WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:00.789 --> 00:00:06.320 Welcome to the Soul Touched by Dogs Podcast, the show for dog lovers who 00:00:06.340 --> 00:00:12.000 see dogs not as toys or tools, but wise souls worth our respect and care. 00:00:12.580 --> 00:00:14.559 I'm an Herrmann, and I'm your host. 00:00:15.320 --> 00:00:20.560 I talk to poor some humans, people who do great work for dogs and their people. 00:00:21.099 --> 00:00:23.360 So come and join us for today's conversation. 00:00:25.641 --> 00:00:27.661 Anke: Hello, and welcome, TC. 00:00:27.721 --> 00:00:30.441 I'm so excited to hear you. 00:00:30.441 --> 00:00:30.841 That's 00:00:30.841 --> 00:00:31.661 TC: no joke. 00:00:32.536 --> 00:00:34.776 I I'm actually very, very excited to be here. 00:00:34.776 --> 00:00:38.696 Like I said, I've never done anything like this before, so I'm excited to 00:00:38.696 --> 00:00:41.891 share Some of my life with dogs with you. 00:00:42.191 --> 00:00:42.591 Anke: Love it. 00:00:42.591 --> 00:00:43.331 Love it. 00:00:43.551 --> 00:00:44.431 So yeah. 00:00:44.431 --> 00:00:46.671 Well, let's just dive straight in. 00:00:46.671 --> 00:00:50.386 Where in the lovely world are you, And, uh, what does your 00:00:50.386 --> 00:00:51.686 life with dogs look like? 00:00:52.626 --> 00:00:58.221 TC: I am currently, um, outside of a tiny little town called Willow In 00:00:58.221 --> 00:01:03.581 Alaska, which is about an hour and a half north of Anchorage, um, kind of 00:01:03.581 --> 00:01:07.601 between Anchorage and Denali National Park, if people are familiar with 00:01:08.066 --> 00:01:14.226 With, uh, the state at all, and it is a balmy 12 degrees Fahrenheit today, 00:01:14.226 --> 00:01:16.546 which is much warmer than it's been. 00:01:16.546 --> 00:01:21.231 The last Couple weeks, we've been down in the minus 30 to minus 40 range. 00:01:21.851 --> 00:01:26.591 Um, so it's nice and lovely and perfect perfect weather for dog sledding. 00:01:27.616 --> 00:01:28.496 Dog sledding. 00:01:28.496 --> 00:01:28.816 It's 00:01:28.816 --> 00:01:31.856 Anke: like I mean, I always like, when I hear it, I think of movies. 00:01:31.856 --> 00:01:32.356 Right? 00:01:32.816 --> 00:01:33.936 So, you know, I'm 00:01:33.936 --> 00:01:34.436 TC: curious. 00:01:37.761 --> 00:01:40.341 Anke: Well, how did you get started? 00:01:40.561 --> 00:01:45.076 And and, you know, and then How does it like, what do you do? 00:01:45.076 --> 00:01:48.356 Like, you're you know, obviously, I know, like, you're not racing or, like, 00:01:48.356 --> 00:01:55.531 there's no sort of Nothing competitive and and and kind of pushy behind it. 00:01:55.531 --> 00:01:55.851 Right? 00:01:55.851 --> 00:01:58.351 So so where do you go with the dogs? 00:01:58.836 --> 00:01:59.336 TC: Yeah. 00:01:59.556 --> 00:02:04.616 Well And what's the So I I kind of started this adventure. 00:02:04.996 --> 00:02:06.931 Um, I've had dogs my whole life. 00:02:07.411 --> 00:02:12.851 And, um, you know, we grew up as kids with Labradors and, you 00:02:12.851 --> 00:02:14.691 know, the the classic family dog. 00:02:14.691 --> 00:02:20.656 And I've always been quite curious about sled dogs and the working dog breeds 00:02:20.656 --> 00:02:26.111 and and, you know, Traveling through the woods with your best friends just 00:02:26.111 --> 00:02:30.271 always has kind of appealed to me, but, um, I was always a little cautioned and 00:02:30.271 --> 00:02:35.606 and put off by The possibility that it might not be a a good thing for the dogs. 00:02:35.606 --> 00:02:43.001 And so as I as I grew and matured, um, And finished my master's degree in college. 00:02:43.141 --> 00:02:50.046 My mom, my sainted mom, who puts up with so much from all of us, Asked what 00:02:50.046 --> 00:02:53.646 what what I wanted to do to celebrate that, and I told her, you know, I 00:02:53.646 --> 00:02:58.881 really, really wanna go on a dog sled trip, but not Not the tourist kind 00:02:58.881 --> 00:03:04.001 of trip where you're pampered and and you just go out for a couple hours. 00:03:04.001 --> 00:03:08.686 Like, I really wanted to delve into this and see How the dogs worked and talked 00:03:08.686 --> 00:03:14.606 to the people who train them and actually take a trip from 1 point to another 00:03:14.606 --> 00:03:20.781 point To see to see how what it looks like and how how it feels day after day. 00:03:20.781 --> 00:03:25.201 So we went up to the Wind Rivers of Wyoming and took a week long trip, um, 00:03:25.486 --> 00:03:31.186 Um, where we went through the mountains of Wyoming in January, you know, in the cold. 00:03:31.246 --> 00:03:36.141 And I remember 1 night, mom, You know, was sleeping next to me curled up in 00:03:36.141 --> 00:03:39.601 in you know, they they put straw down to insulate you between the snow. 00:03:39.901 --> 00:03:43.501 And she rolled over and her whole eyelids were you know, her eyelashes 00:03:43.501 --> 00:03:46.846 were Frosted over, and she said, you could have asked for a cruise. 