Picts Team Report, 1972 & 1973 – John Yates
INTRODUCTION
The Picts are a very strong steady team but fairly slow. A little short on intelligence perhaps, but probably less aggressive than most other teams. Very affectionate and generally easy to control. A pleasure and a privilege to ‘boss’ for two years survey.
Morag – Leader 
Helix 
Jamie 
Chinook ? 
Dougal 
HISTORY
I took over the Picts in Nov.1972 from a G.A. and have run them up to the end of Jan. 1974, when G.K.W. took over for the last few weeks of the season. The 1972-73 season was exceptionally long and fairly hard, approximately 1900 miles.
This last year has been limited to two short winter trips and a relatively easy summer season, with only 1200 miles to date(1 Feb). There has been a continuous weighing programme and also nutrition comparison trials throughout the summer, full details in Bob Bostlemans reports.
Survey teams, of necessity, spend a very high percentage of their time lying-up – interspersed with occasional long hard days of travelling. The team is therefore much more limited in it’s manoeuvrability than other teams. Also survey is not very good for leader training, Biddy certainly could do with a lot more hard training with a different unit. In fact the whole team will certainly benefit from a change of job.
The general team balance is pretty good and presuming that 0.A.P. Bran will gradually be replaced by a pup (dog) over the coming season it should remain so and perhaps speed up the team slightly. Let’s get on and meet the team:-
MORAG
The established leader. Very obedient man-lover. Does little or no work whilst leading! Fairly intelligent and very noisy, quite up to conversing with FIDS. Loves being loose and going for walks – can be let off with impunity except on the Ramp, where she will rapidly disappear housewards. Objects strongly to, and shouldn’t really need, beating except possibly after the occasional repeated fighting session with Biddy. A sedentary old lady whose ambition in life is to live with the boss in his tent or house.
BUDDY
Superb hard working revver but limited intelligence. Has been doing most of the leading since last Oct. with a fair amount of success especially for long distance straight line bondu bashes. Tends to let Morag do the actual steering so Morag usually put back onto the cowcatcher (and actually does a little bit of work there). Answers turning commands best whilst sledge moving. On long days becomes preoccupied with pulling and forgets to listen to commands. Also knackers the men by sprinting whenever possible instead of keeping a nice steady pace. Some jealousy, mainly on Morag’s part,can easily lead to fights. Let off whenever possible. A randy little tom-boy whose ambition is to be screwed by all 7 men one after the other.
HELIX
Immigrant from Halley Bay, a very affectionate front runner. Needs often reminders about work but has definitely learnt the commands and is very useful for additional steering power on Biddy when manoeuvring. Biggest problem – very frightened of wind slab surfaces and charges back through the team at the first whoosh. Very placid but plays tug-o-war if on main trace for long lie-ups, invariably severing it. Desperate trace tangler. A hand nuzzler. Let off daily. Definitely a public-schoolboy with hopes of being a ‘Gentleman Husky’.
PIG
Excellent worker. Very noisy especially if bitch on heat. Coward. Crafty. Shit-stirrer. Good pup trainer. A heel nipper in the big fights Tug-o-war merchant par excellence – never leaves a tooth mark on the trace. Short legs a handicap in the sprints. A real character. Let off occasionally. A homosexual with a healthy interest in bitches.
BERT
A superb strong worker improved greatly during this his first season. Much disliked by the heavy gang behind and usually the reason for all major fights. Not really aggressive but will leap into any fight going even bitch fights, tries to bully the small fry. Likes a good romp and let off daily but wary of coming to his place when called in case he gets caught by the others. Always been on night span. A cocky young jock with aspirations to King Dog.
JAMIE
Most intelligent dog. A good worker. Slightly wary but certainly likes a bit of fuss and attention. Desperate to recapture if allowed off(or escapes) -kept permanently on a screw-gate krab. A noisy coward unless he’s with Dougal. Try not to discipline too much or he will become lurky again. Inveterate chewer of harnesses and traces given half a chance.
DOUGAL
Jamie’s big strong brother. Thick as two short planks, no idea of ropework. Fairly timid and not at all affectionate. Can be let off and when called goes to either his running place or to Jamie. Usually left on main trace except in long lie-ups – another tug-o-war merchant. Slightly more determined fighter than Jamie. Try not to discipline at all if possible.
The brothers Grimm whose whole existence revolves round food.
CHINOOK
Megadog. Big strong reliable buffoon. Limited intelligence but loves a romp about – let off daily. Doesn’t like other dogs coming to near him, otherwise non-aggressive. Fighting technique consists of getting hold and keeping hold – mainly of lumps of fur and collars. Probably the nearest thing to King Dog there is in the team.
BRAN
Has been a try magnificent worker. Now past his best but still worth his weight in hard going. Doesn’t like flying starts or really fast going. Likes lots of fuss and attention but is very grumpy to other dogs. The main fight starter particularly if Bert is in biting range. Suffers from prolonged heavy nose bleeds usually whilst on the span and at feed times. No treatment or cure but very little effect though he may be a little bit wobbly on the trail after a particularly severe bleed. Let off daily.
The grandad of them all and hoping for a comfy kennel with a nice young bitch up at the Big Span In The Sky.
