OBSERVATIONS OF MY EXPERIENCE WITH SLED DOGS
By: Matt Carstens
speech given at the 2009 New England Trade Fair Symposium
My name is Matt Carstens. I am a dog handler from Nevahome Kennel in Jefferson, NH. The Kennel, owned by Mitch and Kricket Ingerson, houses around sixty-five huskies. Fifty of which are being prepped for distance racing.
When I started mushing in 1995 with, a motley crew of dogs, I did'nt have the slightest notion of what the hell I was doing. None of these dogs had any experience pulling a sled, nor did I have any experience driving a sled. I did'nt even know one person who did! We had a huge learning curve ahead of us. My initial training was a struggle. It was as frustrating as it was exhilarating. After partnering up with Mitch Ingerson at Nevahome Kennel I began working with experienced sled dogs on a daily basis. My understanding of these athletes began to flourish, although there were many complexities yet to unravel.
My admiration for the dogs and the competitive aspect that they represent continues to grow. I've developed a desire to become the most well rounded musher I can be. After spending countless hours, and many miles with the dogs, my desires led me to become a close observer of their behaviors which has a direct affect on what's most important, their appetite and attitude. I turned to books and magazines and other mushers in my quest for knowledge.
These are some of the observations I have experienced with sled dogs. Most of what I've learned not only applies to sled dogs, but all dogs in general. Bearing in mind that their common ancestor is the wolf, whether it be my lead dog Bear, or my sisters Pomeranian. They are all hard wired the same.
I allow several dogs to run loose in an atmosphere where they can intermingle. This allows me to observe how the dogs socialize, who they prefer to play with, who they have a tendency to avoid, rank order, who's most independent, who's insecure, how they move, who's fastest, who's slowest and who is most loyal to me. I also use this oppurtunity to establish myself as the alpha dog. Through this interaction the dogteam not only increases its stamina and agility it also establishes team work skills, character, self control, a strong desire to please and security in the alpha dog. This playful activity is an emotion of joy, reducing stress, and also burns a portion of all that energy they posses, making life in the dog lot more peaceful. Keep in mind that mobility is the basis for learning; academically, socially and emotionally. This training will directly coincide to running your dogs in harness , making for a more manageable dogteam.
I have learned to become very observant of my team whether it be at their house, free running, in harness or in strange places. All dogs of course have independent personalities, however as a team they become an extension the trainer's personality. As mushers our demeanor speaks volumes to our dogs, affecting their performance, for the good or bad. Our calm presence, assertive actions, encouragement and praise will reduce your teams anxieties and build strong mental fortitude.
I'm sure all of us have observed a human treating a dog as if it were another human, asserting human values and emotions to that dog. This we must avoid. Why? Because they are dogs. Thus, this human behavior will only establish which brand of jeans your pooch has on because he'll be the one wearing the pants in the big house. The basic rule of handling a dog is to think like a dog, not think of the dog as a person. You must interpret the behavior, determine the stimuli, then decide what to do or not do. As most dog owners come to realize training a dog is a lot of work. Your dogs are visual thinkers so you must become a visual thinker. They pick up on the tiniest of details and live in the now, without schedules. Their basic necessities in life are food, security, companionship. They have a natural desire to roam in packs, moving down trails at an efficient gait. To keep this pack of roving hunters well balanced, you the handler, must establish yourself as the unequivocal pack leader. This is a rule that cannot be ignored, ever. In a pack there is always one who emerges as an alpha. This dosen't mean you have to get down on all fours and terrify your dogs into submission. If you'd rather you can call your self the #1 dog, top dog, boss, manager, condudctor, mentor, orchestrator, big cheese, what ever. It dosen't matter you must be in charge of the well-being of your dog or dogs. If you do not establish that, your team will fight amongst themselves to come to this conclusion. Because our sled dogs are closely related in size and stature, pack balance is more crucial. It is essential to practice obedience training to establish dominance. Keep your emotions consistent. An emotional handler will often be dominated by their dog or entire team.
Making proper corrections regarding the well being of your team as a whole as individuals or with your own mistakes can often be perplexing. Sometimes days weeks or even years go by before we see the results we've been looking for. It takes lots of patience and then some. Thinking like a dog takes practice.