00:03:46.846 --> 00:03:47.506 You know? 00:03:49.806 --> 00:03:55.691 But by the end of it By the end of that week, um, both of us were completely 00:03:55.991 --> 00:04:02.616 enamored with with everything about these dogs and the absolute Joy that 00:04:02.616 --> 00:04:08.716 they had to be working in harness and traveling through the backcountry, 00:04:09.016 --> 00:04:10.991 and it's So quiet and so peaceful. 00:04:10.991 --> 00:04:13.971 It's not like the movies where the dogs are barking constantly. 00:04:14.031 --> 00:04:19.436 Like, they just move so quietly, and it it's almost like you're Part of a 00:04:19.436 --> 00:04:23.836 of a pack moving through the woods, you know, and you it's just such an old 00:04:23.836 --> 00:04:30.661 way to travel and And such a such an interesting way to to bond with the the 00:04:30.661 --> 00:04:35.301 dogs that are moving you through this wilderness that that it just it just 00:04:35.301 --> 00:04:38.756 grew Into a lifestyle, essentially. 00:04:39.056 --> 00:04:40.276 So here I am. 00:04:41.936 --> 00:04:42.736 So now you 00:04:42.736 --> 00:04:44.196 Anke: spent the winter in Alaska. 00:04:44.256 --> 00:04:44.756 Right? 00:04:44.896 --> 00:04:47.731 And So where do you go with 00:04:47.731 --> 00:04:48.391 TC: the dogs? 00:04:48.851 --> 00:04:49.171 Yeah. 00:04:49.171 --> 00:04:54.771 Well, first of all, like, no sane person would choose to spend a winter in Alaska. 00:04:54.771 --> 00:04:56.296 It's it's Pretty hard. 00:04:56.676 --> 00:05:01.716 So, um, you know, between the cold and the snow and the isolation and the 00:05:01.716 --> 00:05:08.181 dark, It it can be pretty rough for a lot of people, but the dogs, you know, 00:05:08.181 --> 00:05:12.096 having sled dogs, and we had Sled dogs for a number of years in Colorado. 00:05:12.956 --> 00:05:18.851 It kind of pushed us to explore our, You know, our own limits, the 00:05:19.011 --> 00:05:22.611 you know, like, what what can I actually accomplish with these dogs? 00:05:22.611 --> 00:05:29.546 And and, you know, how can I grow To help them do the thing that they love the best? 00:05:29.546 --> 00:05:35.701 So, you know, it kind of has evolved over the years into this, I guess you 00:05:35.701 --> 00:05:41.401 could say all consuming lifestyle, but, you know, it's just what we do. 00:05:41.621 --> 00:05:42.181 And no. 00:05:42.181 --> 00:05:43.321 We we're not racing. 00:05:43.381 --> 00:05:46.516 We don't We don't have a tour operation or anything like that. 00:05:46.516 --> 00:05:50.456 All of our dogs come to us, um, from different sources. 00:05:50.676 --> 00:05:55.271 So we're not breeding them, um, You know, they they generally are coming 00:05:55.271 --> 00:06:02.391 in as older dogs, you know, somewhere between 6 and 9 or older than that. 00:06:02.391 --> 00:06:06.846 Um, Currently, the we only have 2 of our 15 dogs that 00:06:06.846 --> 00:06:09.106 are younger than 10 years old. 00:06:10.181 --> 00:06:14.581 And, you know, so so it's kind of an older group of dogs, which has 00:06:14.581 --> 00:06:16.361 its own challenges and benefits. 00:06:16.421 --> 00:06:22.566 But just like People, you know, as we age, keeping active and keeping mentally 00:06:22.626 --> 00:06:25.911 happy is a big part of Quality of life. 00:06:25.971 --> 00:06:29.651 And and this is what does that for this particular breed of dog. 00:06:29.651 --> 00:06:37.806 Um, and so that that's my goal is to To get them out, to go explore, um, 00:06:37.806 --> 00:06:40.146 to travel the way they like to travel. 00:06:40.366 --> 00:06:44.161 Um, you know, our Our philosophy is we never make any dog we 00:06:44.161 --> 00:06:46.001 never make any dog do it. 00:06:46.001 --> 00:06:47.061 We walk out. 00:06:47.121 --> 00:06:48.721 We ask them if they wanna go. 00:06:48.721 --> 00:06:52.066 If they're excited to see their harness, we put them on them and off go. 00:06:52.066 --> 00:06:56.166 And if we get out there, it's not fun, somebody's not having a good time, 00:06:56.226 --> 00:06:58.546 me, 1 of them, whoever, we come back. 00:06:58.546 --> 00:07:03.421 It's it's you know, there's no There's if it's not enjoyable, then we don't do it. 00:07:03.421 --> 00:07:08.861 And, um, it it's kind of amazing how we've grown together as a 00:07:08.861 --> 00:07:10.636 team over the years It's ours. 00:07:11.176 --> 00:07:14.476 Anke: It sounds like a retirement home, like, a luxury 00:07:14.616 --> 00:07:16.296 retirement home, so let don't 00:07:16.296 --> 00:07:16.796 TC: start. 