The Online Magazine for Kids Who Love to Talk Dog
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Dog gEdEdEd ucation SEPTEMBER 2007 The Online Magazine for Kids who Love to Talk Dog Cover: Zilli, the dog who started it all.... DoggEd Ezine is brought to you by: Welcome to the September issue of Table of Contents Dog gEd ucation Ezine ! Our quest is to create positive experiences and Section Page # support for junior mushers and handlers around the Mushing 4 world. By guiding kids to become more involved Agility 8 with their dogs, not only does the dog's quality of Dock jumping 10 life improve, but so does the kid's. We hope that Rally-O 13 members will be involved in training their dogs Musical Freestyle 16 twenty years down the trail, and if not, we hope Herding 17 they remember this learning experience and pass Disc 19 on to the next generation. Flyball 21 Dog gEd ucation is written by kids from around the world, all under the age of 18. Beowulf Natural Obedience 24 Feeds, the creators of Back to Basics, also Conformation 25 contribute articles about the importance of quality Dog of the Month 26 dog food. We hope you enjoy reading and learning Guide Dog Puppy Raising 27 more about our furry friends. Rescue 28 The Dog Yard 29 Poetry 32 Puppies 33 Dog Behavior 34 Dog Food 37 I am the founder of Dog’ged Juniors, and would like to thank all who have made this ezine possible. To my dogs, the Alaskan Collies, who have changed my life forever. To the Dog’ged Juniors themselves, each of whom I am proud to call my friend. To our sponsors, for showing their support of our quest. To my family, for always believing in my dreams... and to Mel, for just being Mel. Gone Sleddin’ Sarah www.doggedjuniors.com Page 4 Mushing My First Junior Iditarod By Kristen Crain Kristen and her team at the start of the 2007 Jr. Iditarod Everyone said that it was 20 below at the start again?” of the Jr. Iditarod, but I sure didn’t feel it. Of course, If I hadn’t have been terrified, I would have I was wearing a Refridgewear suit with layers and jokingly punched him. layers of fleece, so I was perfectly warm. My dogs “3… 2… 1… Go!” are freight dogs, so they weren’t cold either under We were off! I tried to keep the guys slow, but their thick coats. they didn’t want to slow down. They settled into a Beth, my mentor, and I got my pre-loaded sled trot after we passed a red building, and it felt as if off of the box and started laying out my gangline. I everything had washed away. I was out on the trail set my leader hook and triple checked to make sure just doing my thing now. that I wasn’t missing a neckline or a tug. We immediately dropped into last place right When the people next to us started to get ready, before Burma Road. I didn’t mind- that was where we started harnessing and hooking up the dogs. I wanted to be. Ginger and Marty were in wheel with Dusty in I was amazed at how much junk was out there. team, Norman and Bert in team, Annie and Tigger I perfected the art of leaning down (while still in swing, and Baxter and Neptune in lead. My friend standing on the drag might I add), keeping one Forrest ran back and rode on the sled with me while hand on the handlebar, and catching a bootie or everyone else walked the dogs up to the chute. someone’s trash with the other. I picked up a lot of The chute is the worst idea in the history of booties in perfect condition, and almost scored a mushing. It felt like a thousand years while I break bungee, but my arm was too short. listened to the man read my bio out loud. I stood on I don’t know exactly where we got off of the the sled nervously while the sled holders did a trail, but we did somewhere. I took our mid-day 1 commentary, ½ hour break there, and watered the guys. We went “You’ve been mushing for a long time.” along, and then came to a trail that was a drop onto “Talkeetna? I like it there.” a river. I remembered someone saying that the drop “That’s a great goal.” onto the river was the best in years, so I was It finished when it got to 10 seconds. surprised to see a dirt covered, vertical drop one “With a bio like that, you’re bound to win,” with a tree in the middle. On the sharp curve, I Forrest said as he slapped my shoulder. “You should couldn’t get my borrowed sled to turn, and rolled win that scholarship for me. How much was it it. I got that really bad sinking feeling when the Page 5 Mushing handlebar was ripped out of my hands, and watched furiously on their bikes. in horror as they went down the hill. After the Dismal Swamp, we dropped onto the “BAXTER, WHOA!!!” I screamed without Big Su. A little tent was stationed next to the trail. thinking. They got my time, and then went back inside. I Months of countless hours of frustration and started pushing the sled up the bank. headaches paid off when the entire team stopped On the trail headed to Eaglesong, everything and looked back at me. I got up, fell down, got back started to go downhill. My dogs got tired and up, and ran to the sled. I stood on the runners, and cranky. Neptune, without warning, lied down and stared at the dogs. They had never stopped perfectly refused to get up. I walked him back to the sled and for me like that before (and never did again either). put him on it. As we were going down the river, I thought that Going to Eaglesong was not very fun. The sun it sure didn’t look like the Big Su I was used to. started to dip, so I grabbed my main headlamp only When I saw a snow machiner, it dawned on me that to realize that the wire had broken in half at some I hadn’t seen a trail marker for about 2 hours or so. point in my sled. I had to use my little back-up one The snow machine stopped and he shut off his instead. engine. After going around the millionth curve and “Are you Jr. Iditarod?” “Steep Grade” sign hills, I saw a paper plate that “Yeah!” I said before stopping the dogs. said “Eaglesong” with an arrow pointed down the “How did you get here?” trail. I got excited - we were almost there! I looked at him for a minute. The minutes passed. The sun was now “I… I don’t really know.” completely down. I was nowhere near Eaglesong, “Well, you’re on Fish Creek. Let me get you yet I saw two more “Eaglesong Ahead!” signs. I back on the trail.” started to get bitter and grumble. We followed his snow machine until we got to Finally, after what felt like an hour, I saw a a place where he helped get my dogs on the right sign that said “Eaglesong - 1 mile”. I happily trail. I thanked him and waved as we went down the mushed out of the swamp and was greeted by a trail. strong wind on the river, which was excruciatingly As we went on, I finally recognized the trail. cold, and came right at us. My leader, Bax, who is We were on the lake and headed to the Dismal an experienced Iditarod leader, saw the checkpoint Swamp. We took a short break on the lake, and the and dragged the team up the steep hill and right up trail sweepers stopped and watched me take care of to the cabin. We checked in, and then I looked at the dogs. We talked a little bit (I was too shy to talk the dogs. They were still looking good, but they very much though), and then headed on. were tired. I was 3 hours behind the leaders, and the As we were going across the lake, I heard an cutoff for mushers to still continue is 4. I decided to airplane. The next thing I knew, it was landing right scratch rather than push my dogs into the halfway next to me. To my surprise, Dad popped out. “Dad, what are you doing here!?!” He waved and the pilot jumped out to take pictures. I groaned and kept going. When we got onto the Dismal Swamp, it was pretty, well, dismal. A horde of snow machines zoomed past me at 90 mph, and then two bikers from the Ultra Sport came up behind us and passed. Poor Marty had never seen a biker on the trail before - he growled and did his “I don’t know what you are, but I don’t like you” bark. He looked back at me, and when they were out of sight he kept going. It really is a terrible feeling inside when a team of 9 sled dogs is passed by two guys pedaling Kristen and her team training for the Jr. Iditarod Page 6 Mushing at Yetna Station. The wonderful people at Trail Lake Lodge turned out to be friends of my dad’s. They gave me water and hay for the dogs, and then fed me an excellent spaghetti dinner.