Avalanche Certification

 Hey Tribe,

Allow me to introduce you to a certified Avalanche SAR dog: Fly.

Superhero pose

Yep, this weekend our brave girl confidently loaded into the snowmachine sled and was hauled up the mountain to begin her search for simulated avalanche victims.

Ready to begin!

After being given her search command, Fly flew across the snow and pinpointed the location of a human hiding deep under the snow's surface in a small cave; after I marked the location, Fly was off running up the slope and out of sight before I could even attempt to keep up with her.  When I did manage to glimpse her again, she was eagerly searching and moving her way across the jumbled snow before she stopped in the middle of seemingly nowhere and told me she'd located another human under the snow.

Eyes on the prize - goggles cut snow glare, block blowing snow crystals, and just look cool.

Here is a low image quality video of Fly making her second find.  Love her happy face as she peeks in to see the person!

After the safety and support volunteers had dug the "victims" out from their snowy depths, Fly and I were congratulated on passing the evaluation in just 6 minutes!  We then loaded back into the awaiting snowmachine sled and zoomed back down the mountain so the next K9 team could take their turn.

I ended up relieving one of the volunteers and was hidden in a snow cave for the last K9 team.  It is a strange feeling to be buried under the snow and I'd have to say I'm not a fan of the experience, but we do it for the team and we do it so that our efforts may one day help bring a loved one home.

My view: before being buried

My view: while being buried

My view: after Team Bandit made the find

This is Fly's third discipline of certification: she is already certified to be deployed for Scent Specific Wilderness Area live find searches, as well as Human Remains detection.  However, just because we passed our evaluations and are certified, that doesn't mean our training and practice are complete - no, we will continue to hone our skills and practice, practice, practice, because learning and improving should never cease.  

Fly poses with the gear we use for avalanche work - beacon, shovel, and probe not visible.

There is a misconception that to become an Avalanche dog, one just signs up for a class and then takes a test at the class' completion and, voilà, you have an Avy Dog, so I just want to clarify that this is not how it works, at least not here in Alaska.  To be a deployable SAR dog unit, Fly and I are members of a SAR team with other dog handlers and members.  We train together weekly (often twice a week).  We take classes (paid for out of pocket) about first aid, human behavior, wilderness survival, weather, navigation, crime scene preservation, disaster preparation and building structures, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.  We buy our own gear (which is expensive).  When there is need for our services, we are deployed solely through our Alaska State Troopers - we can't just go rogue and jump on missions whenever we feel like it - laws and liability come into play here.  Search and Rescue work is a lifestyle, not just a title to be earned for a piece of paper to frame for your wall, a brag post for your social media, or a feather for your cap (though with all the work we put into it, those things are nice, I admit).  So, before you start searching the internet for the closest "sar training class," understand that is not really how it works, and be honest with your desires, ability, time, and truthfully your pocketbook.  

My teammates packing up gear after 7 hours of SAR work today.

Okay, I didn't intend to throw a wet blanket on this celebration post, but now you can better appreciate how much time and energy went into this certification and why I am so proud of our Fly girl!

Rex Turns Two

 Hey Tribe,

My baby boy is 2 years old today!

Rex had quite the year last year:

He worked on his impulse control in all settings to become Farm Dog Certified titled and earned his Canine Good Citizen title.

Rex learned new tricks during our time in quarantine and collected a Trick Dog Novice title.

I got a bit of road rash and a black eye and Rex learned to not suddenly run full speed when on a leash.

He became a brand ambassador and model.

Rex made friends who tolerate his pervasive puppy craziness, including SAR teammate, K9 Sally (his Sal Pal), and our new Icelandic fillies, Frelsi and Soley, who romp and stomp with our joyful boy.

He was plagued with panosteitis, poor guy, and was super sad to not be able to do a lot of fun activities in early summer. 

But we made up for it with adventures when he was feeling better.

Despite a lot of time off because of the pano, Rex made nice SAR progress and developed a solid final response for when he finds the scent source he is searching for; he officially became part of the team last month.

Rex showed us that he loves to run and chase and is going to excel in lure coursing sports.  We discovered this in late summer, so he only got to compete once before the season ended, but he's off to a good start!  He is an amazing athlete and we had such fun touring around Alaska with the kickbike.