SPANNING
Spanning is highly flexible as Jamie is the only regular night-spanner on travelling days.
Dougal and Helix, are probably better off on the night span during lie-ups. Morag, Biddy, Helix, Bert, Bran, Chinook are let off morning and night and will come when called. Bert has never chewed but gets a little boisterous so is probably better isolated on the night span.
Below is the usual running order and the most common night span arrangement:
GENERAL HANDLING AND RUNNING
My general aim has been to try and give the dogs as much freedom as possible and boss a happy team that wants to pull and doesn’t have to be made to by repeated thumpings. Obviously with 6 or 7 dogs wandering around loose one has to keep ones eye out to prevent fights starting. You’ll quickly learn the situations to avoid and one sharp command in time can prevent a mega-punch-up. Morag particularly needs watching if Biddy is off as well – bitch fights are the worst of the lot. Bert needs watching to make sure he doesn’t accidentally barge into Bran or Chinook. Fights are never started for the hell of it and there is always a reason and, therefore if you’re on the ball they can be prevented. The Picts have had no major wounds requiring stitches in the last two years.
Frequent pissing on the trail should not be allowed to pass unnoticed similarly sniffers should be sharply told off. Most of the team can shit on the run quite happily, Chinook being the exception digging in his heels and usually stopping the team but don’t let him make a meal of it.
As far as heats go both bitches are fairly regular and normal – Biddy being the slightly hotter of the two. Biggest pain of heats is the noise Pig makes – no real cure. Both bitches were Perlutexed this summer but this gave Biddy only three months protection. You should be able to lead even with the leader on heat, trouble starts when both bitches are on at the same time.
All dogs have highly individual characters and respond to praise and punishment in very different ways. You have to suit your actions to the dog and it’s particular mood – they can get just as pissed of as you can.
COMMANDS
One obviously builds up a large repertoire of commands and nicknames which the dogs readily respond to. However the basic commands of AUK, IRRA,HUIT and AH NOW will get you quite a long way. Inflection and tone control to a surprising extent the degree of turning or pulling. I’ve made a particular point of getting the dogs to sit upon command with a fair amount of success – this makes leaving camp alot easier and on the trail enables a distinction to be made between a temporary halt for a grip or a piss and a long halt for smoko or a rest.
In heavy going the team responds well to the old starting formulae eg ‘Are you ready dogs. Up dogs. HUIT.’ accompanied by the initial sledge jerk on the ‘HUIT’. I believe the dogs should be spoken to and encouraged and praised as much as possible – they obviously love it. Singing and whistling will raise morale (and tails) on long boring slogs or hard grinds.
All the dogs know their own name and should respond to a command addressed clearly and loudly only to them – even on the trail.
DISCIPLINE
I must reiterate that punishments must vary greatly from dog to dog and day to day.
I have never used a thumper in the last two years. I’ve relied only on strong verbal commands (i.e. shouting) for most minor crimes. You can certainly disperse the faint hearted at a mega punch-up just by shouting usually leaving Bran, Chinook and Bert to separate by judicious use of the flat of the foot. I’m pretty certain that a thumper is no more effective. Repeated minor infringements were treated with a batting with my dongler and a stiff talking to. Major punishment – usually repeated fighting (rare in Picts) by lifting onto handlebars and beating with a harness. The severity or beating is also a very important and variable factor. One blow is severe chastisement to Morag, prolonged thumping is just so much water under the bridge to Biddy. Slacking and general messing around is usually easily cured by a day of disgrace running at the side of the sledge on one of the night span traces.
For the dogs that are allowed off any persistent trouble making is normally quickly sponned by simply not letting them off – they soon get the message that good behaviour is part of the bargain.
Despite the above the new driver may still need to use a thumper in the first few weeks to ascert his authority – probably in that most exhausting of sledge rituals, the team-beat!
NICK NAMES
Used only in whittering to the dog and usually as a show of affection or praise.
NEVER USED IN OFFICIAL COMMANDS.
MORAG – Mog Moggy, moggymay, moggydoggy
BIDDY – Biddybiddy.
BERT – Bertie, dirtybertie.
PIG- Piggywig. body beautiful.
JAMIE – James.
DOUGAL -Doug.
BRAN – Brantub, tubby, Mr. Tubby, grandad.
CHINOOK – Chin Chin. Rin Tin Chin, Big Fellow
HELIX – Helixo.
THE FUTURE.
Really only concerns the two young jocks – Helix and Bert. If Helix settles down a bit more and overcomes his fear of wind slab then he would be the ideal candidate for the front pair as he is fairly light and not a very strong puller. Bert I think could probably pick up the commands very quickly – however this would undoubtedly lose a lot of his power, his greatest asset. Anyhow having just learnt that the ‘General’ has fallen in love with the Picts I sh’nt whitter on any longer. I can’t teach my grandmother how to suck eggs!
MY THANKS TO THE PICTS FOR TWO MAGNIFICENT YEARS AND THE CONVERSION FROM DOG INDIFFERENT TO A HUSKY LOVER.
March 1974
John Yates – Surveyor, Stonington, 1972 & 1973