Ronan Update

[oc_spirit]

Ronan''s been here for almost two weeks now and he''s doing great! I really had no doubts about him settling in though as he''s stayed here before just not for such a long time. We went through a short bout of pining where he refused to come out of the doghouse except to go pee but it only lasted a day because OC being the goober that he is cept going in and pawing at him until he''d come out and chase him around the yard. They very happily share the doghouse together but I still went ahead and got a second doghuse which will be added to the outside of the kennel (access from inside the kennel but attached from the outside) once I fix it up a little (going to put the same siding on it as the other one has so they look better together) just in case one day they dont feel like sharing, the other dog isn;t left without a house. If the never use it it''s no big deal to me. Walks have been interesting since the boys have rarely ever been on walks together before this, the only time they were off property together was to go pulling so they assume it;s pulling time. Training has been successful (and a little bit of help from the heat) but i''m not looking forward to when things cool down again.

When Ronan came here his fur was very burnt and dried out so I''ve been giving him eggs and olive oil with his kibble which is really doing wonders. I''ve also been keeping his time in the sin to a minimum. Now when I pet him I don;t feel like I''m petting a wire-haired husky LOL The coat around the back of his neck has some growing to do from wearing a collar all the time but it''s coming in nicely. Within a month or to it should be back to normal.

Training has been fun to say the least LOL He''s got sit, down, stay, and wait down. Come he doesn;t care to do and I still haven;t found a motivator for him. Food has some interest but if he doesn;t get it he doesn;t care LOL Ah well at least we''re progressing regardless.

Anyways here''s a pic I just got today of the boys playing

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

They are both so handsome .
It must be great for OC to have a playmate now.

~Tucker

 

[oc_spirit]

He''s certainly enjoying having his best buddy here all the time!

 

[koda's mom]

he is truly gorgeous, both of them are really!

 

[anna84]

they are gorgeous dogs if you don't mind i had a few questions. well one is really basic i was wondering how old these two are? and whats the average age of a husky on a sled team? i know from other posts that sledding (is this the proper term?) is your hobby do you just use these two or do you have, borrow? other dogs

 

[oc_spirit]

Thanks for the compliments!

OC is 3years old and Ronan is 5years old. The prime racing age is 3-7years old however training starts at around 8months and are ready to race by the time they turn 1 year old which is how old they have to be to legally be allowed. How long they race depends on the individual dog and it''s health. Some are done at 9 years old others are good until 12 years old. This past season my lead bitch was running fantastic next to Ronan at 10-11 years old. She never missed a beat and put forth a great amount of heart. The way things are looking she''ll still be on the trails next year too! The year before I raced with a 10year old bitch leading too. That was an emergency situation though. Shawney was technically already retired but I needed a dog.

I race with these two boys but since the class I tend to enter is either 3 or 4 dog teams I also need to borrow 1 or 2 dogs. I used to borrown from a lady near-by that owns about 7 Siberians however I now only train with her since I''ve started racing with a bigger kennel. She still always helps me out anytime I need it and would lend me a dog if I ask but the other kennel I''m running with has dogs better suited for the boys (get along better) and provides better opportunities for me not just in sledding, but in a bunch of ways in the Siberian world.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

Aww, they get along great!

Good to hear all is going well!