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24 Hour Time

Posted by Gypsy in Explore Alaska Date: March 3, 2008

Hi boys and girls,

I was following the race today and got really confused when I was looking at the times. I saw the time 16:42. That didn’t look like any time I had ever seen before. So off I went to find my human. I knew she could help me out. She explained that 16:42 is really 4:42 pm. It sure didn’t look like 4:42 to me. Does it to you? She said it’s called Military time and it’s used so there will not be any confusion on whether something is happening in the morning or at night. It’s now starting to make sense. I figured if I was confused maybe you would be also. So I am giving you a chart to help you figure out what time the mushers are really coming in and out of the checkpoints.

0:00 —-12 am 12:00—-12:00 pm

1:00——1 am 13:00——1:00 pm

2:00——2 am 14:00——2:00 pm

3:00——3 am 15:00——3:00 pm

4:00——4 am 16:00——4:00 pm

5:00——5 am 17:00——5:00 pm

6:00——6 am 18:00——6:00 pm

7:00——7 am 19:00——7:00 pm

8:00——8 am 20:00——8:00 pm

9:00——9 am 21:00——9:00 pm

10:00—-10 am 22:00—–10:00 pm

11:00—–11am 23:00—–11:00 pm

I hope this helps you follow the race better. If you don’t understand something, you can always go to an adult human to help you out.

Happy race following,

Gypsy

Tagged: Comments: 26

Weather

Posted by Gypsy in Off-Season News Date: March 3, 2008

I hope everyone is keeping up with race coverage.   What an exciting time it is.  I sure wish I was there but I couldn’t get away from my studies this year.  Zuma, Libby, and Sanka will keep you up to date on all the happenings from Alaska.  Since I had to stay home this year and work on my assignments, I will answer some of your questions and help you understand the race a little better.  I will be doing short posts on all sorts of topics.  If you have a question that you can’t find the answer to, just send me a comment on the blog and I will try to help you find the answer.

I have had a lot of questions about weather so I thought I’d try to explain it.  Weather doesn’t always follow rules and is very unpredictable.  Weather does affect the race.  It affects the trail conditions, and how fast teams can travel.  Since the mushers can get spread out along the trail, a blizzard in one area, may affect some of the mushers but will be over when the next set of mushers get to that area.  Also if weather conditions are warm, you’ll see teams traveling more at night when it’s cooler.

You can get up-to-date weather information by going to www.iditarod.com and clicking on check weather.  This will give you weather reports along the trail.  Remember that weather can change quickly so check back often as your favorite musher progresses along the trail.  Also watch what the mushers are doing and what the weather is.  See if you can figure out how the weather is affecting the race this year.

Have fun following the race,

Gypsy

Comments: 18

Sanka W. Dog Reports: The Jr. Iditarod

Posted by Zuma in Explore Alaska, Race Coverage Date: March 2, 2008

finish.jpgOne week before the big Iditarod, young mushers between the ages of 14 and 17 participate in the Junior Iditarod. The kids have a bib drawing and musher meeting on Friday evening and on Saturday at 10:00 the race begins. The route takes the juniors from Willow Lake out to Yentna Station and then they return to the common start/finish on Sunday for a total of 140 miles. The temperatures this year compared to the last 2 years were very mild - highs in the 20’s and lows around zero.

When the mushers reach the Yentna Station Roadhouse, they go through a bag and equipment check. They bed their dogs down, give them water and then cook them a delicious meal. After the dogs are fed, they curl up and go to sleep. The young mushers then have time to eat their own meals that were previously cooked, sealed in plastic then frozen. All the kids have to do is drop their meals in boiling water to heat them up.

The teams have a mandatory 10-hour rest at Yentna Station. The first team into Yentna arrived at 16:11 (military time) on Saturday afternoon. That team wouldn’t be eligible to leave until 02:11 Sunday Morning. Now because the teams start at 2-minute intervals, the start differential is added to the layover time. There were 21 teams in the junior competition. The 21st team to start would only have to layover 10 hours. The 1st team out of the chute at Willow would have to layover 10 hours and 40 minutes.

The first team into Yentna was Cain Carter at 16:11 followed very closely by several other teams. My friend Gopher’s team and driver Meredith Mapes arrived at 17:44. The leaders left Yentna at 02:52 on Sunday. Gopher and Meredith left at 03:56.

2teams.jpgThe finish was way cool - almost a PHOTO FINISH! Jessica Klejka’s team came down the trail and onto the lake followed closely by Cain Carter’s team. In the half mile across the lake to the finish line, Cain kept urging his dogs on by calling ON BY - On BY! Jessica kept urging her team on by calling HIKE - HIKE! Jessica won by only half the length of her dog team! What a great race. Gopher and team crossed the finish line at 11:55 in 14th place.

ll of the participants, volunteers and spectators were given a special treat by Mother Nature on Sunday for the finish. The MOUNTAIN was OUT! Being very clear with no clouds or haze, Denali was visible from Lake Willow.

mtn.jpgAre you wondering about military time? It’s a 24 hour clock rather than just the twelve hour clock used for regular time. It’s never the same time twice during a day. This would be terribly confusing when recording race times. The times in military are the same as regular time up until 12:00 noon. From then on, simply add the hours and minutes to 12 to come up with the military equivalent to regular time. So If a team crossed the finish line at 1:15 in the afternoon, it would be 13:15 military time. If a team crossed the finish line at 6:00 in the evening, it would be 18:00 military time. This is a great math activity.

