Not only are these dogs our race team, they are also our kids! We love them very much and are proud to have them all in the kennel!
KANDIK (aka Candy Cane)
This 6 year old girl is an awesome leader! She helped Becca win the Chatanika Challenge, a 100-mile event, by over two and a half hours! She was bred by Susan Butcher, a four time Iditarod winner, and was purchased from Eric Butcher of Two Rivers, Alaska (Butcher has completed both the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest). She is a sweet girl who loves to give kisses and GO FAST! She has a beautiful smile!
SARA and TAJIA
Sara is a four year old, 35 lb. spark plug! This little girl NEVER gets tired! Last year she did an amazing job as a new leader, and we look forward to seeing her get to Nome this year. She was also in the winning Chatanika Challenge-100 team. We raised Sara, her sister Snoopy and many other puppies for John Baker, a top ten Iditarod musher, and recieved them as thanks. Sara loves to climb in our laps and snuggle.
Tajia is now almost five years old, and is one of the biggest girls on the team, at about 50 lb. She is a strong dog, and has an beautiful, thick coat! She is also a member of the winning Chatanika Challenge-100 team. Tajia loves her belly rubs!
URSA (aka Ursa Bear)
Ursa is two year old girl who is showing awesome potential, and has been training with our A-team. She is not easily distracted and has matured beautifully. Her mother is Abbi, a member of our A-team, and her father is Cirrus, an excellent racing dog. Ursa's favorite hobby is barking at her neighbor and pulling really hard!
PEARL (aka The Black Pearl)
Pearl is six years old, and was a sprint dog, until she was given to us last year. Now that she is a step slow for 20 mph, she's perfect for the 12-16 mph speeds that we average for up to 120 mile straight! She has a great personality, always a cheerleader, barking and jumping.
LINUSLinus is a big sweet boy, who is turning into one heck of a leader. He is almost perfectly voice command trained at four years old. Linus plays a pivotal role on the team and played a big part in the team's win last year in the Chatanika 100. His favorite things are a challenging trail and a good back scratch.
SURFSurf is a rising star! He is a two year old who is showing true promise. He is friends with everyone and loves to pull. We have little doubt that surf will make the Iditarod team, and look forward to his performances through the future! Surf has a funny habit of swinging his head around like Stevie Wonder, and is a true goof ball!
PIGPEN (Aka The Big Pig)
Pig a big strong 4-year old, who is one heck of a wheel dog. His main job, besides pulling, is to run in the very back of the team and steer the sled around obstacles. He is probably the strongest dog on the team and he eats just like his name implies. Whereas a normal Alaskan Husky can eat about 12,000 calories a day in the winter, he probably pushes the 14,000 calorie mark! Pig is also a big sweetheart and loves to chase mice behind the feed shed when he's not barking to go for a run!
MILK AND SNICKERS
Milk is our oldest dog competing for a spot on the Iditarod team. She is 8 years old, but doesn't look a day older than four! She is a sweet, mellow, very intelligent girl, and was our dog of the year in the 2005-2006 mushing season. She gets so excited when she's going for a run, especially when she is running next to Snickers, her best friend!
Snickers is a six year old male, who, like Pearl, was a sprint dog until this past winter. He is a speed machine, and pulls as hard as any sled dog I've ever seen. He is a sweet, dopey boy who is always smitten with his partner, Milk. When these two aren't running, you'll find them playing together!
VENUS AND NUTMEG
Venus is a beautiful little white girl with blue eyes and a calm disposition. She came to us last year and has been a member of the race team ever since. She ran lead for the entire Chatanika 100 last year and was a big part of the win. Venus is 5 years old and is a very gentle and sweet girl. She is an excellent command leader, as well as a strong team dog.
Nutmeg is a shy little girl with a big attitude. She is fast and a hard worker, but she knows how to push our buttons! She is extremely smart; sometimes too smart for her own good! She is an excellent command leader as well, and finished Iditarod two years ago with Eric Butcher. She is going to show Matt the way to Nome!
