DARKWOOD SLED DOGS

Quick reminder that my inbox is always open for questions asked in good faith. Curiosity is not shameful and no questions asked with such are stupid, unwanted, or a waste of my time. I just ask to be treated respectfully.

Thanks!

we are finally. FINALLY. after 10 years of renovating mr d's childhood house able to afford a functioning bathtub replacement.

Was noodling on the concept from @farm-paws post that lots of problem dogs would be much different if they were given sniffy walks every day (hard agree), but overall it got me thinking that a lot of people think of high energy vs low energy as this sliding scale when in reality i think it's much more like this:

A dog can have lots of physical energy that needs to be dealt with, but that energy can be exerted through simple, low effort tasks for some dogs while others might need a nuanced and specific fulfillment regimen (usually depends on breed/type and/or line of dogs imo). It is the "high fulfillment needs (both low and higher physical energy) dogs I think a lot of people struggle with as this fulfillment level requires extra dedication beyond letting them out to piss and taking them on a walk. Additionally, I think to a lot of average people "low energy" to them often means they want a dog with Low/No energy and low/no fulfillment needs which are extremely rare imo. It is, in a majority of instances, not realistic to expect your dog to have NO fulfillment needs, especially in regards to their physical and mental activity.

For example, I would classify my dogs as "Low Energy, High fulfillment needs" like this:

because they are 1.) usually very chill/low energy when not exercising (I'd say lower energy than my past golden retriever who would be more in the straight middle of the chart), can not be given physical activity for days without issue, and are usually really fulfilled by a sniffy walk once a day but they also 2.) NEED to pull in harness at least twice a week either through weight pull, mushing, or hiking/packing to achieve this. A working malamute not given that high, more demanding than the average dog owner fulfillment would likely be a problem dog because they'd be unfulfilled and bored out of their mind, regardless of the breed's natural energy level.

I would be totally interested in other peoples examples of other breeds and/or their individual dogs

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*my usual caveat that ALL dogs need to be taught to settle appropriately and that some sports people do train arousal dependency into their dogs without teaching settling which imo does not do a dog any good.

** my OTHER usual caveat that energy & fulfillment needs are not the only reason a specific dog or type of dog will be ideal for your lifestyle, but it is certainly something to consider.

8km and flying. After a pretty decent sled season and more than a year of weekly weight pull sessions I swear they’re the strongest they’ve ever been. Wanted to do more mileage but a tree was down across the trail that we couldn’t safely navigate around. Super pleased!

the snow is gone but the temperatures are dropping at almost the end of march which means: taking the dogs out tomorrow on a rig run and hoping its not our last of the season

What the fuuuuck:

I’m sorry but comparing force free dog training to neglect because you aren’t willing to accept that not all dogs are behaviorally stable enough to live with people is so asinine.

The “balanced” folk will literally say anything negative against R+, force free, and other positive reinforcement heavy training methods but always they fail to do anything about actual abuse, heavy handedness, and actual aversive trainers parading themselves around as “balanced” (like I cannot take these folks seriously as balanced until they are actively doing something and speaking up).

My dogs aren’t “force free”, I’m LIMA (Least Invasive Minimally Aversive) trained but I believe heavily in R+ and that if R+ methods are what animal behaviorists are using for tigers, hyenas, and other dangerous non-domestic animals for cooperative care behaviors that this can AND should apply to dogs as well.

Dogs do not languish in shelters because of R+ and/or force free training methods. They languish there because many rescues are hoarding situations, because “adopt don’t shop” has done irreparable damage to people’s perception of ethical dog breeders, because so many dogs in shelters are BEHAVIORALLY UNSAFE for the average person, because we view euthanasia as a cruelty instead of a necessity to reduce behaviorally unstable dogs from society or a kindness from a cruel and scary life. There are worst things than dying. All the “balanced” training methods in the world will not change those things.

Drives to work in a Vermont March always remind me why I got the off roading version of the Outback. Like some people off road for fun. Here the road might as well be off road.

Our next run is likely to be on wheels, but man what a sled season!

He really does match the aesthetic….

Big squid dog

Cheesin’

Crunchy snow!

If you have a deep fascination with sled dog genetics, breed split, and sled breed histories this is a very interesting study.