All Seasons Canicross

SNOWSHOEING

The art of living implies some plasticity of attitude.  Disadvantages can be twisted and turned and changed into a pleasant advantage.  Like having wolfdogs who on one hand completely restricts your freedom to take your walks or runs in populated areas, but on the other hand opens up a completely new world because you have to find secluded areas to sport with them.  Like snowshoeing this pristine landscape. This trip had not been possible without the initiative of the owners of another Nordenden-wolfdog who have learned the same lesson.

Sunrise & Sunset at Hardangervidda

At 4 a.m in the early morning, Nia (in full heat and in need of a whole day separated from her pack) and I took off by car heading for Hardangervidda (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardangervidda_National_Park) for a full day outdoor adventure.
We arrived our destination just before dawn and commenced the ski- and paw-run in a dusky, deep violet hue with stars above.  No clouds and 23 centigrades below zero gave a fresh start.  Gradually the colors changed into blue with a very sharp horizon.  Then white mountains emerged with an orange-red zone generating in the east anticipating the rising sun.

We took the first brake at sunrise.  Nia immediately curled on the ground to keep warm and getting some rest.  Wolfdogs never waste their energy expenditure!  The pristine landscape at this part of Hardangervidda is feminine in the way that its seducing beauty can change all of a sudden becoming a fierce blizzard.  We were lucky however.  The weather stayed calm, cold and without a trace of clouds on a crisp clear blue sky the rest of the day.  On our way back the sun set as spectuacular and beautiful as the sunrise had done earlier this day approx. half an hour before getting back to the car.

Spikes or no spikes

Studless soles was a huge disappointment. Already on my second run I slipped and lost grip.  I fell face down and intimately upon the ground. After this experience I purchased a new pair of orienteering shoes from VJ Sport in Finland. Rough wear is needed. 18 metal spikes in each sole provide the necessary grip for all conditions - wet, dry, snow or ice.  

Shy Varg
Thanks to my cross-contry running, dogs like Varg (on the picture), who unfortunately didnt get the socialization needed to be among strangers, can live a happy and active life running on places people usually never occur.

Studless shoes - a new experience

For the first time in years I have decided to try a pair of studless shoes with a sticky rubber sole. Years of canicross running with total confidence in the excellent grip the metal studs have given me makes it difficult to reconsider those soles. However I will give the soft sticky rubber a chanse this time. Canicross on bad trails or even outside any is a demanding sport. Especially it challanges your balance and coordination. It is nevertheless, the best way to give your wolfdogs proper exercise. Wolfdogs are lazy animals and without early stimulii for running, they will hardly develop their physical potential fully. At approx. 3 months old they should start to trot along with the older dogs outside in rough terrain. A restricted walk ("walk") on the leash along a road is the most detrimental physical activity for a young wolfdog during its physical development. A free and fast trot is the natural way of locomotion for a wolfdog when moving on a distance. The walk is only for short distance relocation around the den or atthe resting site. Large dogs that have been mostly walked along a road on a leash develop what I would call a " Gressus Vaccinus " better adopted for a cow. Observe their hips and you will understand.

Heil dir licht - heil dir sonne!

Spring is back with its light and sunshine. During this spring-walk in what gives the impression of being a "wagnerian" mythical landscape; music from "Der Ring des Nibelungen" comes like a deja vue to my mind and stays there for the rest of my walk. Heil dir licht - heil dir sonne!

Nordenden puppy 1 year old.

The grey dog in a bipedal pose is one out of three of the 2011 puppies from Nordenden. 55 kg at 1 year old indicates a considerable massive animal. Luckily he gets plenty of exercise in rough terrain with climbing and demanding runs. His ligaments, sinews, joints and muscles will be strong enough for his size, but not completed until between 2 or 3 years old. Correct nutrition will be critical for such an animal. Commercial dog-food will not suffice. The background scenery is the glacier "Folgefonna". The picture is shot at an island on the west-coast.