00:07:16.936 --> 00:07:17.896 It is what I wish. 00:07:17.896 --> 00:07:18.216 You know? 00:07:18.216 --> 00:07:20.901 I hope In my old age that somebody goes, hey, TC. 00:07:20.901 --> 00:07:21.941 Wanna go for a hike? 00:07:21.941 --> 00:07:25.401 And, you know, if I'm, like, excited to see my hiking boots, yeah, let's go. 00:07:25.786 --> 00:07:26.106 You know? 00:07:26.106 --> 00:07:26.666 Getting out. 00:07:26.666 --> 00:07:28.506 I don't wanna I don't wanna be sitting in a house. 00:07:28.506 --> 00:07:32.046 I wanna be I wanna be doing and and exploring and learning. 00:07:32.586 --> 00:07:36.861 Anke: And I think that would be It's probably true for any person or 00:07:36.861 --> 00:07:39.201 any dog, but especially sled dogs. 00:07:39.341 --> 00:07:43.021 You know, I think you don't do them any favor if you put 00:07:43.021 --> 00:07:44.481 them in a house on a couch. 00:07:44.736 --> 00:07:44.816 Do 00:07:44.816 --> 00:07:45.316 TC: you? 00:07:45.696 --> 00:07:47.616 Well, you have to honor the breed. 00:07:47.616 --> 00:07:48.016 Right? 00:07:48.016 --> 00:07:55.331 So if you have a dog who has been bred over generations To fetch and 00:07:55.331 --> 00:07:58.371 retrieve, then that's what they wanna do. 00:07:58.371 --> 00:07:59.171 They wanna play ball. 00:07:59.171 --> 00:08:00.051 They wanna play stick. 00:08:00.051 --> 00:08:02.916 They wanna, you know, go get something and bring it back to you. 00:08:03.076 --> 00:08:06.036 If they're bred to herd, then that you know, that's that's their 00:08:06.036 --> 00:08:09.556 genetic component is, you know, I wanna keep the family together. 00:08:09.556 --> 00:08:10.996 I I wanna keep the ducks together. 00:08:10.996 --> 00:08:15.351 I wanna keep The socks together, whatever whatever occupies their 00:08:15.351 --> 00:08:17.291 their brain that fills that need. 00:08:17.431 --> 00:08:22.596 And so if you have huskies, They are you know, their breed to honor their breed 00:08:22.596 --> 00:08:24.836 is to allow them to run and harness. 00:08:24.836 --> 00:08:25.076 You know? 00:08:25.076 --> 00:08:30.861 They they want to go explore, and They're a very high energy dog. 00:08:30.861 --> 00:08:35.501 They're you know, I have a 14 year old that is running 25 to 30 00:08:35.501 --> 00:08:37.906 miles every day, and he loves it. 00:08:38.066 --> 00:08:41.426 He's the first 1 in line to have his harness put on him 00:08:41.426 --> 00:08:43.606 because it's it's what he loves. 00:08:43.826 --> 00:08:48.431 And he's happy and he's healthy And his brain is active and, you know, 00:08:48.431 --> 00:08:51.011 he's he's just a very happy dog. 00:08:51.311 --> 00:08:56.236 So I think, you know, being able to give them what it is that They need 00:08:56.776 --> 00:08:59.276 to be mentally happy is is important. 00:08:59.896 --> 00:09:00.536 Anke: I love that. 00:09:00.536 --> 00:09:01.336 I love that. 00:09:01.336 --> 00:09:06.931 Actually, now I had a look at, um, at I took I took a class. 00:09:08.671 --> 00:09:14.066 And, um, what surprised me a little bit as as a, you know, like, as Somebody 00:09:14.066 --> 00:09:17.766 who kind of loves no idea, basically. 00:09:17.906 --> 00:09:18.546 You know? 00:09:18.546 --> 00:09:21.366 Um, they didn't all look like huskies. 00:09:23.081 --> 00:09:23.581 So 00:09:24.441 --> 00:09:28.761 TC: most people are familiar with the Siberian husky, which is 00:09:28.761 --> 00:09:31.501 the AKC recognized breed of dog. 00:09:32.416 --> 00:09:37.616 Um, and they are, you know, they're the ones that you see in 8 Below or snow dogs 00:09:37.616 --> 00:09:43.051 and dog shows where they're They're very fluffy and off often, you know, black 00:09:43.051 --> 00:09:44.751 and white or gray and white with a mask. 00:09:44.971 --> 00:09:45.451 Face. 00:09:45.451 --> 00:09:45.851 Yeah. 00:09:45.851 --> 00:09:46.171 Yeah. 00:09:46.171 --> 00:09:46.671 Yeah. 00:09:47.596 --> 00:09:52.316 What we have and we we've had Siberian huskies, but what we have 00:09:52.316 --> 00:10:00.061 right now are all Alaskan huskies, which is its own breed of dog. 00:10:00.061 --> 00:10:02.941 It is genetically different than a lot of other breeds and that 00:10:02.941 --> 00:10:05.121 they have adapted to their job. 00:10:05.936 --> 00:10:09.396 Um, but they are strictly a functional dog. 00:10:09.616 --> 00:10:13.956 Um, so they're you know, the the decisions that are made for breeding an Alaskan 