Dickel

Dickel
Swing and team dog
Born 2006 to Gucci and Solo
Nickname- Dickey Do
Personality- Bully

As you can see from Dickel's photo he looks like a prize fighter,strong build with intense blue eyes at the ready for the ring but I know the pussycat that lies beneath the facade.

This boy is very loyal and can be jealous at times especially when he is loose with other dogs and notices you petting another he will run over to you, butt in and bad vibe them. Don't get me wrong he is otherwise polite and makes a great house dog companion as I found out when he hurt his paw and spent quite some time in the cabin. He loves to be petted and brushed or just lay at your feet.

Poor Dickey Do will be going under the knife on Monday when the visiting vet comes to Eagle. Having Dickel neutered should take care of his personality flaw and then he will be a perfect inside and out.

Wish him a speedy recovery and know I will be lovingly pampering him during the ordeal.

Tia

Tia
Lead Dog
Born 2006 to Gucci and Solo
Nickname- T
Personality-Timid

What a looker Tia is with her amazing blue eyes highlighted with black eyeliner and pretty blond coat, simply stunning.

When she was a puppy we took her to Dawson on the Yukon Queen, it was the forth of July and she wore a shiny red, white and blue garland around her neck, so cute. Tia's feet did not hit the deck of that boat the whole trip. People gravitate to her and she loves the attention.

When Manuela was here from Switzerland she fell hook,line and sinker for Tia,I am sure they both had separation anxiety when Manuela returned home.

She is mild tempered and a no nonsense gal, when Andy puts her in harness Tia is all business ready to lead the team and smart as a whip. Her only fault is being a finicky eater in the cold and takes her time when on the trail being a glutton is important.
With some dogs there is not a lot of stories to tell and Tia is one of them but she has that certain something, that you just can't resist.

Iceberg

Iceberg
Lead Dog
Born 2006 to Gucci and Solo
Nickname - Bergie Bit
Personality-Debonair

Iceberg is my Johnny Depp, my Jack Sparrow, handsome and dashing. I fell madly in love with Iceberg the second he was born, I named him immediately my little Iceberg.

Iceberg and his litter mates were the first I witnessed being born, what a thrilling experience. The theme we picked for them was spirits, Tia, Stoli, Ripple, Kalula, Dickel, Smirnoff, and Ouzo and Iceberg.

Socializing Iceberg and company was so much fun, Andy was still working as a Captain on the Yukon Queen so we got to take them on the boat to Dawson regularly. The tourists loved getting their picture taken holding sled dog puppy and the pups loved all the attention and being cuddled.

I used to take them for walks sometimes on the old airstrip near the historic mule barn in Eagle to meet the Holland America tour bus. After several of these visits the coach drivers would announce to the people they were about to meet Iceberg, the driver would open the door and the pups barely able to climb the steep steps would pile inside with Iceberg in the lead. The crowd would go wild.

One day the coach was ready to leave when Iceberg about 6 weeks old was no where insight we looked everywhere, I called and called for him to come but no Bergie Bit. Then one of the passengers in the front whispered " a lady took him to the back of the bus". When the driver inquired another tourist pointed and said, "Inside that ladies jacket". What a strange thing to do is all I have to say about that.

In 2009 during the flood recovery in Eagle after a long days work some of the volunteers and kids would play volleyball in the field next to the old school. Iceberg and I walked down one night to watch, he studied the ball for a while as it travelled back and forth, then leapt into the game. He loved to play! It was such fun to see him run and stop the ball when it went out of bounds. What a sport!

As Iceberg got older and becoming a big boy Remington decided to put this young whipper snapper in his place. After the short tussle was diffused I cried, "Not his FACE! My poor baby had a puncture just below his eye, I was as mad at Remi as I could get when I put him back on his chain at his doghouse. This did not sway Icebergs confidence for long but did teach him he had to have patience to become top dog.

I could just go on forever about my wonderful white Bergie Bit with his clear blue eyes and leopard spotted ears. One of the most photographed and truly one of the great loves of my life!

