Snuggles surveying the yard.

Can I mush too? Look, I got my boots on & a dog just my size....

Santa will be coming soon...

With all this talk of the holidays, christmas lights and decorations being hung from every available nook and cranny just about everywhere you look, I started thinking about our christmas wish list for this year. The holidays is a particularly hectic time for racing kennels, as not only are we faced with the long list of chores for Christmas and New Year; but, we are usually also having to prep for the start of the race season. The same is true for us here at Running Swift Kennel. So, before things get too swamped, I thought I'd share what we're "wishing" for this Christmas season:

1) LOTS of snow! Where is it? We do live in Alaska...in the Interior...so what gives?!?
2) For our troops to come home!!! It's time to let Iraq deal with Iraq and let our soldiers be with their families.
3) A new fuel line for our truck. The line is leaking and despite Manny's best efforts, he can't figure out where/why it's leaking.
4) New fur hats! Manny wore my beaver hat and stretched it out. Then, it got washed and though I air-dried it, it wasn't tanned well and is super stiff! So now we both need a new one.
5) Booties, booties, and more booties for the dogs. I truly despise sewing and these trail conditions are wreaking havoc on unprotected paws.
6) A new parka/anorak with a fur ruff. These frigid temps have made us realize JUST how important those outer layers are.
7) Algyval. At $30 a bottle, this stuff is like liquid gold, but OH so important for the dogs' muscles.
8) Lithium batteries. We usually use D batteries, but they wear out quickly and don't provide as strong of a beam of light as Lithium's do.
9) New socks! I never realized how important good, thick socks are until I was stuck in that blizzard on the mountain last winter.
and last but certainly not least....
10) SNOW!!!!!

Right now, the wish list isn't too long, and hopefully a few of those things will happen with a bit of help from Mother Nature and the Government (well, one can dream!). But, if anyone out there would like to donate to our cause in the spirit of adventure, courage and the nature of the season, we would be ever so grateful! :o)

Anyone interested in a kennel newsletter? Contact us at runswift@alaska.net and let us know so we can put you on our mailing list!

Cheers, All!

Look at them doggies go!

Here's Horus playing around. He loves to bow down at you, and then bounce away.

Here's Herod. He's such a great dog! He works hard all the time. He's getting older now and I really don't know how the races will be without my buddy.

11/25/06

I went out on a run with Manny today so that he could show me the trails/turns. What a rough trail it is!! I feel like I've been put through a rodeo riding the bucking broncs! We went up "Oh-My-God Hill" (now I know why Abbie calls it that...Gulp!) and out onto the Firebreak trail. The dogs were pulling great, the weather was clear and cold. We passed several teams, both on atvs and sleds, as many folks were out training on the hills. The view was absolutely gorgeous!! And talk about hills! It was all ups and downs...your basic roller coaster ride. I see now why our dogs are getting so powerful. They do so many hills that I'm actually worried about them running on flat trails, since the different types of running require different muscle groups.

Well, I'm off. More to come later.

-Tammi

Atvs, cold, no snow. Oh my!!

Jenny in the dogyard.

Well, the cold temps seem here to stay for a while. This is really bad news for training dogs, not to mention water pipes! There doesn't appear to be any snow in the forcast, at least not for the next week. I think Juneau got it all (3 1/2 feet of snow!). We've decided to scrap the Gin Gin 120, as I just don't want to push the dogs. Without snow, training on the atv is really rough...and while the dogs will be ready for the distance, I don't want to try it. At this point, it looks like the Tune up that was rescheduled for next Saturday is going to be a no-go, unless we get some snow by then...and the Solstice isn't looking very promising either. If that is cancelled, we're talking of heading down for the Knik 200 (thanks for the idea, Heather!). It will be a pretty easy race for the dogs...not a bad way to break in the season. Though, we'd MUCH prefer to get snow before then! We are debating on trying the Copper Basin this year. May not be such a good idea to try it with so little snow. We'll see. We're tossing around ideas, trying to be flexible and see what happens.

