Dogs | Retired

Happy Husky Retirements

November 4, 2020 by

Every summer we retire some of our athletes from SP Kennel. The reasons vary. Ultimately it is the individual dog who determines when and where they will retire. However, there is much human forethought (sometimes years of planning) that go into the specifics of each retirement.

And the simple answer is “Yes“. Yes it is hard to “rehome” or give away a dog who has been part of the team, part of the family since they were wee puppies. So… why do it? Why let dogs go to new homes when they could all stay at SP Kennel forever?

Every human, every dog, deserves to be loved and cared for. If you are an SP Kennel retiree you will absolutely get that love and attention if you retire and stay the remainder of your life at SP kennel in Two Rivers with Aliy and Allen. You will always get the best a dog can get: attention, love, vet care, fun. You will “want” for nothing. But… let’s be honest. You will be sharing your attention, love, vet care, fun with a kennel full of dogs, actually, 27 dogs as of this posting. So… the truthful question becomes: where is the absolute best place for you to enjoy the rest of your life? Would you be most happy staying in Two Rivers with your pack mates as well as Aliy ad Allen or are you ready to spread your wings, leave behind the life you know and love, and move on to a new amazing family who has made significant changes in their life in order to make you now the center of it? Well… of course, the answer to this question is… that completely depends on the individual dog.

Our current retirees here at SP Kennel: Scout and Nacho are by no means unhappy or starved for attention. But, they also sit on the sidelines while Aliy and Allen spend a great deal of time training and conditioning race dogs.

  • Scout loves his life at SP Kennel. He is smart, independent and aloof. The extra cuddles that he might get elsewhere simply wouldn’t mean that much to him. He’s most happy strutting between the race dogs with his tail curled tight (look at me!) Actually, when we compare him to his more needy siblings (no offense): Viper, Beemer, Honda, Ranger, Malibu who all have cushy lives with monogrammed dog beds, Scout would not fit that mold.

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  • Nacho is the Daddy and Granddady to many SP Kennel dogs. His genetics have been invaluable. His retirement stay at the SP Kennel property was a given, along with Olivia’s. The duo were an inseparable pair and lived together for years. At age 14, Nacho spends his morning roaming the kennel grounds. Although he might miss his longterm companion, Olivia, he currently gets attention from the young sweeties whom he frequently visits each morning. His new house is super insulated and has a freezer flap doggie door.

The dogs that retired from SP Kennel racing in 2020 are: Kodiak, Junior, Cayenne, Champ, Iron, Clyde, Sanka, Gold and Bronze. There are many forms of retirement for a sled dog and this year we have a wide range of ‘Part 2s’ to tell you about.

First of all… Kodiak.

Kodiak has had a phenomenal racing career with 5 Iditarod and 3 Yukon Quests (including a Championship), 5 Copper Basin 300s, the Kobuk 440 and a couple of YQ300s. He’s also run in the Percy De Wolfe Memorial Mail Race over in Dawson as well as 5 local Two Rivers races. He’s a champion and a sweetheart. He has earned his retirement and now lives in Oregon with Becca! Although he has wormed his way up onto the bed, he is also going to be staying in shape with occasional runs in harness.

Everyone loves our world traveler… Junior.

Junior is a champion sled dog and raced the Iditarod 5 times, Yukon Quest 3 times (including one win), plus the Kobuk 440, 6 Copper Basin 300s, 2 YQ300s and 3 Two Rivers races. Her sons Bill and Wu will try to follow in her paw prints this coming season. Junior was often the “Spokes Dog” for the kennel and toured around Alaska for various photo shoots and Meet & Greets. Cliff and his two children have sponsored Junior since she was just a few weeks old. He even visited her a couple of times and saw her at the Starting Line of several races. Junior now lives in New York to start Life Part 2. She’s now an NYC girl so you might see her dressed head to toe in black wearing high heels and hailing a yellow cab. Yikes. Junior had many fans over the years and we thank them all.

Champ and Cayenne … are together forever.

