Here are some good links...
Snowater
Samoyeds
snowater_6@msn.com
Office
Phone (541) 388-0435 (Bend Pet Resort)
Ken has provided all our
dogs.
If you are serious about Samoyeds, give him a call (and
check out the links below).
He is a great breeder and really cares
about dogs. Every time I have a big question
about what is
happening with one of my dogs I call him and get great advice.
Wolf
Packs
http://www.wolfpacks.com/
They race Samoyeds and make
dog packs, sell scooters and other stuff.
They are great people
and I am overjoyed and learn a lot every time I see them.
If you
want to see how much you can do with a Samoyed or any dog, see this
site.
Their dogs Lightning and Nimbus have done amazing feats,
like getting working Samoyed titles.
They also make therapy and
service dog vests, but sell those through http://www.sitstay.com
DogScooter
http://www.dogscooter.com/
Daphne,
who runs this site, got me started running dogs. Read her book. Buy
her scooters and gear.
Go on her fun runs. There is also a yahoo
e-mail group called Dogs Love to Run.
She has proven almost any
dog can run and there are real benefits from doing so.
K9
Scooters Northwest
http://www.k9scootersnw.com/
If
you live in the Northwest, this is a group of people who dog scooter
near you.
The web site is not complete yet, but you could find
someone to run with or mentor you
if you join.
The
Samoyed Club of America
http://www.samoyed.org/SCA/home.html
Want to know more about
Samoyeds? Want to find one for yourself?
Look here.
Samoyed
Club of Washington State
http://www.eskimo.com/~sams/scws/
Live in the Northwest?
Come here for Samoyed events and info.
Sled
Dog Central
http://www.sleddogcentral.com/
The center of the known sled
dog universe on the web. If you start here you can get almost
anywhere else on the web, of sled dog significance.
Mushing
Magazine
http://www.mushing.com/
I
read each issue cover to cover within a day of it showing up.
International
Sled Dog Racing Association
http://www.isdra.org
Really addicted? Want
to run in the big time? (or just dream) Look here.
Check
out the vet corner for interesting articles.
International
Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association
http://www.isdvma.org/
Find the vets who know their
stuff. GET THE HANDBOOK!
Frankly, most vets just don't
understand running dogs.
These people do, and have done a lot of
work you can use to your advantage.
Sports
Vet
http://www.sportsvet.com
A good resource for how dogs
should run and what is wrong if they don't.
I got the CD, it took
a while to get it, but learned a lot from it.
He also does
evaluations.
AKC
Dog Bloat Info
http://clubs.akc.org/aba/health/Bloat.htm
Dog bloat is a critical
condition you should be aware of
and have a plan for acting on
immediately.
I try to keep a list of vets along all my normal
travel routes
with the dogs, so I can find a close vet.
Fidogear
http://www.fidogear.com/
Harnesses, bikejor, skior and sled dog equipment.
I generally
go to dog shows and have these people custom fit my running
harnesses.
I have been happy with their stuff.
Nordkyn
http://www.nordkyn.com/
Harnesses,
bikejor, skior and sled dog equipment.
I use the tracking harness
as well for just walking the dogs and to keep them in place in the
car.
I have been happy with their stuff.
Alpine
Outfitters
http://www.alpineoutfitters.net
Harnesses
and a pretty wide selection of other equipment.
People I know who
are more serious than I use their harnesses.
They have the classic
and new harness designs.
Nooksack
Racing Supplies
http://www.nooksackracing.com/bikejoring.html
This
is sort of a mushing hardware store. It has a lot of the many
different things you may need.
I have conversed with several
people that use the bay-o-net attachment to keep
the rope out of
the front wheel. People who use it really like this attachment.
DoogyRide
Trailers
http://www.doggyride.com
This is a bike trailer I just
bought. I hope it works out. It is less expensive than
a child
trailer, but is quite well built. A lot of design thought went into
this trailer.
There are other cheaper trailers, but they didn't
look as sturdy, and I need sturdy stuff.
Also, there is a stroller
conversion kit, great for keeping dogs clean at dog shows.
The
dogs seem to be getting used to it and I hope to use it for long
isolated runs.
It is the design details on this thing that impress
me and make it easier for the dogs to like it.
Hydro
Bowls
http://www.caninehardware.com
Simple and sturdy, they are
light, they work, are easy to clean and dry quickly.
In my spare
time I hike, teach wilderness navigation and bikejor and stuff like
that.
