Product Description
Learn how to: select dogs, build a team, train and condition, choose harnesses, sleds and equipment (AND how to repair them!), understand your dogs behavior, and care for them, including dealing with injuries on and off the trail. The Collins explain how to train and condition a team for all types of racing, recreational mushing, and work. How to make money with a dog team, how to prepare for a wilderness expedition, and lots more. Interwoven with amuzing incidents from the authors' own experiences in the Alaskan bush. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent Seller
"Excellent seller, very fast and dedicated to solve the difficulties. I recomend it very much"

An absolute must as a reference for dog runners or simply those who want to participate in the sport
To drive a team of dogs through the Alaskan tundra is a unique adventure few will experience. Now in a newly revised and expanded edition, "Dog Driver: A Guide for the Serious Musher" is a complete and comprehensive guide to arctic dog training and racing, covering everything about the sport from breeding all the way to training, dog retirement, and more. Not just for races, a dog sled team can be a viable choice for transportation in harsh, cold environments where there's nowhere to land a plane, let alone drive a car. With indexes, bibliographies, and more, "Dog Driver" is an absolute must as a reference for dog runners or simply those who want to participate in the sport.

Great Book!
I loved it. I have referred to it many, many time for my sled dogs' problems, and it is a great source of information. It covers just about everything you need to know for mushing, choosing a dog, making supplies, running them, etc. I would reccomend it to anyone who is an experienced musher or a beginner.

Dog Driver
This is an excellent book for beginners as well as professional. It is the most detailed and updated book on the market. Covering finding the right dog, proper gear and how to use it (detailed photos) quality of food, daily care, medical needs, breeding, training, recreational, distance and sprint racing. I reccommend it to ALL beginner mushers.

Must Book for Dog Drivers
Dog Driver by Miki and Julie Collins is a book all who have ever wanted to drive a team, who are driving a team, or who have drove a team should have. It has something for everyone.

While considered a 'beginners bible' it has much to offer the established dog driver. Any dog drivers who feel that they dont need it are the ones who do need it.

The Collins Twins are probably the two best known dog mushers in Alaska who arenot on one of the competitive racing circuits, they are known for their competence and ability in getting a dog team from point A to point B . This book is a distillation of their experiences in a wide range of situations, and they havepresented it in a clear and straight-forward manner.

They cover the topics in a thorough and effective manner, from getting started to trekking and racing. If sled dogs are your interest, you will want this book. ... Read more

Product Description
32 pp. four color illustration

"Running with the Big Dogs" invites children of all ages to mush along with the sled dogs in the heart of Denali National Park, Alaska. Share the wonder of a Denali sled dog puppy as you follow him through his first year of adventure and learning. Experience the special bond between rangers and sled dogs as they patrol to preserve the wilderness of Denali during the harsh Alaskan winter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Sled Dogs Books
This book is a good introduction to the annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race. The stories will inspire all ages to follow the race in March from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. All readers will gain an appreciation of the dedication and determination of both musher and sled dog. These titles will be used in an elementary school setting.

Sled Dogs Run Away With Child's Heart.........
I had the good fortune of growing up with Lori Yanuchi in a little place called Allentown, PA. What I didnt know back then was her talent for writing and zest for the outdoors! My hat goes off to Lori for capturingthe hearts of young children and the young at heart with this great book"Running with the Big Dogs"! My boys were entertained andeducated about Alaska and are waiting impatiently for her next book.....nopressure Lori! This book is not a dust collector! ... Read more

Product Description
With Abners Smalley's and Ned Durant's dogs participating in the upcoming Third Annual Coon Dog Race and Corn Feed, Jilly Hawkes feels that she and her collie dog will never be regarded as serious contenders. ... Read more

Product Description
Unlike the Iditarod, the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race isn't for moneyed adventurers with a fanciful interest in mushing. The race, billed as the toughest in the world, crosses 1,000 miles of forbidding land between Whitehorse and Fairbanks, Alaska, and pits man, woman, and dog against the nastiest that nature has to offer. In Racing the White Silence, Canadian journalist Adam Killick follows the racers and their dogs for two weeks, taking us not only into the heartland of the Yukon and Alaska, but into the minds of the extraordinary people who dare to race. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent book, excellent topic
This book is well written... the kennel he was working with is also quite an amazing place... the dogs are fortunate to be there, as was the handler.Nice job and thanks for sharing your experiences with us.Too bad it's out of print now.

Racing The White Silence
A who will do it, who will win it, adventure tale that informs, enthralls and engages the reader in one of the worlds last true natural challenges. I didn't want it to end!

