Training Has Started, Finally

Training the dogs was postponed this year for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the lack of a properly functioning ATV. Finally, one of the ATVs came home from the repair shop, all fixed and ready to go. The other ATV is sitting in the yard, and we'll see about getting it fixed next year.

I did not take a camera with me on our first run, so here is a picture of one of our last runs last spring. This is the "puppy team", which is a long way from being puppies now. The youngest is two years old, but I don't have any younger dogs in the kennel right now, so they are still the "puppy team". The leader is my awesome dog Ghost. He is 12 years old. You would never guess his age from his performance on this short 8-mile trail. He did a masterful job of navigating this open field without any tracks to follow, executing my commands flawlessly.

I have 47 dogs on my training list right now, which I have broken up into five teams of 8 and one team of 7. Four of the teams have been out so far, and they are all looking great.

Here is one of the four retired dogs who won't be running at all. Mary is 14 going on 15, and she is going downhill fast. Her health is excellent, but she is getting very weak and wobbly. I take her for walks on a leash, but she likes to go very, very slow. She is a real sweetheart, as you can see here. That dirty looking patch on her shoulder is from lying too close to the propane heater and getting her fur singed.