Solo

Solo
Lead dog
Team dog
Swing dog
Born 2004 to Flame and Frodo
Personality-Sweetheart of all Sweethearts

Solo came to us when he was almost two years old from our friends Scott and Robbie's kennel and are we ever glad he did what a honey of a dog, extremely affectionate. He is almost to nice and has been picked on by other dogs in the lot as the newcomer. One winter he had a bad encounter and got chewed up really bad and had to spend a fair amount of time in a vet hospital in Fairbanks. When Andy when in to bring him home the staff at the clinic were reluctant to let him go calling Solo the sweetest most gentle sled dog they have ever had to care for.

As for being a Lead dog he had one fault when in chase, that means following another team,Solo would sometimes take shortcuts to catch up.

One day when we were on the river trail going to Eagle, Andy and his team about a half mile ahead of me and out of sight. I was crossing the river and Solo caught sight of the other team and veered off the trail and picked up speed taking me and the team careening over rough jumble ice . I can't believe I held on and road it out without incident.

When we got close to the cabin in Eagle Solo saw the ultimate shortcut, instead of turning the corner on the road he went over the banks of snow piled high by the plough. Down I went in the snow watching the runaway sled dragging on its side with Solo at the helm, proud as punch as he reached the dog lot. I walked the last few feet feeling both vexed and humiliated.

Solo looked at me with those tremendously wide blue eyes that always seem to say, "I'm sorry," and all was forgiven, after all, he was still young.

Wishbone

Wishbone
Team dog
Born: 9-11- 2001 to Soup and Father unknown
Wishbone's nickname Bone or Bonehead
Personality-Plus Plus Plus

Wishbone is still an active sled dog and has the ability to be placed anywhere in a team you could call him a Jack of all trades. Lovable with personality plus and a bit of a talker at times, he believes he can speak. Melts me when I say I love you and he says I love you back.

Bone does have difficulty with the extreme cold temperatures of the Alaska winters so we have to bring him inside at night. His coat is not typical of an Alaskan sled dog it is smooth and silky with makes him perfect for petting. We have been looking for a good loving home with room for Wishbone to run for a while now,he is a loyal companion,a perfect house dog quiet and never gets into trouble . He would also be great for anyone who likes to skijor.

It was a site to see, a young boy in Eagle named Shane used to hook Wishbone up to a kid size dog sled called kick sled and put his 2 year old sister Alicia in it. Away they would go all around town both smiling and laughing,Shane giving Wishbone commands, Haw for left and Gee for right as they maneuvered here, there and everywhere. Did I mention Wishbone was also smiling?

I love Wishbone from the bottom of my soul and will be heartsick to see him go to another home but it be for the greater good. Our life revolves around what is best for our family of dogs. So "wish" him luck.

Chisel

Chisel
Retired Team Dog
Born 1995 to Moon and Mic
Chisel's nickname Chiz
Personality-Endearing

Chiz is our oldest dog turning 16 this year but you would never guess by his appearance. One look at Chisel's teddybear face and it is game over, you are in love. This dog is extremely loyal and knows how to turn on the charm.

Although retired he still gets into harness with the team to go get water and that really makes his day. Aging dogs are not like people advancing in years longing to relinquish a lifelong job for rest and relaxation, they have an intense focus and purpose.

Last March our friends Britta and Bjorn from Germany came to visit and help build an extension on our cabin,which is another blog story in its self. Bjorn and Andy hooked up all the dogs except for Chisel and when on a dogsled trip for a few days. Several hours after they left Chisel was let off his chain. We should have waited longer as it turned out. He played and followed Britta and I around the yard as usual then all of a sudden I could not see him and called but he did not come. Where did he go? We kept calling for a what seemed to be forever but he was gone AWOL. My heart sunk as evening came and no sign of my sweet companion. I was dreading Andy's return to have to tell him Chisel was missing. When Andy and Bjorn arrived a few days later who should be with them but Chisel! Andy said he saw what he thought was a wolf behind them on the trail and as it got closer he realized it was Chiz, that old guy followed the scent all the way to the Tatonduk River,an amazing distance run for an old man. I did not know what to do, kiss Chisel or kill him.
I kissed him, he was only following his heart.

Chisel enjoys coming into the cabin for the cold nights and any other time, as soon as I let him off the chain he heads to the door looking back at me to hurry up and let him in. He has also taken up a great fondness of toys and parades them around teasing others by dropping them and snatching them up when another dog gets inquisitive. Once a man twice a child applies to our dear Chisel.

