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Dog Of The Week: Gremlin

Sarah · February 5, 2015 ·

Sorry, we’re a little late getting to this week’s dog of the week. It’s been almost a week of worry and anxiety here in our kennel over one thing or another so we got a little behind…but we really want to take the time to honor this week’s dog of the week. When I asked Travis who he thought deserved this week’s nomination for dog of the week, he said “Gremlin. Without a doubt.” A small female, Gremlin is spunky, fun and loves to run up front.

Gremlin joined our kennel when she was six weeks old back in 2011, along with her sister Goblin. She came from Dallas Seavey and is out of his 2012 Iditarod Golden Harness winner, Guinness and one of Mitch Seavey’s former main leaders, Gumbo. She’s a quirky little dog with a playful spirit who loves to work and run fast.

Gremlin (left) and her sister Goblin (right), future Iditarod racers, enjoy a puppy walk.

“She’s a driver.” Travis has been saying more and more about her in recent weeks.

I always smile a little bigger whenever Travis compliments Gremlin because Gremlin is my dog. Goblin is his. As the story goes, Travis was actually only supposed to come home with one puppy the summer he worked with Dallas and he’d picked Goblin.

He thought about it for a few minutes and then quickly changed his mind. “Actually, that won’t work Dallas.” Travis said when he picked out the fuzzy little black ball. “I can’t come home with a puppy and not have one for my girlfriend. I’ll really be in the dog house then.”

And that’s how we got Gremlin.

For what seemed like weeks she and her sister didn’t have names. They lived inside with us and played out in a pen during the day. At night, they wrestled, tumbled, snarled and hissed endlessly.

“They sound like demons from hell,” I told Travis one night.

It didn’t matter what we did, they never shut up. To this day, whenever they are playing together they are loud and snarl often.

“Goblin and Gremlin,” Travis said finally while we debated names. “The demons from hell.”

I laughed but the names stuck.

Gremlin-dog-sled-tour-puppy — Gremlin out on a free run.

They grew slowly over the next few years. They never got to be big dogs and Gremlin was always more petite than her sister. When we ran them next to each other, they would alternate between licking one another and playful biting one another. On long runs, when one got tired, they other would gently press her nose to the other’s face — a brief kiss and the simplest sort of encouragement.

They really are great friends and sisters. But this season they’ve spent more time apart than they have in their entire lives. Goblin developed a debilitating injury early on in the season and is still lame. While Gremlin trains, she stays in the dog yard to go on walk to the beach and on local trails. She is distraught without her sister and lights up whenever she returns home.

But even though they have been separated this winter due to training, Gremlin has really shone. We started working with Gremlin in lead this summer during our dog sled tours. Our summer dog sled tours are an excellent way for us to train new leaders because our tour trail is a series of interconnected loops where the dogs constantly have to make decisions. Our tours offer a fascinating glimpse into the world of training lead dogs because we don’t believe in just running our dogs. Every time we run them, they are training. And who better to work with then your leaders. “It’s not just a dog sled ride,” Travis likes to tell our guests. “It’s a show.”

This summer Gremlin ran in swing but quickly moved up to lead. Her small size and eagerness made her an ideal candidate for the position and she quickly excelled.

“Guess what!” Travis said to me one rainy summer day, a grin spread wide across his face. He was wet and he had freckles from the mud checkered across his cheek.

“What?” I asked a little skeptical. I’d seen that smile enough to know it could mean anything.

“Gremlin ran in single lead today!”

I burst into a grin at the news. “That’s great! How’d it go?” I asked curious.

“You’d never know it was her first time. She was great!” He said. “I think the guests didn’t believe me when I said it was her first time up there alone.”

I laughed — “Must have gone really well then!”

For all of September, October and November I set Travis on a challenge: Don’t run any of your lead dogs from last year. He accepted and was able to take a number of young, confident dogs and turn them into impeccable leaders, one of whom was Gremlin.

Zema (left) and Gremlin (right) leading Travis Beals and team at the start of the 2015 Knik 200. Notice how straight that team of dogs is! Photo Courtesy of Chuck Ashley

“She was killing it on the Knik 200,” Travis said. “She was the one setting the pace for the team that race.” He tells me, then adds “Man, do I feel like I let that little girl down!” He shakes his head off and smiles. “Her dad is one directionally challenged goofball,” he says referring to a crucial error that ultimately led to him scratching from the race. “I don’t know if we would have won or not… but we sure would have put up one heck of a fight!”

Gremlin reminds us that looks can be deceiving and a little sass in a sled dog is a good thing. She’s one smart little lady but what she lacks in size she makes up for in heart and drive.

This little girl is going to help get us to some pretty big finishes and we are so happy she is this week’s dog of the week!

Remembering Izzy

Sarah · February 4, 2015 ·

We lost a great dog Sunday Morning. Early Sunday morning as Izzy’s condition began worsening and I made the difficult decision to end her suffering. Although I am comforted by the fact that I did everything I possibly could have, losing a dog — especially one so young — is never easy.