The dogs ran great on Saturday. Manny took them out on the Firebreak trail and he said they pulled real well on all of those hills. We sure won't have to worry about hill training anymore, now that we're running on the north side of CHSR! Lots of hills. The dogs are really powering up and getting scary strong! I took the B team out for a run on Sunday, meaning to do just a 5 mile run, since they aren't running too far (sprinters, young dogs, old dogs). Well, the cold seemed to have zapped the brakes on the atv, so when I tried to stop them to get them to take a loop turn, they pulled right through, so I didn't have much choice but to do the 7.5 mile loop. They came in looking good! I was a bit worried, but they were obviously ready for the increase and handled it like old pros. Jenny was in this team and since she hadn't been out running with us much (we just got her back about a week or so ago), I was a bit worried about her. She showed me that there was no need. Each time I tried to stop and rest the dogs, they all slammed harness, barking and raring to go. I was so impressed with them.

The cold is just not good. We went to feeding kibble in the morning and evening, with their ration of meat/fish in the afternoon. Most of the dogs are fairing the cold quite well, but we do have a few of our harder keepers looking thin. That's normal for those dogs and is why we went to the 3 feedings a day to split up the calories, allowing us to get more in them with less waste. I'm thinking of putting flaps on their houses though, as a friend said he did that with his and it has really helped.

Stay tuned and follow the further adventures of Running Swift Kennel!!

Check it!

Here's Jenny! She's back in the yard and doing very well. In fact, she went on a run on Sunday and ran like she'd never left. She sure is a pretty girl. I'm very happy to have her back with us, and she seems happy too. Especially when she's playing with her buddies!

Just an idea of how cold it's been! Here's Manny, after feeding the dogs.

Meet Jaeger! He flew in on Saturday. Boy, was he tired!

Best Buds already. Are these two cute or what?!? Devlyn and Jaeger have already become good buddies. Devlyn is very proud that he helps train our puppies. We were so sad when we lost Brennan. But, now we have Jaeger to brighten our hearts and share our lives.

Great runs and Racing costs

Training is still progressing and the dogs are doing well. In fact, we took them out on a longer run, and they came in barking! Manny plans on keeping them at the same distance for another run or two, then up them again, as they are looking strong. We can't figure it out...last week, they came in looking wiped out (rough trail and all); this week, they are acting like they are still rarin' to go after a run, even though we upped their milage by 5 miles. It's very interesting and the only thing we can contribute it to is the dog food. We made the switch to Momentum a few weeks ago and the dogs are appearing to be running stronger and faster. That's the only change we've made.

Just is doing great in lead, and has been good about making sure Dusk learns the ropes of lead. If Dusk tries to stop to pee or goof off, Just simply yanks him back on the trail as if to say, "Hey buddy, it's work time!" It is really nice to see. Additionally, we are able to rotate through different leaders, which is allowing us to not only give Riley and Feather breaks now and then, but it's also allowing us to see just how many leaders we have. We went into the season thinking we really needed to get a good leader; now, we're discovering that we have them in the yard after all. Now, if we can just stay on our training schedule, we'll be fit and ready for our first race a month from now.

The B team is behind, but that's to be expected, as they are the youngsters, the oldsters and the sprint dogs who are working on making the transition to mid distance. Munchkin is doing great in lead with Dutchess, though I really need to swap other dogs out now and then to see what other leaders we have. However, the B team is just CRAZY during hookups! They are literally bonkers. I'm hoping that as we increase the miles, that they'll calm down a bit. It is actually a pain to hook them all up, as they go ballistic, leaping and bouncing around. Plus, it doesn't help that we are down a couple of harnesses due to chewing. Grrr!!

We're currently working on gaining sponsors to assist with race expenses for Manny's qualifiers this year and his Quest bid next year. If you or anyone you know can help out, please contact us.

