Baptiste, professional musher!
Let me introduce you to Baptiste from the Musher Experience blog through this interview where he presents his job as a musher and his love of dogs. I was very happy to interview him. You may know it but my dog is called Musher because musher is my dream job. When we ask children what they want to do, we usually hear “firefighter, policeman, veterinarian, doctor…” but me as far as I can remember, I answered “musher”… So what a joy for me to exchange with a real musher 🙂
Hello Baptiste, can you introduce yourself and your dog(s)?
My name is Baptiste. I am in ecstasy in front of nature and I am passionate about animals, especially dogs. I have seven dogs, mostly siberian huskies (sled dog), but also some shih tzus.
Have you always had dogs? What do you like about this animal?
I have always lived with animals. Since I was little, I have always had turtles, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, fish, birds, cats, dogs.
My parents always had a small dog, for example a Yorkshire, and a medium dog, for example a Labrador.
We often laugh about the 2 clans that can exist: the pro-cats, and the pro-dogs. I am more pro-dog. I think what I like most is that he is a faithful and loyal friend.
Human beings can be cruel, hurtful, low blows and others. With the dog there is never that. We have a relationship of trust, instinctive as if we were connected. You can always count on your dog.
You are a Musher, tell us about your passion. What is it about? What do you like about this activity? What feelings are you looking for?
The musher is the sled driver. Mushing is the act of sledding and more generally practicing the sport of carriage, traction with your dog (canivtt, canicross, etc.).
The principle is simple: we choose a mode of transport (our legs, a bike, a quad, a sled, etc.) and we attach dogs in front to pull everything.
It's a total blast. The dog can really exert himself. U.S. too. And we live an intense moment, together in the effort. It really allows you to build a special relationship with your dog and experience unique moments; you still need to know how to do it and have the right equipment.
(For those who want start the canivtt with a dog, discover the article devoted to this practice. Through an interview, Baptiste frees us his news and secrets to get off to a good start)
And the dogs in all this: are they as fans as you? Tell us about your team.
Oh yes! My dogs crave it all the time!
In general, some dogs are not very demanding while others have a real need to really exert themselves. The Siberian husky is a breed that requires a lot of sporting activity. He likes to shoot.
So all these canine sports are ideal for me and my dogs!
- I have Glayna who likes to shoot a lot and is very attentive to me.
- Grimm his brother, a bit silly because crazy sometimes. He loves to pull and doesn't like when the hitch is stationary. He always raises.
- Ggayoq, a charming Siberian husky, a crooner. It follows the rhythm and enjoys the enthusiasm of a team.
- Hamaru Ka, a go-getter. It is a very small frame which gives all its energy continuously. As a result, she is often tired and very hot after only a few km.
- Joly, Hama and Grimm's daughter. A perfect mix between the two. Kind as anything, she loves to shoot, sets the pace and tries to listen.
Tell us one (or more) anecdote(s) that happened to you with your team during one of your outings?
I have dozens, if not hundreds of incredible anecdotes with my dogs. I'll give you one, because it was a magical moment.
We were invited to a meeting of Siberian husky. It was amazing to me. It was the first time I saw so many dogs of the same breed gather in one place. There were over 100 dogs! They were all singing, it was wonderful to hear. The excitement was there, they were jumping on the spot as if to say "Come on, let's go, I want to play sports too!" ". They wanted to go on a quad, canivtt or canicross hitch.
As for a dog sled, a quad team is getting ready. The dogs are always attached to the tow line. They are in the process of composing a specific team of yearliers, that is to say young dogs in training. They then come to see me to offer me to put my dog with the others. It was the first time he had the opportunity to be part of a team and discover the joys of pulling as a team.
I accepted with immense joy. My dog Ggayoq was tied up with the others. All the dogs were screaming with excitement waiting for the start. It was very difficult to get along. My whole body was vibrating. It was impressive. Ggayoq was going crazy and he too was jumping and screaming on the spot.
We then release the release and the brakes of the quad which suddenly begins to roll by the traction of the dogs. Suddenly there is complete silence. The dogs all shut up and concentrate on shooting. They are in their element. Ggayoq is like a young foufou. He runs and again imitates the others. He runs by instinct and I see him go away, the pinch in the heart.
I had the impression of seeing my son go to school for the first time, in line with his classmates. It was terribly beautiful and touching.
You created the Musher experience blog, how did you come up with this idea? What do we find there?
At the time, I discovered all these canine sports: canivtt, canicross, dog sledding, etc. I didn't even know it was called that. In fact, it was very very hard to find information on these sports. We found it, yes. But in a very fragmentary way, everywhere on the net. We had to dig a lot. I discovered things after the fact, I made mistakes and corrected as I went.
I decided to share everything I discovered with everyone. It was so beautiful and intense to experience, I had to share it. Very modestly to try to transmit this passion and the information related to this universe. Then the Musher Experience blog quickly gained momentum and was supported by the big names in the industry. I have produced hundreds of articles, equipment tests, hundreds of interviews with professionals, athletes and amateurs. There are a lot of tips and tricks for playing sports with your dog online!
At present, the site also offers a whole selection of canine sports equipment but also all the news from the world of canine sports.
Do you want to add something to end this article on a high?
I gave a lot of my personal time and tried to highlight all the actors in this environment who try to make things happen, like you with your site Take your dog. All the people who try to carry our passion high, who love dogs and participate in giving them an exceptional life, full of happiness.
To all these people you are part of, I want to say thank you for them (the dogs) and let's continue like this! Let's continue to organize ourselves, to create bridges, to promote our passion for the canine universe!
And find me on www.musher-experience.com
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