Dog Box

Started building a 2-dog box to go in the back of my suv for traveling. I like my storage stuff and to have everything in it's place. Normally the dogs, since I only have two right now, ride up front with me. Gemma tries to squeeze into the front seat under Luna. There really isn't enough room and Luna lets me know with that look. So, I keep pushing Gemma to the back seat. 

This works fine for running around here on short errands or just going for a ride. Long trips, however, require a bit more organization and luggage/gear. It is also safer for the dogs to be in a smaller container on the road instead of free roaming the vehicle. So a dog box idea began forming in my head.

My friend Linda had a minivan with 4 wire cages inside for her dogs and she managed to fit all her gear in as well so I figured I can do it with two. I don't have the money to buy two smaller cages right now and my huge one would take up the entire back area with no room for anything else.

With a donation from my parents I was able to get some plywood to build my own. I spent a Saturday afternoon on the porch measuring, cutting and screwing panels together. I think it came out pretty good for a novice using scrap and donations. I even cut some neat holes in the door to add a touch of Team Fireball.

It was a very cold weekend so there was no way I would be able to paint it outside so in the house it went. Fit right through the front door no problem. I laid a sheet on the kitchen floor and set up to paint. The paint showed the imperfections really well but oh well, I came too far to turn back now and I wasn't going to buy the really nice plywood since it wasn't my money lol.

Cutting the holes in the doors was easy with a mini router tool thingy that I got at a yard sale a couple years ago and just knew I would have a use for someday. I have my moments. Once it was all painted I decided to go see how it fit in the truck. I know, that should have been done before painting but I'm super organized like that.

I made it out of 3/8" plywood so that I could lift it easily. Getting it out of the house was no problem at all and I had a dolly to help me get it down the stairs to the truck. Open the gate, step through, turn around and pull on the box. That's when I noticed that it was wider than the gate. Oh fun!

Twist, turn, flip, pull. No good. It was NOT coming through the small gate in the fence. It's the middle of January and there is at least 4" of ice with snow on top so I couldn't see the bottom of the fence. I grabbed my shovel and ice chopper to see if I could free the big section to swing open. The ice was really thick and I would be spending the rest of the day trying to free the bottom of the fence panel. Ok next idea.

I noticed that the chain link can be unhooked from the frame of the panel. So I unhooked it and let the fence hang there while I dragged the box through the opening. Finally it's out and I can put it in the truck. I really hoped it would fit at this point but I had my doubts.

Opened up the back of the truck and it slid in like a glove and the hatch even shuts with room to spare. Ahhhh, Thank God. I did not want to disassemble to re-size it. I still have some detail work to do on the door panels and but the box is in and the is the important part.

So lesson learned. If you build something inside a fence and need to get it out later, make sure it fits through the door you need to use.

Rough morning

Woke up feeling rough this morning. They are pulling harder on the walks now. Gemma is getting stronger and I'm starting to get more of a work out just by holding them back lol. I can tell she is going to be a good worker but the potty training isn't going as well as I had hoped.

She still pees or poops in the hallway late at night. I've been trying to keep an eye on her potty schedule so that I can make sure she is outside at the right time. She goes outside right after eating and stays out for a few hours. On the odd day that she isn't out that long I make sure she is back outside within 2 hours of her feeding.

A couple days would go by and I would think she's getting it. In fact last night I was looking at her and thinking maybe I can let her sleep in my bed now. As I walked back to the bedroom I see poop. So, I grab Gemma and show her the poop, yell NO and put her outside.

I was raised when you shoved the dog's nose in it and threw them outside but that just seems wrong. I am running out of ideas though and just hoping that she gets it. I love having her in the house and would really like to allow her in the bed with me but there's no way I'm gonna roll over into a pile of dog crap while I'm sleeping.

That said she is a very good dog. It's only been a few weeks and she is laying down on her blanket for a treat, she knows what night night means and goes to her kennel when I say it.

Her and Luna get along just great. Always playing with each other and even though it gets rough sometimes they make a good pair. They just got a bunch of dog toys from my friend and they are all over them. 

I really look forward to being able to take them bike joring when Gemma is old enough. She loves to pull. Even on our walks she is pulling ahead while Luna stops to sniff things that aren't even there. 

