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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 2016)
3C THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016 MUSH! No snow? No problem for Ocean Park woman By LYNDA LAYNE For EO Media Group O CEAN PARK, Wash. — Tamra Kellogg loves the sport of dryland mushing and so do her four Siberian huskies. Recognized worldwide, this activity is applauded for being an effective way to keep KLJKHQHUJ\GRJVPHQWDOO\DQGSK\VLFDOO\¿W While Kellogg might eventually compete in dryland mushing events in the Northwest, for now, it is strictly a recreational endeavor for KHUWHDP1RWRQO\GRHVLWEHQH¿WKHU³6LEV´RU ³SXSV´DVVKHFDOOVWKHPLWDOVRJLYHVKHUPXFK needed breaks from her work-at-home business of medical transcription. The dogs get so excited when they know they’re going mushing, Kellogg has had to develop a quick system of harnessing, hook- LQJXSDQGWDNLQJRII2WKHUZLVH³7KH\MXVWJR QXWV´VKHVDLG Whether she leaves directly from their Ocean Park home or loads the dogs in her van for a short trip to another starting spot (Leadbetter State Park is a favorite), Kellogg is sure to have the cart and ganglines ready. It only takes her about 45 VHFRQGVWR³KRRNWKHPXSDQGJHWJRLQJ´ Lynda Layne/For EO Media Group Tamra Kellogg often passes curious onlookers, both human and canine, during her dryland mushing runs around Ocean Park. She’s working on getting her dogs to ignore distractions. She says, “They’re getting better.” Three of these four dogs came from rescue or- ganizations. Front, from left to right, are Karma and Mars. Back, left to right, Clutch and Sassy. The only one Kellogg purchased as a puppy from a breeder is Sassy. Started with one husky Eight years ago, Kellogg made the decision to get a Siberian husky. At that time, she wasn’t DZDUHRIUHVFXHJURXSV6HDUFKLQJ3HW¿QGHUFRP she found a breeder is Wisconsin who had one pup left from a litter. ³,VDZSLFWXUHVRIKHUDQGMXVWNQHZVKHZDV PLQH´ .HOORJJ UHFDOOHG 7KH EUHHGHU LQ WXUQ said she didn’t understand why this pup was the last of the litter, because she was one of that EUHHGHU¶VIDYRULWHV.HOORJJUHVSRQGHG³6KHZDV ZDLWLQJIRUPH´ .HOORJJ QDPHG WKH SXS ³6DVV\´ 6DVV IRU short, and knew it would be quite a task to get KHUIURP:LVFRQVLQWR2FHDQ3DUN7KH¿UVWVWHS ZDV ERRNLQJ D VSRW RQ D ÀLJKW ZLWK WKH UXOHV being that this 13-week-old puppy wouldn’t be allowed to travel unless the cargo area was above a certain temperature. Luckily, they made it at 1 GHJUHHRYHU³2WKHUZLVH´.HOORJJUHFDOOHGZLWK DVLJKRIUHOLHI³,ZRXOGQ¶WKDYHEHHQDEOHWRJHW KHUKHUH´ Lynda Layne/For EO Media Group Sass begins bikejoring As Sass grew, Kellogg began harnessing her and using a towline to have her pull a mountain ELNH7KHVSRUWFDOOHGELNHMRULQJLVDQRQVQRZ mushing activity done as recreation or in some cases used off-season to train sled dogs for rac- ing. Although Sibs are commonly used for this activity, many other breeds also adapt well to it. %LNHMRULQJ FKDUDFWHULVWLFDOO\ WDNHV SODFH RQ FURVVFRXQWU\MDXQWVRQVRIWWUDLOVEXW.HOORJJ took advantage of the Long Beach Peninsula’s beaches. And about the time Sass was 18-months ROG .HOORJJ WKRXJKW ³,W ZRXOG EH VR FRRO WR KDYHWZRGRJVRQDORQJÀDWEHDFK´ Enter a rescue named Karma By this time, Kellogg had become familiar with dog rescue groups. She contacted a woman named Deb Blake at Harbor Rescue in Aber- deen. Blake had a Siberian husky named Karma ZKRPLJKWEHDSHUIHFW¿WIRU.HOORJJ¶VSHWIDP- ily. Blake brought the dog for a meet-and-greet to the Humane Society in Long Beach and Kellogg VPLOHG ZKHQ VKH UHFDOOHG ³2I FRXUVH .DUPD FDPHKRPHZLWKPHWKHVDPHGD\´ Karma settled in to her new home in Ocean Park and it wasn’t long before she proved