"Running with the pack"...

On Thursday this week, I took Phoebe with me to visit Johanne. We had agreed to take out a small 6-dog team on a training run that evening. Zorro and Racer (from Hans-Christian) in the lead. Phoebe was attached to the sled with her elastic leash and left to run alongside (not pulling). It was obvious that she wanted to be in the team and she strained to go ahead - the elastic pulled her back and in a second we had run over her!!! She wasn't hit by the runners, just pushed down in the snow by the toboggan-plate. She emerged happily on the other side, no worse for wear!!! With a bit of rearranging, we kept going - she still ran happily along until her harness started to completely disintigrate! We left her to run loose and she could now approach all the dogs - frequently running in the middle of the team alongside the main towline.... A total of 15km run, fairly moderate pace run without any hickups - we stopped if we spotted anyone - I went forward to pull the dogs aside and hold them. Even at 20:30 - 22:00 in the dark evening we met 3 skiers! In January when we come back from our trip to Brasil, our "new" sled will be waiting for us!!!! I have bought a secondhand mid-distance alu-sled that weighs 14kg - with Phoebe and 3 borrowed dogs it will give us a chance to experience the pleasures of dogsledding :-) Can't wait!!

Work, rest and play....fight!?

In the week since we came back from the mountains, time has gone by so very, very fast! Come to think about it, time has gone by since Phoebe arrived in our home in July.... Here a picture of her when she was 2 months old.As you can see, we love her to bits! These last few weeks, she has been quite naughty, chewing on various items of the household - a basket full of pieces of soap; the zipper of Priscila's winter coat (ruining it!); a load of my socks; etc.... She now spends alot of time sniffing at the pee of other dogs and is very careful marking her own passage..... All her sisters in Sweden are reported to have their first period, so we are expecting it any day, now!

On the other hand, our little boy Nexus has started to "boss around" the house - the little boy is getting balls! He will be "neutered", but will be allowed to mature properly first.... Given his newfound "ballsiness", he has started to confront Phoebe! He walks straight up to her and gives her a punch on the nose!!!! Yesterday, he really bit into her and chased her around - this ended up with Phoebe trying to defend herself as best she could, giving off a panicky, wailing, "oooowww, ooowww"!!!! She was truly afraid! After I separated them, Nexus came back to confront her - Phoebe was so afraid that she turned her head away and snuck off into the corner!! POOR LITTLE GIRL!!! For those who know her, Phoebe is a happy, easy-going girl who shows little dominance. On the other hand, she likes to give a little verbal argument before giving in :-) HEHEHE - as I was writing this, there was a huuuge noisy racket going on - Nexus had been investigating a plastic bag.... Somehow the hole of the handle got trapped on him and he took off like a rocket trying to "escape it"!!! After running the length of the apartment it broke away - Nexus is now hiding under the bed...afraid that the plastic bag will try to attack him again!!! HEHEHEHE - here is a photo after the event.. Nexus wearing his "plastic bag skirt"...

Siberian Husky Club Autumn Meeting on Snow!

What a weekend! The Norwegian Siberian Husky Club had their Autumn meeting on snow last weekend.... Priscila, Phoebe and I drove up there on Friday and installed ourselves in the big cabin up on the mountain plateau (Syningen, between Gol and Hemsedal). Maybe 30 people and 200(?!) dogs were gathered to celebrate the return of winter!!! Phoebe had a new experience, sleeping on a straw bedding in her cage in the car..... During the daytime when not otherwise occupied, she was chained to the tow-hook of the car and just hanging around. In other words, she was adjusting to the typical life of the sled dog on tour! Saturday we borrowed Bardus from Johanne and teamed up the two - connected to me on X-country skis, towing Priscila behind me!! The GPS recorded a top-speed 24 km/hr - achieved running the first downhill from the cabin!!! When the two playful puppies were not otherwise occupied (read: playing in the snow like crazy), we averaged around 10-12 km/hr - NOT BAD FOR A 7 and 9 months' old Siberian dog team!
See a video of them both looking expectantly towards the "big boys" passing by in a sled-team!


Later that day, Phoebe was set in a 4-dog team pulling a wooden sled. In the beginning she didn't quite understand what was going on, but soon caught on a started seriously pulling! GOOOOOOD GIRL! The trip was far too short, but all in all we did 8.9km that day (skis+sled).
Sunday was absolutely stunning - blue skies, no wind, nice temperature (-8 deg C?). Because I had a bad back that day, we declined to borrow another dog and just went out with Phoebe... A very nice cross-country trip where we all got some more exercise - total length of 5km.
We all agreed that it had been a perfect weekend - good weather, wonderful dogs, nice people, food and wine... We have already booked space for the Winter Meeting in February :-)

The days go by....

Since last I wrote my blog, Priscila and I have spent 1 week in Paris and München - the kids were placed in a kennel and suffered not at all! Both were very glad to see us again, but I am sure they had a lot of attention - the girl at the desk said...."oh, they both have such great personalities....!" Phoebe and Nexus are going back there over the Christmas and New Year period when we go to Brasil to celebrate our (late) wedding party!

