21-11-2008 16:20:22
Dog sledding is serious in Vassalboro
Alex Murphy’s passion for dog sled racing has introduced him to the craftsmanship of building dog sleds. It happened several years ago when his dog sled broke during a race, and while repairing it, the idea occurred to him that he could build a better one, which he proceeded to do. Now he is constructing dog sleds and shipping them all over the country.
While Murphy still races some of his 14 Alaskan Huskies, he is spending much of his time as a building contractor and in his MaineMade Dog Sled business. When I visited with him and his wife Lucille in their Vassalboro home, they told me much about the challenges and excitement of dog sled racing. Murphy has raced his dog team in the 60 mile Can Am races of Fort Kent and the Sandwich Notch races of New Hampshire.
He took me out back of his home to his large kennel where we were immediately serenaded by a rambunctious chorus of more than a dozen howling huskies. After a few minutes the dogs settled down and went about their lives in peaceful quietness as Murphy talked to me about his dog
team. “The selection of the lead dog is very important and may not always be the dominant alpha dog of the pack,” he said. “Qualities I’m looking for in the lead dog,” he continued, “are curiosity and willingness to pay attention.”
The dogs are taught to respond to voice commands and are introduced to a harness as early as four months. Most dogs are ready to pull a sled at nine months of age and Murphy always pairs a young dog with a more experienced one.
The word “mush” has been popularized as the word used in driving a team of dogs, but Murphy said he does not use that word in directing his dogs “because it is too soft,” although the person driving the team is often referred to as a “musher.” The word “mush” comes from a French word “marche,” meaning to walk.
Murphy and his wife name their dogs according to a theme. One group of his dogs have Irish names and another group have been named after places in Alaska, which brought up the subject of the Iditarod race currently in progress. Murphy has sent some dog sled equipment to be awarded to the winner of the Junior Iditarod race in Alaska.
The Alaskan Huskies are a mixed breed that can have different colors, but the one thing they have in common is their desire to run and pull, and they have a double coat of hair to provide warmth in cold weather.
Murphy has been invited to participate in the First Annual Pet Expo sponsored by the Kennebec Valley Humane Society on April 28 at the Augusta Armory. This will be an opportunity for him to share with others his passion for dog sled racing and his skill in the craft of building quality dog sleds. You can obtain more information on his website: www.mainemadedogsleds.com