00:10:14.016 --> 00:10:16.331 husky is, Do they pull a sled well? 00:10:17.511 --> 00:10:18.971 Can they survive the cold? 00:10:19.271 --> 00:10:20.311 Do they eat well? 00:10:20.311 --> 00:10:22.871 You know, can they maintain their what they need to do 00:10:22.871 --> 00:10:24.571 before you know, to do their job? 00:10:24.696 --> 00:10:31.801 So you start seeing dogs that, um, kind of throwback to gold rush era where, You 00:10:31.801 --> 00:10:36.441 know, whatever dog greater than 35 pounds was basically kidnapped and brought up to 00:10:36.441 --> 00:10:39.476 to move materials into the the gold era. 00:10:39.476 --> 00:10:45.556 And if if they pulled well, they were bred and made more dogs to pull well. 00:10:45.556 --> 00:10:49.351 And if they didn't pull well, then they weren't bred, and That 00:10:49.351 --> 00:10:51.031 line of dog didn't continue on. 00:10:51.031 --> 00:10:57.116 So you do see throwbacks to, you know, shepherds or Retrievers. 00:10:57.496 --> 00:11:01.736 You know, you'll you'll see some of the the throwback lines, um, you know, 00:11:01.736 --> 00:11:05.611 and then they they're bred with the The village dogs, which are coming 00:11:05.611 --> 00:11:12.331 from, you know, as more of a indigenous background and and bred into that. 00:11:12.331 --> 00:11:16.096 So they're They're distinct, but they're not recognized by AKC because nobody's 00:11:16.096 --> 00:11:18.976 bothered showing 1 because they're busy. 00:11:18.976 --> 00:11:19.636 They're working. 00:11:21.841 --> 00:11:25.921 Anke: So are they actually, um, are they still like, I remember this 00:11:25.921 --> 00:11:29.441 this movie I saw where they where they were used to, you know, be 00:11:29.441 --> 00:11:31.536 the post delivery kind of thing. 00:11:31.536 --> 00:11:36.096 And they would kind of even you know, they would transport and deliver the stuff 00:11:36.096 --> 00:11:41.031 when no when, you know, when no other Kind of means of transport would get through. 00:11:41.031 --> 00:11:41.911 Is that still a thing? 00:11:41.911 --> 00:11:42.791 Like, is that still 00:11:42.791 --> 00:11:43.291 TC: done? 00:11:44.391 --> 00:11:46.406 In many, many places, yes. 00:11:46.486 --> 00:11:51.526 So, um, Alaska and probably a lot of kind of the northern part of the 00:11:51.526 --> 00:11:56.521 world, um, there's only You can only drive to about 10 percent of Alaska. 00:11:57.061 --> 00:12:00.741 The rest the 90 percent of Alaska is not accessible by the road system. 00:12:00.741 --> 00:12:02.181 You can't drive there. 00:12:02.181 --> 00:12:08.216 You have to fly Or snow machine or ski or walk or use a river or take 00:12:08.216 --> 00:12:10.296 a dogs dog team where you wanna go. 00:12:10.296 --> 00:12:16.591 So, um, You know, there there's a big cultural significance in having sled dogs. 00:12:16.591 --> 00:12:20.656 And, you know, we we just experienced, like I was saying, with our cold Nap 00:12:20.656 --> 00:12:23.556 or we were down to minus 46 degrees. 00:12:24.016 --> 00:12:25.636 Snow machines didn't start. 00:12:26.096 --> 00:12:27.476 Cars wouldn't start. 00:12:28.061 --> 00:12:28.221 Yeah. 00:12:28.221 --> 00:12:30.941 Anything made of plastic would shatter and fall apart. 00:12:30.941 --> 00:12:33.361 Bungee cords, like, lost their bungee. 00:12:33.901 --> 00:12:37.956 And but I can go out and and, You know, hold up a harness, 00:12:37.956 --> 00:12:39.496 and my dogs are ready to go. 00:12:39.876 --> 00:12:45.031 So, you know, they they still they still have a purpose. 00:12:45.491 --> 00:12:50.871 Um, and I think it was up until the 19 sixties or maybe early 19 seventies 00:12:50.931 --> 00:12:55.626 that Mail was still being delivered in Alaska by dog team to some areas. 00:12:56.166 --> 00:12:58.726 Um, so, yeah, there you know, a lot of people are still 00:12:58.726 --> 00:13:00.426 hauling freight with dog teams. 00:13:01.126 --> 00:13:03.671 Um, people are working trap lines with dog teams. 00:13:03.671 --> 00:13:06.871 People are going from place to place by dog team. 00:13:06.871 --> 00:13:09.531 It's, you know, it's by just a way of life. 00:13:09.896 --> 00:13:10.296 I love it. 00:13:10.296 --> 00:13:10.616 I 00:13:10.616 --> 00:13:11.176 Anke: love it. 00:13:11.176 --> 00:13:14.156 So how do you so, obviously, these dogs, they can't, 00:13:14.296 --> 00:13:15.656 TC: you know, gin 00:13:15.816 --> 00:13:18.091 Anke: like, they're bred to do the thing. 00:13:18.091 --> 00:13:18.331 You know? 00:13:18.331 --> 00:13:21.771 But there's still an element where they need to be taught something or not. 00:13:21.771 --> 00:13:23.931 Like and how do you go about teaching these? 