Team Silvia Furtwängler Feed

The endless searching for a dog handler! (Sa, 19 Nov 2011)
The one or the other knows that I am looking for a dog handler and during this time I could tell a lot of stories. After I got CV’s from pregnant women, Owner of dog packs and chicks, I placed a text on Facebook: Final Call for a dog handler, you get room and board and certainly it is a great Experience to see how to prepare a dog team for the Iditarod. Please clarify before: that you’re not pregnant, that you get no trouble with your family, that you know exactly you’re not afraid of dogs… and finally – you do not think that you can come with 30 dogs. So the pregnant women didn’t apply anymore, also not that kind of people who found out ,after a long conversation ,that the family or parents would not agree and no application of those who are afraid of dogs… but it didn’t work well with the people owning a lot of dogs.. I still got a lots of applications from Mushers. The most of them maybe thought to get a nice winter holiday out of this job. Some of the applicants didn’t even know about the special regulation of importing dogs to Norway – so quite often they ask – Rabiestiter? What is this? A few thought that their dogs (Pets) – which are not trained- can run with my crazy pack. And a few others ask me if their dogs will get room and board as well. So the only thing I could answer was –‘’ I am looking for a dog handler not for new dogs!’ Well – the best of all – was the president (not Gerald Schinzel) of a sled dog –club in Austria. His idea was to come with a friend, so that I got 2 strong men next to me – ‘2 men by my side… which woman would not dream about it?:-)) In knew that this was a joke but I ask immediately when they will come.. Till today there is no answer. Why?? I think I know the answer: they couldn’t handle a STRONG WOMAN next to them But now – what actually is a dog handler – and what must he do? I got ask this question again and again; Roman Brunner, who was already twice a dog handler for a musher, a really nice person with a great family, described it perfect like this: A dog handler is: .. The mushers slave! He devotes his live – his existence for the mushers dogs. He is following the orders without asking and works self reliant and works always. He does the given work quick and perfect without any discussion. He doesn’t have any free time and mustn’t moan or complain. In compensation with that he gets a horizon – the biggest thing in live – Knowing! To be a dog handler does mean more than cleaning dog shit or feeding dogs only. Dog handler means – having a relationship with the dogs and also in a special way with the musher. I think – if this works out well – it’s very intimate, because in every situation, in every position of live you have to react perfect and built a kind of symbiosis. Silvia will be stressed; he would have sometimes not enough time to explain a lot. Till the race, the dog handler has to know her and the dogs so well, that he can – without asking- fit perfect to Silvia’s system and react and act like that. At the point – simple – Slavery! *g* BUT SO WONDERFUL AND UNIQUE AND PRICELESS VALUE!! That explains it all. If there is anybody who is available just now and wants to apply for this Job. Somebody who is looking for an adventure…. You can give in your application here! silvia@varmevoll.no silvia
>> mehr lesen

day by day (Mi, 09 Nov 2011)
Finally I am manage to write something, not that I didn’t want to but sometimes there is just not enough time for it. I am still looking for a dog handler, he or she would make my life much easier. A day has only 24 hours and what can I say – it’s simply not enough time for what I all want to do. Therefore my blog was a bit neglected, but I promise you that I will write at least once a week. Now, that I got Barbara close by my side – helping me. (Close means: she lives in Pretoria and I live in Rauland – but what is a distance of a few thousand km between us, if you got a PC and Internet? You are faster in Pretoria than you may think.) Between a lot of training with the doggies , I am also a mom and have to organize the household in between as well, which means the laundry gets only a quick flatting and gets only ironed if there is a need to look ‘wrinkleless’. So I had to explain to my son Steven, that because of winter, he wears the T-Shirts underneath a Pullover (not visible if ironed or not) …and I am surely not that kind of woman who will iron the underpants. The real hectic and chaotic time of the training is over, now it’s all about the Condition of the Team. Because I got 30 dogs in training, I am outside every day and its every day the same procedure – feeding in the morning – cleaning the kennel – quick coffee – putting the bread in the oven to have some food in the evening . Training with the first teams in the morning, midday feeding soup to the dogs – between this , quickly take bread out of the oven- , training with the third team, little break and out again to give the last meal to the dogs. If somebody might think this is now the end of my day – is wrong. Now the office work starts. Mails need to be answered, the website has to get up to date and of course Facebook as well… ..But now it’s time to go outside for me again, the doggies are waiting to go. Today the sun is shining at a temperature with minus 4 deg., FINALLY SUN! After a long rainy “summer” we enjoy every single dry and sunny day! The only thing missing to make our live complete – is snow! Eventually we should have snow already – but it will come – I am sure. To all of you a wonderful weekend Yours Silvia
>> mehr lesen