alaska ping
LOL Morgana!
Posted on 03/02/2019 11:47:46 PM PST by Morgana
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Hundreds of sled dogs and their 52 mushers are readying for Sunday’s official start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Each musher has a story, and so do their huskies.
On Saturday, the Daily News asked seven mushers to introduce us to one of the dogs on their teams.
Meet Mustang, Apok, Cassette, Radar, Finn, Pam and Mud:
Mustang
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Hundreds of sled dogs and their 52 mushers are readying for Sunday’s official start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Each musher has a story, and so do their huskies.
On Saturday, the Daily News asked seven mushers to introduce us to one of the dogs on their teams.
Meet Mustang, Apok, Cassette, Radar, Finn, Pam and Mud:
Mustang Ryan Santiago and Mustang at the ceremonial start of the 2019 Iditarod, March 2, 2019. (Tegan Hanlon / ADN) Ryan Santiago and Mustang at the ceremonial start of the 2019 Iditarod, March 2, 2019. (Tegan Hanlon / ADN)
Mustang is “always on high alert,” said musher Ryan Santiago. Some dogs are relaxed, and just hang out. Not Mustang. His head darts back and forth, staring at anything that moves. It’s kind of endearing, Santiago said.
“He is always 100 percent aware of everything, and he’s so shy at first but the minute that he trusts you, he’s the most affectionate dog,” Santiago said. “He’ll jump on you and lick your face and stuff. He’s kind of been the one that I have a little bit of a soft spot for. He’s so sweet.”
Weighing in at about 49 pounds, Mustang is small compared to his teammates.
(Excerpt) Read more at adn.com ...
I’d turn into “Morgana the kissing bandit” on each and ever doggie if I was there!
alaska ping
It’s been years since I really followed this race. Susan Bucher(sp?) ran in the race for some years and raised world class sled dogs. I read an article that said as soon as they were born, she would hold them and breathe on them so from birth they knew her sent. She had them train pulling a four wheeler in neutral around to get used the the harness and build muscle. The dogs are amazing. The dogs and drivers are truely athletes.
Sorry Susan Butcher (4 time race winner). I said it has been a while since I paid attention. Hope they all finish safe. Not something for the faint of heart.
Once knew a talented young actress. She came down from Juno by sleigh, she was in the Iditarod. Got to the finish line, just kept going. She’s got the dogs with her in the hotel room.
How can one not forget how the determined Susan Butcher leveled the playing field for women competitors in this great race.
But my real heroine remains Libby Riddles, who took the risk of a champion, going ahead in a storm over the Norton Sound and gaining the advantage. First women to get to Nome first.
The wife says to me one day, “captain pepperodine of the Canadian Mounties smuggled a sled dog across the border for you.. and says to keep it under my your hat”
I said ‘how big is it?’
She says “about so high (gesturing)”
I said ‘He’s crazy’
I don't know much about Iditarod, but those dogs look scrawny and don't look like Huskies. They look like mixed breeds you would see that are up for adoption at the dog pound. Not that they can't do the work, though.
Huskies. BORN. TO. RUN. Lean, energetic, and happiest when they are RUNNING, RUNNING, RUNNING...
Can’t we read the entire article here? I really do not want to go to a blog site that I never heard of.
Some years ago, we went to a farm to pick out a corgi puppy for our family. The family's son was raising corgis to help pay for his college education. When we arrived, sitting in front of the barn were two Border Collies. They looked lean, I suppose that could be mistaken for scrawny, and they were alert. You could tell they were working dogs.
The farm was really well maintained. She took us out to another shed where there was another batch of pups that looked recently whelped, and the whelping bed that the female and pups were in was very clean, as was the rest of the farm. These people took care of their animals and their buildings and land.
So, it may just be that a dog who is a working dog, and gets a lot of exercise, looks scrawny to our eye compared with house pets that we usually see. But, I think they are just lean.
alaska ping
LOL Morgana!
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