00:13:23.931 --> 00:13:27.546 I mean, are they easy to teach or are they, like how do you You know, 00:13:27.546 --> 00:13:30.986 like, you always hear about the, you know, the the the famous lead dog. 00:13:30.986 --> 00:13:34.491 Like, how do you teach a dog to be the lead dog of a of a 00:13:34.571 --> 00:13:35.071 TC: Obviously. 00:13:35.291 --> 00:13:38.191 Um, you kinda tap into what's naturally there. 00:13:38.891 --> 00:13:43.311 Um, and I you know, we because we get dogs from a lot of different places, 00:13:44.996 --> 00:13:48.916 We work with the dog you know, every dog gets a chance to be a lead dog, 00:13:48.916 --> 00:13:54.191 and sometimes that Works out really well, and sometimes it's a disaster. 00:13:55.851 --> 00:13:57.211 But, you know, we What does it mean? 00:13:57.211 --> 00:14:00.491 Anke: Does it mean, like, the the the the sled flips over because the lead dog 00:14:00.491 --> 00:14:02.046 pulls in the wrong direction or what? 00:14:02.046 --> 00:14:02.706 Oh, no. 00:14:02.846 --> 00:14:02.926 No. 00:14:02.926 --> 00:14:03.006 No. 00:14:03.006 --> 00:14:03.326 No. 00:14:03.326 --> 00:14:05.906 When they're going We have when it goes well or doesn't. 00:14:06.366 --> 00:14:08.606 TC: We have 1 little 1 little dog. 00:14:08.606 --> 00:14:12.951 His name is Buttons, which He came to us with that name, and he he likes it. 00:14:12.951 --> 00:14:13.531 That's fine. 00:14:13.911 --> 00:14:15.931 He is a wonderful dog. 00:14:16.151 --> 00:14:17.131 Beautiful dog. 00:14:17.646 --> 00:14:18.466 So happy. 00:14:18.606 --> 00:14:20.146 Everything makes him happy. 00:14:21.006 --> 00:14:24.766 And he is 1 who is just not born to be a lead dog. 00:14:24.766 --> 00:14:29.941 So if I put him in lead, He turns around because he's so very, very proud 00:14:29.941 --> 00:14:33.781 of himself to look at me and bark at me about how happy he is that he's in 00:14:33.781 --> 00:14:35.561 lead, but he's not actually leading. 00:14:37.266 --> 00:14:38.626 That's what I mean by, yeah. 00:14:38.626 --> 00:14:38.866 No. 00:14:38.866 --> 00:14:40.226 That didn't work out so well. 00:14:40.226 --> 00:14:43.346 We'll try it again in a little while and see if see if he 00:14:43.346 --> 00:14:44.626 he can focus a little bit. 00:14:44.626 --> 00:14:48.041 But they're just like, You know, a a classroom full of kids where 00:14:48.581 --> 00:14:50.181 some kids are better at 1 thing. 00:14:50.181 --> 00:14:51.781 You know, this kid is better at math. 00:14:51.781 --> 00:14:53.221 This kid is better at science. 00:14:53.221 --> 00:14:54.681 This kid is better at athletics. 00:14:54.956 --> 00:14:57.936 And you just, you know, you tap into that and figure it out. 00:14:57.996 --> 00:15:02.591 Um, and we work we work a lot 1 on 1 with them, Um, especially 00:15:02.591 --> 00:15:05.631 during the summertime, that's a great time to give them that mental 00:15:05.631 --> 00:15:08.911 stimulation because they're not running in harness during the summer. 00:15:08.911 --> 00:15:13.076 So if you're keeping their brain active, then they're still Learning and, you 00:15:13.076 --> 00:15:15.096 know, having their their world enriched. 00:15:15.156 --> 00:15:20.171 So that that's when we do a lot of training them that means left and g 00:15:20.171 --> 00:15:25.531 means right and, you know, don't bite the ropes and don't don't be my friend 00:15:25.531 --> 00:15:30.016 and, oh, you know, important important things for dogs to know, You know, that 00:15:30.016 --> 00:15:33.136 the neighbor dog walking back and forth isn't really a reason to be barking your 00:15:33.136 --> 00:15:34.736 head off at, you know, whatever time. 00:15:34.736 --> 00:15:36.256 But maybe the bear coming in. 00:15:36.256 --> 00:15:36.971 That's okay. 00:15:37.131 --> 00:15:39.691 So it it's, you know, it's always a work in progress. 00:15:39.691 --> 00:15:45.906 It's nothing's perfect, but, um, it's it's a fantastic Adventure for all of us 00:15:45.906 --> 00:15:48.406 to to teach a dog to to do something new. 00:15:49.106 --> 00:15:49.746 Anke: I love it. 00:15:49.746 --> 00:15:50.786 And I mean, I don't know. 00:15:50.786 --> 00:15:53.666 At least in my experience, it's like, it doesn't matter how old they are. 00:15:53.666 --> 00:15:57.271 Like, don't really like, this thing, you can't teach it all, don't new tricks. 00:15:57.271 --> 00:15:57.591 I think 00:15:57.591 --> 00:15:58.411 TC: that's rubbish. 