Talk to me about teaching a dog to pull

Shantara

Shantara

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You'll have to forgive me! I can't think of the proper term!

Ideally I'd like to use a trike, rather than a scooter, bike or sled. Where does one go about buying one and more to the point, finding someone to train both of us! She's still a little young for actually pulling anything, but I'm trying to teach her to speed up and slow down and turns. She certainly has a love for pulling and running and is built for it too!

I'm around Milton Keynes, but would happily travel for the right trainer!

She's growing up to be a beautiful girl! Pictures :D

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(With her half sister Ellie, who is a year older Tamriel is in the yellow and Ellie is in red)
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(Chasing her big brother, who is 3yrs older)
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She also has her own facebook page ;) https://www.facebook.com/Tamriel-Tamaskan-502511903280059/
 
I've no experience of sled dogs but I ran working pointers and setters for years. The problem with them is to stop them pulling! I'd suggest long walks on a harness, preferably long tracks like forestry rides so the dog anticipates there will be something new around the next corner and is in a hurry to get there! Can't help you with going round corners though. With a sheep dog, we'd stop them and only let them run in the direction wanted, but you can't do that with a sled dog! I'll be interested to learn how it's done.
 
its a long time since I had much to do with huskies, but it was taught by example. So year old dogs would be harnessed up alongside experienced dogs (taking no weight) and then go for very short runs. Smaller dogs were destined to the front and depending on intelligence, as lead dogs. Larger dogs became wheel dogs.

How big will she be? do they use them as single dogs in rigs? that always used to be the province of malamutes, huskies on rigs always went on in pairs. I did know someone that worked and irish setter, a husky and a beagle all off a bike lol, nutter. There's not much to it, gee and haw for turns, relatively useless brakes ;) and be prepared to be towed after squirrels and deer. Its enormous fun and I'd start by contacting some husky people.
 
Thanks guys!

MotherofChickens - It looks like she might be a little small for the breed. Usually, they are large dogs, but she is about the same size as a labrador, maybe a smidge taller. However, she is only 9 months, so I guess she'll get a bit bigger and fill out a lot more.
I'm hoping that if we take to it, that I'll get another about her size and can go as a pair :D I was planning on getting her a friend anyway, but if I can get them both to pull, it'd be great!

I'll send the husky people an email :D thanks!

I'm going to ask the breeder too, as she has raced in Finland with some of Tamriels family. Though she just sold all of her stuff, which is unfortunate!
 
MotherOfChickens said:
its a long time since I had much to do with huskies, but it was taught by example. So year old dogs would be harnessed up alongside experienced dogs (taking no weight) and then go for very short runs. Smaller dogs were destined to the front and depending on intelligence, as lead dogs. Larger dogs became wheel dogs.

How big will she be? do they use them as single dogs in rigs? that always used to be the province of malamutes, huskies on rigs always went on in pairs. I did know someone that worked and irish setter, a husky and a beagle all off a bike lol, nutter. There's not much to it, gee and haw for turns, relatively useless brakes ;) and be prepared to be towed after squirrels and deer. Its enormous fun and I'd start by contacting some husky people.
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Yes, I think that's it for corners and bends. There is a lead dog who knows what to do in response to commands and the rest follow him!

I have a lot of sled dog stuff on video as I started making a small documentary but I'm sorry to say I lost enthusiasm and the project never got completed!
 
It's a shame you didn't post this a few days ago because the annual Siberian Husky Club GB teach-in event is happening, erm, right now. :p Maybe one to put on the calendar for next year as it's a great resource, a day of talks about all aspects of kit, dogs and training followed by an opportunity to have a supervised run with borrowed kit. Sadly the run is only for members with KC registered dogs but the rest of the day is invaluable for newcomers.

I'd possibly give the above huskyracing.org.uk a miss, BSHRA only put on events for KC registered nordic breeds. There are lots of clubs that put on open events though, I maintain a calendar of them on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/327170483972955/

I'd give the rig a miss for now too, only freight dogs would be expected to run solo with a rig and in practice most people still run two or more, plus it complicates the matter of where you are permitted to train, there's a minefield of insurance and permits to wade through. A bike or scooter is much more appropriate for one dog and gives you a lot more flexibility for training and events.

As MoC says in an ideal world a young dog learns in a team with an experienced leader, with one dog it would be best to buddy up with someone in a bikejor or canicross club to recreate that, giving you a steady experienced dog to chase and practice your overtaking skills.

