It was a great time here at Miortuk with are first week of training.
The dogs are settling in very quickly to their training routine.
It always amazes me how fast they adapt to team running.
It is very important at this time to keep the speeds down to do proper conditioning and not over stress the muscles with going to fast.
A muscle injury at this time of the season could put a dog out of action for the balance of the season.
Now it is slow and easy!
The above video was filmed using Chloe's GoPro Camera mounted on the harness of Yoda, one of our Leaders.  
Her and Indigo stay calm until they start to run.
Both Chloe & Leo have adapted to life here and are a great help with the dogs.
They have quickly mastered the routine with harnessing and getting the dogs hooked up in the teams.
The weather here this week has been a mix with rain, snow flurries, warm and below zero temperatures.
All are runs are completed in the morning to ensure the coolest temperatures for safely running the dogs.
​Until next week.......

A busy, exciting week here at Miortuk.
On Thursday Chloe & Leo, from France, arrived here to start their adventure as Handler/Trainees learning about Sled Dogs and life here in the forest.
After a introduction to the dogs and learning how to harness them on Friday, we set off on Saturday for our first training/conditioning run of the 2018/19 season.
Our first run was with two teams, one with 10 dogs and one with 8 dogs, going 4.5 miles.
All went extremely well with the dogs performing great and enjoying getting back in harness.
Both Chloe & Leo did a great job for their first sortie.
They also had the opportunity to meet and feed the Grey Jays, a local wild bird the spends the Fall/Winter/Spring here. 
It is a fun experience to have them land on your hands and take pieces of bread.
Also on Friday, We had our first snow flurry of the season.
It is great to get back running the dogs!!!
​Until next week......

This weekend was Thanksgiving here at Miortuk.
It was time to reflect on all the blessings of living here in the forest with the Nature, friends and of course my dogs.
It was a wonderful few days spent with some good friends and having great meals.
Yesterday afternoon and last evening enjoying the company of friends gathering around a nice campfire on a beautiful/cool Fall day.
Chloe & Leo, a couple from France, arrive to start their adventure here with Sled Dogs and our training season will begin!
The dogs are ready and the weather is now turning cooler to affiliate the start of another great season.
To all my Canadian friends, Happy Thanksgiving.
​Until next week....... 
 

 Years ago, I asked a musher what he looked for when picking dogs for his Sprint Team? His answer was, "Black Dogs!".
When asked the same question by that musher, My answer was :"Fast Dogs"!
In order to be fast dogs they all have to have athletic builds, good bloodlines and desire to excel.
Here at Miortuk, there is no preference for color or gender.
Here there is a consistency of bloodlines that has produced hard working, durable, enthusiastic speedy athletes.
With this being said, We have (now and in the past) more female Leaders!
Most of the Leaders her are females with the exception of Max.
He had the same attributes that our female Leaders had. He was the same size as many of the female Leaders and great attitude.
Here, we have discovered that female Leaders mature quicker, more focussed,  a greater desire to please and be upfront.
Currently of the 18 dogs in the kennel, 10 are female and 5 of the females are Leaders.
I definitely have a young female that has great Leader potential and another that is a possible.
However that being said, there are two young males that are also displaying Leader potential.
The last litter bred here have 4 of the 6 pups showing potential for lead.
That should not be to surprising as we bred Leaders or dogs with Leaders on their close backgrounds in hope of producing Leaders.
Female are a little smaller and seem less prone to muscular injuries and strains.
We have been very fortunate here being injury free for many years due to a one month conditioning program at the first of the season.
Yes, here at Miortuk "Females Rule"!
​Until next week.....


​

Life here in the forest is not complicated. It is just living and co-inhabiting with Nature.
The week after the holiday weekend, on the first of September, when most Summer Cottagers close up their chalets for the Winter; the Grey Jays returned. 
It is amazing to me that these very friendly birds are not around during the most populous time in the Summer.
They will spend the Fall/Winter/ Early Spring with me here in the Northern Forest.
They love to interact with us here and will happily accept food from our hands.
They are very gentle when they perch on your hand accepting pieces of bread which they quickly hide in the pine trees and then come back for more.
They will talk to you and let you know they are present.
I even had one tap on my patio door, letting me know that I hadn't put out its morning treats.
It is a simple life here.
​Until next week.........