00:15:58.791 --> 00:15:59.271 I'm No. 00:15:59.271 --> 00:15:59.671 You know? 00:15:59.671 --> 00:16:00.171 No. 00:16:00.391 --> 00:16:00.791 No. 00:16:00.791 --> 00:16:06.426 And, Morgan, the the 14 year old that I was telling you about, um, he he has 00:16:06.426 --> 00:16:11.281 run-in wheel pretty much his whole Racing career before we got him, which wheel 00:16:11.281 --> 00:16:14.881 is the position right in front of the sled, and it's an important position 00:16:14.881 --> 00:16:18.466 because that is the dog that's doing the bulk of the steering of the sled 00:16:18.626 --> 00:16:20.626 With with you, the human, on the back. 00:16:20.626 --> 00:16:24.946 So they're the you know, usually, the the dogs that that are in charge 00:16:24.946 --> 00:16:29.911 of of A heavier amount of that load and really negotiating a turn because 00:16:29.911 --> 00:16:32.871 if you if you cut the turn short, then you hit the tree or whatever. 00:16:32.871 --> 00:16:33.451 You know? 00:16:34.526 --> 00:16:39.166 Um, so for years and years and years, that was that was his position that he ran. 00:16:39.166 --> 00:16:43.741 And, randomly, I put him up in lead At the ripe old age of 12 or 00:16:43.741 --> 00:16:48.561 something, and he, you know, he'd been listening to me talk all that time. 00:16:48.736 --> 00:16:52.896 And so he knew what it was when I said, that that meant to go this way. 00:16:52.896 --> 00:16:55.216 And when I say gee, it meant means to go this way. 00:16:55.216 --> 00:16:57.056 So he he's processing all that. 00:16:57.056 --> 00:16:58.036 They're very clever. 00:16:58.821 --> 00:16:59.221 Wow. 00:16:59.221 --> 00:17:00.201 That's fascinating. 00:17:00.821 --> 00:17:01.221 Anke: Yeah. 00:17:01.221 --> 00:17:01.621 Yeah. 00:17:01.621 --> 00:17:03.941 I mean, I guess he would I mean, you know, he's close to you. 00:17:03.941 --> 00:17:05.781 He would have heard you all the time 00:17:05.781 --> 00:17:06.181 TC: anyway. 00:17:06.181 --> 00:17:06.681 Right? 00:17:07.126 --> 00:17:07.366 Yeah. 00:17:07.366 --> 00:17:07.846 Yeah. 00:17:07.846 --> 00:17:12.266 And, you know, you you work to establish a a kennel culture. 00:17:12.726 --> 00:17:18.221 So So you have a system of, you know, this is how we behave. 00:17:18.221 --> 00:17:19.101 This is what we do. 00:17:19.101 --> 00:17:20.061 These are our customs. 00:17:20.061 --> 00:17:21.041 These are our traditions. 00:17:21.501 --> 00:17:23.201 You know, this is how we work together. 00:17:24.726 --> 00:17:26.726 These are the expectations, that kind of thing. 00:17:26.726 --> 00:17:30.086 So, you know, we actually have a little kennel culture, which is different from 00:17:30.086 --> 00:17:32.881 other people's Cultures in their kennels. 00:17:32.881 --> 00:17:35.601 And and so when they come in, they kind of they kinda learn 00:17:35.601 --> 00:17:37.121 the rhythm of life with you. 00:17:37.121 --> 00:17:37.441 Right? 00:17:37.441 --> 00:17:39.861 And so they they figure it all out. 00:17:40.966 --> 00:17:42.086 They are clever, aren't they? 00:17:42.086 --> 00:17:43.226 They are very clever. 00:17:44.646 --> 00:17:49.041 Anke: So you were saying, like, in in summer, like, They don't like, they 00:17:49.041 --> 00:17:51.121 can do they can do cold, but they can't 00:17:51.121 --> 00:17:51.861 TC: do heat. 00:17:52.721 --> 00:17:53.041 Yeah. 00:17:53.041 --> 00:17:56.421 They they're like I said, they're genetically developed 00:17:56.766 --> 00:17:58.866 For this work in cold conditions. 00:17:58.926 --> 00:18:05.426 And so, generally speaking, if we get to around 50 f, um, 50 degrees Fahrenheit, 00:18:06.031 --> 00:18:11.471 They they are very prone to overheating, um, and so we don't ask them to do any 00:18:11.471 --> 00:18:13.231 sort you know, they they self regulate. 00:18:13.231 --> 00:18:17.266 They have a big yard That they can run around and play and and they they play 00:18:17.266 --> 00:18:20.246 during the the cooler parts of the day, in the morning and in the evenings. 00:18:20.706 --> 00:18:24.311 But during the heat of the day, uh, you know, I don't ask them, You 00:18:24.311 --> 00:18:26.011 know, they get to lay in the shade. 00:18:26.631 --> 00:18:31.111 Um, you know, they have water troughs that they can swim in and and, 00:18:31.111 --> 00:18:34.596 you know, Lots of trees that they can kinda just get out of the sun. 00:18:34.816 --> 00:18:38.836 They they dig these big dens and go underground where it's cool. 00:18:40.851 --> 00:18:44.611 So if if you if you don't want to have big holes dug in 00:18:44.611 --> 00:18:46.071 your yard, don't have a husky. 00:18:46.531 --> 00:18:46.931 That is 00:18:46.931 --> 00:18:47.331 Anke: fascinating. 00:18:47.331 --> 00:18:48.851 Actually, reminds me, like, a friend of mine. 00:18:48.851 --> 00:18:52.796 She's got a She's got this dog and, like, you know, sort of a big breed. 