Here's just a quick rundown of some expenses for races:
300-500 booties per race = $300-$450 (about $1 per booty, discounts for quantity)
2 bags of Momentum= $66
50# block of meat= $25
Snacks for the dogs= $20-$80 (depending on type; fish is less, lamb snacks for when it's cold
are more)
Dogcoats (if it's real cold)= $35 each
Harnesses (for spares and to replace chewed ones) = $22 each
Headlamp batteries = $20 for 2 lithium D cells; $11 for regular D batteries
Headlamp = $75-$125
Spare runner plastic = $30 a set

Those are just the basics. Of course, then you have to take other expenses into account, such as medical supplies, gas for the dogtruck, straw for the dogs, blankets for the dogs, trail dishes, Algyval (about $30 a bottle!) for sore muscles/tendons, foot ointment, and the list goes on, especially gear for the musher. So, any little bit of assistance will go a long way towards helping us achieve our goals. Sponsors will receive regular kennel updates, pictures, their name/logo will be added to our dogtruck and patches added to sled bags/parkas. Additionally, if you can make it to the kennel, we'll take you on a tour of our kennel and go out for a sledding demonstration. Plus, you'd know that you are helping a mushing family towards their goals and dreams of participating in the Yukon Quest!

Interested in sponsoring a dog, the kennel, or in helping with one of the items listed above? Please contact us at runswift@alaska.net, call at 907-488-4679 or send us some snail mail at PO Box 10436, Fairbanks, AK 99710. We'd love to hear from you today!

-Tammi

Pupperoonis!!

Isn't he just adorable? After the horrible situation with Brennan, we ended up talking with some nice folks in Soldotna who just so happened to have had a suprise litter of Dane pups. Above is the pup we are getting from that litter. Life moves in mysterious ways and we never know what it will bring next!

BTW, we're looking for a ride for our new family member from Anchorage on November 18th or Nov. 23rd, if anyone will be heading up this way. Or, if anyone will be in Soldotna heading to Fairbanks in the next 2 weeks, please contact us!! runswift@alaska.net

Back on track

The dogs went out on a training run yesterday up onto the logging roads and things went real well. The dogs pulled strong and fast. We are discovering strengths and weaknesses in leaders...finding out who does best paired with who; which ones are strongest in different situations/conditions, who has the speed, who has the hard-headedness, determination, etc.

TRDMA had the monthly meeting last night and it was decided that the Tune up would be postponed until Dec. 2nd. This seems to be a yearly theme, as we just aren't getting the normal amount of snowfall that we used to have by mid-November. For most of us, the first time on sleds (unless you're lucky enough to have Mountain access or are able to travel) is the first race of the season. Not generally a great way to begin the race season; but, we have to work with what Mother Nature gives us.

Still planning on the Gin Gin (I hope) and the Solstice 100. Don't know yet about the CB300, as we just may not be able to get the logistics worked out (child care, house sitting, animals needing care at home, etc.) to be gone that long at this point. Don't know yet. We'll have to see how things work out and take it one step at a time. We're working on gaining sponsors for next year's Quest bid, so any and all suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated. It's hard to field a Quest team/race on just a teacher's salary. :o(

Thanks for all of the support from everyone who stops in to check out our adventures. Drop us a line and let us know what you'd like to hear about, and I'll work on it. Cheers all!

-Tammi

Rough runs

Hey all,

Well, the cold temps have been great to freeze the bogs, allowing us to use our other trail access...or so we thought. The trail was so rough with stumps, roots, sink holes, ruts, etc. that the dogs came back just wiped!! Poor Feather dinged up both of her wrists and came in looking like the losing end of a horror film. Yikes! Manny said it was so rough that he felt like he was in the spin cycle of a washing machine! He said we'll need about a foot of snow before it's safe enough to take the sleds on without busting them up. Yuck!

I took the dogs on an easy run on Sunday, to give them a break and just have a "fun" run. Then, I ran the second team...holy crapola, Batman!! They were NUTS!! It's always a zoo hooking up the second team, because these are our young dogs, our "sprint" dogs who we are training for mid distance, and the remaining race dogs. We took off like a shot, they loped the whole way (except for the steeper hill) and didn't need to stop once. They came in barking! I guess that would've been a great sprint run. ;o)

We're hoping for more snow soon, to get the sleds out. At this rate, the Tune up will be postponed if we don't get about a foot in the next 2 weeks. My first sled run may just be the Gin Gin...IF I feel the dogs are ready for it. We'll see. I still have a month left to decide.

