Exercise and puppies and sled dogs

[Petalpoos]

I am hoping that the wide ranging knowledge and experience of the H&H forum may be able to shed some light, maybe even a few mushers on here ?

I have just been watching Life Below Zero (a show about living in the wilds in Alaska, my guilty pleasure TV) and one of the sled dog trainers was doing a training trip of 45 miles in one day with the 6 month old puppies pulling the sled. It got me wondering - we are so often told that you should only do max length walks for puppies equal to 5 minutes a month etc., or risk dire consequences to joints etc. Do the huskies go on to have problems, or do they not live long enough?

For a more UK-centric comparison - how old are foxhounds when they first hunt?

 

[druid]

Euro sled dog sport groups don't allow dogs to compete until 18 months old....

 

[blackcob]

I think under IFSS rules it's minimum 12 months here for some classes, 18 months for others; admittedly it's been a few years since I was involved.

As with many things, and without judgement as I haven't watched the program, I suspect there are people for whom the dogs are a commodity and a business and must earn their keep, and those for whom it's a hobby and a passion and where the long term outcome perhaps matters more. I follow a British musher based abroad, doing all of the big long distance races, whose dogs appear to routinely make 15 with a few going 16/17.

 

[druid]

18 for wheels/anything but canicross. So all the dryland stuff.

 

[blackcob]

Shows how long I've been out - it used to be 12 months for rig classes, I see it changed in 2020.

 

[druid]

I guess it was hard to justify a differen between rigs and bike or scooter.

 

[Clodagh]

Seems young to me, but imagine you have to be fit and sound to be bred from which must help.

Foxhounds are entered (start going hunting) in their second year. Ideally they are born spring year 1 and then would start going out autumn year two.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Seems incredibly young, looking at my lot3 months ago, they were tiny, I’m still careful with eg stairs. I can’t imagine joints are secure at that age.

 

[MissTyc]

In the case of the dogs in Alaska, I'm guessing it's a harder life all round and they have been bred for this purpose. Just like everyone knows TBs raced at 2 but still sound at 20 .... the majority won't be but perhaps we should be paying more attention to the ones that are. In the case of the dogs, I can't imagine there's much need for the ones who can't cope with thatlife.