One day I happened to be sitting around brainstorming with some Mushers about ways to help grow the sport of mushing both within the sport and outside the sport (public perception). We all recognized that of all the sports in the world sled dog racing is underdeveloped and not generally recognized for the professional sport that it is. We discussed all sorts of ideas; most of them were old ideas that were tried with great effort, but did not get the response anticipated and were dropped or relegated to the background. One of the topics that kept coming up was that we as Mushers, as well as the general public, do not recognize the true professionalism of our sport.

Ideas to help with this perception were discussed and they included things like: professional sportsmanship behavior when in public, having healthy and clean dogs, having a clean and efficient kennel, dressing professionally at races, having a clean and orderly dog truck, recognizing sponsors at every opportunity, promoting racers and their teams to develop a following, and many ideas that we all recognize from other professional sports from snowboarding to NASCAR.

Instead of just talking about it we at Redpaw decided to utilize some of our resources to see if we could provide a tool to help promote the sport and develop a more professional and mainstream perception of the Mushers involved. We were familiar with the Iditarod trading cards and a few others that we have seen floating around. We did a little research and found a company that was producing the highest quality cards for some other professional sports. When we approached them with the idea of starting a Mushers trading card set they were excited and agreed to work with us to see if we could get the program up and rolling.

We started with the first set in the fall of 2004 making a card set of six that included all of the Mushers that Redpaw was working with on the testing, development and promotion of our products.

The intent of the cards is many. First priority was to provide a positive perception of the sport. The quality of the card in both design and card stock are the same or better than any other professional sport, including baseball. The ability for a musher to pass out cards at a race or a school visit fulfills the expectations of the many in the public who are accustomed to this type of activity at a race. Second, we wanted to help promote the Mushers themselves. In all other sports the athletes are able to generate a fan following. This has led to great leaps and bounds for many sports in their development. We also want to encourage Mushers to promote themselves and help remove the stigma that seems to be associated with Mushers who receive support and promote themselves from others inside our sport.

Third, we wanted to provide something interesting and familiar to beginning Mushers, future Mushers, and those who are not necessarily involved in the sport but are interested in dogs in general. A young child who shows up for a race and goes home with an autographed card from a musher will remember the race as a positive experience. I would not be honest if I did not also recognize the benefits to the business in both name recognition and public relations. This was not the primary objective, but the business side of this project will provide the financial resources to continue this program.

The cards have been used in many different ways. The Mushers have been passing out the cards at races and other events to both children and adults. It has been a great way for them to thank the fans that show up for the race and provides and easy opportunity to interact with the spectators. We have also assembled some complete sets. These sets have been presented to many organizations to give away at mushing events. They have been used as a gift for junior racers (both at races and seminars). They have been given as a thank you gift to the volunteers who helped put on that race.

Since our primary objective is the promotion of the sport we have made the cards available to anyone who would like to have one for them or one of their dogs at our cost. Of course we wish we could provide one for all who want one but that is not feasible. What is feasible is to bundle all of the people who want cards onto our order and receive the maximum discounts for all. We will collect the needed material from the person wanting the card, coordinate layout with the manufacturer, submit a draft of the card for approval and then get it printed and mailed out. Even if the musher is sponsored by another dog food company (or any other sponsor) we will still make the card and make sure that the sponsors are listed on the card. We cover the cost for 100 cards from each individual so we can assemble complete sets. The cost for 900 cards is $150 or 1900 cards for $185. If you are interested, you need to act fast because we intend to print these cards as soon as possible.

We have been cautiously optimistic about the acceptance of the cards but now as we are preparing to do another set we feel confident that we are on the right track. The next set will not only include some mushers but will also include some of the dogs that have contributed so much to the sport. The Mushers who have given the cards out have had a great reception from all sorts of people. The organizations that gave them out are pleased that not only do they have a gift but also it is unique and has value to the sport.

When we first started our hope was that every other dog food company would follow suit and make a set for their Mushers. To see a set from Annamaet, Eagle, Blackwood or any other company would be great. The overall effect would be a positive step towards portraying the sport of mushing as the professional sport it is and help generate both spectator support and loyalty.