her strength. ³6KHFRXOGSXOODVHPLWUXFN´.HOORJJVDLG smiling, adding that was, of course, an exag- JHUDWLRQ ³%XW VKH KDV SRZHU OLNH \RX ZRXOG not believe. I call her my bull in a China closet, EHFDXVHRIKHUIRUFHIXOSHUVRQDOLW\´ And then came Clutch From the same rescue group as Karma, along came Clutch, who quickly showed his new owner his unique personality. While most Sibs use a howling-type voice, somewhat like the call of a wolf, Clutch prefers barking. And he is the only one of the pack that is a true foodie. He gets excited about each meal. He is currently on a weight-loss program, because his X-back har- ness has become a bit snug. And last, but not least, Mars. Another Sib also found himself in a transi- tional state. Mars was in a shelter in Wenatchee. Through a woman named Tanya Quaranta, who coordinates a lot of rescues, this dog also came to .HOORJJ¶V2FHDQ3DUNKRPH+HZDVMXVWRYHUD year old when he arrived. Basic training ³(DFKWLPH,JRWDQHZGRJ,ZRXOGWDNHWKHP RXW RQ ZDONV DQG WHDFK WKHP WKH FRPPDQGV´ FREE PUBLISHED THE FIRST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH January 2015 ess Chronicling the Joy of Busin Clutch models his padded X-back harness. This style, Kellogg says, is comfortable for the dogs and allows more pulling power. Clutch is a foodie and Kellogg says they’re working on a weight loss program, so his harness will soon fit better. explained Kellogg. Wearing a harness and leash, RQLW³,ZDONHGEHKLQGLWDQGKHOGRQZKLOHWKH WKH GRJV ZRXOG OHDUQ WKDW ³+LNH LQ SODFH RI GRJV ZRUNHG´ 7KH\ KDG VRPH ZHLJKW EHKLQG PXVK PHDQV WR JR *HH LV ULJKW +DZ LV OHIW´ WKHPVRZHUHQ¶WDSWWRSXOOKHURIIKHUIHHW³:H MXVWZDONHGIRUXSWRPLOHV7KH\OHDUQHGWKDW 6WD\VWUDLJKWVKHVDLGPHDQVMXVWWKDW And in the basic training mode and even now, ZD\DQGJRWJRRGH[HUFLVH´ Eventually, Kellogg had brakes put on that when they all pull a cart, distractions get their attention and Kellogg has to stress to them that ¿UVWFDUWEXWVDLGWKH\ZHUHQ¶WVWURQJHQRXJK Not like the two carts she has WKH\KDYHWR³*RE\´RU³/HDYH now. The one she has been using LW´ They’re certainly not aggres- ‘She could for about three years weighs 118 pounds and has strong brakes. VLYH GRJV ³7KH\¶UH MXVW VR pull a Manufactured by a company friendly, they want to be in the called Arctis, Kellogg purchased middle of everything, like when we go out and there are people semi-truck. it, lightly used, from a man in Kentucky. The brakes, she said, walking or riding bikes, or dogs But she ³DUHJUHDW´6KHFRXOGSXWVL[GRJV EHLQJZDONHG´VKHVDLG RQWKDWFDUW³DQGVWLOOEHDEOHWR 1RZ WKDW WKH\¶UH VR ¿W LI has power stop them. It’s got dual brakes and they’re fresh, they’re a handful, like you a bigger brake in the back with a Kellogg said. If she harnesses that goes down. I usually use WKHP DQG DWWHPSWV WR MXVW ZDON would not lever that when I stop, so the dogs can’t with them right from her house, WDNHRII´ ³7KH\ IRUJHW WKH\¶UH QRW RQ WKH believe. FDUWDQGMXVWZDQWWRJR7KH\¶UH WRRVWURQJQRZ´ Cart No. 3 I call her 6KHKDVWRJHWWKHPWLUHG¿UVW Because Kellogg does see a my bull in distant future of competing with before walking can be successful. ³8QOHVVWKH\¶UHZRUQRXWWKH\¶UH her dogs, she recently had a wide- a China WRRVWURQJWRMXVWZDONZLWK%XW tired cart made by local welder, if I’m out on the beach mushing Bob Girouard of Bay Machine closet, with them and we’ve gone for, Works on Sandridge in Nah- say, a mile, I can unhook them because of FRWWD ³,W¶V PRUH RI D UDFH FDUW´ from the ganglines and we can VKH H[SODLQHG ³,W¶V VXSHU JRRG her forceful for racing and beach runs in the ZDONIRUDZKLOH´ RU VQRZ´ .HOORJJ SULQWHG personality.’ VDQG RXWDSKRWRRIDFRPPHUFLDO³IDW Dogs before the cart WLUH UDFH FDUW´ WR VKRZ *LURXDUG .HOORJJ¶V¿UVWFDUWGLGQ¶WKDYH Tamra Kellogg ³+H¶V D VXSHU QLFH PDQ DQG KH brakes, like the two newer carts dryland musher NQRZVKLVVWXII+HVDLGµ<XSZH she has now. It was, in fact, inad- FDQPDNHVRPHWKLQJOLNHWKDW´ equate in many ways and she Following mushing groups on Facebook and wishes she would have known more about what to look for when she purchased it. And, because doing a lot of research is helping her learn about dryland mushing dogs are driven without the aid the competition part of the sport, but she said she of leashes or reins, four powerful dogs in front of still has a lot to learn and for now, her business a cart can be a bit daunting. For example, Clutch workload is too heavy to even consider getting LVDELJER\SRXQGV%XW.HOORJJVDLG³,W¶V away on weekends, when most events are held. not the weight that gets me. It’s their pull power. 7KH\¶UHMXVWH[WUHPHO\SRZHUIXO´ Soon, there might be six :LWKWKDW¿UVWFDUW.HOORJJQHYHUVDWRUVWRRG Kellogg has a friend in Surfside, Kathy Pres- in the Columbia-Pacific Region striverbusinessjournal crbizjournal.com • facebook.com/coa Volume 10 • Issue 1 stry spo allenges Inside: Indu copes with ch Shellfish farm an conditions oce nging s optimistic despite cha tlight: Taylor remain NEWS County makes a splash Lynda Layne/For EO Media Group Even though it weighs in at 118 pounds, this cart is balanced enough to roll to the hitch and rack on the back of Kellogg’s van. It is raised up and secured for transport. ton, who has three Sibs. Preston has purchased harnesses for two of her dogs. Kellogg has extra ganglines. She hopes to soon start working Pres- WRQ¶V GRJV ZLWK KHU RZQ ³:H MXVW KDYH WR JHW WRJHWKHU´.HOORJJVDLG Preston and Kellogg have mulled over some- day starting a Siberian husky rescue organiza- WLRQ8QWLOVKHVWDUWHGVHDUFKLQJOLVWLQJV³,UHDOO\ had no idea how many Sibs need to be rescued. ,WDOPRVWEUHDNVP\KHDUW´.HOORJJFRQIHVVHG S’no joke, they’re snow dogs Because Kellogg was born and raised in Idaho and has been on the peninsula for 11 years, she understands how her Sibs feel about rain, ver- sus snow. ³7KH\¶UH VQRZ GRJV DQG WKH\ WKLQN WKH\¶UH DOOHUJLF WR UDLQ´ .HOORJJ MRNHG :KHQ WKH\¶UH out mushing, the dogs are busy and focused and don’t seem to be as worried about the wet stuff. %XWZKHQWKH\¶UHLQWKHLUEDFN\DUG³WKH\GRQ¶W XWLOL]H WKHLU GRJ KRXVHV 7KH\ MXVW ZDQW WR EH inside the house with me. I’m really glad that I ZRUNDWKRPHEHFDXVHWKH\FDQEH´ After a mushing run, Kellogg will sometimes bring the dogs inside. She said they’ll assume SRVLWLRQVRQWKHÀRRUVRPHWLPHVUROORYHUEHO- OLHVH[SRVHGDQGMXVWVWDUHDWKHUDGRULQJO\DVLI WRVD\³:HORYH\RX0RP´ When they’re out working Regardless of where Kellogg takes the dogs on mushing runs, she said people take photos, shoot videos and many give her a thumbs up. On one of her beach runs, a local photogra- pher named Rob Matthews shot a picture as Kel- logg drove the Sibs near the water. She didn’t know about it at the time, but Matthews put the SKRWRRQFDQYDVWLWOHGLW³2FHDQ3DUN'RJ6OHG- GHU´DQGOHIWLWDW)XOO&LUFOH&DIHIRULWVRZQHU &ROOHHQ6PLWKWRJLYHWR.HOORJJ6PLWKGLGMXVW that and Kellogg treasures that picture. 2QH GD\ .HOORJJ VDLG VKH ZDV ³RXW PXVK- ing with the pups. We went by Colleen’s restau- rant. Everybody inside waved and had big smiles on their faces. It’s so cool to see people so happy and amazed with the pups, while they’re doing ZKDWWKH\ORYH´ Now inserted into The Daily Astorian and Chinook Observer For more information call 503-325-3211 PacifIc in the pot biz page 10 NEWS Seaside Muffler and Off-Road 21 revs up its reputation page BOAT OF THE MONTH The Sadie out of South Bend, Wash. page 24 crbizjou rn a l.com