Sanka says congratulations to all the great junior mushers and their dog teams. You’ll find more information about the Junior finish at www.jriditarod.com.

Comments: 14

Gopher’s Story by Sanka W. Dog

Posted by Zuma in Explore Alaska Date: March 2, 2008

gopher.jpgIt was Iditarod 2004. Sue Allen out of No Snow Kennel in Wasilla, Alaska was about to start her rookie Iditarod. It was an exciting time - one that she and her dogs had been working and training toward for a long time. Together Sue and the dogs had logged well over 2,500 miles and were looking at covering 1049 more before reaching Nome. Iditarod being a huge undertaking by anyone’s standards.

Sue and the team were off and running toward Nome. It wasn’t far into the race when she noticed that one of her dependable leaders was favoring a front leg. The dog had a sore wrist, a recurring injury. Sue dropped the dog at an early checkpoint. After a six-hour rest, the team was back on the trail. The dogs ran well through the next couple of checkpoints but soon the two remaining lead dogs began to show signs of sore wrists. Sue dropped her last two leaders. She was down to 13 dogs with no proven leader. What to do?

Sue turned to dogs she thought would accept the leadership role but after trying most of the remaining 13 dogs - not one dog met the challenge. Now to make matters worse, the whole team including Sue came down with the stomach flu at Rohn. Things were looking grim. Sue didn’t see any chance that they’d make it to Nome. She revised her race strategy and took her 24 hour required rest at Rohn. Twenty-four hours later everybody was feeling better. Now to find a leader.

There was one dog that Sue hadn’t taken to the front of the team - Gopher. Sue had her doubts. Gopher was a follower never a leader. Gopher had never had an original thought in his entire life. Gopher as a leader? Not going to work, but Sue had to try. It was the only option remaining other than scratching.

Sue unhooked Gopher’s neckline and brought him to the front of the team where she re-attached his neckline and hooked up his tug line. Sue took Gopher’s face in her hands and looked him straight in the eyes and said, “Gopher, if you don’t take us to Nome, we’re not going to get there.”

harness.jpgSue walked to the back of the sled, pulled the snow hook and they were off. Gopher took to leading the team like a duck takes to water. Gopher took the team to Nome!

Through Gopher, we can learn a valuable lesson. Never let perception limit potential. I had to look those big words up in the dictionary. Here’s what I found for perception - attitude that is based on what is observed or thought. Potential means doing of becoming something in the future. In other words, never let what you think about a person or animal limit what the person or animal might do in the future. While we might not think a dog is capable of being a leader or accomplishing something great, the dog should always be given the chance to reach its fullest potential. The same is true for people. Gopher finished in lead in his first Iditarod and went the entire distance in lead to Nome in 2006 for Kim Kettridge. Gopher has retired from Iditarod racing but now leads for 14-year-old Meredith Mapes. Gopher is running lead for the Junior Iditarod. Learn about the young mushers that ran the 2008 Jr. Iditarod by reviewing the website at www.jriditarod.com. My handler went out to Willow Lake for both the start and finish of the Junior race to get some photos.

gophergo.jpg

Comments: 15

The 2008 Iditarod Begins!

Posted by Zuma in Explore Alaska Date: March 2, 2008

Hello Boys and Girls,

The 2008 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has begun!

It was exciting to walk the streets of downtown Anchorage and watch the 98 musher and my fur-friends arrive. Crowds of race fans walked the streets and met my fur-friends. In each sled, Idita-Riders rode on an incredible 11 mile adventure. It was amazing to see so many people taking pictures and celebrating the Last Great Race.

Are you wondering, 98 teams? I thought there were 96 mushers running this race. How can that be?

There are 96 mushers in this year’s race, but who are the other mushers that ran teams today?

The musher wearing bib number 1 is not really racing in Iditarod. The first sled to leave each year is driven by the winner of the Jr. Iditarod. The person riding in first sled has the title, ‘Honorary Musher’. The Iditarod Trail Committee chooses an individual to honor each year. This year’s Honorary Musher was Max Lowe, of the Millennium Alaska Hotel.

This year, there was a non racing sled at the end of the race. In that sled, Jane Blaile, 2008 Target® Iditarod Teacher on the TrailTM began her Iditarod Journey with that 11 mile adventure riding in the sled.

96 mushers racing and tow extra sleds, one at the beginning and one at the end, made up the 98 teams that ran beneath the starting banner, symbolizing the race to Nome.

