Do they really live outside through the winter?
People often ask us if the dogs are kept outside through the winter and the quick answer is that yes, they are. Traditional husky breeds are capable of withstanding temperatures as cold as -40 degrees Celsius! However, in reality, there are a number of dogs on a heightened watch list in our farm when the temperatures drop below -30C since these are shorter-haired Alaskans or dogs who are more prone to frostbite of their nipples or balls (we have a frostbite check list which is updated weekly during dog checks, and three times per week, creaming and care of affected parts results) irrespective of temperature to ensure that problems do not become severe. And, of course, any dog that has an injury is brought inside to recuperate and is then gradually reacclimatised to the outdoor temperatures.
At some points in the winter, we may have up to 20 dogs in our house. Pasi is constantly threatening to move out since the dogs arguably have better living conditions (or at least are given higher priority in terms of needs) than we do!
In reality, however, it is better for the arctic dogs who are going to have to live and work outside in 'extreme' temperatures to be primarily outside so that they can acclimatise as well as possible, in terms of growing their proper winter coats, etc, to the conditions.
They are sensitive to temperature changes and theoretically shed their insulation (their down layer closest to the skin) during the spring/summer months and then re-grow it in the fall.
Niches doubles en cage ou niche individuelle avec une chaine?
En Alaska, la plupart des chenils enchainent leurs chiens individuellement. En Scandinavie au contraire, les chiens vivent le plus souvent en cage avec un compagnon. Apres avoir visité de nombreux chenils, nous avons pu constater les différents avantages de ces deux systèmes et avons choisi de combiner les deux dans notre chenil.
Certains de nos chiens vivent de façon permanente selon l’un ou l’autre de ces systèmes (trop grincheux pour vivre en communauté, ou encore acceptant difficilement d’être enchaine). Mais la plupart d’entre eux alternent entre les deux systèmes durant l’année.
Les cages: Avantages et inconvénients
Les principaux avantages des cages résident dans le fait que les chiens peuvent ainsi se tenir compagnie, jouer ensemble durant la journée et se tenir chaud durant la nuit. Ainsi ils se socialisent et dépensent moins d’énergie (et donc de nourriture) pour maintenir leur corps à température.
Ce dernier point est particulièrement critique pour nos chiens d’Alaska a poils courts, que pour cette raison nous gardons en cages durant l’hiver et enchainés durant l’été.
Un autre avantage des cages est qu’il est plus facile de contrôler les femelles et d’empêcher une grossesse non désirée. De ce fait les femelles ainsi que les chiots de moins d’un an vivent de façon plus ou moins permanente en cage.
L’inconvénient principal des cages est qu’elles représentent un risque plus important de blessures, les chiens pouvant se battre durant les repas. Chocolate et Bernie par exemple ne peuvent vivre ensemble dans la même cage, ni même dans des cages voisines sans risquer de fréquentes bagarres. Pour cette raison, nous sommes amené a réfléchir en amont avant de déplacer les chiens et de leur choisir une cage.
Les chiens en cage partagent des niches doubles. Autrement dit, une grande niche séparée en deux espaces distincts. Ces niches sont spécialement conçues pour que les chiens aient assez d’espace pour se tenir chaud la nuit, mais puissent également avoir leurs espaces séparés s’ils sont un peu grincheux! Nous avons conçus et fabrique ces niches nous-mêmes en utilisant du matériel local. Nous utilisons des niches similaires pour les chiots, ajoutant simplement une rampe d’accès. La plupart des niches sont équipées de pare-vent. Nous retirons la partie basse des pares-vent sur les niches occupées par nos chiens âgés afin qu’ils puissent avoir un accès plus facile.
Chaines: avantages et inconvenients
Lorsqu’ils sont enchainés, nos chiens vivent dans des niches individuelles et ont une liberté de mouvement plus grande que les chiens en cages. Nos chiens les plus grincheux ou agressifs sont complètement isoles, mais la plupart partagent leur périmètre avec un autre chien, et peuvent ainsi se toucher et jouer.
Le principal avantage de système est que les chiens peuvent apprendre à se démêler facilement de leurs chaines. C‘est un aspect extrêmement important dans le développement des chiots. En effet les chiens peuvent se blesser sévèrement lorsqu’ils s’emmêlent dans les lignes de traineaux. Particulièrement durant les mois les plus sombres (décembre et janvier), il est difficile pour nos clients de juger s’ils doivent freiner ou non, pour laisser le temps aux chiens de se démêler. Il est donc vital pour nos chiens d’apprendre à se démêler rapidement et a ne pas compter sur les mushers pour éviter une blessure.
Les chiots apprennent à vivre enchaînés progressivement. Ils sont tout d’abord laisser durant la journée sur des chaines courtes puis sur des chaines standards, et enfin, restent enchainés durant la nuit.
Enfin, les chiens qui vivent ensemble, courent généralement ensemble, car c’est non seulement un gain de temps pour nos guides mais aussi parce que ce sont souvent les meilleurs amis et donc les meilleures équipes.
Puppy Hilton & Puppy Kindergarten
Lorsqu’ils sont âgés de quelques mois, les chiots prennent leurs quartiers au 'Puppy Hilton'. Cette niche à deux niveaux est spécialement conçue pour les chiots. Munie d’un escalier, le deuxième étage est au début difficile d’accès pour eux. De cette façon la mère peut faire une pause de temps en temps au second niveau, ou elle a une réserve personnelle d’eau et de nourriture. Après un mois, les chiots sont capables de grimper et passent une partie de leurs journées au jardin d’enfants. Contrairement aux cages, le Puppy Hilton et le jardin d’enfant sont simplement séparés par un grillage, permettant aux petits de voir leur mère en permanence. A l’âge de 6 mois, les chiots partagent une cage avec un chien plus âgé, qui veille sur eux et canalise leur énergie!
