Hi Boys and Girls,

Several 5^th grade classes from Louisiana have written Zuma and asked lots of good questions. Zuma has been a little busy lately so I volunteered to answer some of the questions for her. In this posting, I will post the question asked, the person who asked it and my answer.

Dustin: What is your favorite color bootie? What is the best kind to wear? Since my favorite color is blue, I would love to have blue booties. Booties can be made from a few different materials. The most popular bootie is made from a material called Cordura 330. It is very comfortable and durable.

Kailyn: At what temperature do you feel like you’re going to freeze? How do you
deal with drinking water and eating food when it is minus 3 degrees F? Different people feel cold at different temperatures. A lot depends on how humid it is, what kind of temperatures you are use too, and the clothing you are wearing. My musher heats up my food and I eat it so fast that it doesn’t have time to get cold or freeze. I have a water bowl in my kennel that is heated. It keeps my water at a nice temperature. On the trail, water can be heated, or I can eat snow and ice.

Kirk: Have you ever been in an Iditarod race? Why or Why not? None of the K-9 reports have been in an Iditarod race. We are journalists. Some of us run on recreational teams.

Shelby: Are you a trained musher dog? If not, what do you do with your time? I am in training as a recreational sled dog. My team may do a few short distance races next year. Zuma does not run on a team. She is so busy going to school and being a K-9 reporter.

Jacob: Have you ever won a race? How did it feel? We have never been in a race.

Jeremy: What can you tell me about your family? I’m sure Zuma will answer this also. I live in a home with 9 Siberian huskies including my grandma, mom, and brother. I have 2 sisters and 4 more brothers who all live in other homes. You can read more about all of us by going to the “Meet the Reporters” section of the blog.

Paul: How were you selected to be a famous canine reporter? I’m not sure how Zuma got started but she has been the Iditarod K-9 reporter for several years now. This year Zuma went back to school to further her education. That’s where she met Libby, Sanka, and myself. We were all in the same class and were working on a project together. Zuma asked us if we would like to join her in writing postings for the blog and to help answer student questions. We all thought it was a great idea and the rest is history (so to speak).

Claire: What is your favorite food and why? My favorite food is my special dog kibble with home made salmon soup on it.

NOTE: We are in the middle of crawfish season and fresh juicy strawberries here. My human told me that fresh strawberries is one of the best human foods. She said she may let me try one sometime.

Bailey: What does it take to be a lead dog? A lead dog needs to be fast, has to listen and follow commands, make quick decisions, and be able to read a trail.

How does a musher decide who will be the lead dog? A musher starts working with puppies to see which ones listen well and learn commands easily. He/she watches all the dogs and then tries the ones that seem to meet the criteria to be a leader in lead with an older dog. Some dogs are naturals in lead and some take time and practice.

Thanks for all of the information. If you ever come down south, we will introduce you to Blue Dog, a famous dog from the bayou. Your welcome. Your other questions will be answered all during the week. Remember to check this posting more than once as Zuma is going to add her answers to your questions also.

These were great questions. I will be answering more or your questions tomorrow.

Happy Trails,

Gypsy