Racing The White Silence
Racing the White Silence: On the Trail of the Yukon Quest
Adam Killick

"Nature has many tricks wherewith she convinces man of his finity- the ceaseless flow of the tides, the fury of the storm, the shock of the earthquake, the long roll of heaven's artillery- but the most tremendous, the most stupefying of all, is the passive phase of the White Silence. All movement ceases, the sky clears, the heavens are as brass; the slightest whisper seems sacrilege, and man becomes timid, affrightened at the sound of his own voice."
Jack London, The White Silence, 1899

Jack London, like all good authors, wrote of what he knew, the North. It is in London's world that this book is based. Its' author, Adam Killick, from Winnipeg, hired on as an assistant-dog handler in the 2001 Yukon Quest so that he could study it and learn what drew the world's best mushers to it. After all, the Quest's prize money is much less than the famous Iditerod; what drew these mushers to this race?
Along the way he found his answer.

The Yukon Quest alternates directions from year to year depending on ice conditions on the trail. It traverses the unforgiving terrain between Whitehorse, Yukon, and Fairbanks, Alaska. "Following the Quest, on these remote parts of the trail, is like belonging to some exclusive club in which only lack of sleep...and a predilection for standing around at 30 or 40 below for hours...earns you membership." Along the way Killick discovered that the people on the trail were very supportive and helpful; that "the spirit of community and sharing is at the heart of the Yukon Quest." Besides, "the community of the North stands on a realization that, whatever one's creed, religion, ethics, or circumstances, there will come a time when you'll need someone else's help." It is this sense of community that draws the mushers to this race, the one dog-sled race that "has remained true to the Northern Spirit in which it was founded."

Killick follows the 2001 edition of the Quest as it continues down the trail. As he does so, he introduces the reader to the many varied characters that make up the contestants and organizers of this little-publicized race. This makes the book an interesting read that examines the many of the ins and outs of dog-sled racing. Killick helps the reader to visualize the country of the "White Silence" that his race passes through. Racing The White Silence is an excellent true-life book that will keep you turning pages until the end of the trail.

2002. Easy reading. Young-adult content. 270 pages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not too shabby but good information on sled dogging.
This is a good book to read if you don't know about sled dogs or if you want more information. It's not the best book in the world but it is packed with tons of information on running sled dogs. I know the titlesounds kind of joyful but this is the book for the serious minded beginningdog sledder. ... Read more

Product Description
Discusses the evolution of dogs; sled dog breeds, particularly the Eskimo dog, Alaskan Malamute, the Samoyed, and the Siberian Husky, and their uses; and sled dog racing. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1958, no one in the Fur Rendezvous World Championship Sled Dog Race knew the Athabascan Indian from Huslia who limped to the starting line in Anchorage. But when he finished with the winning time, George Attla opened a new chapter in the history of sprint mushing. For decades, Attla, the ""Huslia Hustler,"" reined as Alaska's most winning sprint champion, having overcome crippling TB as a child. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Legend in Mid-Life
George Attla was no more than a name to me before I picked up SPIRIT IN THE WIND: THE STORY OF GEORGE ATTLA.The cover said he was Alaska's legendary sled dog sprint champ.Whuh?I scoffed, thinking "legendary" was a word that is overused nowadays and should be reserved for people like Helen of Troy or George Washington.However, one quick peek through the contents of this book made me think that for once, Lew Freedman is not overstating things, for George Attla has indeed all the attributes of a legendary figure.Did you ever read Joseph Campbell's HERO OF A THOUSAND FACES?That will come to mind when you sit down with a hot cup of cocoa and a copy of SPIRIT OF THE WIND.For Attla is to ordinary mushers what Margot Fonteyn is to ballerinas--the gold standard to which all others have to kneel down.

He is good with dogs, and Freedman spends a lot of time detailing the extraordinary bonds set up by a trainer like Attla with some very special beasts.Freedman ascribes some of his magic to his First Peoples ancestry, for he is an Alaskan Indian with a kind of "horse whispering" background and a crippling childhood disease, one that would bring tears to your eyes, and when he conquers it the Northern Lights seem to glow a little brighter.You'll be wiping away the tears with a chamois.

He has achieved too many feats to mention, and nine gold medals.When he left school, it was with a first grade education--no, I guess he made it into second grade.At the end of our lives when we approach the Pearly Gates, St Peter will ask us what we did for other people while we were alive, and George Attla will shake his noble head and say, "I did it for the dogs."