In the last issue, Lynda Ninos, of Lancaster, PA, sent us a question about refinishing an old sled. Here's the responses from our readers:

from Jack and Pam Beckstrom of Olney, MT:
We use a product made by Varathane called natural oil finish that soaks into the wood as opposed to drying hard on the surface. This will put moisture back into the wood. If you choose to put a hard finish on the outside, you can use one of Varathane's polyurethane products over the top of it. When you apply the natural oil finish, apply it liberally and if the wood soaks it all up, reapply it until it stops soaking it up and wipe off the excess with a clean rag. If you do this each year to the sled, it will stay nice for the life of the sled. The nice thing about this product is that it never peels, cracks, or needs to be sanded before you can touch it up each year. We have been using it for many years on all the sleds that we build each year. We would also recommend storing the sled out of direct sun (and on a flat, dry surface) and protect it from the weather. Jack and Pam Beckstrom, Adanac Sleds and Equipment, P.O. Box 76, Olney, MT 59927

from Brian Crosby:
After working with log homes I've learned that any product that seals also causes rot. The best wood treatment I've found for any wood that will spend time in the weather is turpentine and linseed oil mixed 50/50. Use multiple coats until it no longer absorbs, then wipe clean and let set. This will give it excellent protection that is easy to maintain, as well as a wonderful patina.

Late August 2005

Where did the summer go? It feels like yesterday when we put the sleds away and pulled out the hammer and nails to start working on summer projects. The days are rapidly getting shorter and it's finally starting to cool off to where we can start thinking about four-wheeler training. Once again, it's been a dry, smoky summer here in interior Alaska, with several forest fires burning in the outlying areas. Thankfully the closest one this year was 70 miles north up in Livengood. But when the winds were right it seemed like it was just over the hill. On clear days we did a lot of loose running with the dogs that kept them in good shape all summer. I'm anxious to pull out the harnesses, but not until we wrap up a few building projects that have to get finished before the snow flies.

In the summertime it always amazes me how little food the dogs need to maintain a good weight. On average, the dogs need only 2/3 to 3/4 of a pound of food per day to maintain good weight. We give the dogs one quart of baited (soaked Redpaw) water in the mornings, make sure they have clear water in their cans for the day, and feed at night. At night we fill a bucket half-full of Redpaw and then add cold water to fill the bucket completely and dole it out that way. The dogs always lap up all the clear water along with the dry kibble and the dry kibble is good for their teeth. This is also a quick way to feed in races, requiring no lag-time for soaking.

Looking forward to later this fall, I plan on driving down again to the Northern Wisconsin Dog Mushers Association symposium in Bayfield at the end of October. Like last year I will be pulling our 24-foot enclosed dog-hauling trailer and am offering a transport service for anyone wanting to ship dogs/sleds/etc. between any points from Fairbanks to Bayfield. The trip was a big success last year and I'm able to undercut the airlines substantially. See my ad on Sled Dog Central under "Dog Transports" if you're interested. Good luck in fall training and see you in Bayfield.

Puppy time!

This is for those of you who have never had the joy of raising a litter of puppies!

I don't think having puppies should be taken lightly. There are far too many unwanted dogs, not to mention sled dogs, in this world. I think it is a huge responsibility filled with great amounts of work as well as joy. To me, the responsibility shouldn't end the day any of those pups go to their new homes. I believe we should all be responsible for "our" dogs for the rest of their lives in some way or another. Know where they are, how they are doing and if they aren't doing well for what ever reason, step up and get involved again if it means taking the dog back for good or helping to place the dog again.

I have seen far too many people who breed sled dogs that seem to have a throw away mentality. My heart sinks and tears come to my eyes at the thought. Sure, if you have a larger kennel you will most likely be placing a few dogs down the road and hopefully this is done in the best interest of the dog, having weighed all possibilities and after much consideration.

I then see folks who start adopt-a-sled dog organizations. They run those "throw away" sled dogs. They care for them and make them feel wanted and the dogs thrive. My heart lifts and tears come to my eyes. THESE are the folks that deserve SO many thanks. Even though they see it in the eyes of their dogs every day, they need to hear it or read it coming from their peers, as well. Thank you!

OK - now that I have that off my chest, on to puppies.....

It is amazing that we even caught Icoa's heat in time to breed her in the first place! The rare Inuit Dog breed is known for silent heats that can go undetected by even the males.

I began noticing a change in her behavior the middle of April and because pups from this litter would be the beginning of an Inuit Dog Recovery Program in Kangiqsualujjuaq Nunavik, I didn't want to miss it. I had two different tests done at the vet that day. The results indicated the best day to breed her would be the following Tuesday! How was I going to get her from central Minnesota to north of Winnipeg over the weekend with an already full schedule?

