is a professional musher and is training for the Iditarod. Dr. Forto is also the training director of Denver Dog Works and The Ineka Project in Colorado. Dr. Forto is the host of a weekly radio program, The Dog Doctor Radio Show, every Saturday. Dr. Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com