We are going up north for a stage race in February and it will be interesting to see how Gemma reacts to all the activity. She can be shy sometimes and really hasn't been exposed to a lot of dogs other than her own litter.

I hope she pays attention though. I want her to take me places.

Luna

I should probably let y'all know how I even ended up with a dog in the first place.

Well it just so happens that I was enjoying the best year I've had in a long time. My Son, Daughter, Son in law, and granddaughter all came to live with me for a while. Sounds like a houseful and it was but I loved it.

I was also dating a woman at the time that had family in Ct. just like I did. We were visiting down there around Halloween and staying at my cousin's apartment when my girlfriend sister in law told us about a husky puppy that needed a home. At this point I was not interested in owning a dog at all. I grew up with a dog but just didn't want to be tied down. I like to travel and dogs need attention and presence everyday. That's why I got a cat.

The dog was on my mind all weekend. Marissa had mentioned wanting a puppy and my life was changing and seemed to be heading in a settling down kind of path so I asked her if she wanted to look at a puppy for the family and she said of course. Michael wants a big dog. So we went to check it out. Well this "puppy was a 70 lb., 10 month old, Husky. She was very friendly and was raised in a home with small children so we didn't have to worry about her and Bailee. She did knock her down a few times though but she is a very lovable dog.

Here she is the first night in her new home. November 2012.

On our way back to Maine that Sunday we picked up Luna and drove her home. I signed us up for Puppy training classes at Pet Smart and became a dog owner once again. It took a lot of growing on my part and patience. I did not have any in the beginning, you can ask Marissa. Actually don't, I'm not proud of it. Luna has taught to have patience, however, and now my life is more fulfilling with her in it.

First attempt at mushing without having ANY idea what I was doing!

Bailee thanking Luna for pulling her around and wondering why we stopped!

My kids have since moved back to South Carolina and Luna gives me a reason to get up and get out. She is there when I need a hug or a cuddle or if I feel the overwhelming urge to vacuum lots of hair out of a carpet.

I can't imagine life without her. I guess sometimes things DO happen for a reason because through her I met a wonderful friend that has been mentoring me in mushing since this past August. I now have two huskies and plan to get more someday. Winters are no longer a barren wasteland in which I choose to hibernate.

Mush on!

Gemma

So the time came when Anya's litter was almost ready to be placed. I was there for there birth and helped look over them from time to time during the breast feeding stage. I could feel the pull of puppy love from the beginning but didn't think I'd be ready when they were. But damn they were so adorable.

Anya of Sibersong and the litter Gemma came from.

One weekend while I was visiting and helping out in N.H. we went to the kennel where they were staying and the puppies had gotten so big and cute. They were running all over and when I stepped into their kennel I was bombarded by tiny little paws and tongues. I've heard the term puppy pile but until then I hadn't experienced one.

Getting ready to pick one! Pretty sure that's Gemma far left.

These puppies were full of energy. Luna was 10 months old when I adopted her so I hadn't had the full puppy experience in about 18 years. The one puppy that wouldn't leave me alone even when mama came around was Gemma. Can you guess what filled my thoughts from that point on? It was time to take the leap and start building a team. If I was going to be a musher like I wanted to be then it had to happen sooner or later and to have a Sibersong pup that I helped whelp was that much more of a bonus. 

As we left the kennel I told Jaye that I would like to get one of her puppies but I didn't know if I should get a male or female next. Luna is female and wasn't sure about team makeup. Jaye assured me that it didn't matter and I should just go with the puppy that picked me.

For the next few weeks I would stay up at night with puppies dancing in my head. Now that I had made my request for a pup, I couldn't wait. They would be ready after Christmas but it just didn't come soon enough. I had to fight everyday to not bug Jaye with questions about how and when. 

Finally, I was going back to N.H. for New Years and Jaye said I could pick one! We spent a couple days training her team at The Happy Place before I was to go see the puppies. Time went by so slow. When we went back to see the puppies, we put the sled team back in their kennels and thankfully Jaye said I could go play with the puppies while she fed them lol. 

Once again I was bowled over by fur, paws and tiny tongues. It had been a while since I had seen Gemma so I just played and watched all the pups waiting for one to pick me. At first the whole litter was all over me before they started running and playing. Jax and Trinity stayed close but I knew they were off limits. Jaye had already put dibs on them.

