Racing Hearts

[wingfeather]

You're a dog in a rookie sled dog team in Nome, Alaska. The first race is coming up at the end of the week and lately you've been training like crazy. Whether you win or lose... that is to be found out. But the story doesn't end there. A few days after the race the team was on an exercise run when a storm suddenly comes up from out of nowhere, you're lost with no idea where home is. When the storm finally breaks you look back and see you master is gone. Hungry. Cold. And attached to an empty sleigh. Will you and your pack mates make it home. And if you do what will you find there?

RULES

~ Please choose dogs normally used on sled teams (Huskies, malamutes etc.)

~ Two dog limit (I may raise that number depending on sign ups)





Ranks

~ ''Alpha'' (Lead sled dog)

~ ''Beta'' (Second sled dog)

~ ''Omega'' (last sled dog)

~ ''Off-duty'' (Wounded, old, lame, pregnant)*

~ Pup (dog below a year, not yet ready for the sled)*

~ No Rank (you can choose what place you are in the team but the Alpha is 1, and the last dog is 8)

Ranks marked thus * will not participate in the race.

[wingfeather]

Sign Ups:

Name:

Age:

Gender:

Breed:

Rank/Place number:

Personality:

Backstory:

Strengths/likes:

Weaknesses/dislikes:

Mate:

Pups:

Other:

Appearance:

[wingfeather]

Ranks:

Alpha (1, Lead Dog)

Beta (2, Lead Dog)

Dog (3, Swing Dog)

Dog (4, Swing Dog)

Dog (5, Team Dog)

Dog (6, Team Dog)

Dog  (7, Wheel Dog)

Dog  (8, Wheel Dog)

Pups (max 3)

Off-Duty (max 2)

[wingfeather]

Name: Bear

Age: Two years, six months

Gender: male

Breed: Siberian Husky

Rank/Place number: dog three

Personality: Bear is an extremely active dog and loves to explore... especially in places where he knows he shouldn't be. Ever since he was a pup he never liked restriction and only begrudgingly obeys obedience commands given by his master, but when he's harnessed to a sleigh it is all a different matter. He's always ready to play and joke around even when something serious is happening for he never really lost his teenagerish view of things, even if he's in trouble and knows it.

Backstory:  Bear was bought from a breeder when he was about three months old. He was the only fully red male of his litter of six but looked exactly like his father. He was immediately set into training and soon enough he was walking on a lead beside the other dogs and once he came of age, and to his great pride, was harnessed with the rest of the team. Due to his age and inexperience he was placed at the back of the team but soon his strength and determination brought him slowly forward until he was placed as third dog.

Likes/Strengths: Bear absolute loves running and jumping especially beside the other dogs of his team; he is very fast, though would not be considered the fastest of his team.

Dislikes/Weaknesses: Bear hates whenever he has to be tied or chained up as he would rather be free to roam the vast forests surrounding his home; although he has a lot of endurance he is not good at pacing himself and will get overhyper when harnessed causing those harnessed behind him to be pulled whilst crashing into those before him.

Mate: Open

Pups: None

Other:

Appearance: Bear is a dark red Husky with pure white legs and markings. His eyes are a rare green color and his tail is completely red with no white.

[Canadian Sunfeather]

Name: Katjuk (means Arrow in Inuit)

Age: 6.5 years

Gender: Male

Breed: Canadian Inuit dog

Rank: Dog 5

Personality: Katjuk is very hardworking when he is a part of the team on the sled but when he is not on the sled he is very vocal and energized as he does not like having nothing to do to stimulate him, he often runs straight only turning with the team when it is needed for the team to be on the same page, he is not very vocal when he is running with the team driving the sled but does get vocal if they stop moving after 10 or more minutes.

Backstory: Katjuk had been born at a breeder's place but due to his smaller size he was never as fast as the huskies that he was training with on the sled and so he was often the last dog on the sled, until one day he was harnessed to the sled and impressed the musher so much with his new found speed and was moved up to the fourth spot on the sled .

Likes/strengths: Running he is very good at it and having something to do no matter how small or big if he is not running on the sled or helping to train the younger sled dogs.

Dislikes/ weaknesses: He hates having nothing to do it makes him hard to contain and very energized and not moving for a long time after a rest break it makes him eager to get moving any way he can even if it means breaking the harness.