A legendary man, but a trivial book
Without a doubt one of the most poorly written books that I have every read.The author normally writes newspaper articles and it's obvious.Each chapter is written like a short article off the main page which results in a shallow read.There is no transition between chapters and much of the information in one chapter is repeated in subsequent chapters.It takes talent to make such a fascinating life such an incredible bore.

Interesting and "friendly" biography of a great Alaskan
This biography on George Attla proves to be interesting and well written. The book tells the story of this great Alaskan musher in an easy to read and entertaining prose.

However, as information goes, the book suffered because while the author tells us so much about Attla's accomplishments, the book doesn't go into the man itself. Its a very friendly biography written by the author who does his best not to paint any negative aspects of George Attla. A good example would the short time Mr. Attla spent in jail up in Fairbanks for reason Mr. Freedman should have known but did not go into.

Biography is a two edge sword. If you are going to write about a man, his greatness and his flaws must be presented. So far, the author seem to be high with praises only. How will we supposed to know who George Attla is without his weaknesses as well. Because of this, I can only considered this book as "half biography" of George Attla, entertaining reading but pretty lightweight material.

The inspiring biography of an unusual man
It was 1958 when a twenty-four-year-old George Attla limped to the staring line of the Fur Rendezvous World Championships sled dog race in Anchorage, Alaska with a team of dogs borrowed from family and friends in his hometown of Huslia, Alaska. Three days later he won with a record-setting victory -- the first of many championships won by the man who would become the greatest spring dog "musher" of all time. An athabascan Indian from a tiny Koyukuk River village, Attla was diagnosed with crippling bone tuberculosis as a child, a disability that resulted in a permanently fused knee. Unable to work with his father on the family trap line (as Attla boys were expected to do), George began work training the family pups as a young boy. The dogs became his life, and "mushing" his life's work. Spirit Of The Wind: The Story Of Alaska's George Attla, Legendary Sled Dog Spring Champ is the inspiring biography of an unusual man who overcame all manner of obstacles and impediments to fulfill his life's dream, and in doing so, became a true and authentic champion! ... Read more

Product Description
Illustrated with over 120 photographs, many never before published, Tales of the Dogs is the most comprehensive chronicle of greyhounds in Ireland, and includes the first ever detailed look at the administration of the sport in Ireland, from the first race at Celtic Park in Belfast to the current time, when the sport is a big business. ... Read more

Product Description
How to identify the best dogs, place the most profitable bets, read racing programmes, and determine class, potential speed and running style. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Very good book!
My father-in-law just moved to Daytona Beach and started going to the racetrack but knew nothing about it!I bought him this book and he became an expert in a few days!Very informative book!

A flawed handicapping system
This book is very matter of fact.That's not necessarily a bad thing.It gets right to the handicapping system, with only minimal explanations given for the underlying theory.

The book, however, has a MAJOR flaw.The handicapping system requires that have 12 past performances for each dog.For the casual greyhound player (for whom this book is marketed to), this is pretty much impossible.In order to have these statistics, you need to go to the track very often and keep old programs.The only other alternative is a very laborious search for the information on the internet - which may or may not be fruitful.

Because of this, the handicapping system is nearly useless for the occasional track goer.

would by author again
I bought this book for my husband,who is not a reader but he has been reading this.I was shocked because other than a newspaper or the mail I have never seen this man read anything.We have been married for over 22 years.So,I guess he must like it.

Experienced at reading the racing form
I think this book is for a weekend trip to the dog track, maybe even a week in advance.That is the sort of book it was.

Good Handicapping Start
Prof. Jones steps through the basics of handicapping greyhounds in this book.His method handicaps by calculating the following variables:Effective Grade (determined by assigning scores to the WPS results over the dog's last 12 races), Current Form, Speed, Run Style (Inside, Outside preference in relation to post position) and Kennel (looks at all Kennel's WPS results...top kennels make sure their dogs are ready to race).These variables are then weighted with Effective Grade receiving about 50% of the weight.Based upon the total, bet determinations are made.This approach is good for the higher classes, but will not help you much in the lower classes or Maiden races (which he states).The chapter on betting strategies is rather short.Beyond WPS, Jones covers Trifecta Keys and Wheels and when to use those betting strategies.
Overall, this is a good intro to handicapping.The one tip I picked up about betting a favorite to show/place and the second highest rated dog to win, in certain situations, has paid for the book many times over.Good handicapping! ... Read more

Product Description
Polly Evans had a mission: to learn everything possible about the howling, tail-wagging world of sled dogs. Fool’s errand? Or the adventure of a lifetime? The intrepid world traveler was about to find out.