"This bed ain't big enough for the both of us......!"
Lately we have found Phoebe more and more often on our bed and on top of the sofa - sometimes jumping up straight in front of us and 11 times in a row just the other day!
As a revenge, Priscila jumped into Phoebe's bed with her.....!
This morning, her leash slipped out of my hand and she took off into the small forest like a rocket! I spent 10 minutes following her, trying not to go to fast because that just makes her go into "YouCan'tCatchMe" playmode...ah well!

We might simply have a preview of her "teenage antics"....!? She is now 6 1/2 months old and she could have her first menstrual cycle anytime soon....!

On the training front, I try to get out a couple of times per week with the bike (yes....the snow is almost gone, just a thin sugarcoating to make us dream). We do up to 3-5 km with her pulling ahead - average speed maybe of 10km/hr! - that is including all the full stops to sniff....! We do about 15-20km/hr when she is in the mood :-) In a couple of weeks we are going to the Siberian Husky Club Autumn Meeting on Snow - should be a chance for Phoebe to try out gently in a sled-team. We also plan to borrow a second dog to go skikjøring.....

On the cat-front, Nexus is as cool as ever...... The single week at the kennel seemed to make him grow even more "round bellied"...! He is known affectionately as "Chubby Boy".. Take a look at Nexus lazily fighting the camera: http://andersf.multiply.com/video/item/66/Nexus_fighting_the_camera

Winter is back......!

Hi dear friends!

Since I last was able to post, I have spent a week on business in the USA. OF COURSE, during my absence,it SNOWED!!!! 20 cms of fluffy powder snow...... Phoebe went totally mad with joy, running around "snuffling" her nose down into the white stuff, jumping around...The picture above is taken when Priscila is talking to me on the other side of the Atlantic...


Priscila and Zo had a fun-filled day with her... There was still snow when I came back - even now, one week later it covers the big green lawn area nearby with a snowy/icy layer.Of course - daddy (me) decided to have some fun too, so yesterday I put her in the harness and went out with my cross country skis! She ran like a rocket, with me trying to steer right and left to avoid the worst bare patches.....hehehe. If ever I was worried that she would be spooked by the noise of skis (or sleds) sliding across the snow.....nah, no way! After Phoebe lost interest and stopped to sniff around the lamp posts, I put her on the collar and walked abit... We met several other dogs, including her namesake Phoebe! Yes - there is a girl with 2 Siberian huskies living close by - we met her for the first time yesterday. This weekened Priscila and I are going to Paris and München for one week holiday....which means that I will have to drive tomorrow evening to deliver the 2 kids at the cat and dog hotel......! They will be fine....(I keep telling myself) - MJAUVOFF :-)

Autumn sunshine...

Three out of four of the precious women in life - Mother-in-law Isolete, my sweet wife Priscila and Phoebe (my own mother Angela not present)

Phoebe enjoying a few UV-rays on a beautiful October day!

Phoebe showing off her "wild-type" wolf-like colours.

Yesterday we had a long walk in the Frognerpark enjoying the beautiful autumn sunshine...! Even if we associate polar dogs with snow and wind, there can be no question that they (like us!) enjoy the magic light that comes with changing seasons...the autmn crisp and clear, winter blue(s) and dark light, brilliant spring sunshine on snow and the endless summer days...

October is certainly one of my favourite months - when I go out on the grass in the morning with Phoebe we enjoy the first real frost on the grass and the nostril- and lung-clearing crispness to the air...aaaaaah!

Sex, Drugs and Rock&Roll....!?

Or rather - in the animal world; Water, Food and Sex (procreation)! Since Phoebe is still too young to start thinking about having puppies, and she gets enough water from us....that leaves FOOD! Our little girl is in danger of becoming picky about eating - ai ai. Once in a while she just seems too bored to finish her meal.....at least her own! We have now caught her many times "red-handed" (or is that pink/red-tounged?!) whilst she clears little Nexus food bowl! His food is sitting on a shelf and she is just able to reach it...! I believe she is hoarding the food - she certainly does not suffer any shortage in our household - but sometimes she simply decides to steal what she can and if Nexus even approaches her bowl she will chase him away and start eating... She could be trying to "dominate" Nexus...simply because she can! I have cut back on her rations slightly, and will leave her only 15 minutes or so to eat up before I remove the bowl. She is served sometimes before, sometimes after Nexus, and his food is moved to a "safe" location as soon as he stops eating! Phoebe is now finishing her food....even licking out her bowl - heh :-) She now weighs in at 14kg and has just passed 5 months of age...

Oh - the other day we decided to give Nexus a raw egg - we had seen a cat in Turkey in June trying to lick / eat the sticky eggwhite and we thought it was soooo funny! Nexus had his egg mixed and ate some....before Phoebe came to take possession....! See for yourselves: http://andersf.multiply.com/video/item/65/Phoebe_eating_raw_egg
Mjau - voff!