ISDW

I'm going to be taking a break from this forum for a while, if not forever. There is absolutely no need for this to be reopened and for people to be so cliquey - wow, you guys that went camping together are fantastic, people who question the wisdom of something are not. Such a shame, but I think that if you want to have a little forum only for people who know each other and meet up for camping, then brilliant, work away but don't belittle other people who haven't met you personally and aren't your 'mates'. I am disgusted that it was Dunc who started this again. If this was another poster saying something about one of the clique, there would be uproar.

Thats awful, for the people and the dogs. Just one thing though, rotties were never originally bred to be guard dogs, they were herding animals, so these dogs may have been trained to be guard dogs, but they weren't bred to be so. I love rotties and hate the way they're always portrayed as vicious dogs, they're not.

And they're in Ireland, so you'd save on postage.

The thing that drives me nuts is people who insist that huskies are more closely related to wolves than any other dog. It doesn't matter how much I explain that they have been domesticated (well you know, as domesticated as sibes can be) for thousands of years, and are no closer to wolves than any other breed, nope, they know best.

I've often wondered about Dalmatians, as they used to run long distances with the carriages, but maybe there is something in what you've been told, I can't believe nobody has come up with a Dally team yet if they would be good mushing dogs, they would make more sense to me to cross into a line of eurohounds or alaskans than pointers because of their history. Let us know how you get on:D

Sibes aren't that prone to bloat, if you think about the working sled dogs that do the long distance races, they tend to eat and exercise without much of a break in between. However, I always rest my dog for at least an hour after feeding, I feed in groups and they stay in their pens for that hour after they've eaten so that they get total rest. My GSD/sibe cross girl Nannuq bloated earlier this year, and if I hadn't known the signs (thanks to a friend who has Great Danes and lost a dog to bloat) she would have died. I got her to the vets very quickly on a Friday night, about 10pm. They tried passing a tube to relieve the pressure, it wouldn't go, so she had to have an operation, finally all finished at 3am. She has since bloated again, but she didn't torsion this time, mainly because when they operated on her previously, they stitched her stomach to the wall of her abdomen. So yes, I am paranoid about bloat, I know too many people who have lost dogs, even breeds that aren't prone to it, to take any chances now.

Great pics, have you still got that tiller rig? One of my best mushing dogs is Didge, an Australian shepherd cross (we think) the shelter we got her from had her down as a husky cross because she has a bit of blue in one eye! But she will run and pull all day, and picked up her commands very quickly. Any dog that enjoys it can do it, I love seeing other breeds out working.

I haven't managed to get Vince out yet cos he's a woolly and overheats very easily, along with only having half a nose, he needs lots of extra looking after:D

I know, I can't believe how warm it is, its October for goodness sake!

Thats why I think this will be a good one, I'm running Diesel, my big sibe and Tala, who is I don't know what, possibly a sibe/mal cross. My son is running a sibe and an aussie shepherd cross, if Juniors can run 2 dogs, on the entry form it says they can, on the rules on the website it says only one:lol: Should be a lot of fun and not too 'political' hopefully

Well I'm getting off the ferry in Wales and driving just across the border into England, if you think I'm then carrying on to Ipswich, you've got another think coming:P I love Suffolk though, have family living near Woodbridge, used to go there every summer when I lived in London, take the kids crabbing at Walberswick(I love that name:D ) and just mess around there.

I've got mine on Red Mills Racer, its a greyhound food. Price is a major consideration when I have to feed 24 dogs, and I give any of dogs that are underweight, or that are working a half a cup of Chudleys Greyhound crunch every day as well, its dehydrated meat that I rehydrate and mix in with the kibble. Everyone loves it, and they are all doing really well on it. I have one rescue boy that has been here for a year now and he was incredibly skinny when he came in and had the runs constantly, his previous foster home couldn't get it to clear up. Finally I managed to get him solid on this diet and he has put the weight on nicely.

It should be a really good one, theres a novice class which we're entering, so not too much pressure:lol: 2 dogs only, but you can use a rig or scooter, shame you live on the other side of the country Sinead.

Matt said I should get a partner when I'm there, so I'm not too worried. My son is running in the juniors as well, then we're going to my parents for a few days, they're in Wiltshire. Love the Forest of Dean, have been looking at houses there, just in case I have to move back to the UK;)

Had to post this here, I saw this on an American site, cold spot feeds, they sell mushing gear, and this was in the mushing section. I'm so tempted to get one, just to see:lol: women mushers