Retired

Happy Holidays from SPK Retirees!

December 24, 2020 by

What ever holiday(s) you celebrate, or don’t, we thought you would love to catch up with some of our SPK retirees this festive season.

Creamer

Creamer, one of the Coffee Litter, went to live with Ian who is a long distance runner. She gets to flex those sled-dog muscles and sleep on the couch. Ian says she is doing really well and enjoying the arrival of winter in Pennsylvania. Check out these fantastic recent shots of Creamer. You can keep up with her on Instagram: @CreamerTheHusky

Iron

Iron is just down the road in Two Rivers. He definitely wins the ‘best sweater’ contest. Not that we were having one, but if we were, he’d be the champ!

Wedgy

Melissa says for Christmas Wedgy basically spends her time either looking cute or sleeping by the tree. Good girl Wedgy, you don’t have to do anything else.

Mac

Mac didn’t want to pose by the Christmas Tree so instead here’s a picture from the summer with his buddy Ziptie. They had been running and chasing each other for miles then stopped for a quick breather and photo op.

Malibu

Here’s some pics of Malibu from just the other day while it was snowing in Anchroage. Malibu still sure loves running in fresh snow! She has also really taken to the couch lately and sometimes Mary-Beth’s bed. She looks great for at 13 y.o.

Scruggs

Scruggs is in New Jersey with Barbara. Looks like he wanted to check for Santa again rather than pose for a picture.

Chemo, Outlaw and Chena

Team Adirondack caught up with Santa (aka Mary Beth) the other day. She says: “OK…now that was FUN!!

We had many ideas….we really tried to get all three of them in the frame looking cute….but it quickly turned into a “mob Santa Mary Beth” session with them all competing for my attention.  So we rethought our approach and decided on the traditional “Santa’s Lap” concept, capturing individual attention from Santa asking them “what do you want for Christmas?”

Chena of course had SEVERAL photos with that “come on…. you know I don’t believe in Santa… are we done yet” look…. until she heard Outlaw howl from inside the Cabin (where he was waiting for his turn to see Santa)… and before you knew it we were all howling and she told Santa she would like a new dog sled that has NO brakes so she could go as FAST as she wanted!

Next on Santa’s lap was Chemo….he sat on Santa’s lap like a pro…..loyal and calm.  He told Santa he would like an everlasting kibble dog bowl so he could eat whenever he was hungry.  Chemo’s outtake photos include him facing Santa and barking “you said there would be treats!!!”


Then it was finally Outlaws turn…the calm, angelic soul who is absolutely the sweetest dog that ever was!  He sat on Santa’s lap and asked for a portable couch that he could take on our ice fishing adventures this winter….he MUCH prefers a couch to a bed of straw these days….but then he went on and on and on about how he loves being on Team Adirondack and how he is the power of the Team!  You can’t blame him for wanting creature comforts because he gives so much when in harness!


Santa will try to comply with their wishes…..for Chena, I will lay off the brake a bit, and will let her have full throttle on a open frozen lake as we travel around the lakes ice fishing this year….and Chemo…..I will make sure I pack plenty of special treats on our adventures…like meaty venison ribs and ground venison meat balls….and for Outlaw….he is my #1 to snuggle up on the couch with…I will make sure he gets first choice of beds to lay in.  So all of these Christmas wishes will be granted in one fashion or another.


It was great to have both Olivia and Trico in the dog sled for the photos (depicted on pillows).  I included a picture of the sled… the “big” shepherd in the sled is Trico… our beloved Shepherd who passed in 2017… he and Elizabeth had a special bond…. and keeping within the “dog pillow” theme we included the original SPK pillow with Nacho’s face from WAY back when… its been a magical ride all these years… its all good!

Sissy and Scooter

Check out the amazing sunset that Sissy and Scooter enjoyed recently. They are both happy and doing well, enjoying each other’s company. With those ears, Scooter should be able to hear Santa coming!

Willie

Willie is now a full-time couch sleeper! His niece Bean who lives with him is now the main leader of the team having learned all Willie had to teach her. Willie is still the sweet, happy chap he always was.

Tinder

He’s a recent pic of Tinder, loving his Life Part 2! Check out that smile.