He also loves that sled dog life!

I can tell his body is maturing, though his brain and personality sure aren't: he is widening and broadening in the chest and head and that thick fur hides some serious muscle.  He is keeping his tail curled more often than not now too!

Lastly, Rex has thoroughly loved all things snow - snow is his greatest delight!

We had a great year together.

For his birthday this year, Rex got a new Lamby: he LOVES his Lamby and will squeak it endlessly until the squeakers die and then he rips a hole in it and enjoys pulling out all the stuffing.  He brings me his Lamby to toss into the air for him to catch and we play tug with it and when he is done playing, he puts it in my lap for safe keeping.

Happy 2nd birthday, Armando Salazar Da Villa Saloia, the Pirate King, my sweet baby boy, Rexy.  We love you!

New Year 2021

 Hey Tribe,

A new year, a new me? Nah, same me, same crazy KBDs.  2020 was a quiet, but pretty good year for us:

We bought a kickbike and learned are learning how to dryland mush.

We went on a Denali Highway road trip.

We visited glaciers.

We summited new mountain peaks.

Rex and me on Lion's Head overlooking the Matanuska Glacier

Fly and tiny Rex in Palmer Creek Valley

Pepper Peak

We used the Scamp even more.

Rex guards camp on the Denali.

During our SAR workshop - see the little sparrow baby sitting by the wheel?

Hanging out in Hope.

We continued as models for Alaska Goldens Co and became models for KomaloCo, Remi and Me, and Jax & Moonie

Alaska Goldens Co water-resistant scarf that matches the glacial fed lake: code AKFLY15

Remi & Me Co ice-dyed bandana and matching tag are absolutely stunning: code FlyRex10

Rex's Jax & Moonie collar bark marks document all our epic adventures together: code Rex10

We now have 2,183 friends on Instagram. Thanks for liking and conversing with me on that platform - it's so nice to have Insta friends from all over the world!

We learned new tricks and earned Trick Dog Novice titles on both dogs.  We're nearly ready to submit for the Intermediate and Advanced titles, Fly just needs to stop being silly and take it seriously while doing the videos!  Also, we earned Canine Good Citizen, Canine Good Citizen Advanced, Canine Good Citizen Urban, and Farm Dog Certified titles - all of which demonstrate the KBDs ability to be well mannered and obedient in a variety of settings and situations.

So it began.

We made history with Fly finishing her Barn Hunt title of RATChX, or Rat Master Champion, the highest title possible: she is the first and only Karelian Bear Dog to earn the title.  Also, we began the crazy fun sports of Rally, Lure Coursing, and Fast Coursing (think drag racing for dogs!).  Rex is particularly excelling in these - stay tuned for more posts on these three sports this summer!

Here is the video of Rex's first ever Coursing Ability Test. I think he's got it!

We progressed in Search and Rescue and Fly is now certified in Wilderness Area Scent Specific Live Find and in Land Human Remains Detection.  Rex continues working on urban trailing and human remains detection and is doing well.  I hope both KBDs can certify in Avalanche this winter season.

Rex works an hour aged trail at -5F

We met up with the Dive Rescue team on several occasions and I learned how to drive a zodiac boat in 30mph winds (and waves) and support divers as they enter/exit the water.

So, what do we have planned for this 2021 year? More of the same!

More kickbiking, kicksledding, kayaking, dog sports, new hiking adventures and greater community service (remind me to tell you about our Therapy Dog certification!).  I am also really, really hoping to enter into a dog show - Fly is ready to prance about and look beautiful in a doggy beauty pageant.  Please, Canada, hurry up and lift your border restrictions.

Thank you for following and joining our crazy Karelian and Alaskan adventures.  Let's enjoy 2021!

Holidays and Year's End 2020

 Hey Tribe,

'Twas a simple and quiet holiday season for our pack this year.  We enjoyed our own company, warm and comfortable in our own home.

A new trick the KBD's learned this year is one I call "Buddies" and I really wanted to show it off for this year's Christmas photo.  Well, in true form, it didn't turn out as I envisioned because the dogs enjoy going rogue on me, but it turned out adorable anyway!

Then, just like that, the year is done and we're already at the tail end of 2020.

