Racing for the Fun of It
Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race, Feb 2012. Photo courtesy of Don Deckert.
Although we are a non-competetive kennel, we do race the dogs because they (and we!) enjoy it. They seem to like the interaction with the other teams and pick up on the excitement of it all. Since we are relatively new to the sport, our team is still evolving - we've tried both short mid-distance and non-serious sprint races. I think this team has a lot of potential if the coach can only figure out how to unlock it!
Why are we "non-competetive"? Isn't the whole idea to win? Serious racing kennels can be quite large in order to have enough of the best quality dogs to make a winning team. We are committed to remaining small - I only have so much time and income, and I want to make sure that, Lord willing, every dog that comes to Tagalder can stay at Tagalder. We also want to be able to provide the best quality food and veterinary care to all of our dogs. I also enjoy the challenge of bringing the best out of the dogs that perhaps didn't fit with other racing teams.
Why are we "non-competetive"? Isn't the whole idea to win? Serious racing kennels can be quite large in order to have enough of the best quality dogs to make a winning team. We are committed to remaining small - I only have so much time and income, and I want to make sure that, Lord willing, every dog that comes to Tagalder can stay at Tagalder. We also want to be able to provide the best quality food and veterinary care to all of our dogs. I also enjoy the challenge of bringing the best out of the dogs that perhaps didn't fit with other racing teams.
Mushing in the Toolies
Venus and Stone in lead, Junco and Taiga in point, Windsor and Snowfall in wheel.
Recreational mushing - most of the time it's just us - is still our #1 passion. We do enjoy going out with other teams, and a lot of our race training is done right here in Northwestern Wisconsin. We are blessed to enjoy miles and miles of trails on public land.
We also have about a mile of trail right in our backyard, which we use for puppy training, early season training, and sprint training. The dogs seem to really enjoy the chance to let it all hang out and "go fast" after doing distance training.
We may also be brave and try the whole winter camping thing someday, if only I can ever figure out how to stay warm!
We also have about a mile of trail right in our backyard, which we use for puppy training, early season training, and sprint training. The dogs seem to really enjoy the chance to let it all hang out and "go fast" after doing distance training.
We may also be brave and try the whole winter camping thing someday, if only I can ever figure out how to stay warm!