In the dead of winter, Polly Evans ventured to Canada’s far northwest, where temperatures plunge to minus forty and the sun rises for just a few hours each day. But though she was prepared for the cold, she never anticipated how profoundly she’d be affected by that blissful and austere place. In a pristine landscape patrolled by wolves and caribou, the wannabe musher was soon learning the ropes of arctic dogsledding, careening across the silent tundra with her own team of yapping, leaping canines.

Shivering but undaunted, Polly follows the tracks of the legendary Yukon Quest, a dogsledding race more arduous than the Iditarod, witnessing a life-and-death spectacle she’ll never forget. Along the way she makes a stop at the Santa Clause house in North Pole, Alaska (where the post office delivers unstamped mail), and witnesses the astonishing northern lights weaving green and red across the sky. And before the snows melt in spring, Polly will have discovered a deep affection for the loving, mischievous huskies whose courage and enthusiasm escort her through the delights and dangers of living life at the extreme—in one of the most forbidding places on earth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Kinda of boring...
Polly Evans ventured to Canada, and some parts of Alaska, prepared to learn about dog sledding.Not only does she learn about dog sledding, but she even helps in the legendary Yukon Quest.The cold, the dogs, the snow, all things she had to learn to deal with, one day at a time.
Not really very interesting.She seems as helpless as ever, which is kind of sad.For example, in Fairbanks she can't even find a piece of fruit and a bag of tea.Yet she was at the Westmark Hotel in Fairbanks.The Westmark Hotel has one of those tourist shops.They have bananas!And I am sure they have a pile of tea of all kinds.I know, I was there in MAY!Saying Fairbanks did not have a grocery store is like saying that the ocean does not have sharks because none of them attacked you the last time you took a dip.
But besides insulting the State of Alaska, and talking a lot about dog poop and complaining about how cold she was, the book is a tad boring.True, she does add a lot of the history but that could have been found in any history books of the cold, icy north.In the end, it feels like she was tired and didn't really wish to write this book.Just not as interesting as her book on China.Maybe being a useless tourist is only funny the first time?I hope her book on Spain is better.
Oh, and I have no problem with her getting mad at the people who run the borders - I have problems with them too.

Fun and Funny
The title of Polly Evans's book is, of course, a twist on the Noel Coward song "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" (they "go out in the midday sun").In Polly's memoire, mad dogs and an English WOMAN go out in the midNIGHT sun.

And the Northern Lights, and endless snowfields and forests, and iced roads and thawing rivers, and weird and wonderful people and DOGS, all of which she describes with grace and generosity and, occasionally, outright eloquence, in just those spots where it's called for.

Generally, when I review a non-fiction book, I address things like bibliographies, indices, and charts.This personal memoire doesn't call for them, but it does need a better map of the area. The tracing of the Quest dogsled race route gives no idea how the author got from point to point on it by road: we need roads to follow the routes vehicles took and trailmaps to follow the snowmobiles, and there are many features she cites that are not located.

But her story is terribly trenchant.I was born in England and raised in Montreal, and experienced the kind of culture (or climate) shock Canada presents to the unititiated;in Evans's book, you can experience it too.
... Read more

Product Description
Flyball Racing: The Dog Sport for Everyone
Imagine four dogs, competing against each other side-by-side on two separate racing lanes. Then picture a packed crowd of spirited spectators waiting to hear "Get Your Ball" and the excited barking of the competitors at the cue to start the race. If you can envision racing lanes with four jumps, spaced ten feet apart, and a Flyball box at the end of each lane—you know the thrill of Flyball Racing. The anticipation of a great race is just one of the resaons that Flyball Racing has become such a popular sport for dog enthusiasts all over the world. The enthusiasm pervades this comprehensive book that includes all of the details about this fun and friendly competition.

Flyball Racing: The Dog Sport for Everyone is the perfect guide for everyone from the novice participant to the experienced competitor. You will be taught how Flyball Racing has developed from its humble beginnings in a wood shop to a sport that, due to its large number of participants, has become a more formalized competition. You'll find out that all breeds (including mixed breeds) are eligible for play, how to train your dog for the sport, the equipment you need and the rules and regulations that direct all facets of Flyball Racing.

Other chapters include teamwork and how to build your own team, the role of the North American Flyball Association, how to get into competition and how to host a tournament. There is even a special section that breaks down the individual parts of flyball training in a performance checklist. The text of Flyball Racing is enhanced by numerous photos of competition in action that illustrate the spirit of the sport. An indispensable guide to a thrilling relay race, Flyball Racing is the ideal book to own, learn from and refer back to as you enjoy the competition.
A Howell Dog Book of Distinction ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great info for the newbie.
This book goes into detail from start to finish. They even have information on buliding your own box. Very helpful to the person just starting Flyball.

