CANINE

Name: GRINDER
Age: 5
Owner: MARTIN BUSER
Musher currently running this dog: MARTIN BUSER
Team Position(s): HE’S A PRETTY ALL-PURPOSE DOG. HE’S ACTUALLY LED THE TEAM SOME THIS RACE. HE’S NOT REAL STRONG IN LEAD. HE’S MORE FROM THE SWING ON BACK. BEING AS BIG AS HE IS, I DON’T REALLY LIKE TO RUN HIM WHEEL. SO HE’S FINDING HIMSELF PARKED IN WHEEL RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT’S NOT HIS FORTE SPOT SIMPLY BECAUSE I LIKE TO RUN SMALLER DOGS IN THE BACK OF THE TEAM.
Current Location: WHITE MOUNTAIN, ALASKA
Date of Photo: MARCH 14, 2019
Temperature: 24F / OUTDOORS

What are his unique personality characteristics?

GRINDER IS JUST A BIG OLD LUNK. HE’S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST DOG IN THE TEAM. ONE OF THE MAIN FORTES FOR HIM IS THAT HE ALWAYS EATS HIS FOOD. AND HE’S ACTUALLY PROBABLY GAINED WEIGHT ON THIS IDITAROD, BEING ON AN EXTENDED CAMPING TRIP, SO FROM A SLED DOG POINT OF VIEW, THAT’S A SUPERB ASSET TO HAVE.

What is that litter’s “theme” name and other siblings’ names from that litter?:

THE COFFEE LITTER IS ARABICA, BREVE, JAVA, BEANS, GRINDER AND CAPPUCCINO.

What is the bloodline?

THE BLOODLINE IS VERY, VERY INTERESTING. HE’S WHAT I CALL A HYBRID, HIM AND HIS BROTHER BEANS, WHO IS IN THE TEAM AS WELL –ARE THOSE HYBRIDS THAT I – WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LONG TIME AGO. IT BOTHERED ME THAT I COULDN’T FIGURE OUT THE – DOC HOLIDAY WAS A SPECIAL DOG IN THE KENAI PENINSULA THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR LANCE MACKEY’S DOGS WHEN HE HAD HIS COMPETITIVE STREAK. SO I HAD PURCHASED A SLED DOG NAMED SUZETTE. HER REAL NAME ACTUALLY WAS SHY GIRL. SHY GIRL WAS A LINE-BRED DOG TO THAT DOC HOLIDAY BACKGROUND. I THEN BRED SHY GIRL TO MY RIGID AND CAME UP WITH WHAT WE CALL THE HYBRIDS KNOWING I NEEDED TO DIVERSIFY MY GENE POOL A LITTLE BIT. BUT THE WAY YOU WANT TO DO THAT IS, YOU WANT TO HAVE TIGHTLY LINE-BRED DOGS TO DO THAT. AND SHE HAD COME FROM A VERY COMPETITIVE GENE POOL. SO WHEN YOU MAKE AN OUTCROSS OR A HYBRID, YOU WANT TO TAKE VERY TIGHTLY-BRED DOGS, BUT THEY’RE NOT FAMILIAR. IN FACT, MY BREEDING PROGRAM HAS 0.02 % JOINT CONNECTION IN THAT HYBRID. SO SOMEWHERE WAY, WAY, WAY BACK IN THERE, THERE IS 1/10TH OF 1% THAT HAS A COMMON GENE; WHICH NOW, OF COURSE, GIVES ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BREED ANY OF THESE HYBRIDS TO ANY OF MY DOGS BACK TO WHAT WE CALL LINE BREEDING OR INBREEDING.