Roofed and Floored Sick Dog Facility
This 4-cage floored and roofed sick-dog facility was built in the summer of 2014 to hopefully reduce the burden on our house during mid-winter (Pasi had had enough of having nearly 20 dogs in the house!). We had already built one such cage on Santa Safari's / Transun UK's farm in the summer of 2012 (since we knew that long-term, their dogs would be more in need and might not have another chance) so, when we finished our contract with them and could justifiably turn our attention back to developments on our own farm, this was one of the top things on our priority list.
Choice of Kennels
We make a lot of our kennels ourselves from locally sourced materials. All of the kennels in the cages, for instance, are made to our own design and have a double entrance so that there is no chance of one dog denying another access in bad weather. On one side, there is an area that is large enough for two dogs at a squeeze - and dogs tend to sleep together in this side in the winter for added warmth. The other side is an area big enough for one dog and the dogs tend to sleep in the separate sides in the warm summer months.
Our sick-dog kennels are also self-made. The sick dog kennels are designed with a wider entrance way so that dogs wearing 'post surgical' cone collars can still access shelter.
And our speciality puppy kennel, the Hilton, is designed with 2 floors so that the moms can escape from their big litters when they are all wanting food at the same time and so that we can also keep a constant supply of food for the moms at hand. (Of course at some point, the pups learn to climb too but this is generally around the same time that they would be moved out, anyway, to the kindergarten next door).
Les chiens vivant enchainés ont une niche individuelle que nus nous procurons chez Themefix, a Kiruna. ThemeFix est une coopérative soutenue par la municipalité de Kiruna, qui aide à la réinsertion des personnes en situation d’exclusion sociale. Cette coopérative offrent de bon produits à prix abordables (les niches par exemple), nous nous arrêtons donc toujours chez eux lorsque nous achetons nos équipement Bjorkis ou Oinakka.
General thoughts on kennel design
All of our kennels are designed to allow the dogs to sunbathe on the roofs, off the ground. Sled dogs work hard whether it be for racing, touring or recreational mushing so they deserve a top notch house! They are designed to also be cool during the summer months and to have an overhanging front roof to provide ample shade regardless of the sun angle. The overhanging roof and windshields which we have added to each kennel (a bit of an ongoing battle keeping up with dogs chewing them) are there to create protection from rain and to try to trap the warmth the dog creates when inside the kennel, in. The snug entrance allows refuge from wind and rain keeping the dogs comfortable and safe from all elements. Because wood is natural and breathable it allows air to aerate through in case any moisture was to get inside it would quickly be able to dry. In the spring we clear out all the straw from their houses and wash them out thoroughly so they are clean and fresh for the summer months.
Our houses are specifically made to be comfortable, easy to access and spacious - but within reason. A really large space is more difficult for the dogs to keep warm during the winter. All of the kennels are raised off the ground on stable blocs and this helps to insulate them from the ground in the winter in particular.
The front page of our 'how to make a double kennel' guide is shown here.
We also take the time, each day, to clear away the snow around each of our sled dog’s houses to ensure no snow falls inside and - although some farms allow the snow to build up for insulation around the kennels, we are confident in the insulation of our kennels and we keep both the roof and the area immediately around the kennels free from snow. This means that come Spring and the sunny days, the dogs are able to jump on the roofs and sunbathe (which they would not be able to do if there was a pile of dangerously consolidated icy snow up there)!
Our single and 2-dog kennels have a fairly snug entrance since this protects them from cold blowing wind and falling snow and reduces the ease with which the wind (or dogs) can blow / move the insulation back out. The windshields also help to keep the insulation in, whilst also reducing the chance of the male dogs wetting their insulation when marking.
However our sick dog kennels are specifically designed to allow dogs wearing a post-operation collar to still access them with their collar / cone on their heads. An extract from our 'how to make a sick-dog kennel' guide is shown here. These kennels have a completely different design and are obviously less insulated than normal since the entrance way has to be larger.
Do they have bedding in their kennels?
Yes! We change/add bedding to the well-insulated kennels at least once a week in winter (more when it is particularly cold). In summer, they tend to push it out if they are too warm but we still put it into the kennels of the dogs which are susceptible to pressure sores without it.
We use a mixture of straw and wood chips and pine fibres for insulation in the winter. Straw is the normal choice for the multiday safaris since it does not blow away as easily as the expensive pine fibres. It is better than hay in that it is lighter and more fluffy and therefore better at creating a self-warmed micro-climate for them to snuggle up into.
In the farm itself, we tend to use the pine fibres more, since it is less likely to cause the dogs respiratory, eye or ear problems if it gets damp and then dries out - and some dogs are very good at pulling their bedding out of their kennels. We know that some really like to have a patch of straw or pine fibes on which to sleep during the day (down to even very cold temperatures) outside on the snow. However, once they have pulled their bedding out three times (three strikes and you are out, rule), we add wood chips to their kennels since these are far harder for them to get out.
Of course the bedding is spot checked daily and handled weekly toensure that it is still in good condition for the dogs.Huskies are known to be territorial so inorder for them to “claim” an object the males will generally “mark “it. It is not uncommon for them to mark theentrance of their house as well as their straw to inform the other huskies who it belongs to! This, in turn keeps ourkennel managers very busy!
To ensure that our bedding staysdry and free of small animals during storage we have one trailer designated specifically for its storage.
Do the dogs ever get to run free?
Yes! But not all at once! And both the lucky ones selected and, indeed, the rest of the farm, get so excited as they dash up and down the running fences, that this is pretty much restricted to a morning activity when, hopefully, most of our neighbours are at work!