I also wanted you to know, Boys and Girls, that one of the special guests at the race today was the Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin. One reason she was at the start of the race was to participate in an official duty of governors. The Governor signed a very special bill into law today. House Bill 37, declares the first Saturday in March each year to be, Susan Butcher Day. We should all celebrate the significance of this bill.

The process of how a bill becomes a law is very interesting and important for boys and girls to know about and to understand. David Monson, Susan’s husband, is going to help us learn more about how bills become law. Watch for information about this on the website soon.

Stay tuned for lots of important information. It is Iditarod Season!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Comments: 0

Sled Dog Criteria By Sanka W. Dog

Posted by Zuma in Explore Alaska, Race Coverage Date: February 27, 2008

hound.jpg

Sled dogs come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Some are large and some are small. Some have tall ears, others have floppy ears. Some have blue eyes while some have brown eyes. Some have one eye that’s blue and one eye that’s brown! Some look like a wolf, some look like a hound. I’ve heard my handler say, “Looks are only skin deep.” Well that’s for sure. With sled dogs it’s what’s on the inside that counts!

I consulted with 4 friends to come up with a list of criteria that apply to sled dogs. Sue Allen who is running Martin Buser’s puppy told me what she and Martin look for in sled dogs. Joe Runyan wrote an article, “Description and Origin of the Alaskan Husky” which is posted on the Cabela’s Iditarod website. He talked to folks like Doug Swingley, Rick Swenson, Dee Dee Jonrowe and George Attla to come up with a list of sled dog criteria. Chief Iditarod Veterinarian Dr. Stuart Nelson wrote a story, “What is a Sled Dog?” posted on the Iditarod website that lists the criteria for a sled dog running the Iditarod. The fourth contributor is Balto, a true Alaskan Husky hero.

To start with, here’s my basic list of criteria. Any dog that’s going to run in a cold northern climate needs to have a WARM COAT. That same dog needs a TAIL to help keep areas like the groin warm that don’t have much fur. When sleeping in the cold, dogs also wrap their tails around their face to cover their eyes and nose. This helps to warm the air they breathe. Sled dogs need TOUGH FEET. Top-notch Iditarod or Quest dogs will run more than 3,000 miles a year over ice, snow, gravel and other really abrasive surfaces. Booties help but a dog needs tough feet to start with. With all the running they do, sled dogs need a RAVENOUS APPETITE; picky eaters won’t make it very far down the trail. Sled dogs are born with the INSTINCT to PULL - it’s in our genes just like a retriever knows how to retrieve. The first day I went into harness was the greatest day of my life - I was born to pull and FINALLY I was running with the team - I knew exactly what to do.

According to Joe Runyan and his panel of experienced mushers, here’s what they look for in a sled dog that’s going to make the “A” team. Females should weigh 45 to 50 pounds and males should weigh 50 to 55 pounds. More weight means less speed and endurance not to mention more injuries. Mushers want dogs that are willing to please, easily trained and love to pull in both good and bad weather. Tough feet and a good coat are important considerations for icy rough trail conditions and extremes in weather. Dogs must be able to rest comfortably on top of the snow in extremely cold weather. Iditarod dogs must be capable of running for 12 hours and covering 150 miles a day for 10 or more days in a row. “A” team dogs must recover quickly from exercise and metabolize about 10,000 calories daily. Conformity is also important. To work well together on a team, the dogs should be similar in size and gait. The dogs must be able to maintain speed and have multiple gaits. Multiple gaits means that the dog should be able to lope or trot and change between the two easily. If you look closely, weight is the only physical trait; the other criteria are performance based standards. These mushers put together a pretty tough job description!

Mushers who have large kennels will create a checklist of criteria. Your teacher would call this a rubric. All of the different people who work with the dogs will “grade” them. As Sue Allen runs Martin Buser’s puppy team in Iditarod 2008, she’ll be giving them a score for each of the criteria. These grades will help Martin choose his team for future races. Some of these puppies will be running the 2010 Iditarod with Martin on the “A”. This idea of using a checklist or rubric is exactly what your teacher use to give evaluate your work.

From the veterinarian and Iditarod end of the sled, dogs have to meet another set of criteria listed by Dr. Stuart Nelson, DVM.

1) Willingness to be harnessed and desire to participate.

2) Be adequately trained and conditioned for the activity.

3) Be vaccinated and dewormed.

4) Capable of withstanding environmental extremes.

5) Pass a pre-race physical.

Balto was the lead dog that brought the serum into Nome during the 1925 diphtheria epidemic. There is a statue of Balto in New York’s Central Park with the inscription

“Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs…

ENDURANCE - FIDELITY - INTELLIGENCE.”

Well, there you have it - an inscription describing the spirit of the sled dog, a short list of physical traits and a long list of performance criteria for the greatest athletes on earth.

