The Dark Side

[Akres]

I suppose each sport has a Dark Side. I experienced the Dark Side of Dog Mushing, first hand today. I met a musher disposing of some of the dogs culled from his kennel along the road leading to my house. Disgusting. I asked him how many he culled. He said it takes about 30 dogs to get a good one. The ravens were pleased though. I don't think I had the stomach for it, even in my younger years. Do other mushers have a remedy for this, or is it just a common way of developing a kennel of winners?

 

[homerdave]

30:1!!??

30:1!!??

that's absurd.
i never bred dogs, as there are so many available (my team was the "poster dog" team at the animal shelter), but if this guy is going through the dogs at that rate he is breeding dogs that should not be bred, doesn't know how to train dogs, and should not be allowed to own dogs.
horribly irresponsible.
if you got the guys name it wouldn't be a bad idea to have the authorities do a "welfare check" on his kennel.

 

[Daveinthebush]

Animal abuse

Animal abuse

That is just plain animal abuse and needs to be turned in.

I have seen bad mushers before. I was in Shaktoolik for the 2,000 Iditrod. A musher that had been banned for eight years was running again for the first time since the ban. As he was leaving the village, myself and a village resident, guided the team back through the village onto the ice and the trail. The dogs just plain quit on him. He changed lead dogs four times and not one would run. The musher eventually walked to Koyuk and quit.

Sorry, but breeding dogs to get 1 good one out of 30 is absurd.

 

[AKDoug]

Akres... roughly where do you live. I've never seen evidence of culling by death in any of the mushers I do business with or are friends with. Lots of dogs are culled, but most are given away to other mushers or as pets.