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March 15, 2013 by

Yesterday Aliy went down to the dog lot to say ‘Hi’ to her team mates. I caught some of it on film:


Aliy spends time with Quito in the dog lot

Some of you are wondering about the dog lot? The dog lot is a secure, quiet and sheltered area just 100 yards from the finish chute. Iditarod volunteers man the secure dog lot 24 hours a day to ensure everyone is safe. We visit several times a day and during the night to check on them, feed and snack them, massage them or just to say ‘Hi’, happy in the knowledge they are safe and secure when we’re not there. It is a restful place to be, despite teams coming and going every now and again – there is a calmness about it as teams rest and mushers/handlers quietly get on with their tasks at hand. We’re all a little tempted to take our sleeping bags down there!

Note: update on our dropped dogs – Boondocks, Honda, Puppet, Waylon and Rambler have all arrived back in Anchorage and they’re all fine and happy to be around familiar faces having spent a few extra nights out on the trail. “Team Miller” picked them up from Dog Drop HQ at the Millennium hotel and they’re now with Margie in Wasilla along with Dingle and Kipper so they will all be enjoying her fabulous hospitality and taking time to catch up with their mates. Thanks Team Miller and Margie! We appreciate the great care you are taking of those so precious to us.

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21 Responses

  • Great video. Loved how the dogs are taking advantage of the sunshine and their straw beds. Nice and cozy.

  • Agree with Denise, wonderful video of Aliy greating, rubbing every dog. thank you.
    maureen W

  • This was so sweet to watch….thank you for sharing with us all the great love you have for each and every dog!

  • Hi Aliy… I meant You in Fairbanks when your husband won the Yukon Quest. I was the girl there at the gate at finish line from Florida for my first race. You were so kind to me and had one of your handlers take me up to the truck to see all your dogs. Made my night. Thank you so much. Congradulations on your finish!!!! I am a big fan now of this racing!!! I will see everyone again next year for the Yukon and Idiarod. I watch the Idiarod on Insider this year and it was AWESOME!!! Thanks again for the kindness! It was a pleasure meeting you,your husband,and the dogs.

  • So sweet! I noticed on many dogs Aliy waited a couple of seconds to reach in and scrub their necks. Do they get protective of their little "homes away from homes" I wonder?

  • You can see the bond between Aliy and the dogs in this video – and the dogs reaction to her – thank you for sharing – it was so sweet to see.

  • Thanks so much for this inside look at the relationship between musher and her team.

    I half-expected one of the team members to roll over and ask for a scratch on the underbelly!

    Again, thanks so much for allowing us to share this moment!

  • What a treat to see Aily interacting with the dogs! It is so obvious how much she loves them. BTW … I talk to my dogs exactly the same way!

  • LOVED this video. Aliy And Allen and the crew LOVE the dogs!

    This may be bad timing to ask, but I was wondering whatever happened to Happy. Is she still around? I think once the excitement of the Iditarod and ANWR are over, a Happy update would be nice 🙂

  • Perfect example of TRUE LOVE…the dogs and the musher!!!
    Thank you for the post! Aliy is a true role model! God Bless!

  • I think it is interesting how the dogs know that they don't have to get up and run some more.

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