TTStoryTime! #12: Life of a Husky!

WOFF! GROWWLLLL… Pay attention to me!

Hi everyone, I am Batman, the most friendly Husky of the gang! 

I live on a top of a remote hill close to lake Inari, with my friends in Veskoniemi, North of Finland! Thank you for inviting me!

#1: Lovely to have you here, Batman! We met once in Veskoniemi, glad you still remember me. Can you tell our audience a bit about yourself?

Hihi, with lots of confidence, for sure I am an extrovert. I believe I am the cuddliest, and also the most easygoing of the gang! 

I love to be with hoomans all day long and take selfies with them because I am quite photogenic hehe. 

I think I have a great sense of humor too as hoomans sometimes just look at me and laugh for no reason…

I don’t know why but I am happy when they are happy. =)

#2: How did you start your training?

WOOF! When I was a puppy, I spent a lot of time with my mamas and papas. We started our first forest walks and running together! 

They also took me to see the first uncles and aunts (I mean visitors), so hoomans already have a special place in my heart.

I just love cameras...

When I was around seven months, I first met my teammates and started training with them. I gradually fell in love with running, as the pace increased. At that time I found the meaning of my life, I was born to bring joy to people by doing what I do best - Running!

Before meeting my first traveler, it was around 2 years of training and I got the chance to try different positions in the team. After just a few seasons, I slowly found my right position, remembered the track, kept the sledge in line, and finally, was responsible for our excited hoomans on the sledge when the snowmobiles are gone. =)

#3: What’s a day in your job look like?

Why call it a job when you have so much fun? And a lot of FOOOOD!

Every year, we have a unique training and running plan during all seasons. The training usually starts in August-September when temperatures start dropping below 5-6 degrees Celsius. It starts with short distances (2-3 km) and is gradually lifted to 20-30 km (by November). We mostly trained on forest roads. 

The day starts with a good breakfast in the morning by our papas and mamas. I can’t have enough of the daily warm soup to “starts the engine”!

Me and my friends are ready to run!

We also get a daily check-up every morning too to be sure all of us are healthy and ready for the day.

Then, we either have the training with "teachers" or exciting runs with our guests! I especially enjoy the period when different hoomans come regularly to visit us.

Between safaris, it’s snack time! We got some mixture of dry meat like beef, pork, salmon and water. After we are done with all the activities, it’s food time again before relaxing! Eating all day long!

Every day ends with a lot of socializing, cuddling, and grooming! That’s all we need for a fulfilling day. 

Of course, we rotate the shift to make sure all of us have enough rest and days offs. 

You know what’s the best part?

When our mamas & papas help us stretch our muscles; it is especially beneficial on active days! We get as well a luxury massage experience by a professional, 1-2 times per season. Many staff benefits that we enjoy so much!

 #4: How do you keep warm when constantly staying in the cold?

Remember how guides usually remind you to layer up when you go to the cold? Apparently, Mother Nature conveniently gifted us our natural double-layered-fur-coat!

In particular, there is an underlayer that keeps heat in our body, covered by a long waterproof coat on the outer layer.

Hoomans have their thick coats, and so do we!

Our eyes are also designed to keep the snow out, and we could wrap our long bushy tails around our heads to keep warm!! 

#5 But then isn’t it too hot for the summer…?

Ayyy, the answer is no!

Although we are super furry and enjoy cold weather, our amazing coats also keep us cool in the summer.

But again, we don’t like hot days so we rest most of the time during this period. It’s our precious holiday season and many baby Huskies are born.

#6 I met many Husky friends and they all have such energetic aura all the time. How can you maintain such powerful energy all day long? 

Firstly, thanks to the healthy food from mamas & papas!

Secondly, Mother Nature gave us huskies a body where energy could be taken straight from all the fat we eat, and turning it directly into energy! It allows us to run fast for longer periods than basically any of our dog fellows.

Sorry hoomans, we can run waaaaay longer than you too!

We are proudly the real champions when it comes to endurance! 

240 kilometers in a day? Not even a surprise!

#7: Any interesting legends about your species?

I heard from my grandmother that, Huskies are the ones guarding the gates of heaven. The Chukchi, also known as the Siberian indigenous people, told that the gate of heaven was guarded by two Huskies, who will refuse admission to anyone who has been cruel to an animal.

#8: I saw some of your friends have different colored eyes. Is it common?

Yes! Besides our Alaskan Husky friends, many Siberian Huskies have different eye colors. Some even have mismatched colors. This is a genetic thing and it doesn't affect their eyesight at all.

Grandma told me many stories about our different eye colors and each has a special meaning.

We Alaskan Huskies commonly have brown eyes and I am proud of them. According to northern legend, in the endless cold winter, when a dog gazed at the fire, the burning flames entered his soul and filled it with unbridled warmth in his heart. From that point, our eyes forever glow with amber fire.

At the same time, I also find a blue-eyed husky super charismatic. It's common to find a Siberian Husky with blue eyes.

The moment he looked into the icy arctic ocean, his heart was completely captured by the cold and limitless beauty from the depth of the sea. His eyes became the color of ice and ocean water, that’s why you see a blue-eyed husky.

Are you talking about me???

What about Huskies with mismatched eye colors?

Sometimes I am jealous of them, as they are super special and many hoomans find them interesting.

Legends tell that this is a combination of an icy-ocean and an amber-fire dog. Since they were born, they possessed one eye colder than ice, and the other was hotter than fire. They were gifted with the warmest kindness and the coldest fearlessness.

Due to these special traits, they were considered to be mystical creatures, who yield both ice and firepower to bring balance to the world. No wonder everyone wants a picture with them!

But I know, we are all beautiful in our own ways. And so are you!

Ending

It was a really eye-opening experience to chat with you, Batman. 

We will meet again in Veskoniemi and I can’t wait to ride with you.

Wanna meet Batman and his friends? Let's go to Lapland together!