Mate: Open!

Pups: Open!

Apperance: 

[mainehorse]

Name: Echo



Age: 8 years old



Gender: Female



Breed: Alaskan Husky



Rank/Place number: Alpha



Personality: When she is hitched to the sled, Echo is a very no-nonsense type who believes that for everything to go smoothly, everybody must work together. She makes a point of knowing at least a little bit about every dog in her team to ensure her ability to lead effectively. Though she has no problem with the handlers she had so far, she isn't against disobeying their orders if she feels it's for the best of the team as a whole. She can be quite stubborn when it comes down to it, though usually in the interest of the greater good. She isn't afraid to put another dog in their place if they are getting too pushy or she feels their behavior will endanger those on her team.



Backstory: Echo was born as the largest pup in a litter of nine puppies. From the time she was young, she showed a penchant for leadership and as such she caught the eye of her first handler who worked extensively with her to train her to become a lead dog. She has participated in many races with her old master before he passed and she was relocated to become a part of her current team.



Strengths: Running, Able to perform under pressure, Assertive



Weaknesses: Doesn't tolerate heat well, Kennels



Likes: Deep Snow, Dog toys, Running for long periods of time



Dislikes: Hail, Hot weather, Being Kenneled



Mate: Open



Pups: Open



Other: N/A



Appearance: Below

[wingfeather]

I’ll get the thread up as soon as possible, and we can start!

[Abbster]

can i join?

[wingfeather]

Sure!

[Abbster]

I’ll make my sign up tmrw! It’s late

[wingfeather]

sounds good!

[brooke0518]

Sign Ups:


Name: Sierra

Age: 4.5 years

Gender: Female

Breed: Seppala Siberian Sleddog

Rank/Place number: Beta

Personality: WIP



Backstory: WIP



Strengths/likes: Strong endurance, tough mental fortitude, strong swimmer, very cooperative/ puzzle toys, running, snow, fish, water

Weaknesses/dislikes: WIP

Mate: Open

Pups: None

Other:

Appearance:

[wingfeather]

I got the thread up so you guys can post whenever. I’ll also get a discussion thread up.

[tenebria]

Name: Skoren (means crazy one)

Age: 5 years 

Gender: Male

Breed: Eurohound (Scandanavian Hound)

Rank/Place number: Dog 7 (wheel dog)

Personality: Skoren is pure insanity in the strangest form. And the strangest thing is he's actually extremely intelligent. With a will that doesn't know what it wants, and quite the long legs and high energy, he isn't purely happy unless he's running. Surprisingly he can take orders well.... at times. It really just depends at what moment you get him. Sometimes he'll have his true hound brain on, and other times.... his name origin brain. He listens to humans with surprising respect, as any good dog should... but sometimes he just forgets what word means what. So if someone says off he might leap up in joy, and if you say stay he might decide to play dead. Or he might excell exceptionally at any commands! He adores playing and is highly curious about absolutely everything, even if he's already learned about it. (ie. rabbits) He has zero sense of personal space, but surprisingly he doesn't talk all that much! When he does it usually doesn't pertain to the situation anyway. He'll bulldoze you if you're in his way (on accident, he really does try to jump over, sometimes he even succeeds!) but when he's on the trail.... his hound mind comes online full time. (unless there's a rabbit...) He is an extremely hard worker once in the harness, and agile and strong. He just loves to pretend he isn't any of those things at any other time. 

Backstory: Born in Scandanavia, no one really knows why he turned out so insane as soon as he could open his eyes. But he did. As soon as he could he would have these odd moments of sudden wise calm where he'd rocket to the top of his learning class......... and then he'd Plummet to the bottom by trying to figure out where his tail went when he turned. Still, most likely through a lot of duping, he was bought at the age of 4 months. For some reason he was kept, and trained despite his odd quirks. He loved running beside the team, but it didn't take long for him to get put into the team, mostly to keep him from leaping into their midst and tangling up everything in a messy heap of harness and dogs. It was a lucky thing he finally got let in, because he found what he could do well, what was in his blood. Mushing. He learned quickly, and seemed to love his work as a wheel dog, probably because it wasn't too confusing, and so there he remained, of his own choice. (the master tried putting him further up plenty of times when younger dogs joined the team, but he would most always end up losing focus, or getting side tracked.) So there he runs, happy and just living life to the fullest.