Rose, Boondocks and Coal

Here’s a pic of Rose and Boondocks with their little mate Quito sleeping in their camper. Those sure look like comfy beds!

And here’s some more shots of Boonie, Rosie and Coal

Lydia

Lydia is enjoying her second Kiwi Christmas. It’s warm and a bit rainy but it’s light till 9pm. You’ll see some Christmas toys here, she doesn’t play with them, rather she likes to rest her head on them and snuggle when she’s sleeping.

Waylon, Torch, Daisy and Felix

SP Kiwi is celebrating by dressing up! Check out these gorgeous shots – we think maybe Felix wins.

 

 

Ginger

Ginger is spending the holidays in California! She is enjoying the view.

Tatfish

Remember Tatfish? He lives with Spooge, Shiner and a bunch of other friends just down the road in Two Rivers. Here he is, still bouncing around everywhere and making everyone laugh. Tatfish is a resident house dog now. Spoogie is still a main leader and by far the loudest dog in the yard. Shiner is a lover, a total sweetheart of a dog.

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If you would like to read up about the retirement stories simply type “retire” in the search box at the top right of the page and you can see all the posts about SPK athlete retirements.

Dogs

Winter Solstice Dog Fan Club Draw #3

December 21, 2020 by

Winter Solstice is a pretty exciting and somewhat emotional time up here in Interior Alaska. It is a time of refection, a time of celebration. Since it such a big day we have done a double Dog Fan Club Draw!

To me, Winter Solstice truly signifies the passing of time. On this introspective day, the stark reality is that time will never come to a stand still. Days continue to pass whether that be during the beauty of the dark, starry skies of the winter months or the during the seemingly endless sunshiny days of summer.

I always find myself wishing for this day to arrive. Perhaps I’m just excited for more daylight. But as today arrives, and I watch the sunshine come over the horizon, it seems wrong and undignified to hope for time to pass. Instead I want to celebrate the moment. All of our days are precious whether they are full of darkness or full of light.

Scout, Cloud, Ziptie and I walked up to the top of the hill west of the kennel to watch the sunrise at 10:56 this morning. It was -10ºF and clouds were along the southern horizon. Here are they are… waiting for the sun.

Congratulations to both Barbara Schupeltz who is a fan of Cloud, and Jeanne Schnackenberg who is a fan of Scout.  



Barbara and Jeanne win a packet of SP Kennel M&M’s, a Fan Club Winner Certificate and a glam shot of their respective pooches. We’ll get those out to you as soon as we can.

Cloud is a funny, little gal with an independent spirit. She loves being a sled dog and is remarkably talented. She started and finished the Iditarod in 2020. As you can see, she also likes to cuddle.

Scout is a ‘one and only’. He is the essence of SP Kennel. He trained and raced incredibly hard for many years, starting, finishing and winning races across the Arctic. He now takes his retirement years seriously. He and Aliy have a very special bond.

To find out more about our athletes look at the “Dogs” page. To join the Dog Fan Club you can hit the “Become a Dog Fan” tab at the top of the page or click here. We will have a Fan Club Draw twice a month or more during race time and special events. It’s fun. Support your dog or dogs!

Dogs | The Kennel

Pretty December Days

December 9, 2020 by

Thus far we have stayed close to home this winter. The dogs are healthy and happy. We are helicopter parents and therefore are constantly monitoring their weights, health and small details like toenails and and teeth. Besides training, everyone has “fun time” (including Allen and I.😀 ) The dogs have plenty of tasty treats and beef knuckle bones to keep them fully entertained.

The dogs always seem to have fun:

The mushing trails in and around Two Rivers are covered in a thick white blanket of snow. It is great how this season has brought us some of the best snow conditions in years. Allen, my self and all 24 racing dogs train together. We are doing our best to keep everyone, including us humans, on a steady, increasingly challenging fitness plan with varied trails used for training. The only dogs left behind at the kennel on a ‘training day’ are Scout (13.5 years), Nacho (14.5 years) and Ziptie (1.5 year old Lab.) Scout is happy to lay in the house on the carpeted stairs dreaming of all his past adventures. Nacho is content to nap in his super insulated house in between mini romps around the yard. Ziptie annoys everyone with her loud squeaky toys and youthful energy.