Comments: 22

What to Pack

Posted by Gypsy in Off-Season News Date: February 27, 2008

Only a few more days before the race starts.  It’s so exciting.  Today is the vet checks at Iditarod Headquarters.  Tomorrow is the mushers meeting and banquet.  Watch the Iditarod website for pictures and updates. 

Anson asked me what is packed in the sled bag.  What a great question that is.  I’m sure several of you are wondering about that.  While there will be some things unique to each musher, there are mandatory (meaning they must have these items at all times) items that all mushers must carry.  You can get more information by going to the Iditarod main website and clicking on “For Mushers”, then go to “Iditarod rules” and it is rule #16.  Mandatory gear will be checked at the restart, at the mandatory 24 hour rest, at the finish, and at any checkpoint on the trail except Safety.

Remember that Mushers send supplies in drop bags to Checkpoints that they can pick up and use.  These drop bags contain extra food, booties, clothing, and any other supplies that a musher feels he or she will need at that point in the race.  Straw is also available at the checkpoints that the musher can use at the checkpoint or carry with them to where they plan to camp.

One of the most important items of the mandatory equipment is the Vet Book.  It’s a notebook that the musher keeps notes on each dog.  It contains how the dogs are running, what and how they are eating, and anything important about each dog that would indicate to the musher and to the vets how the dogs are performing.  This book is check by a vet at all the checkpoints and is signed by both the vet and the musher. This book must be in the mushers possession at all times and can be asked for by vets or race officials at any time during the race.  

The sled bag must also contain cooking equipment and food for the dogs.  A cooker, a pot able to hold 3 gallons of water, enough fuel to heat those 3 gallons of water to boiling, and food for the dogs is mandatory.  The musher also packs his or her food in the sled.  It would be too heavy to carry all the food and fuel needed so extras of these items are packed in the drop bags and sent ahead to the checkpoints. 

Other mandatory gear include an ax, a cable gangline or cable tie out able to secure a dog team, a cold weather sleeping bag, 8 booties per dog, 1 pair of snowshoes, and promotional material from the Iditarod Trail Committee.  The musher may also carry personal items with them.  These are not mandatory and could include extra clothing, music to listen to and something to play the music, sled parts, and emergency equipment. They also carry extras for the dogs like blankets or dog coats, foot ointment, and treats,

Mushers usually send 1-2 extra sleds to checkpoints along the trail.  This is incase the sled they are using breaks.  They also have extra runners, and sled repair kits. 

Wow that’s a lot to pack and carry.  It must take a lot of time to get everything ready to go.  I wonder how the mushers know what and how much to send to each checkpoint.  What do you think?

Well I’m off to get an update on the vet checks.  Hope you are following along everyday to see what is happening. 

Happy trails,

Gypsy

 

Comments: 31

Criteria for Dogs

Posted by Zuma in Explore Alaska Date: February 27, 2008

Libby Here!

Ms. Thompson’s class asked, “Is there criteria for the dogs?” Criteria is a set of characteristics or traits that need to be met.

Yes. There is a set of criteria for the dogs. The dogs have to be healthy and have passed their medical exams that are given right before the start of the race. They have to have had their shots, too. The dogs have to like to wear a harness and be willing to be in activities that show they like to run and pull a sled. The dogs of course have to have been trained for this kind of a race, they are canine athletes. The dogs in Iditarod have to be the kind of dog that can handle the extreme temperatures, too.

I am a miniature Alaskan Sled Dog. My breed is Klee Kai. Although ’sled dog’ is part of my breed name, I am not an outdoor extreme weather dog. I like my human to carry me in the winter because my little paws really like the warm human home floors instead of snow and ice. When we go out in winter, after a few minutes of walking in the snow, I put one paw up and cry a sweet little howl to say, “Oh pick me up, my paw is cold.” Sometimes I pick up two paws when I howl-sing my ‘I’m so cold’ song. That really gets me picked up fast! I am not a sled dog and I couldn’t be because I would be too cold outside. It is the same with other house pets because they don’t have the winter coat or the conditioning to pull a sled.

You should discuss and think about these questions: What criteria do you need to meet if you are going to be in a race or an event? How about the criteria for Olympic athletes? What do you do to prepare yourself for being out in cold or hot weather? What ways can you keep your pets safe in extreme (hot or cold) weather conditions.

Just spinning de’tails’!

Libby

(You can read more about the criteria for dogs at the Veterinarian Center, Dr. Nelson’s article http://www.iditarod.com/learn/vet-14.html)

Comments: 2

Staying Warm

Posted by Gypsy in Off-Season News Date: February 25, 2008

Mrs. Elmore’s class in Florida made a comment to one of my posts about freezing in cold weather.  I didn’t understand what they meant until my human told me that in Florida and other places, it rarely gets cold and almost never snows.  I just couldn’t imagine a place like that.  My human grew up in Miami, Florida and told me about hardly ever wearing a coat.  She said instead of getting really cold, it got really hot.  She said she likes living up north now and enjoys the cold and snow.  All this got me thinking, if there are places that never have to dress for cold weather, they wouldn’t know how.  I bet Mrs. Elmore’s class wonders how anyone stays warm in very cold temperatures.