Brother and sister, Champ and Cayenne, have retired from SPK and live just down the road with a local musher/ dog lover. Champ is a champ! With 3 Iditarods, 3 Yukon Quests including one win, Kobuk 440, 5 Copper Basin 300s and 7 Two Rivers races he’s seen a lot of race miles. His personal area experienced some “tender moments” during last season’s coldest races, so it was best to remove him from the SP Kennel race roster. This sexy guy will be missed at SPK.

Cayenne has had a go at everything: the Iditarod, Kobuk 440, 2 Copper Basin 300s, YQ300 and 200 plus 6 Two Rivers races. This little sassypants is leading the charge at her new home. She runs around loose, getting to know the neighborhood, not always on purpose – sneaky little escape artist. She loves to lead her new pack.

Here is a video of the two siblings when they were just wee pups romping in the field.

Lynne and Eunice sponsored the sibling duo since they were born and took a keen interest in their fortunes. Sincere thanks to them and to all their dog fans.

Iron … has a a new fun loving home in Alaska.

Iron has retired just down the road to a small recreational kennel where his new BFF is a cute Belgium malinois. He is already loving his new life. Iron has three 1000 milers under his harness (two Iditarod and one YQ) plus 2 CB300s, 3 YQ300s, the Nome/Council race and 5 local Two Rivers races. He’s had a few sponsors over the years including Merwin and Crystal and more latterly Wendy Brott, and we thank them all and all his dog fans.

Clyde, Sanka, Gold and Bronze are teaming up.

As some of you may know, Allen’s daughter Bridgett and son-in-law Scotty have their up and coming sled dog kennel in Alaska. They have adopted four athletes from SPK to be foundation dogs and superstar teachers to their puppies and yearlings. Clyde, Sanka, Gold and Bronze now live with BJ, Scotty and their two boys.

Clyde is a champion who has seen and done it all. He is completely nonplused with his change of lifestyle. He deserves to be King of the Hill… and his new kennel enables him to be just that. Clyde has 6 Iditarods and 6 Yukon Quests under his harness also 5 Copper Basins, the Kobuk 440, Yukon Quest 300, the Nome/Council 200 and 6 local Two Rivers races. Marion and Charlotte Davies sponsored Clyde for many years, and more latterly the Laine Family took up his sponsorship. Sincere thanks to them all and all his Fans.

Sanka is a very talented lead dog and has taken that role seriously in her new home. Her other major perk is that the kids LOVE her. She is by far… everyone’s cuddly favorite. Sanka has one of just about everything under her harness and is a mid-distance queen: Iditarod, Copper Basin 300, Northern Lights 300, Yukon Quest 300 and YQ200 plus 4 Two Rivers races. Many thanks to Cindy Schaus for sponsoring Sanka since she was a puppy, and to all her Dog Fan Club fans.

Gold didn’t see too many races in his career with SPK with just one YQ300 and 2 Two Rivers races.  He has much potential and it will blossom in his new environment. Gold is a powerhouse on his new team and will start to step up and lead the team.

Thanks to Karin Gobbel for sponsoring Gold since puppyhood and to all his dog fans.

Bronze enjoys the action and commotion at her new home. She has always been loud and ready to run. She and Gold have stepped into a team where they are the “Big Dogs”. Bronze saw one YQ300 and one local race while with SPK but contributed so much to the training squad.

Sponsors Greg and Vivian Martin were avid supporters of Bronze and we thank them very much indeed, plus all her dog fans.

We try to look at retirement in a positive manner. Of course it is hard to see them go… but so fun to watch them live out their lives with happiness and passion.

Husky Homeroom

Husky Homeroom: Lesson Eight POSTED

November 2, 2020 by

Did you know that dogs don’t sweat much!? In this lesson we explore what perspiration is and how it works. If dogs can’t sweat then how do they keep their bodies cool when they are running and racing? Let’s figure that out.

Here is a direct link to Lesson Eight. Or simply go directly to HuskyHomeroom.com.

