Busy winter

The time flies when you’ve got lots to do. Now that there’s snow and real winter, it feels the dogs take all my time. Still, there’s always time to follow big races like Yukon Quest and Iditarod in Northern America and of course Finnmarksløpet 500 and 1000 in Norway.

Anyway, some old news. Of the 5 puppy boys we had 4 still lives with us, because Eko moved to Norway to kennel Huskyville’s on January. I’m hoping he’ll grow up to be as happy dog as he was as a puppy, and in future will run in Line Løw’s racing team.

Line spent a weekend with us, which was nice. We had time to drive the dogs with her, though it was only a quick run. I trained my team and Line followed with a team of 5 dogs, including Uule, who’s a Huskyville dog.

The first race of this season was held in Lieksa on January 27th to 29th. I was supposed to drive the long distance race, but I was able to train the dogs on sled only two weeks before the race, so no chance to train for long distance. All in all, we weren’t expecting the dogs run fast, because of so short “speed period”. With injuries in our pack (Kikka hurting her foot before race, and Uule taking her place in the team), we weren’t able to put together two equal teams for the race, so we decided that Suvi’ll drive the 3 x 31km Eastpoint Open race.

The first day 8 dogs started in our team: Mimmi and Bambi in lead, Pimu and Kajsa swing, Koff and Putte in team and Beck and Uule in wheel. The weather was cold, around -30c. The trail was partly a bit soft on the first day, but it got harder each day. Koff hurt her wrist on the first day, and though she didn’t show it at first, she couldn’t run properly the whole 31km.

On the first day our team had a companion dog along the whole trip. The person starting after Suvi lost his lead dog, because he was chewed free from his tugline by his leader friend. Luckily the free running dog didn’t mess in the team, he was just running alongside of the sled, like a well trained dog. Suvi enjoyed his company, but our dogs probably didn’t even notice him. Usually they don’t mind anything happening around them. Time for the first day was 1h 23min 35sec.

I’ve had interesting cases of interruptions on trainings. Once a Hovawart was free running in a forest where I train. His owner tried to call him away from my dogs, but he barked and tried to chase after the team. The whole thing ended up with the Hovawart on my sled, but my dogs just ran. None of them even turned their ear. After a couple of hundred metres the Hovawart jumped off the sled and looked like “what the hell did just happen”. Another time Suvi’s hunting dog the Nordic Spitz, Vili, was running free alongside with my team. He was just a youngster back then, and I thought he wouldn’t disappear anywhere, but all of a sudden he ran into the forest. I thought he’ll come back soon and continued with the training. Well, Vili did come back rather soon and he’d brought a friend with him: he chased a moose on the road where I was driving! Well, the moose and Vili ran back to forest soon enough. Again none of my dogs were interrupted with the incident. I really like dogs that do their job, and just run and run and run.

Anyway, on the second day of Eastpoint Open race, Koff couldn’t run because of the injury. We had a team of 7 dogs starting. This time it was Uule, who simply couldn’t run fast enough. It wasn’t surprise, because he hasn’t ran in my team for the whole season. After the first 10km he had given his all, and was really tired. He travelled back to finish in the sled and didn’t start on the last day. Time for the second day was 1h 26min 06sec.

So, more unfortunates: Pimu didn’t start on the last day. We harnessed her and she even ran to the start line, but her left shoulder was a little sore, so she didn’t run because no more passangers on the sled wanted. Suvi started with 5 dogs, but the dogs did a good run. Time for the last day was 1h 23min 52sec.

There are some videos from the race you can watch on the races’ official website on racinghusky.com. There’s also photogalleries from the race. And of course the results from the race. A big thank you for the voluntary workers who make the whole race happen! It’s always a pleasure to participate on races in Lieksa, because everything’s so well organized.

The second race for the winter was held in Ohkola. It’s a sprint race, and obviously we haven’t trained the dogs for sprint. We participated on the race with yearling team, as a race practice for them. At home all they see is familiar forests and passing horses, so we thought it’s time for them to see other dog teams. Kikka and Wilma were the leaders in our team, Iiris and Muru ran in team and Jojo and Hottis were the wheel boys.

Wilma giving birth to puppies only 3 months ago, she wasn’t in a real shape for running, although she’s been running in trainings since late December. She’s obviously not fast at the moment, so Suvi – who was our musher again – had to slow the team the whole way, so Wilma could show the way. Suvi’s opinion of the run was that the whole thing was a bit messy. Still we’re happy Muru, Iiris and Hottis got their first race start.

Unfortunately we couldn’t finish the race, because after the first day we had two limping dogs. Again! We need to do some thinking because of this matter. So anyway, we didn’t go back to Ohkola the second day.