Flyball Racing: The Dog Sport for Everyone
A very helpful book for those in the know, giving you new ideas and the knowledge to help you build your own equipment.

Informative
Everything you always wanted to know about flyball including how to build most of the equipment at home.

Detailed explaination of teaching through Back Chaining
This books gives directions for construction jumps,including a wonderfully simple "puppy jump", advice on solving problems (like getting a tight turn). She does sometimes seem to be relying on repetition to get your dog into the habit of what you want, but this would easily be used with clicker training to improve the time and reliability of these behaviors.
The most impressive part of this book though, was it's step by step detailing of how to teach your dog to run using BACK-CHAINING. She breaks the behavior into at least 12 different segments - starting with the last jump on the return and back-chains to the total run, including proofing the return to the 4th jump should your dog miss the ball and have to retrieve it before it's return run. (if you don't know what back-chaining is, check out Karen Pryor's clicker site - it's a GREAT learning tool)

Vague and somewhat confusing
I read this book as someone already familiar with the sport of Flyball. Ifound that it was a general overview of the sport as opposed to a trainingmanual that would help you to teach a dog to play flyball. The trainingadvice is somewhat vague and dated. Current training techniques arementioned, but not explained for a novice to understand. This book utilizesthe old method of pattern training and does not go into teaching orproofing the elements of the course. I found the book Flyball Training:Start to finish to be a much more thorough and concise guide of great useto the novice or experienced enthusiast. ... Read more

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Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

A glimpse into the life of a working snow dog . . .
Peek into the heart and spiritual connection between driver and running teams. This fun book is filled with short yet entertaining content illuminating a variety of situations about working snow dogs and their handlers. Basic terms, commands and descriptive information about equipment, feeding, housing, care, selection and training of the teams is included. The softbound 94-page book intersperses and defines many details about the intelligence, drive, determination, and reliability of the dogs and their divine connection to man.
The beautiful illustrations by Gail de Marcken capture the facial expressions, antics and postures of these fine-looking athletes. Sure to entertain those struck with Snow Dog-itis. Recommended reading age: Juvenile ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Wonderful
This book turned out even better than I had hoped it would. Ryan put so much time and effort into this book, and it provides a wonderful glimpse into many of the track across the country. Sadly, much of it is history already. Thanks, Ryan, for saving this bit of racing history and life for all of us. Wonderful photographs, great information. Ryan did a great (greyt) job!

Wonderful Book
In print and pictures, this wonderful book documents one adopter's journey through the world of greyhound racing and its relationship with adoption. This book contains wonderful photos, but more importantly, a frank and first-person tour through the racing life that has shaped the greyhounds we all love. A must-read for those of us who love greyhounds and want to learn more about how our dogs were raised and raced before they came into our lives.

not what I hoped for
I'm a retired racing greyhound owner who doesn't think the track system is intrinsically evil, unlike a lot of other greyhound rescue folks I know. I do think it has problems, even big problems, and that many dogs are not treated well. I feel that greyhound owners can learn a lot about the breed from the racing industry, and about their dogs by learning how they lived before they found a home. This book fails to deliver on those points. It's a good, comprehensive look at racetracks and racers, and certainly fills a need for many readers who are only interested in greyhound racing. It would have been better if it delivered more insight into the life of the dogs while in the track system, and if it acknowledged some flaws - it didn't point out any of significance, if any at all. If you read this and nothing else, you'd think the greyhound racetrack system is perfect in its treatment of the dogs. As it is, it strikes me as something of a fan book. This is a disappointment as I hoped this book might be something that would start to bridge the divide between those who like the racetracks, and those who vilify them. ... Read more

Product Description
Tfh Book Adopt Race Greyhound Made by Tfh Publications Inc Model Number: TS340 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Greyhound books 1
Very informitive & a must have if you are thinking of getting a Greyhound dog.

Decent Basic Information, but not for the Serious Greyhound Lover
This book is inexpensive and includes some good advice on Greyhound care and temperament. However, the photos in the book are mostly of obvious AKC show Greyhounds, and not NGA dogs. I found this to be somewhat annoying. However, that's not that big of a deal. What really annoyed me was the books obvious anti-racing stance. The implied message was that racing Greyhounds are mistreated, when the fact is, most are not at all. ... Read more