Peach and Gravy are the co-teachers at Husky Homeroom. Honestly… they are not the best assistants. Their playful antics and lack of focus truly make you feel like you are in the hallways of an elementary school however. And that’s kinda cool!

Dogs | Sponsors

Dog Fan Club OPEN – New Photos and Bios

November 1, 2020 by

By far, our most fun support programme is the SPK Dog Fan Club. We love to celebrate each of our athletes as individuals and we are delighted that you want to do that also! We are very pleased to say:

THE DOG FAN CLUB IS NOW OPEN! CLICK HERE TO JOIN!

Take some time to check out each dog’s bio on our “The Dogs” page. Here you will find fabulous new portraits by Whitney McLaren, vital statistics and race histories and a description of each individual personality. It’s on this page also that your name will appear when you become a fan.

Do you want to support the crazy friend who makes you look normal? The teenage heart throb? The grumpy old man who does what he wants? Or maybe the shameless entertainer? We have someone to suit you all!

Becoming a Dog Fan is simple, click on the link above or on the tab at the top of the page then choose your favourite athlete (or athletes, because is can be difficult to choose just one) and hit submit. This takes you to paypal where you can pay by credit card or via your paypal account. We then update the Dog Fan Club page of your chosen athlete with your name. If you want to pay by check there are more details about that on the Dog Fan Club page.

We will do regular Fan Club draws throughout the season and every winner will get a glam shot of your athlete plus, back by popular demand, a tin of the SPK M&Ms. Every so often we will also do a themed Fan Club draw with seasonal prizes and goodies.

Each dog winner gets extra treats from the Dog Fan Club Biscuit Barrel.

Everyone who joins the Dog Fan Club between now and March 1st will receive an “End of Trail” postcard at the end of the season.

Thank you for your support, we know your support money could go many other places and we truly appreciate that you have chosen the athletes of SP Kennel.

Note: You may notice fewer dogs to choose from this season. We will let you know about all the retirements from the kennel in the next few days.

 

Dogs

Portrait Day

October 30, 2020 by

Whitney McLaren from Whitney McLaren Photography visited the kennel this month to do the updated 2020 portraits and full body shots. The results are spectacular. The head shots really capture personalities and the full body shots show how athletic the team is, even this early on in the season.

All the new pictures will be uploaded to The Dogs page over the next few days so check them out and let us know your favourites.

Here’s Moira’s take on them…

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For the past few years Portrait Day has had to happen with out me, it was always one of the most fun days at the kennel but being in NZ has made it a bit difficult to be present. So instead, I love to get a sneak peek at the shots before they are uploaded to the website. This year I wanted to share that sneak peek with you of some of my favourite shots. Who am I kidding? I love them all but here’s some fun ones to share.

The “Best Smile” award this year, I think, is tied between sisters Razz and Cloud.

Although, Amber gives those young girls a run for their money in the smile stakes.

The “I am totally over this and I can’t believe you are making me do this AGAIN” award goes to Grumpy Scout. He just wanted to cruise around the yard, not stand and pose on the red carpet. Check out that frown… bless him.

The “Oh no, I wasn’t quite ready and now I’m stuck with this Possum-in-the-Headlights photo all year” award goes to Violet.

The “My ears almost don’t fit into frame” prize goes to Chevie. Those are some ears! Just like her momma Quito.

The “Really Really Ridiculously Good Looking” Zoolander award goes to Gravy. Aliy said “he’s the next Commando – he doesn’t take a bad photo”. Those are big shoes Gravy!

And the “I care about others and am doing by part” award goes to Ziptie.

Dogs

The Down Side to Dogs

October 28, 2020 by

Aliy and Allen have shared most of their lives with multiple dogs and have loved every minute. The dogs have been loyal and loving and reminded us all what is good about the world. Unfortunately, as everyone who has ever owned a pet can attest, they just don’t live long enough.

WARNING: Our world can be quite depressing and sad these days so please don’t read this today if you are not up for some more sad news. ❤️

SPK suffered two immeasurable losses this summer that broke our hearts. Olivia and Tig passed away a few months ago, both from short but acute illness.

