FAQ!
Thanks to Kirstin at TelemarkTips.com suggesting I put up a FAQ. For anyone who wants to know how I ended up here, how I live, those new to my blog, blah, blah, blah - here ya go! If you have any other questions you want answering, let me know at chaoskennel13@yahoo.com.
This is me interviewing myself. So it's totally biased and made to make me look my best.
So Stacie, how the heck did you end up in the Yukon involved with dogs?
Well Stacie, good question. I guess I'd been bugging my friends blabbing about my desire to move "north" for quite some time before I actually did it. I had been anxious to get out of the big city of Calgary, Alberta due to its expanding size and rat race I was getting more and more sucked into. That regular 9-5 life was never for me, so I hooked up with a kennel up here, and worked as a handler for a couple years.
What's a handler?
Basically, a slave. Yep, you work your butt off usually EVERY day for hours on end for little more than room and board. The upside is that you get to, oh, hang out with a bunch of dogs all day, spend all day outside (sure, it's cold but you get used to it), and learn. I gained a ton of knowledge from those introductory years at the kennel. Handlers main jobs are to train dogs, scoop poop, take care of the dogs, scoop poop, feed, sometimes cook (and try not to poison anyone), repair things, scoop poop, take tourists on trips, and scoop poop. I've never learned more about or talked more about shit in my life.
How many dogs do you have?
14 furry friendly happy pooches!
Why do you have 14 dogs?
Um, why not?
Do they all have names?
This is the weirdest question I get!! I can't believe you of all people are asking me this. Of course they have names!! How else would I refer to them? "Hey, black furry dog, come here!? No - not you, you're the black, furry dog with white patch on it's chest....what are you, stupid??!!" Nah, they all have names and very distinct personalities.
Speaking of personalities - for example - Octane is the mellowest, meek dog ever. You have to be gentle and quiet around him, and Loki as well. As a contrast I can scream in Gracie & George's ear for 2 minutes straight and they won't bat an eye. Most likely, they'll get annoyed and growl back! (just kidding, they know better). Ripper never stops moving so if you want to hug him you better watch your head near his, because it's like he has no control over his. He'll clock you in the nose in no time. Kate is a fiesty old lady who adores attention and turns into a big suck in the cabin. Ivy is the sweetest dog ever and gazes into deep your soul when you pet her. Rupert is bipolar - he is mild and sweet in the yard, but once he has a harness on he is the biggest screaming hyper maniac around. Even other dogs look at him as if to say "who the hell are you??!!" Jack and Harris are sweet and love each other. So close in fact, they're often seen sharing a doghouse - and when you look out it's like seeing a two-headed dog poking out of the house.
Ok, um, I'm asking the questions here - you're getting ahead of me. So, how do you keep them housed?
I have 2 large fenced off pens in behind my cabin. They are all loose in these 2 pens when I am home so they are free to frolic around and play... but when I leave I chain most of them up, because some have been "known" to escape and well, let's just leave it at that. Plus, there could potentially be a fight, and you don't want that to happen when you're not around. As sweet as they are individually, the dogs still have that "pack mentality" - and they can gang up on one as well.
Which brings me to... do your dogs fight?
Geez, are you new at this?? As I just was saying... they've been known to have their "differences" yes, but most of the time they're pretty good. The most common will happen once every couple months or so, where two dogs get into a little thing, but my running outside over to them, flailing my arms and yelling usually will break these up. Fights with injuries that require my care are very rare, and happen no more than once or twice/year. They're often like siblings - one will do something that just ticks off another dog and they have at it. It's always those dogs with the fiery personalities - the mellow ones rarely get in fights. That is one of the drawbacks of this open pen system. A lot of mushers have their dogs on chains and posts all the time and the dogs are quite fine and happy when used to this system as well. It's whatever works for you and your dogs.
Sure, I've only done three interviews in my budding career as journalist, but by far, you are the most difficult. Anyways, why are you so difficult?
Good question crappy reporter. Some tend to say I have a stubborn side, and that I always have to be right, but they don't know what the hell they're talking about.
Where do you work?
At a local museum in the summer. My life in the winter is spent outside with the dogs, and inside with the love of my life - my laptop.
Don't you get bored in the winter not working full-time?
Good god, NO!!! People who ask this are usually from down south. Northerners seem to understand this attitude towards life. There's a lot more emphasis on enjoying life and being happy, rather than working yourself to death. Ok, so we're usually not a RICH bunch, but dammit, we're happy.