Another race, Ruuhirod, was supposed to be held this weekend, but unfortunately they’ve had problems with trail. The race was cancelled, which is a shame, because it’s always been one of our favourites. On the race you’ve got 21h time to run a 20km trail 4 times. Hopefully it’ll be held again next year.

Next race for us is Äkry, a short sprint, where youngsters will train race behavior again. So, we’re participating only for training reasons, not so much for competition. After that there’s Metsäkartano Sprint. Even though the name is sprint, there’s also a middistance race held and that’s where we’ll participate. And then Ruunaa Race will be the last race for us this season in mid March. Really looking forward to all the upcoming two middistance races.

And then some photos of morning-dogs. They were just getting up when I surprised them with a camera this morning.

Enzo

Egil

Euro

Esko

Putte

Beck and Hottis

Simo and Benny

Keke

Jade and Dana

Pimu

Muru, Iiris and Kikka

Koff

Uule

Bambi

Kajsa

Mimmi

-Kati

Winter arrived

So, we finally got some snow here too. Kati was able to train the dogs using a sled on Saturday for the first time this season, and yesterday both, Kati and Suvi, drove the dogs on sleds. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me on weekend training, but here's a photo from last Friday. Suvi trained her team on an ATV.

Team arriving home

Wilma's been running together with other dogs since December. She's obviously not in a good shape after giving birth to 5 little ones, but she loves going training and always does her best in harness.

Also the racing teams have changed some. First of all, Jade couldn't run together with Suvi's team, because of an old injury, a broken toe. She's been running in lead of the yearling team since early December. Benny and Simo have ran in Suvi's team for a few runs now. The boys are honest workers, but they're too big to make it in a bigger team's faster speed. Koff and Uule moved into Kati's team where they work well now that Kati's heading for mid distance races. (They'd be too young to participate on long distance races.) 

The first race of this season is held in weekend two weeks from now. Kati's participating on 8 dogs class and Suvi's heading for the 4 dogs class. I know it's not yet sure which dogs run in what teams. 

Anyway, puppies. The Nordysak E litter boys have grown a lot. They're a happy bunch of little ones. The boys live in a puppy pen with Wilma, but they've visited the "big boy pen" a few times, terrorising the peaceful life of older boys. The E-boys were just 5 weeks old when they played together with other boys for the first time, but these photos are also taken on last Friday. Pups are 8 weeks old.

Eko playing on Beck's tale

Putte afraid of a horrible little puppy

Keke likes to play with little boys

Little Egil

Four of the E puppies will stay at home and one will travel to Norway to kennel Huskyville's. We took stucture photos of the pups to see how the puppies have developed and grown.

Euro

Esko

Enzo

Eko

Egil

-Amppa

Dark winter

The only discussion topic for a sled dog owner, living this far south of Finland, is the weather. We’ve still got no snow. We had a couple of white weeks in early December, but all the snow disappeared in heavy rain we also had. Xmas was dark, and also very dark are all of our moods because the dogs should get more training kilometers. I’ve had to change my training, because with this weather, I can’t participate in long distance races. I decided to head for the mid distance, but still, no snow means I can’t train the dogs run fast, because their sore feet.

The weather being as it is, I’ve been training the dogs on an ATV. The problem with ATV is that the dogs have to work too hard, and they build up more muscles than I would want. And have less speed. Still, with all the difficulties, they’re doing a great job, and the spirit is high. 

The first race is on the weekend of January 27th to 29th. I’m participating on 8 dogs class on 3 x 35km mid distance race. Will see if I have a chance to train the dogs on sled at all before the race start… I don’t have much expectations for the races, I’m just hoping the dogs will do their best and we’ll have a nice run together.

Difficulties or not, I can’t wait to see what next year brings with it.

-Kati

Happy holidays!

- Kati, Suvi & Amppa

IFSS World Championships Dryland 2011 Borken, Germany, November 12th -13th

I participated the off snow championship race in Germany as a handler for team McAhon. Antti Mäkiaho participated in two different Nordic Breed classes: one dog + kickbike and a 4 dog team. It’s been a very good year for Antti, he won the World Championship in Nordic Breed 4 dogs class in Hamar in March 2011 (probably because I was his handler then too ;) ), and now he won two more gold medals in a big race.

Congratulations!

While the teams were running the tail, I was assigned to take photos from the competitors. Here’s a few photos of Finnish team members, from the weekend:

Not sure if this little one participated on the race...

