The Yukon goes its own way, in weather as in most things detached from norms that apply to the rest of the country. Practically the entire continent is sweltering in a heat wave as forest fires rage out of control in many places. Here in the Yukon it's cool, cloudy, threatening rain with fire risk comfortably rated low.
Yesterday it was cool enough to get the bike out again. Lo and behold, the wild, skittish puppy that was introduced to the harness a few days ago was jumping up and down uttering ear-splitting screeches! She wanted to do it again. "Come on, take me, take me. I can do better this time, I swear! I thought about it lots! Take me, take me!"
I took her, once again hooked double with her next-door neighbour Happy, my number two leader. Lizzy was a different pup on this run. Just for the first 75 yards, she thought she might be able to stop and hunt in the aspen woods alongside our long "chute lane," but Happy kept things going. Once we hit the main road, though, Lizzy was all business, on her tugline strongly, running with a lot more focus than she had done her first time out. At our turnaround point, it was Happy who spotted a hot squirrel tree and wanted to investigate. I laid the bike down, lined them both out, and we took off for home. Lizzy ran straight and hard. Maybe, just maybe, I'll have another leader in this ten-month-old female.
Now that the three leaders (Llop, Lleo and Lluna) from our foundation Hank x Dreama litter are too old to serve further (they'll be twelve in November), along with one other oldster who decided he had served at lead long enough, we're looking for the next generation of lead dogs. Actually Isa has four who are just middle-aged, so really I should say I'm looking. Young Mokka, broken to harness mostly at lead last year, is already running better this year, keeping her head lower, showing much more focus and seriousness. Happy's doing fine and working on her commands. Tonya the queen-mother is superb — reliable and elegant, but probably starting to slow down just a little at almost eight years of age. If I'm to run two teams this winter I need one more leader. Today I think I shall try out Mokka's brother Maraq. He's two now; maybe his brain has caught up to his body enough to try it. I find that female leaders often declare themselves as puppies; males, rarely. Maraq runs like the wind; if only he'll lead, I'll really be set up for awhile, particularly if little Lizzy can replace Tonya as she ages. Such a shame that their lives are so short. It seems as though no sooner do I have a leader trained to the point that the dog is really trustworthy and a pleasure to drive than he/she's showing signs of age.
The worst of it is that I'm showing signs of age, too, and the older I get, the more I depend on having really good leaders to keep things running smoothly. Dog driving is a constant balancing act, never a static situation. Relax for one instant, let things slide, and the development of your team has slipped out of your control. It's a strange, compulsive sort of sport — and it's only the most fun of anything you can do outdoors!
Lizaveta, ten-month-old screeching lead dog wannabe
Posted by jjeffrey at August 20, 2003 01:54 PM