To say yesterday was a hard day is an understatement, however I know that this was the only route left to us after exhausting all the medical tests at our disposal and coming up with nothing. On paper, Izzy was a very healthy dog.

Izzy at the Vet's Office — Izzy at the Vet’s Office

Her last night here I did my best to comfort her. We snuggled on the floor together and I held her as much as she would let me. I reassured her, loved her, and comforted her. Early in the morning around 4am Izzy began drinking water, took more medication, and I even got some probiotics in her. She also began hemorrhaging but it seemed we had it under control and she was staying hydrated.

Her eyesight had not returned but the vets and I were hopeful it would. Her loss of vision made her anxious and it was clear she was nervous about her inability to control her hind-end. She had a restless night. I consulted with two different vets throughout the night and early in the morning but they believed there was little we could do without a clear diagnosis.

I called Travis several times, knowing he had scratched from the 2015 Knik 200, but could not get ahold of him. By morning, Izzy’s body started shutting down and I knew that the right course for her would be to free her from her pain. It was a hard decision, more difficult because Travis was gone, but I knew it was the right one.

Izzy was a special dog.

She always peed when she got nervous, which was a lot.She’d throw her butt to the floor and meekly lower her head and shyly wag her tail then look at you, embarrassed. “Oops!” Her body language seemed to say. “I didn’t mean to!”

You couldn’t help but laugh. She enjoyed roaming the dog yard and was eager to please. She enjoyed spending time with both people and dogs.

She was a spunky, happy, dog who was full of spirit. Izzy also had a knack for climbing fences that routinely got her in trouble. She didn’t like being confined which only made it harder to see her so immobile. When she climbed out of the puppy pen, I’d often find her playing with older dogs. She’d taken to a male named Yankee, who is spending the winter with us, and enjoyed hiding under his house and nipping at his tail. More than once, I found them curled up together outside his house.

Izzy was a happy dog. When this started started Saturday morning, I really thought she’d pull through because she was so full of life and energy. She was always wagging her tail and was such a happy dog. Even while sick, when I talked to her and told her she was a good dog, she would always try to wag her tail.

Even though her time here was short, she showed from the beginning she was an incredibly gifted dog and I can say, with 100% confidence, that she would have been an impeccable leader. Her loss will not just be felt today but will also be felt in the future as we continue to watch her siblings grow, mature, and become race dogs adding to our kennel. As we watch them grow and develop we will always think of Izzy. She was, to us, the pup that showed the most promise of her litter mates due to her uncanny intelligence.

We’ll carry you with us, Izzy. You live on in our hearts. The trails we run down will be the trails that you run down. We will carry you with us.

Izzy, may you find open fields to roam and plenty of snow to dance on.

2015 Knik 200: Musher’s Meeting & Starting Positions

Sarah · January 31, 2015 ·

It was a hassle getting out of the house with the dogs this morning but we were, eventually, handsomely rewarded and we had a great time. We had a fun road trip up to Knik too.

On the way up, we saw a familiar dog truck on the road. It belonged to none other then fellow Kenai Peninsula Musher, Paul Gebhardt of Morning View Kennel. We sped up to go by him, and in typical mushing fashion, called trail. We made a sign and hung it in the window as we went by.

Paul got a good chuckle.

Races are great like that. It’s a good excuse for us all to come together, hang out, and spend some time together. For us, The Knik 200 Musher meeting was a great chance to catch up with old friends, talk dogs, and win some awesome gear!

Musher Meetings are generally “spiced up” by having some free give aways and we were lucky enough to take home some of the booty. Justin and Travis both took home 100 free dog booties from a drawing at the musher’s meeting. We are so excited! Dog booties are one of the most expensive costs in our sport outside of dog food. Thank you to Kipmik Products for donating the booties!

2015 Knik 200 Race Format

The Knik 200 has changed it’s route from previous years due to snow conditions. This year, the race starts at Deshka Landing in Willow and will consist of two loops starting from Deshka Landing going to Yentna Station and then back to Deshka. There is only one mandatory layover of six hours of rest to be taken at Deshka Landing before the start of the second loop. It should be a race that allows for lots of passing and will have lots of river miles.

Travis Beals Draws his Starting Position at the 2015 Knik 200 — Travis draws his starting position for the 2015 Knik 200. Photo Courtesy of Jae March.

We drew our starting positions. Travis drew 10th, meaning he will leave at 1:10 pm tomorrow. He is required to stay the mandatory 6 hours at his layover plus an additional 40 minutes to make up his start differential.

Travis’ Team

Zema – Gremlin
Fidget – Krum
Handsome – Wrangler
Cuervo – Willie
Drum – Teddy
Jimbo – Droopy

Ironically, Paul Gebhardt drew 11th place. Paul promptly asked Travis if he could borrow the “trail” sign he had made.

