HuskyMom09

After taking a break from any serious training after the race in December we're back on the trails. Team Keahi completed 4 miles on beautiful trails and awesome weather. Back to gearing up for the next race Feb 2-3

One of the best sites to find all things mushing is sleddogcentral.com Collars I like ones with a LARGE ring for ease of hooking the neck lines in gloves. We use Taiga Collars, and with the exception of the show dogs I keep those on the dogs all the time Booties, I do not use them unless there are icy conditions or sand/rock exposure. Most Siberians have naturally rugged feet and working on keeping them tough keeps the need to run booties down which of course lowers your expense as they don't always last a full season.

The girls, Kenna and Enya, ran their first run with the team yesterday at Priest Lake. Completing just over 2 miles they did very well! Kenna took a little longer to it out but I have full confidence she'll get the hang of it, her sister Enya dug right in there and had a ball! Here are some pics of the run, we couldn't have asked for a better day

At 8 months it is not advisable to start putting the pup under solo load- Your puppy is still developing structurally and can suffer irreversible damage to the growth plates if put under load. However that does not mean all training must stop- quite the contrary! You can still work on getting your directional commands down while on walks, which is really a must to have a good solid base in commands before hooking any dog to a bike or scooter or you just may be in for a wild ride! Positive training is the best for this sport.

We're pretty familiar with Karen Ramstead! We hope to maybe someday have some of her line on our team as well. Keep an eye on your crazy human, no telling what these mushers will do, even putting gloves on our pretty paws

I want your gloves!!! Those are AWESOME and in our team colors

It will be OK! If she's just now starting, be sure to mark your calendar so you know where she is in her cycle and roughly when she'll be back in (ideally in 6 months). She needs to be under constant supervision right now as she will be scenting and area boys will want to come check her out. At roughly 7-10 days she'll be at optimum fertility and at her most risk of accidental breeding, this will also be the time she is most vocal. At this time she will have most likely stopped bleeding, and a lot of people mistake this as her being 'done' when in actuality she's at her highest risk. Keep her isolated and observed for the month that she is in, a typical heat cycle can be 16-23 days long. Always err on the side of caution and go longer to be sure she isn't bred especially so young. Some people may suggest diapers, which are fine to contain messes, but easily torn off by a persistent male or eaten off by a bored girl. If you do diaper her make sure she has ample out of diaper time to ensure she has a chance to clean herself up and air out or she may get an infection back there. During her heat cycle you may notice she can be more whiney, males are typically worse when there is a female in season, she may be more affectionate/clingy and less sure of herself or the complete opposite and be grouchy. Each female is different so you'll figure out how she's going to be. Good luck and keep her safe

He's a baby, and babies explore everything with their mouths. Have patience, give him lots of chew toy options in trade, and if it's furniture related pick up some bitter apple spray. Continue with training.

We've gotten a couple of feet- The dogs have made quite the intricate snow packed highway systems through the yard LOL

I'm just going to state again, people that have puppies 'readily available' to go home with anyone who has the cash up front isn't a quality breeding program. They may have KC registered puppies, but of what health and of what quality? Breeding is more than putting a male dog with a female dog and producing puppies. Quality breeders, ones that health test and back up the quality of the pedigree by showing and/or working the dogs, won't just sell anyone off the street a puppy without some sort of introduction and base relationship.

I wouldn't suggest agility prior to 18mos of age. As the jumping and landing are hard on growing joints. Obedience classes and competitions would be a good outlet and good to build a more solid foundation for agility which is off lead and often unfenced.

I have a brother/sister pair of Percheron/Quarter Horse crosses that I don't ride nearly enough...though my goal for this summer is to be back on the trails with them-

Thanks everyone Another beautiful day in the Inland Northwest

It takes a long time to research and find a reputable breeder, and even longer for you to build up a relationship with such breeder in order for you to purchase one of their puppies. This isn't a decision that 'just happens' because you have scheduled time in your life. A puppy is a life long commitment. What is the plan for when you go back to work? I'd agree, look at rescue. Plenty of dogs out there needing homes, even some that are already somewhat trained.

We had the most beautiful weekend Enjoy the pics!

There are no such things as 'mini-huskies' There are mutts created by BYBs to make a buck...and the Pomsky is an artificial-inseminated man made creation, I don't really consider that a real dog breed.

Enya and Kenna Mason Timber Rockie Diamond Dakota Denali Juneau Tikaani

Thanks a lot! I don't know why but apparently my post yesterday got messed up, it's corrected now.

Thanks all Here's some updates from today-

I generally ignore the ignorance of most people when it comes to sledding....like SolitaryHowl says, you just can't fix some people.

Thank you both

Thanks all the girls and everyone else had a great time playing out in the new snow, and we received more new snow last night. The dogs love it!

The girls have been in 'exile' while being in season, but now it's finally coming to an end and new snow has hit the ground. Time for some fun!

11 dogs- outside is primary home for them. They have 25'x10' kennel runs and a large fully fenced yard for daytime play. Rotating house time for everyone, so they all get some inside time but not all together. Females in season have indoor kennels for the duration of the cycle.