Sledding... Ren look here!

[Roxy's CD]

Today my sister in law had her baby, so I didn't get to post about our sledding adventure that was on Sunday. I just got in from a long stay at the hospital, but hopefully tomorrow or later on tonight, (if I don't pass out ) I'll post the pics.

I already posted pics of the harness' I had bought a few weeks ago, the typical "X" sledding harness for the "team". LOL

I went to Canadian Tire and just got a little kiddy plastic sled (one that had breaks!) some clasps, rope and the little ring thingys.

And so the engineering of the sled began! ROFL

I attached about 3 feet of rope with a ring on the end to the sled, and then 2.5 feet with a clasp to each of the dogs harness'. This way if I just wanted one to pull I could just unhook the other, or hook them both up.

We started out with the smallest kid, and both of the dogs hooked up to the kiddy sled, I used a coupler hoping this way they would be easier to control! LOL

THEY DID AWESOME! I noticed that most of the time Roxy just made it look like she was pulling, but Hades was doing all of the work! ROFL. Her rope was just a little slack! Lazy bitch! Ha ha!

So the kids took turns, one at a time until the dogs got used to it. They did awesome. We were just going up and down the street, so usually heading back towards my parents house they went ahead of me, but I still had the leash in my hand. Both kids got in the sled, and they pulled them easily.

By this time, I was exhausted from running up and down the street, and Roxy had started eating snow of the ground. So I unhooked ROxy, and the kids took turns with just Hades pulling.

The little guy was amazing! I was pretty sure he'd love it and he did!

I didn't attempt to climb into the little itty bitty kiddie sled, and we've got a lot more to do but for our first time out, I was really happy with my odd looking sled dog team! ROFL

A rott/dobe monster, and tiny little pitbull... Crappy kiddy sled and a crazy haired wild woman running next to them!

Did the neighbors ever get a show! ROFL

I'm going to upload the pics now, my mom's camera handicapped so they're not all to great, we didn't get any of us actually moving but you get the idea. LOL

And for those that sled, some help with some cue words, this is what I was using:

Go: Up
Slow/stop: easy
Right: haw
Left: hee

The latter was just my brain trying to remember what Ren had posted a few weeks ago, after the fourth trip around they were starting to figure it out though.

So all in all it was a really fun time, the dogs had fun, the kids had fun, I had fun, and on top of it all they were exhausted! All of us! LOL

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

Oh, can't wait to see pics!

~Tucker

 

[Roxy's CD]

Here they are!!

Second trip up the street, not moving but as I said, you get the idea! LOL

 

[Roxy's CD]

Some of the pics are pretty grainy because my mom doesn't know how to zoom in, ROFL, but you can see the dogs, harness' and sleds, so yano I'm not lying ROFL

Hopefully sometimes this week we'll get out again, and I'll have to take someone who has better picture taking skills! ROFL

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

YAY!

I would love to start carting/sledding. It's something I am really interested in.
Thanks for the pics! Looks like everyone had fun .

~Tucker

 

[Roxy's CD]

It's a lot more fun and "satisfying" than I thought it would be! LOL, If that makes any sense.

I had my doubts about how they'd do, but when I realized they were doing awesome AND loving it, it felt... nice?!? I don't know! LOL

It's definitely fun that's for sure, thanks

 

[PWCorgi]

That looks like so much fun!!

Right: haw
Left: hee

I think that the word for left is traditionally "gee", but I could be wrong I don't do all that much sledding, the whole idea of hooking up 2 corgis to a sled just seems odd .

I would love to try skijoring or sledding someday, but I think I may have to invest in another breed, lol, although....

...I could just get a whole bunch of corgis!

Anywho, it looks like everybody had a lot of fun, and I love the pic w/ Roxy sticking her tongue out

 

[jammer]

What beautiful dogs. I love the pic of Roxy sticking her tongue out. Hades looks like a big love bug! I wish we had snow, i would hook zoe up and tire her out...lol. It looked like a blast!

 

[Roxy's CD]

ROFL@the corgi sled team!

But hey, they're close to the ground, and look like tough and sturdy dogs You need more corgi's anyhoosy! LOL

That would make more sense, hee and haw sound an awful lot alike! I'll start using gee instead, thanks

Jammer, it was a bundle of fun and I wasn't even the one getting pulled! ROFL, The kids had a blast though, they kept yelling; "Make way for the queen of Narnia!" From the movie The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe of course! ROFL

 

[oc_spirit]

Glad it worked so well!!!!! I cant see the pictures right now because I'm on the school's crappy tempermental computer but i PROMISE i WILL LOOK AT THEM TONIGHT!! LOL So glad I was able to help you guys out and its wonderful to hear that the dogs are enjoying it so much. I dont know what it is about a working relationship but it just has so much MORE than just a pet relationship. Maybe its the added respect, maybe its the fact that the dogs LOVE that their owner provides them with a job...who knows...there's just mroe too it.

Right - gee
Left - haw

But in all honesty it doesnt matter! As long as the dogs respond to it thats all that matters and it sounds like they are!!!! Keep up the great work and remember that I'm always willing to help should you need it And my invitation still stands if you ever want your guys to run with some sled dogs to really get the pulling idea to "click" you're welcome to bring them here to run with the boys.

Oh ya and OC used to do that half-@$$ed pulling that Roxy's doing LOL As he matured he pulled better but nothing compared to the heart that Ronan puts into it! That little jugger-nut puts all his weight into the harness!