Olivia was an SP Kennel All Star – she was inducted to the hall of fame in January 2019. She was Wonder Woman incarnate and was a champion sled dog, a mother of champions and incredibly smart who was all business on the trail but very friendly off it. Both Aliy and Allen enjoyed some of their best mushing moments with Olivia on the team. She lived her retirement years with her long-time partner, Nacho. They enjoyed each others company like an old married couple and were together until the last day of Olivia’s life. Olivia passed away just shy of her 13th birthday.

Olivia started to look “thin” in May. Olivia, like many of us healthy women, never had that problem of “being too thin”. Many a Veterinarian at the Yukon Quest or Iditarod would politely ask us… “Uhhh. Is there a chance that this pretty girl is pregnant?” That would have been a rather embarrassing moment for many of us humans, but Olivia would perk up, smile, grab another dog biscuit and leave her humans standing there trying to justify the ‘extra’ couple pounds that their pretty blue-eyed lead dog was hefting around.

So when she started loosing weight, we knew there was something wrong. She was soon diagnosed with diabetes. We really don’t know why. Her twice daily injections of insulin were challenging at first. They became routine and we all did the best we could. (A big thank you to Padee.) However, her blood glucose monitoring continued to be sky high. No amount of insulin could seem to keep her blood glucose levels in check. We brought her in several times to North Pole Vet Hospital for various tests. The last one was the most hopeful: she was still an intact female so perhaps her progesterone levels were too high and thus affecting her insulin absorption. After lab analysis it turned out to be a dead end. Her progesterone level was actually low. Olivia began to have mini seizures at her final hospital visit. In the end, she was diagnosed with uncontrollable, insulin resistant diabetes. There will always be speculation of “what if this” and “what if that”. But, we believe Olivia lived large until her last day and she never regretted a moment of her life.

We buried Olivia on a pretty sunshine day. We had kept ashes from some of our dearest canine companions over the last 15 years. They were stored in a special spot in our custom handmade wooden trophy case. But… it seemed only right to bury Olivia with a dog team. So we buried her along with the ashes of five other dogs. The six dog team that now blesses the hill on the horizon off to the southwest of us is: Olivia, Quito, Schmoe, ChaCha, AJ and Pedro. Lots of memories, lots of smiles and lots of tears that day.

 

Tig was a summer dog; everything she loved to do happened in the summer! As a youngster, she and Aliy would compete in local field dog trials and she even travelled to Canada with son-in-law Scotty to gather ducks for the dinner table. Later she became a right-hand-dog – helping out, or at least hoping to help out, with everything: mail retrieval, puppy walks, scooping the yard (she would clean up any remaining kibble left behind before the ravens could get it) or watching football. She was comic relief, overtly affectionate and labrador smart.

Tig was having a great summer: running after sticks, barking at squirrels and swimming after salmon. She was also keeping a keen eye on Ziptie – her protege. One evening in July, she jumped down from the Lazy Boy recliner, fell to the ground and had a hard time getting up. We were soon at North Pole Vet Hospital doing tests. Dr. Lovely’s preliminary diagnosis was some form of leukemia. We did further blood draws for analysis at a Laboratory IDEXX in the Lower 48. There was still a chance that she might have had a treatable form of the disease. But, it wasn’t so. Tig’s body gave us the answer loud and clear. She left us even before we got the Lab results (which confirmed leukemia or acute lymphoblastic lymphoma.) Tig passed away just shy of her 12th birthday.

Both of these gorgeous ladies are much missed. We sincerely thank their sponsors and dog fans.

All of us know that it is so hard to be a dog lover. Every dog has a sweetness and sincerity that seeps way down into a human’s soul. There is an incredible sadness that permeates our entire body when this is torn away from us. But, in reality, it is unbelievable that we had such a beautiful thing in the first place. The only thing that equals the love for a dog is the love of a dog.

