Well, it's an "event" for US! by Niki2

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Well, it's an "event" for US!

POSTED BY: NIKI2
UPDATED: Sunday, April 10, 2011 09:26
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VIEWED: 1953
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Saturday, April 9, 2011 2:11 PM

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Probably belongs in "Talk Story", but this is where I hang out and where I know everyone, so what the heck. At least it's a change from politics!

The dogs and I have been "officially" sulkying three times now. I started them out at Starkweather, a multi-use pathway that runs along the Bay, and they took to it so naturally that Jim and I did Crown Road this morning. Turned out to be a bit warm for them, and they slowed down on the way back, plus it's a bit harder. It's not COMPLETELY flat like the pathway, and it's a dirt road, so a bit harder to pull than a paved pathway. Jim took some pix (as you can see), but by the time he got the video camera out, they were hot and pooped, and just lumbering along. I want one with them going their usual speed...trotting happily like any good Sibe in harness...but that will have to wait. Jim decided not to take his bike, but to try running, which he hasn't in a while. He alternated betwen jogging and walking, and it was funny. Kochak is DEFINITELY "Daddy's girl", she was always looking to him, jogging to catch up with him if he got ahead, and looking back when we passed him. Little minx. Anyway, we are FINALLY--after almost two years of first considering getting a sulky--on our way. Huzzah!!

We were almost all the way back by the time Jim got a video, so they were tired and hot, but it gives you an idea...

(Damn, the video won't come up. It's on Photobucket...do I have to post it on YouTube or something to get it to upload? Anyone know?)

Looking forward to a LOT more fun!

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Saturday, April 9, 2011 2:39 PM

MAGONSDAUGHTER

So cool, Niki. What a way to get around. I'm afraid my beautiful but idiot boy could never be that well trained. He's a lot like the dog from "Up" without the voice.

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Saturday, April 9, 2011 2:45 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Wow. That looks like fun!

Hey, clue me in Niki. There's a million things I don't know how to do on the inet. How do I post pictures?

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Saturday, April 9, 2011 8:11 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Aww, they look like they're having so much fun!

Of course, you could hook Kungas up to that, but you'd be hanging on for dear life in that case, heheheh.

For them I didn't already tell, Kungas is a friend of mines dog, a Kanga? that he rescued from some idiot who wanted it for dogfighting via combination of threat and bribery - and Kungas looooooves to pull things, not to mention he's a fekkin showoff and attention whore, lol.

We managed to bump start Micks crummy little CRX in the Walmart parking lot with three of us pushing, and Kungas pulling it, he was loving every minute of it!

-Frem

I do not serve the Blind God.

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Sunday, April 10, 2011 2:59 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

" Max " looked a bit the pup on the right. ( driver's right )

Looks fun.

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Sunday, April 10, 2011 3:43 AM

KANEMAN

Seems kinda cruel. What self-respecting husky wants to drag an old burn-out up and around a mountain? I would have called the humane society on you if I was out hiking....after I picked myself up off the ground and stopped laughing. Thanks for the pics.......hilarious. Lazy has never looked so funny. Try walking. It is a wonder you don't work? GAWD.

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Sunday, April 10, 2011 5:44 AM

PENGUIN

Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
Wow. That looks like fun!

Hey, clue me in Niki. There's a million things I don't know how to do on the inet. How do I post pictures?

http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=5&t=29479

Written by a sharp dressed member!

King of the Mythical Land that is Iowa

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Sunday, April 10, 2011 6:19 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Thankye indeed!

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Sunday, April 10, 2011 7:20 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Thanx, guys, glad you enjoyed them. I love these guys, despite the fact that Kochak hit me running past last week and sent me flying, landing on the OTHER side of the trail, flat on my pelvis. It's starting to hurt less (!) and the whiplash (honest to gawd...the dog gave me WHIPLASH!) went away a couple of days ago, but hiking this morning and seeing her running toward me on the trail, I actually had a stab of FEAR! Man, it hurt like holy HELL when it happened, thank gawd the grasses are high and I landed soft...!

And thanks, Penguin, Haken's instructions are a much better way than me trying to explain! I use Photobucket, it's where all my photos, emoticons, etc. come from. Haken explains it great!

Yeah, we had a blast. It's funny, Kochak SO hates harnesses of any kind, and of course these are harnesses on steroids! They're padded seven different ways from Sunday and hooked just about as many ways. They're really professional (as is the sulky!) and I don't think my guys need quite that heavy-duty a hookup, but nobody else makes harnesses designed specifically for Jim's Minisulkies. You'd think Kochak was being tortured, honest to gawd, when you corner her to put a harness of any kind on. Once on, she races around the house madly expressing her displeasure and acts VERY put upon, even once she gets in the car. Halfway down the street, she forgets what she was upset about, and once hooked up to the sulky, she's happy as a clam.

She's the Speedy Gonzales in the family, Tashi was born, I swear, a staid old man...so she's constantly trying to break into a lope but, since he outweighs her and is stubborn, he keeps her to a trot. That's fine with me! I WISH they could pull me individually so she could really run like she wants sometimes, but neither can pull the combined cart and I by themselves. He does acquiesce to open up into a gallop on slight downhills, at least.

We took them to the Divide today, where they can run the open hills...much more to their liking! It's the time of year when Tashi goes APE SHIT digging for "small helpless critters", and he especially likes moles, downs 'em in about two bites. The grasses are already starting to turn (had a bit of a warm spell, and now Spring winds), much too fast as always, but right now it's still green and GORGEOUS, so we're making the best of it. Can't take them on many trails, as everything around here is up and down and they're not supposed to pull beyond a 6% grade, but we've got LOTS of multi-use pathways to explore.