00:18:52.796 --> 00:18:53.516 Who knows what? 00:18:53.516 --> 00:18:56.876 But the eyes are very much husky, like, and the fur and 00:18:56.876 --> 00:18:58.256 stuff, and she loves digging. 00:18:58.861 --> 00:19:01.501 She will always dig a little, like, under bush or something. 00:19:01.501 --> 00:19:04.801 Next thing you know, like, she's done with something other. 00:19:05.181 --> 00:19:08.106 TC: I mean, it's it's a natural behavior of dogs to dig. 00:19:08.186 --> 00:19:10.186 So, you know, they they're just being dogs. 00:19:10.186 --> 00:19:11.706 They're not they're not being naughty. 00:19:11.706 --> 00:19:15.726 They're just they're just digging a hole like you do. 00:19:15.911 --> 00:19:16.231 And that's 00:19:16.231 --> 00:19:16.711 Anke: the thing. 00:19:16.711 --> 00:19:20.151 And she doesn't I mean, with her, you specifically you kinda you 00:19:20.151 --> 00:19:24.666 can see clearly that it's not, like, a nervous Kind of whatever. 00:19:24.666 --> 00:19:25.226 It's like, no. 00:19:25.226 --> 00:19:25.386 No. 00:19:25.386 --> 00:19:27.706 She digs the hole and then she lives into that. 00:19:27.706 --> 00:19:29.626 Like, she literally does it for herself. 00:19:29.626 --> 00:19:30.586 TC: Like, it's not much Yeah. 00:19:30.586 --> 00:19:32.631 It's like it's nice Is it cool as well? 00:19:32.631 --> 00:19:32.951 Anke: Like, no. 00:19:32.951 --> 00:19:33.111 No. 00:19:33.111 --> 00:19:36.871 She kind of, like, I wanna be cool cool in here, and, yeah, 00:19:36.871 --> 00:19:38.071 that's exactly what she does. 00:19:38.071 --> 00:19:38.471 That's fine. 00:19:38.471 --> 00:19:38.971 TC: Yep. 00:19:39.066 --> 00:19:39.386 Yep. 00:19:39.386 --> 00:19:39.866 Yep. 00:19:39.866 --> 00:19:41.566 Like I said, they're they're not stupid. 00:19:41.946 --> 00:19:42.266 No. 00:19:42.266 --> 00:19:42.506 Anke: No. 00:19:42.506 --> 00:19:43.066 Not at all. 00:19:43.066 --> 00:19:43.626 Not at all. 00:19:43.626 --> 00:19:47.201 I think I think we often, Yeah. 00:19:47.201 --> 00:19:51.441 I think we underestimate what they you know, how much they pick up and how 00:19:51.441 --> 00:19:54.481 much they actually process and learn and 00:19:54.561 --> 00:19:55.061 TC: yeah. 00:19:55.356 --> 00:19:57.296 Well, and they're they're so much better. 00:19:57.676 --> 00:20:01.676 Dogs are so much better at speaking human, at communicating with humans 00:20:01.676 --> 00:20:04.016 than humans are communicating with dogs. 00:20:04.701 --> 00:20:08.941 And it it just blows my mind at how how good they how well they train us. 00:20:08.941 --> 00:20:09.261 You know? 00:20:09.261 --> 00:20:11.281 Like, it's 6 o'clock. 00:20:11.501 --> 00:20:12.641 Where is my dinner? 00:20:12.796 --> 00:20:13.276 You know? 00:20:13.276 --> 00:20:15.676 They don't have to say that in English words. 00:20:15.676 --> 00:20:19.136 They they're telling you, like, hey, person with the thumbs, 00:20:19.196 --> 00:20:20.716 please put some kibble in my bowl. 00:20:20.716 --> 00:20:21.516 That would be great. 00:20:21.516 --> 00:20:22.176 Thank you. 00:20:22.651 --> 00:20:24.351 I I I don't like, I sometimes 00:20:24.491 --> 00:20:27.051 Anke: wonder, like, how on earth because, like, yeah. 00:20:27.051 --> 00:20:28.891 I mean, my dogs know 00:20:28.891 --> 00:20:29.926 TC: exactly when it's, Like, 00:20:29.926 --> 00:20:30.886 Anke: how do they know? 00:20:30.886 --> 00:20:31.126 You know? 00:20:31.126 --> 00:20:33.126 How do they know when it's their time? 00:20:33.126 --> 00:20:33.786 You know? 00:20:34.086 --> 00:20:35.686 TC: It's trying to so well. 00:20:35.686 --> 00:20:36.166 Yeah. 00:20:36.166 --> 00:20:36.566 Yeah. 00:20:36.566 --> 00:20:36.726 Yeah. 00:20:36.726 --> 00:20:37.126 It is. 00:20:37.126 --> 00:20:38.406 I you know, they do. 00:20:38.406 --> 00:20:41.931 They sit and observe us, And, you know, they they watch. 00:20:42.391 --> 00:20:43.031 They know. 00:20:43.031 --> 00:20:47.831 Like, if I go out this door with with the jacket that I that I wear when I'm taking 00:20:47.831 --> 00:20:52.076 them for a sled ride, They know that that jacket means we're going for a sled ride. 00:20:52.076 --> 00:20:52.476 You know? 00:20:52.476 --> 00:20:56.636 And and if I walk out in my chore coat, they know, oh, well, she's just coming out 00:20:56.636 --> 00:21:00.911 here to feed us or scoop the yard or play with us or whatever, but but it doesn't 00:21:00.911 --> 00:21:02.991 mean it doesn't mean we're going for it. 00:21:02.991 --> 00:21:03.231 Right? 00:21:03.231 --> 00:21:03.731 Anke: Yeah. 00:21:04.671 --> 00:21:09.056 So where can people go and, um, you know, connect with you and 00:21:09.056 --> 00:21:10.336 find out more about what you're 00:21:10.336 --> 00:21:10.836 TC: doing? 