In This Issue....From the Editor:
Unfinished Business
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Fan Mail…. I always look forward to The Fan Hitch. I looked through for some information about calorie intake on working dogs to figure out what my dogs needed for our trip. There were some articles that were very helpful, so Thanks! B. S. Alaska *
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July 8, 2007I have been studying my drag mat arrangement on my sled trying to invent a better mouse trap! So far, lots of ideas, but no real solution, since they all seem to require drilling or inserting screws into the runners… The Fan Hitch article inspired me to play with it this summer, instead of just continuing to suffer with it next winter! C.D. Colorado * * *
July,
2007I am a researcher with a School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, at a university in Australia. I am currently undertaking research on dog barking and I have accessed an article from your journal written by Dan Kato in volume 8, number 2, which I would like to cite. My problem is that I am unsure as to how to properly cite your journal and I am seeking your advice in this matter. I am not sure what to call the journal, whether to use simply 'The Fan Hitch' or to add 'Journal of the Inuit Sled Dog International' Also I am not sure of the page numbers for the article and it is not specified in the online version (clearly I will be acknowledging that I have accessed an electronic version in my review). Could you please advise me on this matter? My reference currently looks as follows: Kato, D. (2006). Dog yard noise. ??? [electronic version]. 8(2), ??-?? Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Kind regards, J. C. Australia Reply: Hi J.C., Just when I get down and thoroughly disgusted by the number of people who rip off our images and inappropriately link or use material from The Fan Hitch, professional and honest folks like you come along and restore my faith! Thank you so much for contacting me. It is appropriate for our publication to be identified as "The Fan Hitch, journal of the Inuit Sled Dog International." And you are correct that because the online version is not in PDF format, there are no page numbers. So identifying Dan Kato's most excellent article by "Volume 8, Number 2, March, 2006” is good. As I said before, I don't know if the professional journals to whom you may submit your research project accept a web address, but really, that would be helpful to include, after all, it is important for readers of your research to be able to check out your reference material. I hope this information has been helpful to you. And I hope, too, that when your research is complete I can have the opportunity to read it! If you need any help with your project, please do not be shy about asking. The Inuit Sled Dog International will be happy to assist you in any way we can. Your country has a proud tradition of the use of Inuit Sled Dogs during the Age of Exploration in Antarctica, and we are only too happy to "pay back" for the wealth of information and history this era has provided to ISD enthusiasts. All the best, Sue Hamilton Reply: Sue, I teach first year psychology students and I know how frustrated I get when I receive essays that are half lifted from other people's work (in spite of concerted efforts to highlight what plagiarism is). You are most welcome to use our initial correspondence in The Fan Hitch to highlight this point to others, in fact I encourage it!!! A concern which has prompted my interest is that people are forced to be separated from or even euthanise their animals as a result of such [noise] disputes which, due to inadequate research, do not take into account the many psychological factors which mediate the 'annoyance'. Basically my focus here is as much "that nuisance noise is in the ear of the beholder", as you so elegantly put it, as the barking itself, and that the psychology of the listener is a major determinant. Until I found Dan Kato's article I wouldn't have thought about the major impact of 'nuisance-dog' complaints on mushers. Once again thank you so much for your help and encouragement. It's so good to have contact with professionals worldwide who are so enthusiastic! J. * * *
August
25, 2007I’m a freelance researcher with National Geographic Kids and Little Kids Magazines in Washington, DC. Our Little Kids Magazine, which has a readership of 3-6-year-olds and their parents, is featuring a short story on the Inuit of Canada. This is a very simple story meant to give preschoolers an introduction to different cultures around the world. I have contacted you with the hope that you will be willing to verify some information I have found on dogs used by Canadian Inuits [sic] to pull sleds, and confirm that the pictures we have selected are in fact the Inuit from Canada and not another region. Would you be willing to work as a consultant on this story? I will send you text to verify the wording, and pictures to confirm their authenticity. Thank you again! Sincerely, E. W. |