- Suvi

Photos from training

I finally remembered to take camera with me, as I went to help training the dogs yesterday. Kati's racing team didn't go for a run, but Suvi's did and so did the yearlings too.

I tried to get a good photo of Suvi's team coming to the finish, but there was a slight problem at the end: a horse. Dogs didn't mind sharing the same road with it, but the horse got scared of the dogs and the mushing cart's breaking noise.

I was waiting for the dog team at x-crossing just 100m from Kati's house when the horse trotted to towards me. The rider didn't know where to lead her scared horse, as cars were coming towards it from left and right, a dog team from behind and I was standing there infront of it. Eventually it came forward, passing me by a metre. The cars passed and the dog team ran eagerly back home.. But I didn't get a good photo. I took some back at home:

We had the first snow-day in South yesterday. Most of the snow had melted away by afternoon, though weather was quite chilly, around +/-0 Celcius. The training was a short, 7km, and even-speed run driven on a "light weight" cart.

The cart weights about 80kg (+driver), it's been built of car parts (back wheels) and motocross cycle wheel in front. You can't help the dogs by kicking when driving on this cart - not that kicking is needed in training, but in case Suvi or Kati decides to participate in off snow races.

Altti & Jade

Koff

Uule

Jojo

Sissi

Yearlings went for a run also. Dana's a bit over 8 months old and yesterday she got to join the team of youngsters for the first time. Like all first timers, she didn't really get the idea of pulling right away, (she pulled both, tugline and neck line as hard as she could) but running went well altogether. Suvi and Kati drove the team on ATV with two "oldies", Rina and Dooris, in lead.

Last X-turn to home

Rina & Dooris

Muru

Hottis

Keke

Iiris

Dana

- Amppa

No snow, but finally we’ve got some frost

It seems like the only discussion topic for a musher living Southern Finland is the weather. Will there be snow? Is it going to rain? How warm the day will be? How can I arrange rest of my life, so I can drive the dogs at the best time of a day?

Yesterday I trained dogs in almost perfect weather. We’ve had some chilly mornings earlier, but normally the weather’s been between +5 - +10 Celsius, humidity’s been high and it’s been really dirty. Yesterday we had a wonderful morning. The temperature was -7 Celsius, the sun was shining and scenery was beautiful with frosty grass and tree branches.

The dogs were really eager to go. Kikka couldn’t help herself, the 9 dogs were teamed up too slowly for her taste, and she had to bite her neckline into two. .. Which obviously slowed the start even more. Sometimes I wish the dogs could just stand there and wait, but oh no! All of our teams make a huge fuzz and noise at the start. I’m always listening to soothing music on mp3 player, so I won’t lose my mind.

Of course it’s my choice to let the dogs make a scene. It’s a good warm up and the team gets really excited about running together. They love it, although us people really don’t. There’s only two rules at the start, NO FIGHTING and NO BREAKING UP THINGS. Kikka forgot the last one with her neckline. But sometimes these things happen.

The running was fun. I rediscovered some trails, which I thought were closed, because they’d been building new roads in the forest. Happily there were still all the old grassy hills to find. I drove on ATV without the engine turned on. The fourwheeler is a bit too heavy for my team, as it alone weights about 300kg. Partly the roads were covered in newly laid “beach-sand”, and the ATV got really sucked into it. Actually my intention was indeed, to train the dogs really hard. When the roads were hard, they ran fast and with the “beach-sand” they pulled slow and powerfully.

I did a 20km run. The end was especially hard for the dogs, their muscles were on lactic acid and running up those few last hills, but they gave me everything. Still they galloped the last 0,5km back home about 20km/h.

I am really happy for the training. The dogs did their best and with the weather being so cold, it didn’t get too warm for them. When the weather’s warmer, they gasp to breathe. Still I’m really really hoping for snow, really soon, because all the dogs have really sore feet, their nails are really short and soles of their feet really very worn.

Mimmi was a leading star yesterday. She’s been learning to be a gee-haw leader, always running without a neckline. She’s started taking responsibility really well and she’s becoming confident enough and she trusts herself. All the commands on the new trail went well and she even took us safely past a big truck on a narrow road. She’s learnt well, that no matter what the mate running with her does, she keeps the right side of the road and turns where asked. Because we share the roads with cars and horses etc., it’s important to have an excellent leader.

Have to confess, that whenever I need a really reliable leader, I use Beck. He’s a big and very strong boy and because of that, he normally runs in team. But as a leader he’s like his mother Jade. Very determined and turn the team even from wheel position.

-Kati-

Welcome Nordysak E litter!

Wilma gave birth to 5 boys on last Wednesday. 

Here's some photos of the little ones:

- Kati -