A Day of...cough cough... "Tutoring"

A few days ago, we had our annual spay and neuter day! We’re fortunate enough to have Dr. Jeanne Olson come to the kennel and perform spays and neuters right at home. I should note, I have no relation to Dr. Olson, although I wish I did! She’s one cool lady. Dr. Olson travels to remote villages and offers her knowledge and skills at discounted rates in communities that don’t have a veterinarian. She regularly participates in rabies clinics or spay and neuter clinics for both dogs and cats. She has so much knowledge of both Western and Eastern medicine and has helped us many times when a dogs just seems off. So thank you, thank you to Dr. Jeanne Olson!

Ok, back to our big day. Spaying and neutering at home is a fantastic setup for us. First, the future patient is given a calming drug. About ten minutes later, the dog is ready for a dose of the anesthesia drug. Once out, we lift the pup up onto a table in the kitchen (which is different from the kitchen table I might add), and before you know it, they’re relaxing on the living room floor with an ice pack, no puppy making organs, and sleepily wagging their tail. Since the procedure is performed at home, the dogs get to wake up on familiar ground and don’t have the added stress of being in a new environment. Plus, with 13 dogs to spay and neuter, it makes my life easier to keep everyone home!

Spaying and neutering dogs is a key aspect in our kennel management plan. There are SO MANY benefits to spaying and neutering—

Faff, Rose, and Scarpa

• There’s significantly less chance of having unplanned litters. With 40+ dogs, mistakes can happen (and frisky dogs are good at finding ways to meet up). By spaying and neutering over half of the kennel, there’s a far less chance of an oopsie.

• It helps dogs hold weight. Especially for the big males, neutering helps them maintain a healthy weight during winter.

• Spaying and neutering can take the edginess off. Sometimes (not always), spaying and neutering can tamper down reactive and/or aggressive behaviors. This isn’t always the case, but it can certainly help.

• Spaying and neutering reduces the risk of certain cancers and pyometra (a potentially deadly infection in a female’s reproductive tract).

Normally we wait until dogs are two to three years old before spaying and neutering; however, this time I did opt to spay and neuter a handful of the yearlings. With twelve athletes in the yearling class, if they were all intact, training could quickly turn into a MTV Spring Break episode. Plus, I already knew there were several who I did not want to breed in the future (primarily for health reasons or shyness).

So who were the special thirteen? Dr. Olson spayed/neutered Yoshi (4), Faff (4), Scarpa (3), Rose (2), Beesly (1), Smoky (5), Thresher (4), Bert (3), Watson (2), Sherlock (2), Dwight (1), Mose (1), and Mozzerella (1).

A BIG THANK YOU to Dr. Olson, without whom this wouldn’t have been possible!

Dr. Olson and Rose

Flying

WARNING- not dog related. If you’re on the Ryno Kennel website for only dog content, then skip this blog post.

In 2012, I finished my first Iditarod with the help of SP Kennel, and impulsively decided to get my private pilot’s license. Truth be told, I’m not entirely sure why. Don’t get me wrong. I love flying. I love the feeling of being high above the ground and soaring over Alaska’s vast landscape to remote corners of the state. With so few roads in Alaska, you need a dog team, snowmachine, boat, or airplane to reach more remote areas. Perhaps I made the decision because I was dating a pilot (Derek), or my dad is a pilot (he flew A-6s in the Navy), or my aunt is a pilot (she flew Boeing 787s for United Airlines), or my paternal grandfather was a pilot (I remember him taking me up in a glider plane), or my maternal grandfather had provided me with the financial support to do so (he gave each of his grandchildren a gift to use towards education, in whatever form that may take).

But whatever the reason, I spent a few weeks down in Arizona, sleeping in a camper borrowed from my Aunt Joan, and flying daily in pursuit of my private pilot license. After a whirlwind course, I walked away with a signature in my logbook saying I could fly small planes but only having the knowledge of how to fly a Cessna 172 in very specific conditions.

Upon returning to Alaska, I quickly realized that flying Derek’s PA12 was a whole different beast from the Cessna 172. Add to that the arrival of the first Ryno Kennel athletes, and my focus rapidly re-directed back to dogs. For the next 7-8 years, I rarely took the controls of the plane. Derek is an outstanding bush pilot, so I happily squeezed into the back seat and let him run the show. I always hoped to get my tailwheel endorsement and fly myself, but I couldn’t seem to find the time (or rather, I just wasn’t interested in making the time). Fast forward to the pandemic, and suddenly, I had time. Neighbor and certified flight instructor, Marty Meierotto generously agreed to fly with me and give me a refresher. Last summer, Marty and I spent several hours practicing in Derek’s PA-12. Throughout fall, winter, and spring, my focus returned to the dogs, but this summer, I was able to hop back in the pilot’s seat. Even better, a good friend offered to put me on his plane’s insurance, and bam- Derek and I could take to the skies together in separate planes!

A couple weeks ago, we embarked on our first, separate but together, cross country flight. We flew through the Alaska Range to visit Paige and Cody! It was SPECTACULAR. I certainly had a basket of butterflies in my stomach comparable to the start of a 1000-mile race, but we made it to Susquidna Lodge and back in fine form. Full disclosure, there were a couple minor hiccups (1- losing my visual of Derek as we flew over the Yanert River, so from then on he followed me and 2- doing a go-around as I landed at Paige and Cody’s after taking a funky bounce), but as Marty would say, there’s only one mandatory landing, otherwise just enjoy yourself!

Even though this was barely a 24-hour adventure, so many thank yous are in order. To my mom, for caring for the critters at home (did I mention there’s an arsonist running around Two Rivers right now too?!) To my dad for your love and support in my pursuit of flying. To Kalyn for managing Chena Outdoor Co while I was away. To Chris Swisher for allowing me to pilot his spectacular plane. And to Paige and Cody for letting us come visit!