In This Issue...
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FIDO: John Senter
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Developing a Culture of Mushers
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The Inuit Sled Dog Registry
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Arctic Inuit Sled Dogs: Life in Retirement
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Inuit Dog Thesis Update
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In the News
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Fan Mail
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Kennel Tip: Taking the Heat Off
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Book Review: The Lost Men
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IMHO: Filling the Woodshed
Links
The Fan Hitch Home Page
The Inuit Sled Dog International (ISDI) is a consortium of enthusiasts whose goal the preservation of this ancient arctic breed in its purest form as a working dog. The ISDI's efforts are concentrated on restoring the pure Inuit Dog to its native habitat. The ISDI's coordinators welcome to your comments and questions.
ISDI Coordinator Canada
Geneviève Montcombroux, Box 206, Inwood, MB R0C 1P0; toadhall@mts.net
ISDI Coordinator USA
Sue Hamilton, 55 Town Line Road, Harwinton, CT 06791, qimmiq@snet.net
Editor's/Publisher's Statement
Editor-in-Chief: Sue HamiltonThe Fan Hitch, journal of the Inuit Sled Dog International, is published four times a year. It is available free online at: http://homepage.mac.com/puggiq. Print subscriptions as follows: in Canada $18.00 Cdn, in USA $16.00 US, elsewhere $22.00 Cdn per year, postage included. Send requests, with checks payable to "ISDI", to Whippoorwill Press, Geneviève Montcombroux, P.O.Box 206, Inwood, Manitoba, R0C 1P0, Canada or info@whippoorwillpress.com. Single copy issues and back issues (if not sold out) are available. Contact Whippoorwill Press for details.
Webmaster: Mark Hamilton
Print Version Publisher: Geneviève Montcombroux for Whippoorwill Press
The Fan Hitch welcomes your letters, stories, comments and suggestions. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit submissions used for publication.
Contents of The Fan Hitch 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 qimmiq@snet.net
Photo: Hamilton
Taking the Heat Off
offered by Mark Hamilton
A baking sun and hot weather is a health risk for sled dogs. During this weather, we provide lots of fresh, cool water. We ensure that 50% of each kennel run's surface is shaded. The quantity of food is reduced. Active exercise periods are restricted to the cooler parts of the day, in the early morning and evening. And we monitor the dogs for signs of distress.
Another weapon we use to combat the hot days of summer is a rotary lawn sprinkler. The sprinkler we use has the rotary head mounted on a post around 90 cm. (3ft.) long. We mounted the sprinkler into the top of one of the fence posts in a central location of the kennel. A garden hose quick disconnect takes care of easily attaching the kennel hose when the sprinkler is needed.
On a hot day, when the sun has baked the ground's surface and it feels like you're in an oven, running the sprinkler for about twenty minutes immediately cools the air temperature, kennel surface, dog houses, resting platforms and any dogs that choose to stay out in the little artificial rain storm. Once all those surfaces are wet down, the evaporative cooling significantly extends the now improved conditions beyond the time when the sprinkler is shut off.
Pakaq demonstrates another way to keep his cool
Photo: Hamilton