Boreas
...has clearly expressed his desire to stay farther back in the team.
For many years Boreas, along with his big buddy Thani have played a very important role in our team as wheel dogs (the position just in front of the sled).
Without the strength of a solid pair of working dogs in this position a musher has little hope of heading down the trail efficiently. Not only are the dogs in this position trained to start a heavy sled load but they are also a critical component to steering the sled around obstacles.
Once a wheel dog knows what is required of them it is quite amazing to see not only how heavy a load they can handle but also the slight positioning of their bodies as they lean a hard right or left making sure the sled travels safely around the next tree.
When Boreas and Thani worked together as a team there were no trails we couldn't conquer and no challenge they couldn't navigate around. Recently Thani has graduated up to lead while Boreas has clearly expressed his desire to stay farther back in the team where his muscle mass is put to greatest use.
After many tries up in lead we had hoped Boreas would join his buddy up front but a lead dog, as well as any sled dog, must not only love their job but maintain a happy desire to work in their chosen position. Leaders are often faced with making many decisions along the trail and for some dogs, like Boreas, this can cause too much mental stress.
Over time Boreas has shown a desire to work with new dogs not only in wheel but in every other position on the team, just as long as its not in lead! Currently Odin and Orion are his main pupils as he continues to share his knowledge of what it takes to be sled dog, not only in working hard but also learning that you must have patience when teaching young ones still learning the ropes.
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