Thankfully a friend who had never seen that part of the country volunteered to be her chauffer and off they went for a whirlwind trip to Inwood, MB.

Long story short, the test was wrong and she ended up being bred the week after the test indicated. Icoa got a three week vacation to Canada before I was able to pick her up again.

We went through a period where she did not want to eat at all until I came up with different concoctions like frozen catfish fillets, hardboiled eggs and beef fat soup and chicken and liver cooked in bacon grease to add to her diet. The combination was a life saver and there were no more appetite problems.

The pups were born on June 28th, 2005 in a plastic kiddy pool lined with card board, a comforter and some newspaper strips, after numerous nights of my thinking they would be born anytime now. I was really hoping for a couple of black puppies because the father is black. Was I surprised when all six were black! I began wondering how I would tell them apart. Well, after getting to know them it soon became easy. There were three males and three females which was the perfect combination.

After four days in the laundry room with her new born pups, Icoa began to revolt. She was bored to death and wanted out. She decided to indicate this to me by taking it out on the furnace. She and pups were brought quickly out to the shed that contains a small dog door leading out to a kennel so Icoa could feel free again.

As soon as 7-9 days old, the pups were howling and growling, just as their eyes were opening. At 9 days the weight range was from 2lbs 8oz to 2lbs 14oz. At 14 days they were wormed for the first time and the range was from 3lbs 4oz to 4lbs even. Twenty six days old showed the range at 5lbs 4oz to 6lbs 6oz. At 39 days or a day short of six weeks the range jumped up to 10lbs 2oz to 12lbs 8oz. At just under 8 weeks old the male I had chosen to keep which was the smallest of the males, weighed in at 16lbs 4oz.

Solid food was introduced at 3 weeks. It consisted of a 35/30 Redpaw formula in water the consistency of a thick stew. At 4 weeks they chose their mother's Redpaw 38/25 dry kibble over the stew and have been free fed with kibble and milk from the milk bar ever since.

The first few weeks, until they graduated from the pool for fear of a jumper, the bedding was changed every couple of days because mom was doing all of the clean up. Once the pool was gone, the clean up in the shed became a daily routine to get what Icoa had missed. Now that the pups are outside with no access to the shed and are considered to be at this stage little poop factories, clean up has increased to three times a day. All of this work is worth it when you are met with fuzzy little wagging tails and little fuzzy faces against yours......and the puppy breath!

The socialization begins at birth for the Inuit Dog pups. From the moment they are born, if they are held and talked to they are better able to bond with people as adults. Outside visitors were limited until they were four weeks old to let their immune systems build up. Now they are routinely meeting people of all ages and dogs of all kinds to better equip them for encounters later in life.

They began to go out in the fenced yard and explore as soon as they could maneuver the steps up from the kennel to the back yard. Prior to this, they were confined to a removable puppy pen on the grass for their daily outings. At 8 weeks old, it was getting to be quite the chore rounding the little guys up. They were finding holes dug by other dogs in the yard, three puppies deep or deciding to hide under one of the many spruce trees or large shrubs.

Well, the puppy breath is fading and one pup has now gone on to his new home. Another is going next week. I get to enjoy the three heading up to Nunavik until the beginning of October then they go off to start their exciting new lives. Ilu will be staying here at Points Unknown Kennel and is the newest addition to the pack.

Ilu, 6.5 weeks

Ilu, 8 weeks

I am truly enjoying this puppy experience and will not have the energy to do it again for several years!

Since I began working for Redpaw, I have been asked on several occasions about protein levels in dog foods. It seems that many people have been told, by their vet or others, that dog foods with higher percentages of protein may be bad for their dogs. I hear this especially from owners whose dogs are not as active as the typical sled dog.

