The Fan Hitch Volume 2, Number 4, August 2000

Newsletter of the Inuit Sled Dog

Table of Contents

From the Editor
*
Raising Sled Dogs
*
The Good, the Bad and the ‘Eskimo’ Dog
*
The Russian Connection
*
Honoured Symbol Under Fire
*
Iqaluit Team Owner Speaks Out
*
The Homecoming
*
Niels Pedersen, D.V.M:
Challenging Folk Remedies
*
Janice Howls:
Maintaining the ISD Roots
*
Book Review: 
Portrait of Antarctica
*
First Hand Account:
Exploration of Antarctica
*
IMHO: 
Dog Ownership in Modern Society
*
Baking: Carnivore Brownies
*
Behaviour Notebook:
 Silent and Induced Heat
*
ISDI Summit Postponed
*
Memorable Inuit Dog Encounters


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Editor's/Publisher's Statement
              Editor: Sue Hamilton
              Webmaster: Mark Hamilton
The Fan Hitch Website and Publications of the Inuit Sled Dog– the quarterly Journal (retired in 2018) and PostScript – are dedicated to the aboriginal landrace traditional Inuit Sled Dog as well as related Inuit culture and traditions. 

PostScript is published intermittently as material becomes available. Online access is free at: https://thefanhitch.org  PostScript welcomes your letters, stories, comments and The editorial staff reserves the right to edit submissions used for publication.

Contents of The Fan Hitch Website and its publications  are protected by international copyright laws. No photo, drawing or text may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Webmasters please note: written consent is necessary before linking this site to yours! Please forward requests to Sue Hamilton, 55 Town Line Rd., Harwinton, Connecticut  06791, USA or mail@thefanhitch.org


Vercors nursing                             Montcombroux photo

Page from the Behaviour Notebook:
Silent Heat and Induced Heat

by Geneviève Montcombroux

Disclaimer: I am not a scientist. The following observations have been made as accurately as humanly possible in my kennel.

February: Yannamiq comes in heat. A few days before the receptive cycle, she comes into the house pen. Twelve-year-old Arnavik grumbles. The two bitches are kept apart. Three days later, Arnavik comes in heat. She had no heat the previous year.

May: Two young females are visiting and stay in an outdoor pen. They are in heat and since we don't want a mating accident they are given a contraceptive pill. Cousteau, the male and boss next door, keeps clawing at the fence. Norsuak, Cousteau's 10-month-old son, looks on but does not come too close to his father. Vercors had pups in September, and came in heat in February. Three days after taking the pill, the visiting females show no more sign of heat. One morning, Cousteau drops his vigil of them, walks over to Vercors and mounts her. They tie. Norsuak is very interested, prances around the pair and sniffs them. Although she was not scheduled to be bred until next year, I decided against abortion because of the possible complications.  There were absolutely no signs that she was coming in heat, neither visual nor behavioral on her part or from the two males in her pen.
 

Editor's note: In the 20 or so years we maintained intact Alaskan malamutes of both sexes, we had maybe three accidental breedings.  Within six months of our owning Inuit Dogs we had one.  Since 1996 we have heard of about a half dozen other "surprise ties", all occurring in kennels where the owners were being very careful in trying to anticipate the onset of estrus and to be ready to isolate cycling bitches.  I have come to the conclusion that the sneakiness of Inuit Sled Dogs extends into the realm of sex.  ISDI would love to receive more contributions on this issue to add to the sexual behaviour profile of this breed.
 

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