I thought the horizon was gorgeous today:

 

The team is Commando & Peach in lead, followed by Mismo and Chipper, Gravy & Cloud Razz & Driver, Perky & Decaf and in the back are Wu & Bill.

Dogs

December – Dog Fan Club Draw #2

December 1, 2020 by

To celebrate the dark and cold that comes along with a December morning we have done a double Dog Fan Club Draw!

Congratulations to both Laura English who is a fan of Driver, and Joshua Foran who is a fan of Perky.  



Laura and Joshua win a packet of SP Kennel M&M’s, a Fan Club Winner Certificate and a glam shot of their respective pooches. We’ll get those out to you as soon as we can.

Driver is the big lug of the kennel with a heart of gold. He is also a master sled dog with a fantastic long legged body. He is one of the more mature dogs on the racing roster this season at 8 years old. But with age comes his tremendous number of mushing experiences, including a Yukon Quest Championship. Driver is always the first dog to bark “Pick me!” when we start to harness up the team.

Perky was named appropriately and his zest for life hasn’t let up. He is a whirling dervish to harness and walk over to the sled hook up. Once you get him there: Stand Back. Perky is truly a gorgeous husky, but it’s his personality that will make you smile.

To find out more about our athletes look at the “Dogs” page. To join the Dog Fan Club you can hit the “Become a Dog Fan” tab at the top of the page or click here. We will have a Fan Club Draw twice a month or more during race time and special events. It’s fun. Support your dog or dogs!

Dogs | The Kennel

Two Rivers Trail Work

November 21, 2020 by

With all the snow we got in November our dog trails still have lots of low hanging branches or “eye pokers”. Some dedicated folks in the neighborhood have done extensive Trail Work. We want to say THANK YOU. And just let them know… some of us here at SPK are doing our part!

 

Husky Homeroom

Husky Homeroom: Biscuit 1

November 19, 2020 by

You don’t have time to watch an entire HUSKY HOMEROOM Lesson? Me either. Gez… it’s not surprising in our crazy world today. So… do you want a little husky entertainment and maybe a quick smile? A smile? What? Really? Well then go ahead and nibble on this small biscuit.

 

Chipper and Scooby are the co-teachers at Husky Homeroom for Biscuit 1: How do Dogs stay Warm? is a portion of Lesson 9: Keeping your Husky Warm that will be published soon. Find this Biscuit and all the Lessons ar HuskyHomeroom.com.

Dogs

Blast Off – Dog Fan Club Draw #1

November 15, 2020 by

To celebrate a gorgeous winter day we have done a double Dog Fan Club Draw!

Congratulations to both Claudia Russell who is a fan of Dutch, and Jenny Heider who is a fan of Violet.  



Claudia and Jenny win a packet of SP Kennel M&M’s, a Fan Club Winner Certificate and a glam shot of their respective pooches. We’ll get those out to you as soon as we can.

Dutch is named after one of the busiest ports in the state of Alaska, Dutch Harbor. He is a busy man himself and that hasn’t changed much over the years. You will often find him leading the charge. He has the perfect amount of patience to teach the younger dogs but a silly nature on top of it all.

Violet is named after pretty flower. She has always been an upbeat and cheerful gal. Every day is rosy in this husky’s world. We all wish we had her outlook on Life. Violet was also very pleased with her Fan Club Winner status.

To find out more about our athletes look at the “Dogs” page. To join the Dog Fan Club you can hit the “Become a Dog Fan” tab at the top of the page or click here. We will have a Fan Club Draw twice a month or more during race time and special events. It’s fun. Support your dog or dogs!

Alaska | Dogs

Snow

November 8, 2020 by

Yes. We have had some snow. As we hear it… more is coming. We had a fantastic training run yesterday out into the fluffy white stuff. There was very little activity on the trails since most people were most likely still shoveling out. We did run into Matt Hall and his team … literally. (Glad to see you out there Matt! And your champion lead dog, Anchor too!)

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We currently have a short break between blizzards. Our electricity is sporadic since the heavy snow load continues to take out power lines. The road was plowed – somewhat – enough to get to Pleasant Valley Store to refill our generator gasoline supply. (We only had to pull one car out of the road.)

More snow to come. It is gorgeous but it sure makes for lots of work!

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