I don’t have to worry about staying warm.  I have a natural warm undercoat that not only keeps me warm but helps me stay dry.  Staying dry is very important when you want to stay warm.  Humans don’t have that warm undercoat.  So they have use clothing.  It’s quit a sight to watch my humans get ready to go out on a run with us.  They do what’s called layering.  The number of layers and type of material the layer is made of changes with how cold it is. 

The first layer is called the wicking layer.  The skin will still sweat and the wicking layer helps the moisture move away from the body.  The moisture goes through the material and gets trapped on the other side away from the body.  You may of heard of long johns or long underwear.  That’s what this layer is but it’s made out of special material for wicking.  My human has these long johns in three different weights, light, medium and heavy.  The colder the temperature the heavier weight long johns she wears.  But she says they all feel light weight while wearing them.  She also puts on a light weight pair of wicking socks.  She said she usually puts the socks on first and then puts the long johns over the socks.  This gives a seal so air cannot get to the skin.

The next layer depends on how cold it is.  My human says here in New Hampshire she doesn’t usually do too much.  First she puts on another pair of socks.  She says these socks are usually made out of wool or Alpaca fur.  If it is really cold (below 0) she will put on another pant layer out of fleece.  She always puts on a long sleeved turtle neck shirt.  Once in awhile she will also put on a sweat shirt.

The final layer is a heavy weight overall.  It has a thick quilted lining that is very warm.  Then she puts on a coat.  Finishing this outfit is 1 or 2 pairs of gloves and a warm  hat. 

When my human is all dressed up, it’s hard to recognize her.  Good thing I have a good sense of smell.  If I can’t figure out who my human is by sight, I certainly can by smell. 

Also, my human told me tell you that although it seems like wearing all this clothing would be too heavy to move in, the clothing is made with materials that are light weight and flexible. She is still able to move pretty quickly when she needs to.

Look for my next post in a few days.  I will be answering a question I got about what goes in the sled bag. 

Have a great week. There are many things going on this week in preparation for the race start on Saturday.  Check in often for Zuma, Libby, Sanka and my posts.

Happy Trails,

Gypsy.

Comments: 10

The Jr. Iditarod Begins!

Posted by Zuma in Explore Alaska Date: February 22, 2008

Hello Boys and Girls,

I can hardly wait! The Jr. Iditarod begins tomorrow!

Each year, the Jr. Iditarod is held the weekend before the start of Iditarod. This year, twenty one mushers have entered the race. These mushers arrived at headquarters on Friday evening for an important meeting. They learned about the trail, the race rules, and other important information to help them have a successful race.

During the first part of the meeting, the parents are in the room and hear the information that is given to the mushers. After the general part of the meeting, the parents and all other adults who aren’t race staff, leave the room so that the mushers have an opportunity to ask questions. It was fun to watch all of the parents standing around waiting for their Jr. Musher. Everyone was excited about the upcoming race!

I asked a couple of parents if they were nervous about the race. Most parents said they weren’t nervous and that they were very excited for their son or daughter to be in the race because they knew that there had been a lot of training and preparation for this event. I know the dogs aren’t nervous. They know all about running in races, just like their musher does. The mushers and dogs will be having lots of fun.

The race begins Saturday, Feb.23, at 10:00 A.M. in Willow. This is also the ending point for the race. The Jr. Mushers race from Willow to Eagle Song Lodge and then to Yentna Station Roadhouse. After they take a mandatory rest, the mushers will race back to Willow. The mushers will start arriving back in Willow on Sunday morning.

On Sunday evening, there will be a Jr. Iditarod Musher Banquet.

The Target® Iditarod Teacher on the Trail will be in Yentna to see the mushers arrive. Watch her section of the website for an article about the race. (For Teachers section of the website.)

Are you ready to cheer on the mushers? 5-4-3-2-1 GO! Stay tune for information about the race!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Comments: 7

Do Sled Dogs Wear Booties to Prevent Frostbite? By Sanka W. Dog

Posted by Zuma in Explore Alaska Date: February 22, 2008

I’ve seen pictures of Iditarod dogs wearing booties while on the trail. What is this about? My musher and handler wear big boots out in the dog yard during the winter. Do Iditarod dogs wear booties to keep their feet warm and prevent frostbite like my humans do?I decided to ask Iditarod’s Chief Veterinarian, Stuart Nelson, Jr. and my own veterinarian, Rebecca Lee. Dr. Lee lived in Fairbanks, Alaska and served in the veterinary corps for many sprint races as well as the Yukon Quest. She also cared for the dogs in Susan Butcher’s kennel. Given their collective experience, I figured if ever a vet knew about dogs, booties and frostbite, it would be these two.

