Day in the Life of a Handler

I get up around 8:30 most mornings to feed the dogs, then we let them digest for an hour before doing anything with them. With the snow out there thinning, we can't run the sleds from the house anymore. We loaded everyone in the trailer, and drove a short distance to trails with better snow. The plan was the run onluy five miles today- it's a stretch for the pups, easy for the adults.

The four puppies are Razor, Chisel, Cutter, and Hatchet (sharp-themed litter). Each one ran alongside an adult, to keep them in line. I got to ride along today! The sled Karin took on Iditarod is what's called a split sled- it's got a handlebar with the drag and brake right behind the sled bag, then another handlebar and a set of runners. I rode that back set, where all I had to do was some mild steering and hanging on. Once you get over the terror, riding the sled is awesome! You get to see the dogs in their element, doing the thing they love best!

Mercedes has been a surprise to us- she's a dog on loan to the kennel, and she started out really spooky, but especially since the great race, she's blossomed. Her whole expression and demeanor has changed! She ran in lead today with Angel, one of the main leaders, and every time we went slower than she wanted, she'd turn her head and bark imperiously! For a little squirt of a girl, she's tough- no injuries all season, and she never causes trouble! That's her in the picture, and Fly next to her.

We put Hatchet in lead with Angel for the last little bit, and he did beautifully! Barely even looked back, he just pricked his ears forward and ran.

After the run, we trailered back home, unloaded the dogs and let them trot around the lot for a bit before we put them back on their chains. The pups are just learning how that works... As we left the lot, we forgot that Alis hadn't been chained up yet, but she just hung out with the others until I came out to pick up. By the time I got there, everyone was sunbathing on top of their houses. It's warm out- 3o degrees F. Most of them just lounged on their sides enjoying a belly rub while I put ointment on their paws.

So that's a bit of what I've been doing for the last five months. Well, it's the laid-back part of it. People keep asking, and this is the best way I know of to just show them.