 

[oc_spirit]

Woohoo now that I''m home I got to see the pics!!! very nice!!!! When Roxy and Hades are ready to run without a leash I''d recommend having the neckline about 1/2 the length of yuor coupler that you are using now. They look like they like to keep close together when moving (not a bad thing!) so having a neckline that is too long will just provide more chance for tangles. The one I have for the boys is 1ft which is too long for my liking so I clip one end to OC''s collar, thread the other clip through Ronan''s O-ring on his collar, and clip the other end to OC''s collar too so they only have 1/2ft. Before that one of the two would ALWAYS end up with the neckline under a front leg since they run so close.

Also I forgot to mention about Roxy''s dipping, this can be a pain in the arse especially when a lead dog does it and it will get worse if Hades decides to pick up on the habit too. It slows the team down and can really throw things off course and lose their running rhythm. Try giving Roxy (and Hades too) a little bit of baited water no less than 1hr before running (2hrs is best so they have time to relieve themselves too). The baited water will keep them hydrated while running and that *should* stop or minimize Roxy''s dipping. OC was horrible with it and the baited water helped significantly, although he still does it now and then. Luckily though he has mastered the art of dipping without throwing the team off course or losing a beat. It also helps that he hardly ever does it when running in lead, more when he''s in wheel. Silly dog!

 

[Roxy's CD]

OK, so laugh at me, but what do you mean by baited water? Just a drink before they go?

When we had talked about it before, and you had mentioned some dogs like to run together others don't, it was pretty clear they like to run close together. I was glad, because it was a lot easier to control them. And I know exactly what you mean about getting tangled! Everytime we stopped to have the kids change up, they decided to switch swides the little B*stards!! But it seemed most of the time, when they started walking, they untangled themselves pretty easily. Plus the clips I have, rotate, so the lines wouldn't get twisted.

There is something about doing something actually PRODUCTIVE with your dog that makes the relationship so much better. Plus I know Roxy LOVES jobs, and I've now found a job that Hades loves!

One of the things I noticed, a downside about the coupler. Was Hades was ready to pull, he loved it, as soon as my body language and my voice was "UP!" he took right off, when he did this he jolts ROxy with the coupler. She immediately thinks she's hit the end of the leash and looks to me for reassurance. Is this just something that she'll figure out when the harness' go on, that pulling ahead is what she's supposed to do? I did use their plain, flat buckled collars though, just for this reason.

I can't wait until we go out again, it was so much fun!

I'm already thinking about ordering my parents dog a harness, but now I'm thinking maybe Hades would go in the front and Roxy and Brutus would run side by side now.

What are the requirements of a lead dog? LOL

Just to add, Hades, even though he's not bred for it like Ronan, sounds alike. He was just throwing his all into it! Once he realized what I wanted from him (by the first trip back down the road) he was all for it! In that pic, the only one of them moving, the super grainy one, you can see how he's leaning right into the harness. Roxy was a little confused about what was expected, and a few times she kept looking back at the kids, (when they were yelling, imitating me, or pretending to be in the movie ROFL) so maybe the next few times out she'll realize what I want from her.

 

[PWCorgi]

I think baited water is when you put something in the water that makes them want to drink it, so they will drink all of it. I've heard of people using broth or tuna juice. Not sure if that's what OC was talking about or not?

You need more corgi's anyhoosy!

Yeah right, lol, try telling that to my mom!

 

[dogstarsleddogs]

Yep, baited water is water with extra goodies in it to make it taste good. I myself use soaked kibble. Babylon will drink plain water, but Ranger refuses unless there is a few crunchies in his bowl.
As for Roxy, yes, she'll figure out that the harness=pulling. Maybe work with her on foot, just one on one training. Just hook her up to your sled, add a bit of weight, and just practice Hike and Whoa's. (Or what ever commands you use)
And what is the requirements of a leader, seems like everyone has thier own definitions, LOL. To some people its a dog that knows all the commands, holds the team out, is always charging forward and never slows down. To others its just a dog that they know will run up front. My definition of a leader is a dog that atleast knows the commands (hike, whoa, gee, haw, come gee, come haw, easy, and on by), will stay up front-no looking back, and also has no problem running by themselves (both single lead and as a single bikejoing dog). Almost all of my dogs can (and have) run up front, but only Babylon comes the closest to being a true leader.

 

[oc_spirit]

Baited water was explained but I just wanted to say that I generally use either tiny pieces of cut up hotdog, or tuna. Usually hotdog though because that is the boys' ""special treat"" reserved only for sledding whereas they get tuna almost every day.

Thats another thing I like about the shorter necklines. If one dog surges ahead its a bit less of a jolt for the dog beside him and it also keeps that other dog with tighter lines better because they cant fall as far back. Just let Hades do his thing and so long as Roxy isnt uncomfortable to the point of cowering and balking she will figure things out on her own. And like Megan said take her out on her own sometimes so you can really solidify in her mind what it is that you are asking from her.

Hades throwing his weight against the harness like that is typical pit bull drive Roxy might do it too if she decides she likes the idea of pulling and gets comfortable with it. If you want to keep up his work in the summer when its too hot to run for the longer distances,. you could look into weight pulling for Hades. Its what I''m doing now with Ronan.

For me a solo-lead dog needs to be reliable on commands, be able to ignore ALL distractions, and always keep the lines tight (so never slack like OC and Roxy). I prefer double-lead because then I can balance out what I''m looking for between two dogs and dont have to rely so heavily on the one to never mess up. For racing I put Ronan and Lacey in lead. Lacey knows her commands and keeps the lines tight. Ronan keeps the lines tight and never strays from the trail regardless of what distractions are out there. Lacey can get distracted but Ronan wont let her go off course. Ronan will ignore commands but Lacey forces him to follow them. They balance eacother out.