Both Dr. Lee and Dr. Nelson said that dog’s feet are not likely to become frostbitten. So to answer the question about booties, there must be another reason for mushers spending all that time and effort to bootie up the team before taking off down the trail. There must be another reason for Iditarod rules requiring that a minimum of 8 booties be in the sled for each dog running. There must be another reason why mushers use a couple thousand booties each year for training and racing.

Indeed there is - cold snow and ice are very abrasive or rough. Booties are used to protect the feet from being scraped up and to keep balls of ice from collecting around the footpad. Think about having a blister or cut on your foot or having a small rock in your shoe - pretty uncomfortable. So it is for the dogs but booties prevent these uncomfortable issues.

If it’s not the booties, then why don’t dogs get frostbite on their feet? Dogs have fur on their feet and around their pads. The bottom of their feet is protected by thick epithelial (leather like) pads. Dogs have a higher body temperature (100-102.5) than humans do and their resting heart rate (100-120) is also higher. Their metabolism is very high and in winter, up to 60% of their calories come from fat.

Dr. Nelson thinks that dogs and other animals may have a different circulatory process than humans. When humans are exposed to extreme cold, blood vessels in the arms and legs contract to restrict blood flow to the limbs. This helps reduce heat loss and maintain core body temperature. When extremities get cold in animals, circulation doesn’t decrease as it does in humans. Maybe animals have more blood vessels in their feet.

Dogs and other animals are also able to curl their paws next to their bodies when they sleep. This is an adaptation to the environment, a survival mechanism to allow their feet to stay warm in even the harshest of winter conditions.

Do dogs wear booties to prevent frostbite? The answer is NO. They wear booties for much the same reason humans wear socks - to prevent abrasions.

Now you know a little about how mushers help the canine athletes like me maintain healthy happy feet. I hope you take good care of your feet and be sure to wear warm boots and socks when you’re outside in cold weather.

Being that I’m still considered to be a youngster, I’ve taken a liking to the youngsters that will be running the Iditarod. Keep an eye on Rohn Buser of Big Lake and Melissa Owen for Nome. They are both Junior Iditarod Champions and are just 18 years old. Go Rohn, Go Melissa!

Stay tuned for more stories about puppies, dogs and Iditarod. The next story I’m working on is about the criteria for being an Alaskan Husky.

Sanka W. Dog

Comments: 8

Dog Jobs on a Team

Posted by Gypsy in Off-Season News Date: February 19, 2008

Hi Boys and Girls,

 

The Iditarod starts in 2 weeks.  I’m so excited.  I can’t wait.  I hope you are going to have as much fun following the race as I am.  Have you picked a musher to follow yet? What are your classrooms doing to get ready for the race?

I’m going to write several short posts to try to answer some of your questions.  Thanks for all the great comments and questions.  I will answer as many as I can directly in the blog but sometimes, a question is asked more than once or is of a topic I think would interest lots of readers.

Abigail asked about the positions on a dog team.  There are 4 different positions on a dog team.  A dog can rotate positions and doesn’t always stay in one place.  The dogs in the front of the team are called “lead dogs”.  That’s what I’m hoping to be but it takes a lot of hard work to lead a team.  Lead dogs are usually fast runners.  They set the pace and they have to listen and follow the musher’s commands.  They also have to be able to read the trail and sometimes have to make quick decisions.  The musher can’t always see what’s ahead of the team so it’s the lead dogs’ job to go around danger, or stop the team.  It’s a very important position on the team.  Teams usually have more than 2 lead dogs and they rotate the lead dogs into the other positions.  Some dogs are better on hills while others may be better on ice or crossing rivers.  A musher will use the dogs that are the best or most comfortable with the trail and weather conditions.

Behind the lead dogs are the swing dogs.   Swing dogs are usually lead dogs or lead dogs in training.  They are responsible for swinging the team around corners.  This is the position I’ve started running in.  I’m learning my commands by listening to my human and then watching what the lead dogs do. 

Following the swing dogs are the team dogs.  Team dogs make up most of a big dog team like the ones in the Iditarod.  Any dog can run as a team dog.  Many teams rotate their dogs into the team position. 

Next are the Wheel dogs.  Wheel dogs are placed right in front of the sled.  They have the most physically demanding job and are considered the powerhouse of the dog team.  Usually, but not always, Wheel dogs are the biggest and toughest dogs on the team.   I think my brother Slate should be a Wheel dog.  He’s so big and strong. 

Next time you see a picture of a dog team, figure out what position each dog is in.  Each position is very important for the team.  Just like with any sports team, all the dogs and the musher have to work together to be successful. 

Well I’m off to do my kennel chores.  Next time I’m going to talk about humans dressing for the cold weather.