00:21:11.616 --> 00:21:12.096 Uh, Yeah. 00:21:12.096 --> 00:21:18.561 I've got, uh, we have a blog that that has been going For, I guess, 13 years 00:21:18.561 --> 00:21:23.441 now, um, kind of kind of talking about our life and and, you know, back and 00:21:23.441 --> 00:21:25.256 forth between Colorado and Alaska Good. 00:21:25.256 --> 00:21:29.256 And how we manage it and kinda get you familiar with the dogs and and 00:21:29.256 --> 00:21:33.916 what we do and some of the some of the challenges that we face over the years. 00:21:34.831 --> 00:21:39.091 Um, and I think you'll you'll link to it, but we we are the Oda Roloc sled dogs, 00:21:39.631 --> 00:21:42.191 um, which is Colorado spelled backwards. 00:21:42.191 --> 00:21:44.166 See, I've got my Colorado backwards. 00:21:45.106 --> 00:21:45.926 Anke: That's funny. 00:21:46.706 --> 00:21:49.266 Obviously, I'm gonna put the link, you know, if you watch it, and the 00:21:49.266 --> 00:21:50.626 newsletter's gonna be below here. 00:21:50.626 --> 00:21:52.006 If you listen on the podcast, 00:21:52.881 --> 00:21:53.361 TC: Yeah. 00:21:53.361 --> 00:21:53.761 Yeah. 00:21:53.761 --> 00:21:57.221 And you can also you can you can also find us off of Facebook. 00:21:57.281 --> 00:22:03.626 Um, we do have a Facebook page that kind of I try to update with with a 00:22:03.626 --> 00:22:05.546 lot more day day to day type things. 00:22:05.546 --> 00:22:09.786 So, um, yeah, I I would love to love to hear from people and answer questions 00:22:09.786 --> 00:22:15.261 that Folks might have and, um, you know, really, really, uh, drive home 00:22:15.261 --> 00:22:18.301 that the you know, these dogs are very, very happy with what they do. 00:22:18.301 --> 00:22:22.676 I I can't even imagine What job I would have that every day when I saw 00:22:22.676 --> 00:22:24.536 my harness, I would be like, yeah. 00:22:24.596 --> 00:22:25.736 We're going again. 00:22:26.356 --> 00:22:27.336 Anke: Bring it on. 00:22:28.411 --> 00:22:29.951 I don't know what that job is. 00:22:30.251 --> 00:22:31.131 Oh, I don't know. 00:22:31.131 --> 00:22:34.351 I think it's like to me, it sounds like you've got the best job in the world. 00:22:35.371 --> 00:22:37.256 TC: Well, this This is this is a lot. 00:22:37.256 --> 00:22:38.056 It's a lifestyle. 00:22:38.056 --> 00:22:41.336 I don't I don't make any money off of them, you know, but and 00:22:41.336 --> 00:22:42.616 and I kind of want it that way. 00:22:42.616 --> 00:22:46.031 Like, you know, they're They're my family. 00:22:46.091 --> 00:22:47.851 I you know, they're they're my joy. 00:22:47.851 --> 00:22:49.311 They're my happy place. 00:22:50.491 --> 00:22:53.611 And people sometimes ask, well, you know, do you consider Alaska home 00:22:53.611 --> 00:22:56.696 or Colorado home, and I always tell them, home is where my dogs are. 00:22:56.696 --> 00:22:56.936 You know? 00:22:56.936 --> 00:22:58.776 Where wherever they are, I'm home. 00:22:58.776 --> 00:23:02.216 If we're out on a sled up the river somewhere, that's my home, 00:23:02.216 --> 00:23:03.801 you know, where my dogs are. 00:23:04.921 --> 00:23:05.401 Anke: Love it. 00:23:05.401 --> 00:23:05.881 Love it. 00:23:05.881 --> 00:23:07.241 Well, thank you so much. 00:23:07.241 --> 00:23:08.841 Uh, that was an absolute delight. 00:23:08.841 --> 00:23:11.986 And, uh, you know, I'm definitely gonna follow your Facebook Paige. 00:23:11.986 --> 00:23:14.566 And I hope to have you back at some point. 00:23:14.786 --> 00:23:15.066 Absolutely. 00:23:15.346 --> 00:23:16.406 With your attention. 00:23:16.866 --> 00:23:17.266 Yeah. 00:23:17.266 --> 00:23:20.726 Very happy to chat with folks, and, um, thank you so much, Anka. 00:23:21.824 --> 00:23:21.904 Awesome. 00:23:21.904 --> 00:23:22.304 Thank 00:23:22.304 --> 00:23:22.804 you. 00:23:25.009 --> 00:23:26.239 Thanks so much for listening. 00:23:26.759 --> 00:23:31.059 If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review so 00:23:31.159 --> 00:23:32.939 other dog lovers can find the show. 00:23:33.729 --> 00:23:37.219 If you haven't already, head over to soul touched by dogs. 00:23:37.649 --> 00:23:43.219 com and sign up for weekly doggy cuteness tips, recommendations, and personal 00:23:43.319 --> 00:23:45.689 stories to warm your dog loving heart. 00:23:45.689 --> 00:23:49.419 And if you know a pawsome human you think I should interview, 00:23:49.839 --> 00:23:50.979 I'd love an introduction. 00:23:51.459 --> 00:23:53.289 Email me at Anke. 00:23:53.559 --> 00:23:57.794 That's A N k E at Soul touched by dogs.com.