Stay tuned for our 2020 re-cap and what we're looking forward to in 2021.  I have a photo reveal I'm extremely excited to share with you!

Kicksled Setup and Beginnings

 Hey Tribe,

Snow seems to be sticking to the ground now and the night temperatures are in the single digits (F), so I think winter has truly arrived. 

Time to bring the kicksled out of its summer slumber!  We don't yet have enough snow near the house to begin using the kicksled, but I believe it won't be long until we have decent snow cover and frozen surfaces on which to play.  I want to give the sled a once or twice over, to make sure we are all prepped and ready to run, so I thought now would be the perfect time to fill you in on how we have it set up for the dogs to pull.  If you need some background about the kicksled, you can read about our purchase and then come back to finish reading this post!

Okay, where shall I begin?  As savvy readers, you know that my Esla Kicksled is meant to be leg powered, not dog powered, but I have dogs, so dog power is what I wanted. 

To set the sled up to be pulled by dogs some additional equipment was needed.

Eye bolts were added to either side of the brush bar: it was easy to remove the regular bolts and replace them with the eye bolts.  They hold the rope in place.

The rope (called the bridle) is attached to the stanchions, which is where the sled will be pulled - attaching the bridle to the stanchions will also help with steering, since this is where the sled flexes for that.  The rope is then fed through the eye bolts - or more exact, rope is attached to one side, fed through the eye bolts and then attached to the other side.

Then, the gangline is attached to the bridle.  Mine is about 8 feet in length (including the stuff below).

I wanted something dual purpose at this point: line to attach the dogs to the gangline that could also serve as a leash, in case I wanted to leave the sled and take the dogs with me while we are out.  So I have two "leashes" that attach to a locking carabiner at the end of the gangline.

Having a neckline is important too, though not necessary if your dogs are well trained, and not technically part of the kicksled setup, but here I am writing about it anyway...  It is a short, homemade, line with clasps on either side that connect to each dog's collar.  This short line keeps the dogs together, so one doesn't zig while the other zags.  I keep fiddling with the neckline length and think I have found a good length for how my dogs run together.

Fly offered to include her foot in the photo for scale - she's so helpful.

Another nonessential, but incredibly handy item, is a basket or container to attach to the kicksled's seat.  Mine is soft-sided, so it won't scratch the lovely birch paint.  I put emergency items in there, as well as a few items I might need while out adventuring (snacks).  It is such a useful place to toss my gloves or hat when I get too hot and I don't have to worry about losing them.

So, that's the setup. 

Now, the beginning runs:

While waiting for our kicksled to arrive, I worked to teach the dogs the commands we would use.  There are a lot of internet sources out there: I found the blog All Dogs Are Smart and their videos to be extremely helpful.  

Initially, our runs occurred along a mile straight bit of dead end, gravel (now snowy) road that folks primarily use to run their dogs.  I wanted to practice using the sled and working the dogs at an easily accessible location, in case things went awry.  Things tend to get, um, hairy, when my dogs are involved.  However, our first few runs went surprisingly well and the dogs easily caught on to what we were doing.  Rex wanted to stop and pee on shrubs every 15 feet or so and Fly wanted to cut off the road to sniff something in the bushes, but I'd growl at them, give the 'Pull' command, and they'd run again.  The sled is decently light and maneuverable, so it was easy to stop the trotting dogs from dragging me into the bushes or off the road.

Our second evening out they stopped fewer times; the third evening out they stopped even less, but we encountered other dogs on the road and the KBDs went into a barking, growling, frothing frenzy.  That was unpleasant.  I managed to stop them by flopping to the ground and using my body as dead weight to slow the beasts to a stop in order to get them under control.  Clearly we need to work on ignoring and passing other dogs.  

Then, when we I had built up some sledding confidence, we ran down a similarly used road, but with curves.  I would call out directions (Gee and Haw) as we took the curves, even though they were running that way anyway.  Never hurts to reinforce directions.  The road was snowy and packed smooth and we were fast.  The dogs ran and ran.

Here's a video of that run:

After that evening run, I knew we were ready to hit the trails!  We had a lot of fun last winter with our kicklsed and I can't wait to get back on those runners and find new trails.