According to the Merck Veterinary Manual 7ed section on Dog Nutrition, protein requirements for dogs vary according to age, activity level, temperament, growth rate, reproductive and health status, and stress level. Their suggested profiles for crude protein as a percentage of dry matter weight include:

Growth, last 3rd gestation, lactation: 28-35%
Maintenance (Adult): 20-28%
Sedentary: 20-25%
Old age: 15-25%
Work/stress, convalescence: 25-30%

Keep in mind that these are loose guidelines, not finite limits. Balance must be maintained in Calcium, Phosphorus, and Sodium, and proper amounts of other nutrients must also be present. Weight must be monitored to prevent obesity, particularly in older dogs. There is no mention of a certain limit at which protein becomes harmful to dogs. I have been unable to find any credible source for the claim that any said percentage of protein is bad for healthy dogs. If a dog has certain health issues, such as kidney disease, then other considerations may apply. The simple fact is, a great many working dogs have been consuming foods, from numerous manufacturers, with 32% protein or higher, for many years with great success.

It is also important to realize that crude percentage of protein by weight does not accurately measure the amount of protein actually consumed. Since many 32/20 formulas offer better digestibility and higher caloric content, you will generally need to feed less food to maintain weight. Redpaw has found that, in general, most dogs require 25% less of our 32/20 compared to other foods.

Let's look at a way to roughly quantify this: For every 100g of a 26/18 formula you can estimate that it will contain 26g of protein. Feeding the same amount of Redpaw 32/20 would yield about 32g protein. However, since you will be feeding 25% less of the 32/20, the actual amount of protein consumed by the dog comes in at 24g. So the dog is consuming more protein overall with the 26/18 diet than on the 32/20 diet. Thus saying that 32% protein is too much for a dog is inaccurate at best.

I have also seen from experience what foods with lower protein, and especially lower fat, can do to dogs. I've known many people who have put their overweight dogs on "diet" foods, usually containing less than 20% protein and under 10% fat. From what I have seen, these dogs rarely lose any weight and many of them suffer from various health problems. I have personally seen my own pet lose weight safely on our 32/20 formula, simply by lowering the quantity fed. I find it very easy to maintain ideal weight by balancing intake with activity.

I hope this will help. In truth, canine nutrition is a very complex topic. I could give a more detailed explanation, but to do so adequately would require a book's worth of info of an exceedingly technical nature. I can provide references if anyone really wants to go that far.

I would very much like to find the source of were this attitude against protein comes from. If someone tells you that 32% or higher protein is a bad thing in general, please ask them for the source of their information. If it is a vet, ask them to provide their references. I'd very much like to read the opinion.

Remember, this newsletter was created for you. We encourage your input on any sporting dog related topic. If you have tips, questions, or suggestions, please send them to us.

Training Tips: training@redpawfeed.com

Dog Health or Yard Maintenance: dogyard@redpawfeed.com

Traveling with Dogs: traveling@redpawfeed.com

Feeding Strategies: feed@redpawfeed.com

Gear Reviews or Suggestions: gear@redpawfeed.com

Question of the Issue, Either your answers to the current question or to pose a question: QOTI@redpawfeed.com

Any other topics: editor@redpawfeed.com

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Makin' Tracks accepts advertising from non-profit groups that benefit dogs and dog sports. Please show your support by visiting the organizations below. If you would like to see your organization listed here, please contact editor@redpawfeed.com.

Midwest Skijorers

A non profit organization that strives to promote dog sports and work to gain community trail access for other dog sport enthusiasts.

Midwest Skijorers Club is committed to advancing the sport of skijoring in the Twin Cities and upper Midwest.

We endeavor to develop and promote events and activities related to Skijoring.

We seek to educate the public about the nature and benefits of skijoring for dogs and dog owners.

We work with communities to expand trail access and improve trail safety.

We assist beginning Skijorers with seminars and novice events so they may more fully enjoy this unique sport.

http://www.skijor.org

Adopt A Husky, Inc.

A Siberian Husky Rescue Serving
The Midwest & Pacific Northwest Regions

A 501(c)(3) NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Over 700 Siberians Saved Since August 1998

Visit our website, send us email, or call:
262-909-2244 (Wisconsin & Illinois)
612-986-2244 (Minnesota area)
248-892-2244 (Michigan area)
440-522-2244 (Ohio area)
509-999-5118 (Pacific Northwest area)

What is Mush with P.R.I.D.E.?

P.R.I.D.E. stands for Providing Responsible Information on a Dog's Environment. The relationship between sled dogs and humans is one of the oldest bonds of its kind. Modern sled dog owners are proud of their dogs as canine athletes that are bred and trained to do what they love: run as part of a team. Mush with P.R.I.D.E. supports the responsible care and humane treatment of all dogs and is dedicated to enhancing the care and treatment of sled dogs in their traditional and modern uses.