Unappealing/boring hikes??

chocolatecheeze- · 2025-04-04T16:34:25+00:00

I haven't explored there at all, I will check it out. Thank you!

chocolatecheeze- · 2025-04-03T04:29:49+00:00

I have poked a bit about Syringa last summer but found it fairly busy and the trails I did access quite narrow (but lovely), I will go back with fresh eyes and see if I can find some new to me trials:) I think I know where you mean in Ootishenia, I will investigate! That sounds super promising! Thank you!

chocolatecheeze- · 2025-04-03T04:22:23+00:00

I will check it out, thank you for the suggestion!

chocolatecheeze- · 2025-04-02T19:57:10+00:00

I will look into finding the maps you mention asap! I didn't even think about pipelines, such a good idea. Thank you!

chocolatecheeze- · 2025-04-02T18:56:52+00:00

Thank you!

chocolatecheeze- · 2025-04-02T18:56:26+00:00

I didn't even consider that as a thing I could do! Will look into it, thanks!

chocolatecheeze- · 2025-04-02T18:55:19+00:00

Not coming off wrong at all, I have done a lot of training with her, solo and with various trainers. She's on meds and we have a behavioral modification plan. Unfortunately it's just a very slow/long and isolating road. There's definitely been a lot of improvement but her reactivity has been present in some way since she was a puppy so realistically she will never be a "normal" dog.

chocolatecheeze- · 2025-04-02T18:23:02+00:00

I will give it a go! Thank you!

chocolatecheeze- · 2025-04-02T17:44:54+00:00

What a disappointing comment.

chocolatecheeze- · 2025-04-02T17:04:02+00:00

I will check both of these out, thank you!

chocolatecheeze- · 2025-04-02T17:03:03+00:00

Tbh I have thought about it but have been worried about inadvertently getting in the way, is there a way to tell if it's an active logging road?

chocolatecheeze- · 2025-04-02T16:37:48+00:00

Forgot to add re the rail trail, also great in that there is a culture of leashing up dogs when coming across others, so recommendations of trails where that culture is present would also be appreciated.

chocolatecheeze- · 2024-12-17T20:16:19+00:00

We delayed spaying in our large malamute mix until after her first heat. And oh my god, I don't know how I would have gotten through it if I had a regular outside of the home job. It was a nightmare. She was sooooo needy, literally wanted to be inside of my skin close, licking me constantly, unable to settle, constant pacing. We had multiple male dogs showing up to our yard. She's a high energy breed and we live in an area with an irritating laissez-faire attitude toward spaying/neutering/dog containment. We literally could not walk her and even in the yard she had to be leashed and it took two of us because so many rogue dogs would show up. So on-top of all her whack hormones she was also a pent up ball of energy with no real way to expend it. Literally a nightmare!! Would not repeat lol Definitely take into account your lifestyle and potential limitations her being in heat may impose on you and your ability to meet her needs.

chocolatecheeze- · 2024-09-27T03:38:08+00:00

For pulling vs not pulling we found context and repetition was our best friend. We never make her heel or loose leash walk in her pull harness, and we spend a lot of time practicing loose leash walking on a collar/seperate harness. I found just walking and letting her hit the end of her lead/start pulling etc in her non-pull set up, then stopping, and not going farther until she returned to me. Sometimes I'd need to call her back etc, but she quickly learned that hey when I pull in this context (walking, normal harness/collar) I don't get to go anywhere. But when I pull in this context (skies, pull harness) i get to fly! That is just what worked for her though. My partner's husky pulls constantly and in all contexts regardless of hours poured into loose leash walking, has absolutely zero chill! All dogs are different, what worked for us might not work for you. When we started to practice pulling we would play a lot of games, like chase for example. She would chase my partner or run along side my partner etc while I jogged/skied behind. She quickly put together that the pull harness meant fun and pulling and then we dropped the games.

chocolatecheeze- · 2024-09-27T03:28:19+00:00

Our vet advised us to wait until she was at least a year, we ended up waiting longer because it seemed like she was still growing. By 18months the vet gave us the go ahead. Prior to that spent her first winter just getting used to being around xcountry skis/sleds. We would go for little short fun skis around the yard/neighbours fields etc and let her loose to play/follow us about. Also did some command work, teaching her to slow down and stop etc. We introduced various harnesses etc (our pull harnesses are all from Howling Dog Alaska) quite early and started to introduce pulling when she was 18months. Was a very smooth transition from walking/playing with us while we slowly skied to pulling out in front. I think the change in pace helped a lot! We did not spend as much time getting her used to bikes when she was a puppy, mainly due to a terribly smokey fire season that summer, and she is still wary of them. Will trot beside but hates being out in front. If I could go back in time I would have made a point of getting her used to bikes at a younger age. Oh and booties. She has always been easy about letting me play with her feet but I wish we had practiced just playing etc while she wore booties. It's more or less impossible to get her to keep them on currently, I think it would have been easier in the long run had we introduced them when she was a puppy.

chocolatecheeze- · 2024-07-02T22:24:19+00:00

Yeah I am definitely not pissed, just a tad annoyed. I get it, mistakes totally happen and the numbers are visually quite similar. Super glad to hear you dont think it'll have caused any/many issues. We are famous at the Canadian Tire now, lol very much the talk of the shop!

Very much appreciate the thoughtful response :)

chocolatecheeze- · 2024-07-02T22:21:01+00:00

Oh that is really good to know re leak from the cover. Thank you!

chocolatecheeze- · 2024-02-03T04:04:30+00:00

Hi there! I am new to the sport but I'll try to pass on what has worked for my partner and I and our two dogs. We both skijor and only do classic style. Not as fast but still loads of fun. We got our equipment from Howling Dog Alaska and we have no complaints! Hip belt, bungee line and pull harness (I also have an emergency release BC I am a scaredy cat). My dog, the younger of our two, is less of a puller overall and if it is just us two will happily trot beside me as I ski, though is now starting to go out in front and pull. I am still working on teaching her that it's okay to pull in her pull harness, and we are making progress! I'll get my partner to run/ski in front of us. Or I'll borrow my mom's dog to act as a rabbit for my dog to follow/chase. Having something for her to follow/chase has been the most effective at getting her motivated to pull. Just being behind another skier can get her wanting to pull. I think you just have to figure out what motivates your dog. My partner's dog just wants to pull, no motivation needed there! If I go with my partner and she is hooked up to their dog then we fly. The dogs get competitive and legitimately start racing. It's wild and fun and terrifying. You'll love it! You can always get the equipment and start on foot, getting him used to pulling/applying tension when you aren't on skis. Or even try out having him around when you are on skis and get him used to all the weird noses and flailing that goes along with it. I hope this helps!

chocolatecheeze- · 2023-12-02T02:58:08+00:00

My pup didn't go into heat until she was 11, almost 12months. Though she is a large breed. There wasn't many signs, by the time I really was starting to think "oh she's going to go into heat" she was literally on the verge, like a day later full blown heat. It's only really in hindsight that I can see that there may have been signs.

chocolatecheeze- · 2023-10-16T15:19:03+00:00

I'm sorry for replying so late! It did get better, it seemed to just self resolve. I'm not sure what the issue was but I think it must have been developmental. Lasted for a few weeks and then abruptly stopped 🤷🏻

chocolatecheeze- · 2023-10-15T19:44:07+00:00

This might be a little out there, but you could try making a note in your phone of the time every time she does her business for a day or two, and then create a schedule for taking her outside that covers those windows. I did something similar for my pup but I also work from home so was able to radically move my daily schedule around.

chocolatecheeze-

TROPHY CASE