Till our trails meet again,

Gypsy

 

Comments: 13

Your Family Tree, My Family Tree by Sanka W. Dog

Posted by Zuma in Explore Alaska, Race Coverage Date: February 18, 2008

Bothers, sisters, parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents - some folks are very interested in genealogy and can trace their roots back to ancestors who came to America on the Mayflower and some even further back than that. People get a sense of who they are from their lineage. Dogs have roots too which in the case of the Alaskan Husky is referred to as their bloodline or for purebred dogs like the Siberian husky, their pedigree.

Before going any further into my family tree, a few definitions might be helpful. Genealogy is the study of the history of families and the line of descent from their ancestors. Ancestor is a being from which a person has directly descended. Lineage is a line of descent from a common ancestor. These terms usually apply to people in their study of background and family history.

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When talking about a dog’s family tree, there are a couple of other terms that are commonly used. One is bloodline. Bloodline is a sequence of direct ancestors. The second term is pedigree, a register recording a line of distinguished ancestors or the purity of a breed. A purebred Siberian husky or Malamute with a verified bloodline or pedigree might be registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC).

You won’t find any Alaskan Huskies in the AKC registry. Alaskan Huskies are mutts! There is nothing PURE about their bloodline. Alaskan huskies are a combination of breeds which might include siberian, village dogs, Canadian Inuit dogs, wolf hound, fox hound, gray hound, doberman, German shorthair, English setters, English pointers and malamute.

The evolution of the Alaskan husky began in the days of the gold rush. Dog teams were used to haul goods and supplies to and from the mining camps. As more gold was discovered and more camps established, dogs were in great demand but short supply. Dogs of any breed that were the right size were shipped from Seattle to Alaska to go to work in the gold fields.

When my new musher selected me from the other puppies at Raymie Redington’s Kennel, Raymie provided them withinformation on my parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and great-grandparents or you could say Raymie provided then with my bloodline. It’s also helpful to know about the kennels that the ancestors came from. So, here’s a snap shot of my family tree.

My parents are GREG and HALO. GREG and TWIGGY, the mother of Lance Mackey’s Iditarod and Quest champion dogs are siblings. HALO’s parents are CAPTAIN and CISCO. CAPTAIN comes from NITRO and AUTUMN. AUTUMN is the daughter of ROXIE who is the mother of many of Martin Buser’s champion dogs. CISCO comes out of GARETH and SARA. GARETH comes from the kennel of Gareth Wright, known for outstanding village sled dogs and SARA comes from Susan Butcher’s championship kennel.

Raymie told my new musher that I’d be a fast dog. How did he know that? Add up the Iditarod wins that these mushers have accumulated - Martin Buser has four, Susan Butcher has four and Lance Mackey has one along with 3 Yukon Quest victories. With nine Iditarod and three Quest wins in my family background, I’d better be fast!

Is anyone in your family interested in genealogy? Can you draw a diagram to illustrate your family tree? Can you draw a diagram to illustrate my family tree? How would Twiggy be related to me? How about Roxie?

I’ve included a picture of Raymie Redington holding my sister and me. This photo was taken on the day that my new musher came to the kennel in Knik to pick me up. None of the puppies in the kennel had names yet - we were only 8 weeks old. Often mushers wait for a while to get to know the puppies before they name them. Sometimes mushers pick a theme to use in naming the puppies. Jeff King once decided to name a litter using internet search engine names. What would some of those puppies be called? My new musher began to call me Sanka from the moment she laid eyes on me. I like my name.

Now you should have a good idea about the terms used to describe a dog’s family tree and know something about Alaskan huskies and their history as a breed. Thanks to my friends who gave me information for this story - the mushers who wrote the Mush with P.R.I.D.E. Sled Dog Care Guidelines, Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury and Joe Runyan. The Salisburys are cousins who wrote the book, The Cruelist Miles. My handler and I are reading this story about the people and events behind the 1925 Serum Run. It’s such a good book filled with so much information, I’ll do a book report for you when I finish. The story, “Description and Origin of the Alaskan Husky,” written by Joe Runyan is a great article to read. Joe will be running Iditarod this year. He won the race in 1989 and is back in the Last Great Race after a 15-year absence. Joe is going to be the visual interpreter for Racheal Scdoris. Go Rachael, Go Joe!

Stay tuned for more stories about puppies, dogs and Iditarod. In the mean time, take a look at the kids who are signed up for the Junior Iditarod. I’m going to follow this race closely. Meredith Mapes is a rookie and has been running one of my best friends, Gopher, in lead. I’ll tell you more about Gopher’s Iditarod runs in another story.

Sanka W. Dog

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Comments: 7

What’cha Snacking On?

Posted by Zuma in Explore Alaska, Race Coverage Date: February 16, 2008

Libby here!

“When do the dogs get fed?” asked Ms. Thompson’s students.

I’m glad Zuma sent me that question to answer.

Sled dogs get fed when they are hungry!

Sled dogs eat and they eat nutritious meals and snacks so that they have the energy to run the race. Eating nutritious meals also helps the dogs stay healthy.