After about half an hour the puppies had calmed down as much as puppies can and were milling around. Kim and Kelly Berg were also there taking pictures for profiles so that also gave the puppies a distraction. In the end it was one puppy that stuck by me and came back after checking other things out. That puppy was Gemma.

I really had no idea until that point. I was looking at color, eyes, over all look. I couldn't decide on that alone because all of them were beautiful. Gemma picked for me. So began Team Fireball.

Visiting gramma's and trying to get Luna up to go back outside!

She has been so good for me and for Luna. Now to raise and train her. Never thought I'd be here again but I cannot imagine being without my dogs. Time to puppy proof my life!

The growing addiction

So Fall was in full swing and I knew all of Jaye's dogs by name. The New England Trade Fair was coming up and would be my first mushing event. I didn't know what to expect so when we got there I was blown away by the number of dog trucks and dogs. Seemed like everyone had a huge box built on their trucks or a big trailer to carry the dogs and gear. I saw everything from pure black to pure white and everything in between. That there were so many different kinds of Huskies was a surprise.

There were cart races and bike races. I entered my first bike joring race with Luna and came in 13 out of 24. Not too shabby for a noob. The track was just about a mile but Luna made it the whole way without stopping for the first time and I was very proud of her. The feeling of community was also something I had not felt for some time.

There was a feeling of belonging that I had been missing. To be part of something that not only is good exercise but help me bond with my pet in an active sort of way. I was seeing a different world that previously had not existed in my mind. It really opened Luna up and has brought us closer together. She is much more affectionate now and I could not see being without her.

Luna got her first harness at that Fair and still gets excited when she sees me pull it out of the backpack for a run. I ended up trading my motorcycle in for a mountain bike. If that isn't an addiction, then I don't know what is. Once I made a joring rig to go on the bike, we were off to the trail.

She still got distracted from time to time and that's when I thought I needed another Husky to pull me for speed and to keep Luna motivated. I knew it would be a matter of time before I got another and as luck would have it, Sibersong had an extra litter on the way. That litter would include Gemma. I wasn't sure yet on getting one but before long I made the jump.

With the addition of Gemma to Team Fireball, not only is my team growing but so is my addiction.

It starts!

Just brought home my second Husky. Her name is Gemma. I have been working with Jaye, a musher friend of mine, learning about the sport of mushing. I had no idea it was this widespread.

This past summer I met her through facebook talking about dogs. She said she has a large kennel of Huskies and asked if I'd like to come see them and maybe get my Luna some playtime with dogs of her own kind. I have to admit I was surprised that someone in my own town, just 10 minutes away, had a kennel full of Huskies. I had been looking for something to do with mine in the winter for exercise and bonding.

Well, I jumped in with both feet. After the first morning of being a handler of sorts, I was hooked. I came back the next training day and everyone after that. Soon, Luna was waking me up before my alarm clock to go out running. 

Waiting to go bike joring in Carrabassett Valley.

We trained on an ATV in the fall, letting the dogs pull us down the local trails. It was hard work getting them ready and they were a handful to say the least. The excitement in the kennel when I pulled in and we started getting the truck ready was amazing. Upon opening the first kennel, a hurricane of fur and loud barking came running at me. All I could do was hug the wall of the house and let them race around trying to beat each other to a spot in the truck.

Cleaning up while Jaye sets up the ATV for training.

Most of them were "self loaders" so they just jumped into a cubby when the door was opened. Some however had to be lifted to the upper deck. I worked up quite a sweat and was quickly learning I was not wearing the right gear for winter activity. Layers are important but the "right" layers are more important. For the first few training days I spent the time in wet cotton layers, freezing jeans and cold hands. 

A beautiful morning for fall training.

I started investing in the right clothing and soon it found my groove. After the hard part of loading, unloading and the pandemonium of attaching the dogs to the gang line,we were off. At first I was taken aback by the beauty and peacefulness of it all. The dogs suddenly got quiet, focused and dug in. They wanted so much to pull and work as a team. All I could hear was the hum of the ATV engine and the sound of 72 paws grabbing at the trail. The leaves were turning for the Fall season and it was a wonderful feeling to be out there.

So, it starts! I'm hooked and looking forward to what comes next.