Table of Contents* Major Announcement * IGE Expedition News * A Chat About Breeding * Honour & Glory * Behavioral Notebook * Janice Howls * IMHO: Pets, et al Navigating This
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![]() Networking Helloooooo out there! Yes, I'm talking to you, sitting there in front of your monitor, or you curled up in your favorite chair clutching this paper version of the newsletter. I know you're lurking out there: taking notes, comparing opinions, keeping tabs. We want to hear from you, to begin a dialog, to share information and experiences. We want to know what your interests in the ISD are and even some of the negative experiences you may have had. Yes, understanding what people perceive as the the down side of the breed is important, perhaps even vital when outplacing pups and adult dogs. So please, please write to
us! Unless you specifically give us permission to share,
anything you say will remain anonymous. Your input is
important so take several moments to put your thoughts
to screen or paper and send them our way. Wishing you smooth ice and
narrow leads. *
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From the Mailbag Dear Sue, I am glad to see a newsletter for this breed. One problem: people with sled dogs, the regular ones, seem to want to cross them with my Inuit Dogs, a really bad idea. I hope it doesn't spread and ruin the breed. These dogs are different and should stay that way. Thank you. Bill Morton, Minnesota In early September, the ISDI
received this e-mail from a musher in Australia.
We present it here, not as a "put down" of the
Alaskan Malamute, but as a wake up call, a
reminder of what can and will happen if we do
not remain diligent about how the Inuit Sled Dog
is bred, maintained, placed and used. Ed.
From: Jay Davies <jaydsa@chariot.net.au> Subject: had to say something After checking out the ISDI pages, I just felt the need to congratulate you all on an extraordinary breed. Like most mally owners, I long believed that when it came to freighting, mals were it. I've spent the last couple of years however checking out the ISD. The best I can say is that, maybe, MANY generations ago, the mal was it's equal. I guess when the focus on a breed shifts away from it's original function, the ability to perform that function can get lost. I love my guys and am proud of the work we do together but I wish people like you were there for the Mal 50 years ago. Having seen Sylvia Feder's video on the Dune Mushers' run, and watching only 3 dogs haul her over some of the toughest terrain I've seen, I can begin to understand just how far apart my breed and yours are today. The more I read about the ISD, the more I am in awe of it's abilities and genuine work-ethic. You've got the last true freighting breed there and I hope each and every one of you wake up with a smile each day for the work you're doing to preserve it. If my comments can reassure your members of the value of what they are doing for the ISD, you can put them on CNN for all I care. Regards, Jay |