Some stuff for your research - Emily at K9 Trail Time for kit and advice, Canicross Midlands for a club likely to hold training events in your area, Arctic Quest for training camps. :)
 
Thank you so much Blackcob!

It's a shame they only allow KC dogs, Tamaskans are not and never will be KC registered, due to the founder/breeder wanting to keep as much control over the breed as possible.
Ah, I didn't realise you needed permits to run a rig! Perhaps I will look at scooters instead then. I've requested an add on that facebook page and will search out Emily at K9 Trail Time :D Thank you!
 
Chan said:
Thank you so much Blackcob!

It's a shame they only allow KC dogs, Tamaskans are not and never will be KC registered, due to the founder/breeder wanting to keep as much control over the breed as possible.
Ah, I didn't realise you needed permits to run a rig! Perhaps I will look at scooters instead then. I've requested an add on that facebook page and will search out Emily at K9 Trail Time :D Thank you!
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Ah I give it about 5 years in that case.... labradoodles all over again....
 
Thanks Rowan666! She's such a beauty :) She's always getting comments when we're out!

Lévrier - While the breeder is still around, I doubt it! They are not mass produced and she's very strict. They're still very undiscovered :) I hope they stay that way! Only a couple of people I've met have ever heard of them and the ones that did, were only because a local pair (Tam's big brother, in the last picture) were in the paper, because they feature in the newest Huntsman film.
 
Chan said:
Thanks Rowan666! She's such a beauty :) She's always getting comments when we're out!

Lévrier - While the breeder is still around, I doubt it! They are not mass produced and she's very strict. They're still very undiscovered :) I hope they stay that way! Only a couple of people I've met have ever heard of them and the ones that did, were only because a local pair (Tam's big brother, in the last picture) were in the paper, because they feature in the newest Huntsman film.
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Yep - that's what they said about labradoodles, about border collies ever being KC registered, about Jack Russells being KC registered.... especially with social media (including the H&H forum) you cannot keep a breed quiet like that....sorry to be a cynic but I have seen it over and over again
 
Lévrier;13378804 said:
Yep - that's what they said about labradoodles, about border collies ever being KC registered, about Jack Russells being KC registered.... especially with social media (including the H&H forum) you cannot keep a breed quiet like that....sorry to be a cynic but I have seen it over and over again
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I don't know, I just can't see it while L (The breeder) is still around. She is the founder of the breed and will fight tooth and claw against them and I'm sure her daughter and the committee (which I am a part of) will when she retires too.
I personally wouldn't mind too much, so long as the integrity of the breed is kept, as it would open up a vast world of showing and other such things to me and Tamriel. We're really quite limited at the moment, which is frustrating, but I want to do as L wishes, since she is a friend, not just the breeder of my pup.
 
Lévrier;13378735 said:
Ah I give it about 5 years in that case.... labradoodles all over again....
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Absolutely and totally agree.

Years ago the KC tried to take over sheep dog trials -- and might even have got away with it if someone hadn't pointed out that they don't actually have any sheep. I can imagine their reply to that would be, "So what?"

What a total disaster they have been for working dogs!
 
Dry Rot said:
Absolutely and totally agree.

Years ago the KC tried to take over sheep dog trials -- and might even have got away with it if someone hadn't pointed out that they don't actually have any sheep. I can imagine their reply to that would be, "So what?"

What a total disaster they have been for working dogs!
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I really don't trust the KC, a friend of mine seems to think they're gods gift to dogs, but I just don't see it. She seems to think there will be something wrong with Tam because she's not from a KC assured breeder...

ANYWAY! Enough about the KC, I want to make sure I don't lose the useful info in KC nonsense :)
 
Dry Rot said:
Absolutely and totally agree.

Years ago the KC tried to take over sheep dog trials -- and might even have got away with it if someone hadn't pointed out that they don't actually have any sheep. I can imagine their reply to that would be, "So what?"

What a total disaster they have been for working dogs!
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Yep absolutely - thankfully pedigree greyhounds have never really caught on, but seeing show greyhounds makes me cringe, and like you say they have ruined a lot of working breeds :( I cannot agree with dog showing I'm afraid, even though I was brought up surrounded by it :(

I did have to smile at the 'someone pointed out they hadn't got any sheep' comment mind you :)
 
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