In this issue:
Training our dogs (and staff) for another busy winter season.
How this years puppies are doing.
Autumn Training.
As the winter slowly but surely approaches, our dogs have been working out and getting back into shape for another busy winter season. Now is the season when we are out with the dogs from dawn till dusk building up their strength and reflexes and then developing their speed and conditioning. This is the time of year when the guides (and visitors) have the most ‘’hands-on’’ time with the dogs.
Most dogs, particularly leaders, will have had individual training through the summer months, but now is also the time to see if they can put their GEE and HAW (turning) knowledge into practise with a whole team around them. And, whilst the adults are remembering the joy of running together, pups from the previous year are being introduced to the concept for the first time and doubtlessly causing havoc around them.
We start Autumn training in the non-snow months using quad bikes and then we progress to sleighs once the snow is deep enough and the marshes sufficiently frozen. Unfortunately over the past 2 weeks we’ve had some pretty terrible icey conditions, which means that we have had to put training on hold for a while as we don’t want our dogs to injure themselves by falling on the ice. We are expected to receive a big dump of snow within the next couple of days though so our dogs can get back to doing what they do best, running!
Puppy, Puppies!
Our puppies are growing bigger and bigger everyday, This summer we had two litters of puppies and they are becoming very excitable but sweet sled-dogs. They are a little too young to be running with the big dogs this year, but they will get the chance to watch the older dogs running and the chance to have “play” runs towards the end of the season. They do of course get lots of cuddles and attention.