This week really marked the start of Fall here at Miortuk.
The leaves are turning color, the Hummingbirds have migrated South and the Canada Geese have started their migration.
This morning at midnight the first large flock of geese flew over the kennel and more migrating geese were seen through the day. The flocks this year are larger than last year and their journey to their Winter Habitant has started a little earlier.
Although, we had a relatively warm week, the nights are getting cooler and by mid week coming the daytime temperatures are going to be in the mid teens.
It is also the time to start preparing human food for the upcoming Winter.
Most of the preseason chores are done and next week will be nail clipping time for the dogs. 
Everything will be ready for the start of training for the first of October when this seasons Handlers arrive.
It is really a beautiful time of year here!
​Until next week......

The first photo is just a teaser of the season coming up!
Although the weather has started to turn cooler, it is still too early to expect these temperatures to last.
This coming week the forecast is for temperatures back into the mid/upper 20's during the day and mid teens through the night.
Here at Miortuk, we look at starting our conditioning/training schedule the first of October. The reason for this is the temperatures are getting more consistent with early morning reading being below 10c. Also the first race of the 2019 Schedule is not until the end of January.
The schedule here starting in October will have the teams ready for the first race.
I also feel it is harder on the dogs to start too early and then have to lay the dogs off for several days and even a week due to warm temperatures. You could imagine giving children candies for a week and then suddenly cutting them off the sweets. They would not be happy!!
The same goes for the dogs, getting them all excited to run and then abruptly stopping training due to warm temperatures.
Patience is important!
Soon the conditions will be right and the new running season will begin here at Miortuk.
​Until next week.......

The weather here is starting to change with warm days and very cool nights.
The Fireweed had started to turn to silk a couple of weeks ago. The theory is when it goes to seed(silk), the first snow is 6 weeks away. That would mean early October.
Time will tell!!!
However, things are starting to take shape with preparations for the upcoming season.
This week you see the last three members of this seasons team.
Yoda is a four year old female. She spent last season learning and getting comfortable at the lead position and is already to run up front this season.
Hok'ee is a very versatile dog that can run in any position on the team. He is not a race leader, however can run the position in training. He is more suited to wheel or the team position in front of Wheel. He is very strong, serious runner.
He loves to talk to me whenever he sees me. 
Pearl is a great Point Dog. She has run many races for me and even at Lead in one race. She is steady worker and a great partner for training young dogs at the Point Position.
Well, over the last several weeks, you have been introduced to the 18 dogs that will make up the 2018/19 Team.
​Until next week......

Yes, there are Hobbits here at Miortuk!
But, as you can see, they are of the canine verity.
The Hobbits were named by Michele Vasquez when she was here helping me with the dogs as a handler/Trainee.
They are of the breeding from Valerie & Laurent Gonsolin with their famous leader/Stud Indy with Bella (sister to Blue & Fille).
The Hobbits matured at different speeds with Merry being the first to mature enough for racing. Next was Pippin and then last year both Frodo and Sam excelled proving their great breeding.
They are an example that not all dogs mature at the same speed mentally.
Due to patience, they have developed into great Sled Dogs.
They are are all now enthusiastic/confident athletes in the team.
This week, the weather has started to change from a hot/humid start to the week. After a couple rainy days, the temperatures are now closer to normal with the nights getting into the low teens celsius.
The trees are starting to change colors with some of the leaves falling.
Even the Fireweed is starting to go to seed, a sign of the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall.
Soon training will begin.
This week Chloe & Leo, a young couple from France, have desided to join the Miortuk Team for this coming Season.
Welcome, Chloe & Leo!
​Until next week........

Without Leaders a dog team goes nowhere!
Leaders have one of the most important place on the team as they are the ones that make things happen and are the driving force to head down the trail.
Leaders can be both male & female.
However in my case, I have found more females are adapted to be leaders,  more focused and generally less distracted. As seen above, all the leaders shown are females.
Most Leaders are born with the desire to be outfront and leading the pack.
Many are very quiet and reserved in the kennel.
However, that personality changes as soon as they get hooked up in the team.
Their enthusiasm to run sets the tempo for the rest of the team.
THEY LIKE TO BE INCHARGE!
Every Fall, I try other dogs up in the leader position with an experienced leader to see if they have the desire and potential to become leaders.
Even if a dog doesn't show the potential one year, I will give them a try another year as all dogs mature mentally at different rates.
That being said, I can usually tell which dogs have the qualities required when they are puppies. They usually stand out from the rest as being the first ones do everything ahead of their siblings. They are usually real characters!
Of the young dogs introduced last week, four have shown some potential with the most obvious being Lilly.
This week, we had a couple of Thunderstorms during the day and  a couple of the dogs were not easy with them. Even though the storms were far away from here, they could hear/sense them and would seek the shelter of their houses. Within half an hour of them seeking shelter, the storms would arrive.
The weather is getting a little cooler this week after the storms passed and getting a little more comfortable.
​Until next week........