This is how we do it.

Normally we try to start with fall training in the middle of August, but it is the temperature who decides this in the end. We don't want to train the dogs if it is more then 12 Celsius and it can be a problem here in Narvik that we normally have nice weather in this period and it will be to warm the hole time.

Vegard and Bjørn

Before the training run

When we decide to go for a training run we always gives the dogs 1 to 1,5 litre water with good taste 2-3 hours before training. This is a good habit and the dogs learn to drink when water is offered to them. Later in the season it will be wery important that the dogs drink when we want them too.

When it comes snow on the ground a dog in good water balance will not so easy grab snow when they are running. Also dogs in our size need a lot of water when they are working hard in training.

Start Training

When the temperature is right and we start training we split the dogs in 2-3  8 dog teams depending on how many dogs we have in training.

We are training our dogs with an ATV 4 wheeler and we will use the engine to help the dogs to keep up the speed we want them to run in. The first weeks we are training contains 3 sessions a week, but we will fast try to get up to 4 trainings a week.  The distance will be like 3-4 km and the speed is around 24 km / hour. In this speed our dogs will work wery hard and we are wery aware of the danger of over heating if the temperature is high.

Ready to go in the truck

Heat stroke

It looks like heat stroke is a bigger problem on our adult dogs than the dogs which start their first season, because the adults works so much harder in the team than the young ones. We take water bottles with us on the ATV so we can have water in the dogs mouth and also wash away the foam in their face if they look warm.  We also takes a bowl with us so they can drink water if they need to under the training trip.

When they comes back to the car we give them more water and they also have the possibility to lie down in water to cool themselves down. We always have all the dogs loose after the training trip so they can run around and loose up their mussels. We don't put them into the car before they look like in normal temperature.

Tyson is a little to hot here.

Snacking

After every training run we always gives all the dogs some snacks. It can be a peace of dog biscuit ore a hotdog. If the dogs don't want this snack it tells us that the training run have been too hard ore too warm. It is also a good idea to give it so the dogs get some nutrition after the training run. They always get water and when it gets cold we have something in the water to make a good taste so the dogs want to drink. It can be like dry food in the water ore grounded meat.

Teddy and Bris gets water

To be calm before the training

We don't usually make a big deal of getting the dogs to be quiet when harnessing the team, but we always have all the dogs loose around the car so they don't make a lot of noise. Some are a little crazy when thy get in the team and they make some line trouble before start. This normally fix it selves after some time when training get harder and more, and the start to calm down.  We direct the a little in the start without making to much fuss about it. I feel that if it gets too much negativity in the training it is not any fun.  A good way to get the dogs to be calm is to wait them out to they are less about barking and jumping before you start the training, but it takes a lot of time and because we have to drive away from home to make the training we don't have time enough to do it like this.

 We always turn the team on our training run and when the team is turned around we take a little brake and then we don't allow the dogs to be crazy. We want them to be quiet and calm and take a brake to we start to drive back.

The dogs can be a little crazy when the training starts

Distance on training runs

We try from training starts to the end of December to have a smooth increasing of the distance from 3-4 km which is the distance we start on to 16-20 km which is the distance we want to go in the end of December.

We normally go 1,5 to 2 weeks on the same distance before we make any longer run. I look on the dogs if they are ready to go longer and make the old distance without any problems before I make a longer run.

In the beginning of fall training from August to October- ore to the snow is coming we take it extra easy and hold back on the distance because it is hard for their paws to run on gravel. When the snow comes we can make some longer runs and increase the distance faster because it is better for the dogs.

Last training season started September with 4 km each run and ended with 6,5 km each run.

October started on 6,5 km and ended on 9 km each run.

November started on 9 km and ended on 14,5 km – we got snow 16 Nov.

December started on 14,5 km and ended on 19 km.

Full speed up the hills

Training conditions

All training we do to the end of December is with ATV on roads. We do not have any trails where we can go with sleds and we normally have wery little snow in the terrain in January and February.

The place where we train most is only 6 km long so when the training starts to get longer than 12 Km we have to turn the team 3 times when we drive back and forth to get enough distance in the dogs.

The speed we drive in is stabile so long the training is on gravel roads. When we get snow the speed will increase some and I think we will drive around 28 km/ hour.

In the end of December the speed increases even more and we will train around 30 Km / hour. If it is heavy conditions ore the dogs don't look ready we don't drive so fast. We see on the dogs and drives after what they can do, not after the speedometer. You cant drive fast if the dogs is not ready to go in that speed, and the dogs have to learn to run fast over some time.

Cooling down after training

After Training

When we comes home after the training run we always let all the dogs loose so I can study their movements when they are running around. I am wery aware to avoid any limping dogs and any signs of something is wrong. If I can see it right away I can start treatment as soon as possible and give this dog a rest if he needs it.

I also looks after that every dog eats normally. If a dog loose his appetite it can be a sign on over training.

Hege