1.How Dogs See
Dogs have a visual acuity of 20/75. This means objects that you see clearlyat twenty feet must be seen at seventy five to appear clear to your dogs. Dogs have fewer cones in their retinas that handle color and daytime vision however they posses more rods in their eyes which enable them to see really well at night. As humans we visualize our own preseption of the world. We notice the predominant details of objects we see. Dogs notice the smallest of details. Picking up on all the subtle differences. When your companions see something for the first time, they are challanged to make to make an instant decision. Trying to decide whether or not this thing is good or bad, or whether to flee for safety, sniff it or chase it makes an animal anxious. Often they choose to explore these new things, for they don't want to miss out on something they might need. This is curiosity. Also essential to learning.
2. How Dogs Hear
All animals are specialist in their own way. Sled dogs have many talents, while all dogs are hearing specialist. Our dogs can hear sounds to faint and noises too high pitched for us to recognize. Because of this excellent ability dogs rely heavily on their hearing to alert them to their surroundings. At times a new or unusual sound will affect behavior. It is also important to introduce your pups to a variety of noises. As dog drivers our sound is a primary source of communication. Gee, haw, easy, whoa, oh shit!, etc. Our voice should project a sense of security. There are times when my immediate goal is to rally my four legged troopers. Therefore I use an excited tone while my body language reflects the same. Meal time for one example. The goal is to create enthusiastic eaters. Make it fun and exciting and watch the food disappear. Now after all that excitement and food appreciation training it's time to cash your check and restock the food shed. How ironic, huh? I also use enthusiastic sounds when arousing the dogs at a checkpoint. Sometimes I even clap. We can also use our voice to snap the dog out of a negative behavior. Remember dogs are hearing specialist. Don't bother loosing your voice, over any given command or name repeating. Your team will eventually tune you out and not listen when it really counts. If he ain't got it after 2-3 times try a different approach. Most of the time complete silence from you is the best option. This also will send a message to your team. Hopefully its not "Hey I think that dude that was standing back there is gone". During daily social activity with your dogs they will quickly learn to make sense of the sounds you make.
Animals have basic behaviors and motivators for those behaviors. These behaviors often coexist.
- Fear
- Rage and Anger
- Predatory Chasing
- Sociality
- Pain
- Novelty Seeking
- Hunger
- Sex
Fear
It isn't to difficult to label the dogs in your team according to fear levels. Some are low fear animals while others are high fear animals. Don't discount your high fear dogs. They're some of the most intelligent dogs you own. Because of their fears they are more curious, thus they explore and become more aware of their surroundings. Typically you will find that your find boned animals are your most fearful while your large boned animals are less fearful. Most of the time fearful animals are less aggressive, however when this fear does lead to aggression it can be of the most serious kind. Low fear animals can be more aggressive when it comes to fighting. One should never provide solace to a dog in a state of high fear. This will only encourage those fears. Rather find the source of the fear and provide confidence. Keep a light training atmosphere with high fear/ high strung dogs until they come to terms with your expectations. Never scold a dog because their scared. Expose your team to a variety of sights and sounds and conditions to reduce fear of the unknown. Keep it positive. Sometimes these fear motivated behaviors are best handled in a different environment. As mushers we have to accept the fact that not all our dogs are going to be able to reach our lofty goals. If that includes the one with the pretty blue eyes, well to bad. We're not competing in a beauty pageant.
Rage and Anger
This aggressive type of behavior is most likely to be noticed in your less fearful dogs than your shy fearful ones. In some cases immediate correction is necessary especially with your low fear animals. There are two core types of aggression; predatory and emotional. There is no rage in predatory aggression as there is with emotional aggression. All dogs are hard wired to chase , kill and eat. K-9's = predators. Emotional aggression is more complicated although we've all seen the signs, a tall posture, accelerated heart rate, growls, hair standing on end. This could be associated with dominance, territory, fear, maternity, pain, stress or a combination of the above. Again identify the source of the aggression. This is important. Correction of one type is necessary for assertive aggression and another for fearful aggression. Castration has the best affect on those with behavioral problems of an excessive aggressive nature. This should be done early on in the dogs life so that undesirable behaviors don't become habitual. Dominant animals should be taught that if they want something they should have to work for it. Teach a dog that people are in control of its food. This will prevent aggression towards people. Keeping your dog well socialized and exercised will help abate negative behaviors.
Predatory Chasing
This hard wired instinct is triggered by rapid sudden movement. Such as the barn cat sprinting by the dog lot. At times a pack of free running puppies might give chase to a single pup. Keep in mind that this is a form of learning for these youngsters and may offer you a great opportunity to teach the little buggers a thing or two. In harness training a young dog may attempt to catch up with a leaf blowing in the wind only a nose lengths away or try to nip the wings of a butterfly. Eventually these behaviors will give way to complete forward orientation, so for the most part can be laughed at. I've noticed some hybrids have a deeper motivation to chase game animals. Also in harness training when we are passed by another team or snowmachine our team always wants to give chase. These are all examples of a dogs predatory instincts. To chase, kill and eat was once essential to your mutts excistence. Again keep your animals well socialized and teach them what they can and cannot chase. This is an especially important rule when it comes to little kids.
Sociality
Sociality, the way your dog interacts with the pack, other packs and people. All dogs are pack animals. For sled dogs this means a little more than it does for your Labordor Retriever. From the time they are born they are moving as a pack. All squirming for mamas milk. From early on they all travel together and feed together, and this will likely go on for the rest of their lives. Regarding pups; Genetic factors and whelping environment will greatly affect the intensity of their social motivation. The first twelve weeks of your pups life are the most critical. A pup who is well socialized will grow up to be a friendly adult. Failure to socialize a pup will result in a fearful animal. All wild and domestic dogs seek companionship. Whether thats human companionship, hunting or breeding partners, dogs are always seeking the company of others. It is crucial to their mental well being that social activity be a big part of their lives. After acquiring a new dog it may take sometime for him or her to adjust to life in this new pack. They must be integrated into your pack at a gradual pace that makes them feel most comfortable. If your pushy you may develop a fearful circumstance for the dog that was meant to improve your team. Dogs prefer to seek the company of those they grew up with, however, with consistent behavior and praise motivated training techniques your new dog will soon be accepted and howling with its new pack of friends.
Pain
As dog mushers pain motivated behaviors will affect us and our dogs at some point during training or racing. Just accept it. Your going to wipe out and get up sore and your dogs will eventually succumb to some form of injury. Its the nature of what we do. But careful preparation and driving practices will make this a less likely event. We can often recognize when our dogs aren't feeling up to par. Because you feed and water and scoop everyday you know your dogs eating habits well. If Diego is not jack-hammerin his doggy dish than I know somethings up. If Mr.T isn't running laps and putting on a hundred miles going in a ten foot circle, somethings wrong. Your leader today is often changing her gait from trot to lope to canter and back again. After closer analysis you discover your nice little leader has a torn pad. When we decide to make camp and I apply some ointment to her sore foot she mouths at my hand. This is pain motivated. It can result in aggression. Say your wheel dog sprains his shoulder in a snow drift. At the checkpoint the vet stretches his shoulder out a little too far and old Chopper growls showing the vet is chompers. This is where fear and rage motivated behaviors can be confused with pain motivated behaviors. Because dogs like to avoid places or activities related to a painful memory we have to be very cautious as trainers not to over exercise a dog in pain or exercise at all so that a painful experience doesn't become a fearful memory. Furthermore never punish a dog for pain motivated behavior.
Novelty Seeking
These behaviors have to do with a dogs natural tendency to seek out new things to fulfill their curiosity. Nose always on the ground. Ever let your dog in the big house? If you have you've noticed how they run around investigating, sniffing everything. These new things are attractive to your dogs if allowed to approach voluntarily. Quick introduction may frighten them. So gradually introduce your animals to new things to avoid panic especially with your high strung dogs. Again socialize those pups, introduce them to variety of objects, sounds, sights and smells early in their lives.
Hunger Motivated Behavior
I drive into the kennel about sun rise and the dog lot erupts into a frenzy. The sound of my pickup and suns first light motivate such a greeting. The sound of Loyall Dog Kibble being dumped into a five gallon bucket only furthers the excitement. Some dogs begin to run laps on their tethers, others dig holes, chew their house or even snap at each other. I don't discourage this behavior, provided the dogs aren't chewing on each other. I even encourage this excitement at feeding time. As dog mushers we own animals with a strong desire to chow down. As competitors we look for those that display such hunger motivated behavior. We train them for this. If they' re not attacking their food as if its still running than we're not instilling the proper behavior. Despite all this excitement the dogs must be able to eat meals on the tow line, without eating anothers food or using intimidation tactics to get that food. When correcting a dog who is feeding on the tow line be careful not to discourage his excitement for food or from eating anything at all.
Sex Motivated Behaviors
This is what wakes you in the middle of the night. And this time your not feeling plesant about it. Rather a feeling of frustration seems to overwhelming you. You're in your favorite plaid PJ's, nice and toasty under your down comforter when you are startled awake by a rukus in the dog lot. You wake up stumble to the exterior light switch and give it a flip. (this is the singnal for peace and quiet). Now Flickering the light on and back off means, you better get quiet now!, or I 'm coming out. Which you really don,t want to do. But the old light switch trick isn't working tonight. So you slide into to your big Wild Things Parka and slip into your NEOS only to discover Nugget has come into heat. You move her out of site but she howls and the males only desire her more. With a frosty beard and a frustrated grimace you move onto Plan B which includes cotton swabs and a toasty warm comforter. This is sex motivated behavior for you, at its best. When the female persuasion of your dog kennel comes into heat, all hell can break loose. Busted collars, snaps and chains, dog fights, dogs jumping fences, accidental breedings, and stuff you can't even begin to imagine. This behavior is unavoidable with intact dogs. All animals are always seeking a mate. This is hardwired, however this search can also cause tremendous trouble in harness training or racing. The female in heat losses concentration, stops pulling and takes on a new occupation. Open for business 24/7 to any red blooded K-9 sire. Subsequently your boys loose focus, naturally of course. Some may be so smitten, excellent eating habits seize to exist. Buddies may even brawl over a female they only pay attention to twice a year! Because we're on a planed breeding program (the dogs I mean) this type of behavior isn't allowed at this point in time. But the boys are wound up now and the next thing you know your furry friend is humping your leg at the checkpoint while the vet wonders who's massaging who. Its not worth the embarrassment. Keep track of your girls heat cycles. Be prepared to leave them at home come race time. Your options are to spay them or alter their cycle. Avoid unnecessary sexually motivated encounters between your hotties and your lead dog. If he gets distracted you may find yourself going in circles. Young dogs need to learn sex motivated behaviors and such social rules from adults of their own species. Neuter or spay the ones you don't intend to breed. Do it early in their life's if possible. This will avoid the possibility of your dog developing habitual behaviors. Remember, keep track of those heat cycles and look for those sexually motivated behaviors amongst your pack. If you choose to ignore them you could be in for a costly surprise. You'll surely know in sixty-three days.
Breeding
Hopefully we can now discuss a plan controlled situation in which to map out our future. No doubt this is essential to ones success in this way of life. Observe your dog lot carefully when deciding to bring more pups into our sled dog community. It can not only affect you for the good or bad, but also affect a population of fine animals and their owners. Besides this is gonna cost you a lot of money over the next few years. Choose your sire and dam with particular attention. Take into account the behaviors that their personality reflects. The dam's personality is going to have a greater affect. Early life lessons are learned from her. Breed dogs that coincide with your personality and goals. The dog team becomes an object of your desires.
I prefer a low fear, calm, confident husky. You may prefer a high stung animal that displays a surmountable amount of energy, banging his harness at every stop. If I were sprint mushing thats what I'd want. Fined boned, lean, high strung dogs. Remember the dogs physical structure also tells us how the dog is likely to behave and perform. Also keep in mind that blue eyed dogs are more likely to be high strung, more likely to be fearful and have neurological problems. Avoid breeding for a single characteristic, such as white dogs whom also are effected in the same way as a blue eyed dogs. Such breeding may develop an aggressive dog. Dogs that look most like a wolf, compared to those who have been evolved to look least like a wolf, have retained more wolf like traits, such as behavior, intelligence, efficiency and durability. As dog owners we are the engine of evolution driving our pack into the future. Your in control of their shape, size and behavior. Be wise.
Our dogs life's are short. Treat them with dignity in life and death. Provide them with the security they need. Be consistent, patient and very observant. If you pay attention to your pack, the pack will pay attention to you.
In this speech I spoke of a common theme. Socilization. I feel this is the number 1 factor that is going to lead to a successful relationship between you and your animals and the adventures you embark on with them. I believe strongly that if you take the time to observe your team closely as individuals as well as a working unit you will gain futher insight into a dogs world. Understanding this world will lead to a more effecient kennel. Regonizing the behaviors I've discussed will assist your judgement when it is time to choose the right dogs for the goals in mind. You will make better choices when choosing a sire and a dam. Making for a more productive litter. Understanding these behaviors will help you to make the proper corrections regarding the pups from that litter, allowing you to hold on to more of these pups. Therefore this group will continue to grow and work together making for a more cohesive team in the future.
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