Strengths: 
Speed
Agility (sometimes)
Good thinker (sometimes) 
Happy go lucky (not too many things rattle him) 
Actually a rather good friend once you get to know him. 

Likes:
LOVES to play, run, and generally be crazy. 
Food, food is always a win for him
The master's attention
Running in harness most of all
A good long day of work
Climbing (is surprisingly good at it too)

Weaknesses:
Is sometimes very clumsy (or rather indecisive I suppose)
Can get distracted by anything that moves, or doesn't move really.
Happy go lucky (good and bad as you can imagine)
Doesn't often listen to other dogs commands or words in general
Can get on a lot of dogs nerves if they don't know him or can't handle EnErGy!

Dislikes: 
Being forced to stay still, or in a small space
Days of no harness work
Lots of talking
Anything opposite his likes haha

Mate: Open

Pups: N/A

Appearance: 

[Abbster]

Sorry this took so long, was getting back into school and everything

Sign Ups:

Name: Iris -means rainbow, symbolizing beauty and hope

Age: 4 and a half

Gender: female

Breed: Siberian Husky

Rank/Place number: dog 6

Personality: Iris is a very determined dog, she hates to loose. She is strong and courageous, but she also has a playful side to her.

Backstory: 
Iris was born on a winters night in Seward, Alaska. She wasn't an Alaskan Husky though. Her mother was a Siberian Husky, along with her father and two other siblings. Growing up Iris's father, Shasta was a sled dog, racing in the heart of winter with the rest of his team, while her mother, Aurora was home with the rest of the mothers or mates taking care of the pups. Around three weeks old, Iris ventured out of the cozy warm barn as her father was leaving for a race. "daddy!" Iris had called, racing after her father. Shasta turned around at the sound of his daughter. "Iris! What on earth are you doing out here?" He asked, racing to his daughter. "I wanted to come" Iris said. Shasta sighed and sat down, licking his daughters nose. "My sweet Iris...you're to young honey. I promise you, if racing is in your blood, then one day you will race, just like I am." Shasta promised. "Now, go back in with your mother." Shasta said, licking her. "I love you my darling girl" Shasta said before racing away to join the rest of the team. That was the last word Iris's father said to her...for he died during the race that very day. He had fallen through frozen ice, and was unable to escape. One of the other dogs...his name was Arrow, told Aurora and her pups later that night...Iris stared in horror as her mother crumbled to the ground and suddenly began to cry. Iris had never seen her mother so upset. What had happened. Where was her father? When she realized that her father was never going to return...Iris curled up close to her mother and brother and sister. Iris and her siblings grew up...her mother never took another mate, and died when Iris was around 2 years old. She didn't begin racing until around the age of 3. She trained hard, knowing that she was racing for her fathers memory. She would do everything she could to keep her fathers memory alive. Although...her training had to be put on hold when there was a horrible accident during a session...the dogs had crashed into a huge rock...Iris being towards the back was fine, but her brother and sister were gone, along with two other dogs. She no longer had any more family. What was the point of racing anymore? That same night, Iris had a dream...of her father. When she woke up the next morning, she knew...she knew she had to race. For her father. Its what he would've wanted her to do. And so she trained...and trained....and trained some more. Finally, right before her fourth birthday, her master had entered her apart of the team in her very first race. She was ready. The fire blazing in her eyes that had blazed in her fathers. As soon as the flag whipped down, Iris followed the rest of her team and charged forward. All the training had paid off. She was fast. Faster than she'd ever been in her entire life, and so she ran with her team. She listened to the commands of her master. It was a three day race, but she could feel her father looking down on her, and so Iris continued to run....until the finish line was in sight and she and her team came out first! She was still quite young and still needed lots of training...her master believed it to be a fluke that they won...so he trained her more.
 
Strengths/likes: 
Running
Racing
Puppies
Playing
Winning races 

Weaknesses/dislikes:
Blizzards
Falling Behind 
Fights
Loosing races 

Mate: none/open

Pups: none

Other: none

Appearance: