Dog Biographies

Coda. What a long way this little boy has come over his short life! Coda recently finished his first (2) 300 mile races, The Copper Basin and The Northern Lights, with impressive performances and many miles run in lead.

This little man is a hard working dog who is fun, happy-go lucky, and loves to parade down the trail in from of the team.

As a pup, Coda was an obnoxious puppy. He picked fights whenever play time came about and caused a problem whenever he could. To be honest, his future in our kennel did not look bright. His scrappy attitude was not welcome in our friendly and loving dog lot. But there was something about this little fighter and his puffed out chest that made us stick with him. So, we neutered Coda in May of 2015.

He went from being a punk to a sweet cuddle bug. His scrappy attitude turned into pure determination on the trail and he has worked hard to become a valued member of the team and kennel. His transformation has been incredible and truly inspiring. I am so excited I get to take this little spitfire to Nome!

  

I find that I have little epithets or sayings  for each of the dogs. For Check, it’s “Check marks the spot.”

Check is a reserved dog. He is slow to show his excitement but is a steadfast worker. He is a happy dog who lives to eat and run. He is beautifully gaited.

He isn’t much of a socialite when compared to some of the other dogs in our kennel, including his brother. He is happy to be pet and may come up to you asking for a scratch on the head but he’s not a jumper. He is never, it seems, out of control with excitement.

To me, Check seems to be a very methodical dog. Watching him develop as an athlete has been especially interesting. He enjoys his job but seems, to me at least, that he also enjoys figuring things out.

   
 He is a dog who likes to know what is going on. With that attitude, running him up front had been a no-brainer but with so much talent he hasn’t spent a lot of time up there.

He is one of those dogs that you know will lead but is still trying to find himself so the continual stress of being in charge seems unnecessary.

Honestly, Check is already an out standing dog. That being said, I think Check has only begun to scratch the surface of his talent.

I think the best of this dog is yet to come. He has that slow burning confidence. When he truly comes into his own, this dog is going to be unstoppable. 

We heard the same thing over and over again this summer from our glacier guides. 

Penny is lazy.

Penny doesn’t pull.

You should find a home for Penny.

Travis wanted to find her a home. In fact, we had one lined up because the winter prior she had spent with our friends and had been a skijoring companion. On more than one occasion, they had told us if Penny didn’t work as a sled dog she was always welcome back with them.

But despite everyone saying she was lazy, I knew Penny. I also knew her mom, Fidget, had been lazy and unfocused when she was a young dog before sky rocketing herself into top-dog position.

She just needs time, I kept saying.

For a few weeks this fall, I wondered, however, if I had made a mistake. Still, I was determined. As a puppy, Penny and her litter mates had been some of the quirkiest dogs I’d ever raised. I loved them dearly for it. I knew she had it in her to succeed. It was never about her being lazy; it was about her being unable to focus on her job.

I will never forget bringing about 15 puppies inside to watch Harry Potter with me. Penny Lane always started the chorus of ferocious barking whenever Voldemort came on screen. She has always been a funny dog.

Now, it seems, she has finally matured. Like her mom, she’s discovered that one of her favorite places to be is at the front of the team. Like her mom, she has seamlessly mastered commands and appears to gain confidence with each run we go on. When not in lead, she jumps up and down almost non-stop with excitement. If the team is traveling too slow, she may just have to pop up and bark to show that yes she does want to be here.

She likes to bark at people and often hiwls when we pass other mushers. She has no problem with their dogs but feels she must announce herself to every human so they don’t try to get to close.

During the summer time, Penny did her fair share of sulking. Why are there so many people here? And, more likely, why must they insist on trying to get me to come out of my dog house?

She could be coaxed out by few which I always thought funny because this is a dog that thinks everything is fun. Everything, apparently, but meeting strangers.

Nonetheless she is working on her social skills as she continues to charge fearlessly down the trail.

Athena.  Her name could not be more fitting. This calm, even-tempered dog is much like the Greek goddess of war and wisdom she was named after. 

Athena has a can-do attitude and is always brimming with a quiet, excitement. She is always eager to put on her harness and get to work. Like the goddess of wisdom, she is quick to learn. She began leading this summer and although she doesn’t spend a tremendous amount of time in lead due to her age, she often runs in swing.

Athena is a consistent dog with a strong work ethic who is eager to please. What I love most about Athena is how carefully she seems to interact with all of those around her, whether they be dog or human.

I am excited to see what the strong, capable dog will bring and am excited to have her as a member of my team!

Athena’s parents are XENA and BOSTON. Her full siblings are Check and Zeus. Her half siblings, through XENA, are Shark and Hoover.

When you name a dog Zeus, you set up a certain expectation for that dog. Zeus, king of the gods. Or, in our case, king of the dogs. Zeus turned a year old this June and he is an absolute beast.

What makes Zeus special? The fact that he is out of Iditarod champion ZENA and our own super-star BOSTON certainly helps. Zeus is beautifully gaited, loves to run, and even though he is only a year old we anticipate seeing him on our race squad.

Yes, he’s that good.

In the team, Zeus is all work. He hits the line hard and, impressively, is able to budge our cart completely on his own. He’s strong for a year old dog. When we stop to let the team cool down on our runs, Zeus is one of the first dogs to start the chorus to keep running. This is a strong indication, for us, that we will train him as a leader. His sister Athena has already run in lead for us several times and done excellent — but females generally mature quicker so we start working with them up front sooner.

What we love about Zeus is although he’s all work in the team when he’s back at his house or free running, he is nothing but a big goofball. Zeus loves people. He’s incredibly friendly and tries to meet every guest that visits our kennel. His piercing blue eyes often mean that visitors to our kennel want to come say hello to him and take his photo.

Thanks for your hard work Zeus! You are the future of our kennel.