Legends Kennel

Welcome to Legends Kennel!!!

Dogs were designed to work, and here at Legends Kennel we do our best to fulfill that need. Most of our dogs take part in multiple different disciplines that challenge both their minds and their bodies. If you want to meet these athletes visit the meet the team tab, their human companions are in there too. Finally to stay up to date on what the entire crew is up to check out the Talk of the Kennel.

"Live well, Laugh often, Love much."

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FAQ

1. "Why are these dogs so skinny?"

Just like any human athlete, sled dogs are kept trim and fit so they can do their job easily. They are fed a high calorie performance dog food and get lots of exercise. The average sprint racing sled dog can consume up to 5,000 calories a day or more during racing season.

2. "Why are the dogs chained? Its seems cruel!"

This seems to be the most controversial subject when it comes to sled dogs.

Lets look at it this way. Say you have a 16 year who wants to take the car out for a drive. You're not going to hand them the cars keys and say "Sure! Go ahead!" chances are, you're going to set some boundaries so they stay safe.The chain that a sled dog is on is the same kind of boundary. It keeps the dogs safe so they don't get loose and roam the country side. There is all sorts of trouble a mischievous sled dog could get into while loose. Most of it could be fatal.

Sled dogs are driven, working dogs with a passion for running. Most will stop at nothing to run which means they might resort to chewing, digging, or climbing out of a regular kennel. Most sled dogs also don't enjoy being in the house and some will have no trouble trying to chew their way of the house (yes, literally).

Sled dogs are NOT like pet dogs, some of them will not come when called if they get loose.

Contrary to popular belief, chained sled dogs are not aggressive, nor do they have behavior problems as a result of being on a chain. Aggression happens when a dog is neglected and abused, regardless of how it's kept. Mushers are sure to spend lots and lots of time with their dogs so they are well socialized and so they get the attention that they very well deserve.

With my sled dogs, they are also house dogs. Mine are never tied up unless at a race or in a yard without a fence. They come when called and know how to stay near me. Many mushers give their dogs regular free time off of the chain to run around and have fun.

3. "Are these dogs loved?"

Absolutely yes!!!! Sled dogs are star athletes and are treated that way. They all have routine visits to the vet, get a warm bed to sleep in (sometimes its their mushers bed!) and they are fed a good diet. Mushers dedicate their lives to their dogs. Sled dog racing becomes a life style, its not just a hobby or a sport. A musher and their sled dogs share a special bond that is unique and hard to understand with out experiencing it for yourself.

4."Some of those sled dogs don't look like sled dogs. What are they?"

These dogs are a breed that is becoming very popular in the sled dog world. We mushers call them Alaskan huskies and are a cross between a pointer and a husky These dogs were breed for speed and stamina and are used in most races.

Some mushers also use different breeds all together for mushing activities. Pretty much any breed dog can be a sled dog as long as they have a passion for running.

5. "I went to a race recently and all of the dogs had some strange colors on their head. What was that for?"

At a race all of the dogs will be marked a special color to show what class they are racing in. They will either be marked with live stock markers (which are absolutely harmless), zip ties on their collars, or there are some other ways to mark them. They are marked to make sure that everybody is running with the same dogs that they entered into the race and to be sure that nobody switches out a dog on the second day of a race or during a race. That wouldn't be fair to the other competitors.

6. "How do you control the dogs on the trail?"

The dogs are controlled on the trail solely by voice commands. There is a command to turn right, which is "Gee", and a command to turn left, which is "Haw". "Hike" or "Let's Go" is used to go and sometimes "Whoa" or "Easy" is used to slow or stop the team. "On by" or "Leave it" are used to tell the team to pass a distraction on the trail whether it be another team, a loose dog, trail help at a race, other trails, etc.
Some people also like to use commands like "Gee/Haw Over" (to move either to the far right or left side of the trail maybe to get out of the way of a passing team or snowmobile.) or "Come Haw/Gee" to tell the team to come around either to the left or the right and head back towards the sled to turn the whole team around.

7. "How do you train the dogs when there is no snow?"

Sled dog training begins in the early fall when the temperatures start to go below 55 degrees F. Of course you can't use a sled on dry ground so mushers use what we call "rigs" to run their dogs. There are lots of different styles and types of rigs but basically what they are are wheeled carts that the dogs pull just like they would a sled. Some mushers use 4-wheelers, homemade carts, scooters, bikes. Pretty much anything with good tires and a good break system can be turned into a cart for training sled dogs.

I also keep my dogs in shape compared to other people by using them in obedience and agility through my local 4-H group. One pro of having my dogs in the city and out in the empty country is that the dogs are also able to run around the yard and keep themselves in shape. The go running when ever they feel like it and stop them selves when they feel to hot to continue.