Husky Homeroom

Husky Homeroom: Lesson Seven POSTED

October 26, 2020 by

Communication can be complicated – especially in a world that has a huge variety of dogs (and people) with incredibly different lifestyles, opinions and goals.

Aliy and her “pack” at SP Kennel seem to communicate successfully. How do they do it? Respect for each other is the foundation to it all.

We hope you enjoy this week’s lesson. Teaching assistants, Dutch and Commando, certainly had a good time.

Here is a link to Lesson 7: Communication Skills. You can find all of our lessons our the Husky Homeroom Home Page.

 

Sponsors

Join The Team

October 17, 2020 by

YIPEE!

Our 2020-21 season is ** OPEN **

Let’s get started!

Today we are opening our biggest support programme. Thank you all for your support this coming season. Your support dollars could go to many places, so we thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts, for sticking by us. ❤️

We have two different ways you can support us this season. You can join the SPK Team, which is a combo Aliy and Allen Team this season, or the Dog Fan Club! Please note the tabs at the top of the page that you can click at any time during the season.

The SPK Team membership opens TODAY.

After you join, Team Members will find their name under the Team tab (at the top of the page).

You will receive, in the mail, this season’s unique membership Certificate featuring a photo by Whitney McLaren as Aliy and the team near the CB300 finish line with the gorgeous mountains in the background. Also included in a membership is an 11″ x 17″ ‘SPK Team’ Poster featuring a photo from the back of the sled runners. The image is the majestic Alaska Range in the sunshine with the SPK dog team stretched out in front of you. Enjoy the scenery from Mile 150 on the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

As a SPK Team member, you’ll will also get an email .pdf copy of Aliy’s 2020 Iditarod Trail Notes. For those team members that join before March 1st, you will be sent a Collectors postcard from Nome (or the nearest Post Office to the Iditarod 2021 finish line.)

The Official ExxonMobil 2020 Iditarod Poster was an image of Aliy and her team as they traveled along the frozen ocean at sunset. This truly amazing photograph was take by Jeff Schultz along the Western Coast of Alaska. Dutch and Spark were in lead, then Junior & Amber, then Mismo & Iron, then Driver & Izzy, Felix & Commando and Rodney & Schmoe Dog.

ExxonMobil sponsored the distribution of this poster at the Iditarod 2020 Start banquet in Anchorage. It was a hot item and Aliy signed a few (thousand). Do to the fact that our team was featured, we still have a limited number of these posters available. These posters are NOT for sale. But, for the cost of a larger mailing tube and additional postage you can choose the ‘Additional Poster Postage’ as your Membership type and you will receive one. Only one poster per team member. Supplies will run out. These posters are not available by themselves, but you can contact Jeff Schultz for information about buying this photo, or many other spectacular images, as a print.

 

The Join the Team program runs on a seasonal basis. We clear the past season rosters of the team members at the start of each season in October, then add team members to the new season’s list. Team membership packets are sent out starting in November until the 20 March.

The Dog Fan Club will open November 1st. Become a fan of your favourite dog, or dogs, and your name will feature on their individual athlete page. You also go in the draw to win great prizes throughout the season. We’ll let you know once it is open.

Note: We are in the very fortunate position that our dog sponsorship program is full and every dog has an individual sponsor. Many of our dog sponsors have been with us for the duration of their dog’s career and some before that! Thank you to all our dog sponsors. We do appreciate you and consider you part of the SPK family!

Husky Homeroom

Husky Homeroom: Lesson Five POSTED

October 12, 2020 by

The science of food is critical to the health and happiness of the dogs and the humans here at SP Kennel. Therefore, we will spend a couple of weeks on the topic of nutrition. Lesson 5 is the first in this series and it introduces the basics.

We hope you enjoy this week’s lesson. Teaching assistants, Chipper and Driver, certainly had a ball helping Aliy sort thru the science.

Here is a link to Lesson 5: Nutrition 1 – Dogs. You can find all of our lessons our the Husky Homeroom Home Page.

 

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