I tried to post the video Jim took, but it didn't work. I'll check the link of Haken's instructions, but I'm not going to post it now anyway, they look just TOO pathetic, lumbering along hot and tired. I'll wait until I get a PROPER video of them doing the proper pace!

Anyone who's ever seen Sibes or Mals getting ready to go when they're hooked up to a sled has an idea of how ours look when getting hooked to the sulky. They're about half as excited and vocal, but getting them to stand still to do up all the hooks is still lotsa "fun". What huskies were born to do, I love it!

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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Sunday, April 10, 2011 7:34 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Frem, I can’t imagine a Kangal in a dog fight! He’d be so MUCH bigger than the other dogs, that seems really stupid. But yes, they certainly were born to haul, and put huskies to shame when it comes to weight. But then, the Chukchi bred huskies to pull fairly light loads for long distances, so they can go forever (literally! We’ve never truly tired either of them out, even with the bicycles!).

For them not familiar, here’s a Kangal (also known as an Anatolian Shephard), so you can see Frem wasn’t kidding that it could pull far more than it’s weight... many people who live in snow country have their huskies pull their 4x4s off season, to keep them in shape.

Jim Walsh, who builds the Mini Spider sulky (and others), has a Giant Schnauzer. It’s amazing to watch; Tom can pull him FASTER THAN A RACE HORSE! Jim should know; he spent 35 years building horse sulkies, and was the first to design a dog sulky. They are works of art, truly.

Raptor, I seem to remember you mentioning you had a husky at some point...man, if he looks like Tashi he has to be GORGEOUS! Rarely does anyone pass by on the trails without exclaiming how handsome he is, and he definitely IS! He’s just over two, and more than ten pounds over what a maximum should be for a male (but we expected that; the breeder called him Big Boy)...67 lbs. is pretty hefty for a Sibe. Kochak is also big for a female at only one and a half, she’s ten pounds over what a female should be. I wish you’d put up a photo of Max, I’d love to see him. Reds are unusual, it’s a recessive gene (but my preference; they’re just a bit “squirrelier” than the greys/whites/blacks); if he's like Tashi, I’ll bet he keeps you hopping. Hell, ANY Sibe keeps one hopping!

People did get a good laugh at us, but not the kind you mean, Kane. Crown Road is real popular with hikers, joggers, bikers and dog folk, none of which have seen anything like this. I got “oh, that’s not FAIR!”, “man, I want one of THOSE!” and a whole lot more questions and remarks. The day before was our second time out at the place where I trained them...a multi-use pathway runs along the Bay. We met a woman with four dogs, and she told me I was the talk of the neighborhood...and it was only the SECOND TIME we’d been there! People get a kick out of it...but then, I get an even bigger one! The lazy man’s way to exercise huskies!

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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Sunday, April 10, 2011 8:42 AM

FREMDFIRMA

Oh jeez, yes I know ALLLLL about getting knocked on ones ass by a large dog!

I ain't exactly a big guy, and being a sucker for animals of course they run me over both figuratively and occasionally literally, there's one largish mutt-pup at site three who adores me and has close to knocked me on my keister several times, to his owners complete mortification, since I was on duty most of those times, but I don't mind, it's just a really HAPPY dog, is all.

Then there's ravens boxers, who WILL knock me over, and then proceed to slobber all over me and my word can them dogs do that, YICK - they look weird too, like dogs on stilts cause of the long legs and stuff.

And then there was MickT's dog, known as "dog" or "hey dog", which was a massive wolf hybrid, who liked to knock me down and FLOP on me, ooof!
Worse is that he wouldn't let me get up till he damn well felt like it, unless Mick came by and bonked him on the head - he wasn't a bad dog, just very stubborn, willful, and holding a forever-long grudge about me sneakin up on him and startling him, so he kinda wanted to be SURE where I was - any time I was over there he'd stop whatever he was doin and come peek/glare at me, just to make sure... stubborn bonehead jackass dog.

-Frem

I do not serve the Blind God.

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Sunday, April 10, 2011 8:56 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Well, sure, by LARGE dogs...but Kochak only weighs 55 lbs! So let's say POWERFUL dogs, which all Sibes are. They've pulled Jim off his feet more times than I can count, and me a few times early on, before I learned to always be aware and to brace myself. They do it a lot less now, as they've matured and been trained, but even now, they can catch us unawares. I just never had ANY dog send me flying like that! I've had many a dog knock me down, and know full well at the dog park to keep my knees bent and eyes open...this wasn't knocking me down, it was literally sending me flying. I was standing on one side of the trail, and ended up flat on my back THREE FEET into the grass on the other side of the trail! Given I'm six feet tall and weigh nearly 190 lbs, that's no mean feat for a 55-lb dog!

As to that wolf hybrid, sitting on you is just TYPICAL wolf (and husky) behavior. Ours sit on us all the time...frequently where Kochak's concerned, on my HEAD when I'm in bed. The not-getting-up thing is the same...and you'd probably be surprised at just HOW "heavy" he can get if you try to move him and he doesn't want to be moved; but I'll bet you already have! It's a pack thing, just means he thinks of you as one of the pack, not some "superior human" or anything.

The sitting on you is part of the physical contact thing--you've got to have seen it in documentaries on wolves, and a lot of dog breeds do it too. Body contact is BIG with huskies, if you've ever seen them play, they throw their body weight, usually ass-first, into their opponent, and wolf packs use their bodies against one another constantly. It's part of communication and acceptance. You wouldn't catch him EVER doing it to someone he didn't trust!

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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Sunday, April 10, 2011 9:26 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

There was a great pic of Max, where he looks as if he's posing. Had it framed, but it's been a while. Can't really look for it today, but I'll post if I happen across it in the future.

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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