Where do you live?
About a half hour north of Whitehorse.
Is it dark and cold all winter?
Er, no. We have a whopping 5 hours of light in the dead of winter. That's not so bad. You get used to it. You end up having lots of headlamps. Cold - sometimes. It can be -40C one week, then -20C the next, or even -10C. But hopefully not much wamer than that, or the snow will melt. Then I will have a breakdown at that point.
Is it light all summer?
It's pretty bright in the summer, yep. It really only gets "dusky" in the midst of summer, and I must say, I cannot stand sleeping when it's light out!! I find it funny that people are usually exhausted in the summer, as they're often up late, or outside doing things till midnight, not realizing how freakin' late it is. Often you'll hear the din of a chainsaw at 11pm. Just some yahoo down the road who doesn't own a watch. (I'm often that yahoo!)
Do you have power?
Yes, I made the transition into the 21st century a few years ago, after going without power for my first few years up here. I like power. I also have satellite tv and internet and I like them too.
How about a little thing called running water?
No. I must forage for my water like many people around here. It's not so bad, but having 14 dogs really increases the water consumption. That's why I decided to forgo my own water consumption, like showers and stuff. Why not? There's no one around to smell me. All my friends are mushers and stink as much as I do, and the dogs seem to like it...(just kidding mom!)
Where do you get water?
I've been going to the river for the dogs water, but we have a wonderful gas station here down the road who has water available for us water-less folks. Or you make friends with people in town who have hoses.
What is your cabin like?
Small and made out of wood. It's about 16x16 with a small loft for sleeping in. It's amazing how much stuff you can cram in a small cabin! And I still could use a maid, mostly because I am totally disorganized and messy.
Do you have wood heat?
Yes, that's all I have. I, like many people up here, love cutting wood!!!! However, my chainsaw and I are going through turbulent times right now...
Well, thanks for the interview - don't worry, I'll try and make you look good.
No problem. Shouldn't be too hard! Oh, I kid...
This is me interviewing myself. So it's totally biased and made to make me look my best.
So Stacie, how the heck did you end up in the Yukon involved with dogs?
Well Stacie, good question. I guess I'd been bugging my friends blabbing about my desire to move "north" for quite some time before I actually did it. I had been anxious to get out of the big city of Calgary, Alberta due to its expanding size and rat race I was getting more and more sucked into. That regular 9-5 life was never for me, so I hooked up with a kennel up here, and worked as a handler for a couple years.
What's a handler?
Basically, a slave. Yep, you work your butt off usually EVERY day for hours on end for little more than room and board. The upside is that you get to, oh, hang out with a bunch of dogs all day, spend all day outside (sure, it's cold but you get used to it), and learn. I gained a ton of knowledge from those introductory years at the kennel. Handlers main jobs are to train dogs, scoop poop, take care of the dogs, scoop poop, feed, sometimes cook (and try not to poison anyone), repair things, scoop poop, take tourists on trips, and scoop poop. I've never learned more about or talked more about shit in my life.
How many dogs do you have?
14 furry friendly happy pooches!
Why do you have 14 dogs?
Um, why not?
Do they all have names?
This is the weirdest question I get!! I can't believe you of all people are asking me this. Of course they have names!! How else would I refer to them? "Hey, black furry dog, come here!? No - not you, you're the black, furry dog with white patch on it's chest....what are you, stupid??!!" Nah, they all have names and very distinct personalities.
Speaking of personalities - for example - Octane is the mellowest, meek dog ever. You have to be gentle and quiet around him, and Loki as well. As a contrast I can scream in Gracie & George's ear for 2 minutes straight and they won't bat an eye. Most likely, they'll get annoyed and growl back! (just kidding, they know better). Ripper never stops moving so if you want to hug him you better watch your head near his, because it's like he has no control over his. He'll clock you in the nose in no time. Kate is a fiesty old lady who adores attention and turns into a big suck in the cabin. Ivy is the sweetest dog ever and gazes into deep your soul when you pet her. Rupert is bipolar - he is mild and sweet in the yard, but once he has a harness on he is the biggest screaming hyper maniac around. Even other dogs look at him as if to say "who the hell are you??!!" Jack and Harris are sweet and love each other. So close in fact, they're often seen sharing a doghouse - and when you look out it's like seeing a two-headed dog poking out of the house.
Ok, um, I'm asking the questions here - you're getting ahead of me. So, how do you keep them housed?
I have 2 large fenced off pens in behind my cabin. They are all loose in these 2 pens when I am home so they are free to frolic around and play... but when I leave I chain most of them up, because some have been "known" to escape and well, let's just leave it at that. Plus, there could potentially be a fight, and you don't want that to happen when you're not around. As sweet as they are individually, the dogs still have that "pack mentality" - and they can gang up on one as well.
Which brings me to... do your dogs fight?
Geez, are you new at this?? As I just was saying... they've been known to have their "differences" yes, but most of the time they're pretty good. The most common will happen once every couple months or so, where two dogs get into a little thing, but my running outside over to them, flailing my arms and yelling usually will break these up. Fights with injuries that require my care are very rare, and happen no more than once or twice/year. They're often like siblings - one will do something that just ticks off another dog and they have at it. It's always those dogs with the fiery personalities - the mellow ones rarely get in fights. That is one of the drawbacks of this open pen system. A lot of mushers have their dogs on chains and posts all the time and the dogs are quite fine and happy when used to this system as well. It's whatever works for you and your dogs.
Sure, I've only done three interviews in my budding career as journalist, but by far, you are the most difficult. Anyways, why are you so difficult?
Good question crappy reporter. Some tend to say I have a stubborn side, and that I always have to be right, but they don't know what the hell they're talking about.
Where do you work?
At a local museum in the summer. My life in the winter is spent outside with the dogs, and inside with the love of my life - my laptop.
Don't you get bored in the winter not working full-time?
Good god, NO!!! People who ask this are usually from down south. Northerners seem to understand this attitude towards life. There's a lot more emphasis on enjoying life and being happy, rather than working yourself to death. Ok, so we're usually not a RICH bunch, but dammit, we're happy.
Where do you live?
About a half hour north of Whitehorse.
Is it dark and cold all winter?
Er, no. We have a whopping 5 hours of light in the dead of winter. That's not so bad. You get used to it. You end up having lots of headlamps. Cold - sometimes. It can be -40C one week, then -20C the next, or even -10C. But hopefully not much wamer than that, or the snow will melt. Then I will have a breakdown at that point.
Is it light all summer?
It's pretty bright in the summer, yep. It really only gets "dusky" in the midst of summer, and I must say, I cannot stand sleeping when it's light out!! I find it funny that people are usually exhausted in the summer, as they're often up late, or outside doing things till midnight, not realizing how freakin' late it is. Often you'll hear the din of a chainsaw at 11pm. Just some yahoo down the road who doesn't own a watch. (I'm often that yahoo!)
Do you have power?
Yes, I made the transition into the 21st century a few years ago, after going without power for my first few years up here. I like power. I also have satellite tv and internet and I like them too.
How about a little thing called running water?
No. I must forage for my water like many people around here. It's not so bad, but having 14 dogs really increases the water consumption. That's why I decided to forgo my own water consumption, like showers and stuff. Why not? There's no one around to smell me. All my friends are mushers and stink as much as I do, and the dogs seem to like it...(just kidding mom!)
Where do you get water?
I've been going to the river for the dogs water, but we have a wonderful gas station here down the road who has water available for us water-less folks. Or you make friends with people in town who have hoses.
What is your cabin like?
Small and made out of wood. It's about 16x16 with a small loft for sleeping in. It's amazing how much stuff you can cram in a small cabin! And I still could use a maid, mostly because I am totally disorganized and messy.
Do you have wood heat?
Yes, that's all I have. I, like many people up here, love cutting wood!!!! However, my chainsaw and I are going through turbulent times right now...
Well, thanks for the interview - don't worry, I'll try and make you look good.
No problem. Shouldn't be too hard! Oh, I kid...
posted by dogsled_stacie at 1:03 PM
3 Comments:
Stacie, I have a 'dumb' question. Do you feed your dogs kibble, kibble plus raw meat, or totally raw meat and bones?
http://www.dianeschuller.com/Dog_Life_column.html
http://dogsnaturally.blogspot.com/
I have no idea when you guys commented since I haven't looked at this site for a loooong time!
Diane - I do feed them kibble and meat. Sometimes raw meat, more often cooked wild meat.
crazyd - not sure what you're asking...
But the dogs are Alaskan Husky-thingys. For the most part. Glad you like them -they are fun! :)
Stacie,
Your blog inspired me to start my own, "Dave's Iditablog". I'll be volunteering in Anchorage in March. Your blog is great! Take care.
David Todd
Post a Comment
<< Home