Travis isn’t sure how he will be treating this race yet. While the team is strong, he may decide to camp and use this race as more of a training run. He hasn’t made any decisions. He has two dogs in the team who are slightly behind in miles and will be judging how he runs based on their performance early on in the race. Regardless, it’s great experience.

Justin Steilstraw draws his position for the 2015 Knik 200. Photo Courtesy of Jae March.

Justin leaves 14th. Justin will leave the 2015 Knik 200 starting chute at 1:26pm. He is required to stay the mandatory 6 hours at his layover plus an additional 32 minutes to make up his start differential. Justin’s team has a a few of our race dogs (Weiser & Madori) as well as a number of up and coming puppies.

Justin’s Team

Weiser – Madori
Flo – Fergie
Shark – Star
Hank – Thor
Bruce – Aldawin

Wyatt Suchecki drawing his starting position at the 2015 Knik 200. Photo Courtesy of Jae March.

Wyatt leaves 19th. Wyatt will leave the 2015 Knik 200 starting chute at 1:36pm. He is required to stay the mandatory 6 hours at his layover plus an additional 22 minutes to make up his start differential. Wyatt has a number of veterans on his team, including Tamere, Kermit, Ginzu, Ray, Monroe, and Thunder

Wyatt’s Team

Bonnie – Tamere
Granger – Pinky
Kermit – Ginzu
Ray – Monroe
Thunder – Mongoose

Justin and Wyatt will both camp at Yentna station on both the first and second loop of the race so don’t be surprised to see their trackers stop. They are running a lot of young dogs and it’s important this experience be positive for the dogs and for the mushers. Yentna is a great place to camp. They have rented a warm cabin for the mushers and traditionally on race days, Yentna serves up some terrific pasta. They’re in for a real treat!

Travis Is Signed Up For The 2015 Knik 200

Sarah · January 27, 2015 ·

I sleep on the couch and wake covered in animals. Max jams himself in between me and the backrest, sprawling halfway on top of me. He is a heavy sleeper and, unlike most dogs, doesn’t fidget during the night and keeps me warm when the fire in the wood stove goes out. On my chest Snowball, one of our three cats, sits on top of me. When I wake, he stares at me the look on his face is blank: What of it? he appears to be saying. He is old and lame on one of his front legs. I carry him most places and spoil him terribly so, when I’m home, he is often by my side. Wrapped around my head is Mama, another cat, her tail flicks my cheek occasionally but otherwise she sits around me like a big black scarf. On the floor I can hear Betty breathing. She sleeps with her head near my hand — in case I should want to pet her in the middle of the night.

My phone rings frequently during the night. If I hear it, I usually answer. Sometimes it is a tourist trying to plan a summer trip and they don’t understand the time change. But more often than not it is Travis calling. He lives with such strange hours now that his days are no longer defined by the movement of the sun. The more you travel with dogs, the more you adopt their way of life. He eats when they eat and sleeps when they do. They have become his reference for all things.

So when he calls at 3:00am I am never surprised. I try, my best, to take it in stride even when it wakes me from deep slumber — a rarity for me. He tells me how the dogs are doing and what is going well.

“I signed up for the Knik 200,” he tells me tonight. “But I was thinking if you wanted you could run it instead.”

So bleary eyed and foggy-minded we talk. The race just announced a change in route due to lack of snow. It will now go from Deshka Landing to Yentna Station back to Deshka Landing, where a 6 hours layover is required back to Yentna station and, finally, back to Deshka landing for the finish. One section trail, run 4 different times. I applaud the Knik 200 for doing what they need in order to run a race and allow many rookie mushers to qualify — and in many ways, I think it will allow for some great passing training but the trail certainly doesn’t sound quite as exciting as the normal course.

We go back and forth. “You’ll run the team more conservatively,” Travis says — and I can’t deny because it is true. I will go slow and take my time. I will have fun but we will not race the way Travis would race.

“But you haven’t run some of these dogs before,” I tell him. I think race experience where you are actively pushing your dogs to their full potential is important. “Droopy, Thunder, Jimbo, Teddy, and Mongoose,” I tell him “have never run in a race with you. You may see something different.” And I believe that. Some dogs are mediocre in training and all-stars on the race trail. You never know until you run them hard.

“But you should do this one,” he says.

I listen. He tells me I should run it and that I’ve done a lot to deserve it but, for whatever reason, it doesn’t pull at me.

“I’d rather watch,” I finally tell him. I have too many concerns to jockey the team he has been carefully sculpting all season.

“Ok,” he says.

He hangs up and I struggle to fall back asleep. I look at the stars and watch as the light behind the mountain fades from black to pink. I spend today writing and sitting by the fire, frequently struggling to stay awake. I bought the dogs a new dog bed but they sleep on the couch so I take it and sleep for an hour on it curled by the fire with the cat and think of all the stories I will have to write in a week’s time and that makes me very happy.