The TRDMA meeting is tonight, at 7:30pm at the Two Rivers Lodge. Come on out, as we'll be gearing up for the races to come. :o)

We'll miss you, Brennan...

On Monday, in a fluke accident, our 7 month old Dane puppy Brennan, broke his left hind leg above the stifle joint. He was coming out of his vari-kennel and somehow cracked his leg on the inside lip, causing a spiral fracture. It was a clean break with no bone fragments, just above the growth plate, so no worries there. We took him straight to the Mt Mckinley’s office (unfortunately we couldn't get hold of our first 3 choices of vets) to get xrays. They took 2 xrays, and gave him some morphine for pain and iv fluids. After looking at the xrays, the Dr. wanted to do surgery to put a rod in the leg. Now, this is a growing Great Dane...so if they were to pin/rod him, it would interfere with the growth of the leg. After saying this to the doc, she agreed and said that no matter what, the leg wouldn't be "normal". We've had BAD experiences with pins in growth plates, ending up with crooked legs/short legs before. So, we said absolutely no rods or pins. We discussed casting or splinting. She said casts aren't a good idea but a splint would be a viable option, as we could keep him quiet and we've had experience with this before. Shoot, when I was young, we had a doberman who broke his rear leg in the same place and had a cast on all the way up to his hip. Anyway, the vet said they'd keep him overnight and then talk with their Ortho vet in the morning to do the splint.

Manny had to call the next morning to find out when we could pick our pup up. They said they wanted to pin his leg and that it would be $2300. At this point, our bill for 2 xrays, pain meds/iv fluid and 1 overnight stay was over $600. Now, we've been going to Mt. Mckinley Animal hospital for 7 years when we can’t get in to see Dr. Jayne, have given them thousands of dollars, yet they wouldn't work with us. When Manny asked the vet to splint the leg so we could bring him home and that we would handle it (I was in the process of trying to contact Cort Zackle), the vet refused and said that he'd release him to another vet, but that the other vet (Aurora) would "tell us the same thing". Then, he went on to state that the soft bandage on Brennan's leg wasn't stable enough to move him. So, again, Manny asked him to splint/stabilize the leg so we could move him and was told no. Basically, we were told either pay this money and have them do a procedure we did NOT want done, or put our dog to sleep (of course, not in so many words). Manny said he really didn't feel he had a choice, authorized the euth and by the time I tried to call McKinley within 5 minutes of the decision to euth, they had already put our pup to sleep. Now, I have a bill over $700 for what I feel was basically doing NOTHING for my dog other than the 2 x-rays, iv fluids, some pain meds and of course, Killing him. We feel that they completely violated our rights as pet owners. The thing that hurts the most is that I feel the vet clinic gave us no choice and would not listen to our wishes, though we had been assured the night before that they would do exactly that. I'm just floored right now, in shock that we've lost our beautiful pup over a simple fracture. I was also expected to go to McKinley to "take care of my bill". I'm just livid, yet hurting.

I did get a hold of another vet and was told that not only was this illegal to not release our dog to us and do what we asked, but it was also immoral and unethical. We were told that we were being strong-armed into something that not only would mess up our pup's leg, but also to pay an outrageous sum for the procedure. We feel that we were pretty much forced to put our dog to sleep or pay them all this money for a procedure that we didn't want done in the first place.

Needless to say, we are not letting this go. Not only will I NOT pay this bill, but we will be contacting an attorney and contacting the Board of Veterinary Medicine, as we've been advised to do. I ask that if anyone else has a similar situation with Mt. McKinley Animal Hospital, please email me at tamirego@alaska.net or runswift@alaska.net and share your experience. I am compiling these issues to present to the board. Now, we are questioning the euthanization of our first Dane, Kaiser. We also dealt with this same vet and he told us that the dog couldn't be helped other than possibly giving him meds to extend his life "maybe" a couple of months, but that it wouldn't be good months for him. I'm finding that others dealt with the same condition with their danes/wolfhounds and their dogs went on to live YEARS longer on medication. So, this vet has cost the lives of BOTH of our Great Danes.

Feel free to contact me concerning this issue and think twice before going to Mt. McKinley Animal Hospital.