Not only do the dogs get fed a hearty breakfast and other larger meals, but when they are training and racing, they get fed snacks in between the meal. Snacks help provide the dogs with the energy they need between their meals, to be the best athlete ever!

To do this, during training and racing, the mushers stop along the trail or while they are in checkpoints to feed their dogs. During the race, if you see on the Internet that a musher doesn’t stay long at a checkpoint, you know that the musher either stopped the team to feed and rest before they got to the checkpoint, or that they will stop somewhere after leaving a checkpoint. The dogs need healthy meals and snacks to maintain their weight and to be healthy. They need water to drink, too!

It is the same with you, boys and girls. You have to have healthy meals in order to have your energy. You snack between meals, too, and I hope that your snacks are healthy snacks.

I love my meals and I love the snacks my human gives me. Yum, yum, yummy!

Think about this, when you are busy with activities, do you work up a good case of the ‘hunger -ies?” Do you think the canine athletes get hungry after they’ve been running? What kind of snack gives you energy and power to keep staying active? Are there snacks that aren’t very good for you to eat? These are good things for you to write about in a journal! You could also make a list of your favorite snacks or your classmate’s favorite snacks. Make charts and graphs to show what information you learned about popular or healthy snacks.

All this talk about food has made my tummy growl! I’m off to find my human. I think I will sit, stay, and roll over to see if I can get a delicious healthy snack!

Just spinning some de’tails’!

Libby

Comments: 11

Count Down to the Race!

Posted by Zuma in Race Coverage Date: February 14, 2008

Hello Boys and Girls,

It is hard to believe that it is almost time for another LAST GREAT RACE, IDITAROD! What fun it is to sit at Headquarters and see all the people working on a variety of projects. Everyone is busy and the phones are always ringing.

I wanted to take time to remind everyone of a couple of things.

First, Iditarod starts on the first Saturday in March each year. An easy way to know how many days until the race starts is by watching the top right hand corner of the www.iditarod.com website. Everyday, it will tell you how many days until the start of the race. Try using a calendar to see if our ticker is correct. Don’t count ‘today’ and don’t count the day the race starts. Count all of the days in between. What do you get? Do you agree with the ticker? You can also use this method to count the number of days to all kinds of things going on in your own lives.

You can also learn about the weather by clicking on Storm Ready® Weather Center which is at the top of the page next to the number of days until the race. I hope you take time to make comparisons between the information there and where you live. It is so much fun to learn about the weather.

Second, as you can see in this blog, K-9 reporters Sanka, Gypsy, and Libby have been posting articles. All 4 of us will be busy writing for you from now on so you have lots to think about and read. We are planning some great stories, so keep reading. Keep this in mind: Libby likes to write about little details. She will usually write little articles that are easy to read. Sanka W. Dog is a genius and has been getting an “A+ grade” in all classes at dog school, so Sanka will be writing longer articles or more detailed articles, designed for older readers. Gypsy and I will be writing our articles sort of in the middle of those two levels. Boys and Girls, we are writing this way because lots of students from preschool – university level —- and even adult race fans like to read our articles. We are going to try and write for everyone. So, remember, sometimes, the articles will be easier to read and sometimes they will be more difficult to read or have more details. No matter what, read, read, read!

Third, a “big thanks” goes to everyone who has been leaving comments for us on this blog. You are doing a great job of making comments. Please remember a few things:

1. Your teacher might sign his/her name, or give the school you go to, but Boys and Girls, don’t use your last name or give out any personal information if you leave a comment on the blog.

2. Try to put your comments beneath the articles that match what your comment is about or think of new questions that come from what you read. From your comments, we may respond at the blog if we have comments or answers to your questions, we might email you, or we might write a whole article about your comment.

3. What you type, everyone else can see so you should try to write with your best spelling and use your best writing. Then everyone can read your question or your comment and learn from what you have to say or from what we respond to your comments.

4. We’ll try to post most comments but we might put your comment in an area where it fits better, so you might have to look around for it. (We’ll call this, comment hide and seek!) Also, we can’t post comments that use words not allowed in school. So think before you type. Use your best manners, use your thinking skills, and plan to learn a lot from what we all type.

5. Go back to the past articles and read comments so that you can learn from what others say or from our responses because that might give you answers to a question you have and help you think of new questions. We might not print repeated questions.

6. Remember, leaving comments and questions at the blog is the best way to contact us now, during the race, and after the race. Sending an email might take a few days before you get a response. We know that some schools block sending comments on blogs, so we understand that a few of you will send email messages. But remember, leaving comments is faster and it is a good way for everyone who reads Zuma’s Paw Prints to learn together. Zuma’s Paw Prints is a learning environment!

Thanks again, Teachers, Boys, and Girls! You are doing an awesome job on the comment boards. Keep up the good work and we will all learn a lot during the race. Your K-9 reporters will be “on the trail” getting as many stories as possible. Check the website often!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

For awesome lesson ideas about the weather, click here!

Comments: 74