The Fan Hitch Volume 1, Number 2, October 1998

Newsletter of the Inuit Sled Dog

Table of Contents

From the Editor
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Major Announcement

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IGE Expedition News

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A Chat About Breeding

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Honour & Glory

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Behavioral Notebook

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Janice Howls
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IMHO: Pets, et al


Navigating This Site

Index of articles by subject

Index of back issues by volume number

Search The Fan Hitch


Articles to download and print

Ordering Ken MacRury's Thesis

Our comprehensive list of resources

Talk to The Fan Hitch

The Fan Hitch home page

ISDI home page



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



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.
                                             Sue

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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
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