Arrow

Arrow
Retired Swing dog
Born 1997 to Moon and Cruise
Personality- Aloof

Arrow is one of those dogs who seems not to care to much about people one way or another a little cool and distant. If you have ever met a teenage who was into Goth and a bit standoffish well that sums Arrow in a nutshell. Although in his old age and spending time inside,which he would never ever do before, seems to becoming more attached to us mere humans.

Arrow is a hard working dog, very obedient, mild temperament and easy going, he still loves to run in the team but he only does short runs now. I his heyday, to quote Andy,"he was one hell of a sled dog, fast and steady."

I am so honored that he now takes food from my hand, puts his head on my lap to get petted and tolerates getting brushed.

He stays inside overnight now when the temperatures are cold and is so cute in the morning laying there with his eyes open but not moving a muscle pretending to be invisible. Sometimes I have to drag him by his collar to get him to stand up to go out for a minute to pee.

Arrow is winning my heart.

Remington

Remington
Lead Dog
Born 1997 to Moon and Cruise
Remington's nickname Rem or Remi
Personality- Charmer

Still running in the team although slowing down quite a bit and bumped back to the slower B team his heart is still in the A team.

He is funny to watch him as struts on tippy toes around the dog lot telling the young bucks "I may be old but I am still the alfa male around here."

Remington had a bad experience with water a few years ago and is now quite leery of it. Andy would have to tell the story to be accurate but the short version is this mine. A mishap on the Yukon River resulted while Andy was walking ahead of the team to see if it was safe enough to go around Eagle Bluff. Remington decided to follow but as fate would have it he walked toward an open lead in the river and in they went.

I will not tell the complete story as Andy is not here to verify the facts, I will tell what I saw. I was at the cabin in Eagle whenI heard something and looked out the window and truly I could not believe my eyes. Have you ever looked at a situation and it is so bizarre it does not compute. First, why was Andy and a dog team in the driveway,I never had seen that before, second the dogs and sled were all white and incased with ice. Then It hit me!
Andy herded them all inside and I went to work with towels galore pulling ice from fur and drying their wet soggy frames as he pulled the sled into the work shop to melt.

They all stayed inside cozied up to the wood stove for a long time, stretched out like a dog fur rug until every hair of every dog was dry.

I will never forget that day and neither will Remington he avoids open water in the winter at all cost, although he does enjoy a dip in the Yukon on a hot summers day.

Another funny short story about Remington and me was one summer in Eagle when some tourists walked by and wanted to take pictures and meet the dogs. I took them around to pet all of 26 dogs we had at the time. Remington was the first dog in the lot as lead dogs have that prestige, so when we were done with the meet and greet I stood next to Rem as I chatted with the visitors, he looked at them, lifted his leg and peed on mine marking his territory. Not sure if I should be mad or flattered I told him in uncertain terms that was not acceptable and he has been a good boy ever since. I love him dearly.

What Sled Dogs Do

Sled dogs are born to run, try moving a sled in the yard or unclip a hanging harness and you will witness such excitement, tails wagging, jumping, barking. Pick me! Pick me!
The poor unfortunate few that have to remain home watch as the others speed off looking at the trail with sad eyes then voice themselves with a mournful howl.

Pulling a sled is not a job to them. It is a passion!

I would like to share with you what a sled dogs job is in the team and follow with posts on each of our delightful dogs.


LEAD DOGS

Lead Dog is just that the dog in the front who leads the team, takes commands well and has a good head and drive to do the job. Not all dogs can or want to Lead. Qualities for a good lead dog is intelligence,initiative,common sense,and the ability to find a trail in bad conditions.

SWING DOGS

Swing dogs are directly behind the lead dog,they swing the dogs in the team behind them in turns or curves and help set the pace.

TEAM DOGS

Team dogs are the dogs between the swing dogs and wheel dogs,they add power to the team.

WHEEL DOGS

Wheel dogs are nearest the sled and a good wheel dog has to have a calm temperament so as not to be startled by the sled moving right behind them. Strength,steadiness and the ability to help guide the sled around tight curves make a great wheel dog.