Lisa Gersbach Current parent
Sled dogs and Australia are not words that people would usually put together. Isn’t that a Northern Hemisphere thing? Surely it would be way too hot here. Luckily, my family happens to live in an area that is more than conducive to raising, training and racing sled dogs and being part of a community that is a little different to the norm. In 1996, my husband Andrew and I embarked on a journey into this amazing sport when our first two dogs entered our lives and we were introduced to a hobby that would ultimately become our passion. Idigadog Kennels was registered that same year. The Canberra Sled Dog Club had newly formed, and we were thrust into the early morning routine of training and competition. It wasn’t very long before we were on the club committee and then Andrew took on the President’s role and I became Secretary. We were also part of forming the Australian Sleddog Sports Association which became a governing body for all clubs throughout the country and most recently the Australian Federation of Sleddog Sports. Twenty-six years later and after travelling all around the country competing, that flame is still burning strong for what has become a lifestyle that very few have the privilege of experiencing. In the past couple of weeks, new puppies have been born in our home which are the seventh generation of dogs that we have loved and raised as part of our family. Dog sledding has taken us to the US, Canada and New Zealand to be race judges, marshals and handlers. We have had the pleasure of
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Pelican: Semester 1, 2022
working with some of the best dog people in the sport and have forged friendships that only “crazy dog people” can truly understand. Our son Caleb was born into the world of sled dogs in May 2006. In fact, I was pregnant with him when Andrew and I were race judges in Joseph Oregon that January. He attended his first ever race at four weeks of age camping in the freezing cold and didn’t bat an eyelid to the noise and commotion of dogs screaming with excitement to race. I guess he was already immune to it all. Training and racing dogs must be one of the most rewarding times we can have as a family. What many people don’t realise is that to get a cohesive and disciplined team that is capable of winning races, you have to start at the grass roots when the dogs are just puppies. Hours of handling, stimulating and working out their personalities all take time along with the basics needed to place that dog into a position where they can’t fail. It really is no different to a rugby, football or