I have a tendency to destroy stuff due to rough usage, but
never one of these bowls.
They are very easy to clean and
amazingly durable.
Ruffwear
http://www.ruffwear.com/
Some
interesting gear.
Mostly I use their booties for trails, though I
am working on my own design.
Seattle
Fabrics
http://www.seattlefabrics.com/
If
you do outdoor stuff and need to make or modify your own gear, you
need this store.
This store is the first step to making your
great idea a reality. If this store didn't exist,
it wouldn't be
possible for me to make many of the accessories I like.
Recreational
Equipment Incorporated
http://www.rei.com/
I
grew up shopping here more than any other store (except for food).
Not perfect, but they have the largest selection of gear in one
place.
They have generic hiking gear.
They have Nalgene
Cantene bladders for hydration.
I am currently using 96 oz
bladders, but smaller ones work for fewer dogs & shorter
trips.
Just make sure not to overfill the big bladders as they
will spring leaks if overfilled and stressed.
They have bike
stuff, brake pads, lights, computers, tires, tubes, etc.
These are newer links for
which I have not personally seen the equipment in action,
but the
manfacturers or dealers have pointed them out.
I really need to
see things working in front of me, so I do not have an informed
opinion on these.
Take a look, see what you think.
Dog
Powered Scooter
http://www.dogpoweredscooter.com
It
looks like a scooter with an attachment. Probably stronger than a
springer, but I am not
sure how the load transfer takes place. If
you have one dog, this looks like it would save you
the long time
required to train the dog. Also training would be easier with it next
to you.
On the down side, it looks wide, so narrow, heavily
populated bike trails would be out.
This is not a huge problem as
running those trails requires vast amounts of training anyway.
Also,
I don't know what would happen if I had to get off this scooter, say
to deal with a
loose dog. Does the harnessed dog keep the scooter
upright? Can the dog move it around?
Rhino
Karts
http://www.rhinokarts.com/index.html
If
you want something lower than a regular bike, this might do.
A
lower center of gravity is good. It also looks like it is a bit
heavier than a normal bike,
which is a good thing if you have
more than a couple of dogs with a lot of energy
and need something
more substantial to maintain control. These also look like they
are
good for less maintained trails or roads.
American Kennel Club
http://www.akc.org/
My Dog Likes to Run.
I Like to Ride.
How to Train Your Dog to Pull You on City
Sidewalks and Country Paths.
Daphne
Lewis
http://www.dogscooter.com/dogscooter/books.html
This
is the book that got me started.
Winterdance
The Fine
Madness of Running the Iditarod
Gary Paulsen
A great
book. Humorous, but also with a good insight on where this obsession
can carry you.
This is a book I reread every so often. His first
attempt at bikejoring is hysterical and a warning to not try too many
dogs at once.
Dog Driver
A Guide for the
Serious Musher
Miki and Julie Collins
Even if you aren't
a serious musher, this book has lots of tips and valuable
insights.
This is a book I pick up and reread parts of frequently.
How to Speak Dog
Mastering
the Art of Dog-Human Communication
Stanley Coren
A great
book on how to interpret dog body language and movement.
Quite
valuable when you are trying to judge how dogs are starting to
interact.
Skijor With Your Dog
Mari
Hoe-Raitto and Carol Kaynor
This book covers everything
skijoring.
One thing I would suggest instead of buying an
expensive pulk is to buy a
cheap children's tobbagan style sled
and modify it.
Vet Manuals
ISDVMA The Musher &
Veterinary Handbook
http://www.isdvma.org/
When
I got this book I read it carefully, and then made some significant
changes
to my training, food & equipment. This book is well
worth it because most vets
just don't understand running dogs.
There are tips that can save your dogs lives and make their
running safer.
I keep a couple of general vet manuals on hand. They are NOT a
substitute for a vet,
and they are not perfect, but they can give
you background on what is going on
with your dog. I would
strongly suggest looking at the books before buying them.
The
organization and emphasis of these books differ a lot.
This is
why I have more than one book. Some examples:
Dog Owner's Home Veterinary
Handbook
James M Giffin, MD & Liisa D. Carlson,
DVM
More detail. This one is more likely to have detailed info on
a variety of topics.
Caring for Your Dog
The
Complete Canine Home Reference
Bruce Fogle, DVM
More
pictures. If you need a picture of what it looks like, there are more
pictures in this one.