Stillwater Living Magazine February 2014 | Page 11

spotlight
Quest in 2009, after he was selected to be the
official “Pin and Patch Dog” for the Yukon
Quest in 2010 and had raced his share of
events with the Palfreys. He came home to
live with Doug and Kathryn, who in the
meanwhile had been conducting a considerable amount of research about sled dogs and
their care, maintenance and athletic training.
A lifelong dog lover, Doug was thrilled to
have his new companion. He enjoys sharing
Gumbie in an effort to share that love with
others, especially the next generation. Two
Westwood elementary teachers, Dee Atkins
and Celeste Fox, began a program that stars
Doug, Gumbie and Gumbie’s son, Vulcan
each winter, leading up to the Iditarod race.
In their program, the students get to choose
a book about the race and a musher to follow.
They then learn about Alaska, dog sled racing,
and sled dogs. They get to learn history, math
and improve their reading skills while being
enthralled with Doug’s stories about the race
and the mushers involved.
“When Gumbie and I visit the schools,
we are always moved by the questions we
get,” says Doug. “I have a talk that I give,
sharing about the dogs, the race and the atmosphere, and all the time, I’m reminding
the kids, it’s all about the dogs.”
After his talk, Doug opens it up for questions and lets the natural curiosity of seven
and eight year olds lead the discussion.
“I’ve been asked almost every question
you can think of,” said Doug. “Where they
eat, how they race, how they pee along the
trail, there’s no topic off limits to them, and
I try to answer their questions in the most
factual way possible.”
Doug visits several times throughout the
semester, each time bringing either Gumbie
or Gumbie’s son, Vulcan. He is careful and
cautious with the animals, instilling respect
for the animals all while feeding the young
minds with new knowledge. Upon his last
visit, each child has the opportunity to approach the dog and tell Gumbie thank you
for his time.
“Each child approaches the dog at his
level, no petting, but has the opportunity
to be eye to eye with Gumbie, and from the
bottom of their hearts, they thank him for his
time,” said Doug. “The things that they say,
it’s very moving. Sometimes it’s even a tearjerker what these honest, open-hearted kids
will tell this dog that they’ve been studying.

Did you know?

Sled Dogs:
• Average Size – 50-60 lbs but they
have 100 lb hearts!
• Alaskan Huskies – Not the same as
Siberian Huskies. Alaskan Huskies
are mutts, bred with different
breeds for optimal performance
traits.
• They have two layers of coats
• They don’t get tired- they increase
their energy. Sled dogs have a
unique metabolic process that uses
proteins to pull carbohydrates and
fats through cell membranes into
muscle cells for energy use.
• 1 oz of water is needed to digest/
absorb 34 calories. During endurance racing, dogs consume over
10,000 calories daily.
• A fully loaded sled weighs about
300-400 pounds
• An Iditarod dog team has 16 dogs,
each with a particular position and
job.
• Contrary to popular belief, sled
dogs are NOT color blind!
FEBRUARY 2014 | STILLWATER LIVING MAGAZINE

11