Somebody in Oregon has put his thinking cap on and come up with something brilliant! A publicity e-mail received recently directed your editor to The Original Dog-Powered Scooter website. What a revelation!
The idea is a simple one: to a beefed-up scooter with small-bike-diameter wheels, cable brakes, and knobby tires, is added an "outrigger" somewhat similar to the "brancard" familiar to European pulka drivers, placing a dog in harness right beside the scooter, firmly attached to it. The driver can pedal. The driver can STEER with precision! The driver can relate closely to the dog. All the dog has to do is to move forward and give minimal cooperation.
For years I've done leader training using a mountain bike. It's fun for me and for the dogs, but I wouldn't care to try it in a crowded public park or on the shoulder of a busy road. It demands active cooperation from the dog(s) and a clear trail without dangers and obstructions. The dog can decide not to stay out front, in which case you have a problem. The dog can decide not to pull strongly, in which case you must watch sharply not to overrun the gangline. You have no way to steer or direct the dog other than by voice. Things can go wrong. It isn't for everybody, and it definitely will not work with every dog.
I must be honest. I have not had a chance to TRY Mark Schuette's brain child. But as far as I can see, it should work like a dream, at any speed, with any dog that will accept the harness and outrigger and move in a forward direction dependably. What's more, it should be SAFE in suburban and urban-park environments, because the dog is under considerable positive control and can even be steered.
The website has good information and a fair amount of advice about how to go about introducing your dog to this style of recreational outing. Mark's advice sounds sensible and level-headed. He's aware of the danger of running a dog's pads raw on pavement, warns you about potential heat-stroke problems, advises a gradual introduction to this unique new dog-powered mode.
To me, this looks like a good solution for someone who wants to enjoy a kind of mushing, or an introduction to the sport, with one dog -- especially the person who's living in a built-up area with no easy bike trails or bridle paths available. But check out the site and decide for yourselves!
Breed: SEPPALA SIBERIAN SLEDDOG
Date of Birth: November 17, 2005
Number: 2M
Sire: PYOTR OF SEPPALA (SHAKAL IZ SOLOVYEV x ZIRCONIA OF SEPP-ALTA>
Dam: TONYA OF SEPPALA (XPACE OF SEPPALTA x RIVER VIEW'S SPRITE)
Breeder's Name and Address:
SEPPALA KENNELS
P. O. Box 21162
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory Y1A 6R1 Canada
http://www.seppalasleddogs.com/seppknls.htm
Colours and markings: One mostly black with white blaze and socks; one black and white, bald face, white shawl and body markings.
Comments:
PYOTR is a valued son of our Siberia import male, a strong and dependable team dog, half Solovyev strain and half Markovo-Seppala. TONYA is our ten-year-old Markovo-Seppala leader, our best command leader to date. This litter is WCAC Identified and International Seppala Association eligible. This will be Tonya's last litter; Seppala Kennels is very pleased to have these two grandsons of our Solovyev Siberia import male as well as an additional contribution to the genome from our high-performance leader Tonya.
Breed: SEPPALA SIBERIAN SLEDDOG
Date of Birth: November 11, 2005
Number: 2M 3F
Sire: ZAKI OF SEPPALA (SHAKAL IZ SOLOVYEV x NORDE OF SEPP-ALTA)
Dam: BOIKA OF SEPPALA (SURGUT OF SEPPALA x JINX OF SEPPALA)
Breeder's Name and Address:
SEPPALA KENNELS
P. O. Box 21162
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory Y1A 6R1 Canada
http://www.seppalasleddogs.com/seppknls.htm
Owner at Birth:
Gatineau Kennels
Jean-Marie and Nathalie Belanger
Ste-Sixte, Québec
Colours and markings: Various shades of grey; one female white.
Comments:
ZAKI OF SEPPALA is a Seppala Kennels utility leader, the best male of Siberia import SHAKAL IZ SOLOVYEV's first litter out of Markovo-Seppala female Norde. BOIKA OF SEPPALA is the Belangers' foundation bitch from Seppala Kennels; she was bred to ZAKI in the Yukon a month before she was shipped to Québec. As soon as she finishes with her maternal duties, Jean-Marie expects Boika to begin training to become Gatineau Kennels' first leader. This litter is WCAC Identified and International Seppala Association eligible. Congratulations to Jean-Marie and Nathalie from Seppala Kennels!
The Editor-in-Chief is having a hard time tending to his editing chores just now! With one litter in my tiny shack 19 days old, another one imminent whenever Her Majesty Queen Tonya decides the moment is auspicious, and snowfalls locally unprecedented for the first third of November, getting to my remote computer/Internet location is fast becoming a major problem.
I'm hoping that as push comes to shove, my Associate Editors the Murrays will be able to get their feet wet with the MovableType application and can carry on posting items in my absence. (We don't yet have firm arrangements to get our long driveway plowed out and I'm not sure how much longer our trucks will manage to wallow through the drifts!)
If anyone has news, litter listings, articles, links or other items to submit, please send them to Jack Murray or Susan Murray (see the Tullilbardine Farm website for their e-mail addresses).