SPK Dog Log

Sled dogs run and pull. They love it. It is part of their being and they do it every chance they get. So when Two Rivers Dog Mushers Association decided to have a 5K Canicross Event, many of us at SPK thought: “Oh my. Let’s do it!” Even Allen’s daughters, Bridgett and Jennifer, entered the race.

OK… so not all of us are in primo shape for a 5K run (hummmmmm…. Aliy.) But upon hearing that everyone in the neighborhood was gonna race, it was inevitable – Aliy had to run!

But, what dog to partner with Aliy? As we know, she is not the youngest or fastest runner. But, hey… she is not the oldest and slowest either. “She still has the enthusiasm of a youth and her mature body hasn’t let her down yet.” Sound familiar??? Of course it does… Aliy ran with OLIVIA. Just another reason that Olivia is one of the best (and most patient dogs at SPK.)

Overall, the race was great! Jeff and Junior took off like the rabbits they are and charged to the finish. Bridgett and Quito hotfooted the 5K like pros. Jennifer and Scout ran a stress free 5K and put another race under their belts.

Aliy well…. She and Olivia tried a little harder than they should have for the first race of the season. The two gals tried (unsuccessfully) to catch a team or two before the Pleasant Valley Store finish line. The gasping for breath wasn’t the most glamorous finish, but it was a finish all the same! You GO GIRLS!

And who do you think the baby sitter was?

We know how much you love our dogs! You can now join their fan clubs! Can’t pick just one? No problem – you can join them all! 

Every two weeks (or more often, depending on what is going on) we make a random draw of all fan club members for a topical prize. Last season we gave away things such as signed CB300, Yukon Quest and Iditarod posters, signed YQ and ID race annuals, T-shirts and other merchandise and memorabilia.

Not only that, but the winning dog(s) get extra treats from the biscuit bucket (and if we are honest, most times they share with the rest of the yard).

This season our more informal fan club pictures were taken by great kennel friend Barbara Swenson. She knows the dogs well and has managed to capture some absolute classics! Check out Chevie’s gorgeous long neck, Chipper’s antenna ears and Ernie’s big nose! These pics are a wonderful companion to their more formal glam portraits.

To join the Dog Fan Club go to our Become a Dog Fan page, choose the dog or dogs you wish to support and this will take you to a link to pay either by Paypal or Credit Card. You can also post us a check to SP Kennel, PO Box 16226, Two Rivers, AK 99716.

Every dog fan goes in the draw to win a prize every fortnight and will receive an End of Trail postcard from Nome at the end of the season. See the Become a Dog Fan page for more details.

Portrait Day at SP Kennel is fun, exhausting and very, very satisfying. We know that our dog fans love these portraits as much as we do. We promise… you will see them very soon!

Actually, we put aside two days this year for portraits. Jeanne, our photographic magician, flew up to Alaska to get the job done. We can not say enough about her skills as a photographer – how do you do you always take photos and their eyes are open? – a dog person and generally… a good human being. We can not thank her enough. Throughout the two days she always kept her sense of humor – which can be challenging as dog toys, gloves, collars and various dog attention getters were hurled at your head (sorry we hit you that one time!)

We had great helpers: thanks to Jeanne, Jeff, Jeri and Linda.

The dogs were brought into the dog room, weighed, fitted for a new collar (BLING!) and went over to the ‘make up artists’, if necessary. Then they were ready for “lights and action”. The garage was set up as a studio: flashes, soft box, background and flooring. Each dog was set on ‘a mark’ and asked to line up on a quarter turn. Of course every obliged perfectly. Very few dogs needed only one shot: Barista and Dutch – thank you very much!

Most needed about half a dozen photographs. Several needed MANY plus a ‘redo’ session: Perky, Rodney and Scooby.

On Day Two much help was needed by the the ‘make up artists’. All dogs ran in harness earlier that morning and the mud puddles were everywhere.

The dogs are used to Portrait Day and they enjoy it. It is often a ‘free for all’ when they come galloping into the dog room for garage for weigh in day, so these two days they needed to show a tad more patience with the studio and lights set up. But even the youngsters: Bronze, Gold and Prata were cooperative. Prata most of all.

Of course, there were many dog treats, biscuits and snacks. Sparky even convinced Linda to share her Nutter Butters. All in all 2017 Portrait Day was a huge success. We now have to make some picture selections and let the editing begin. Jeanne will take a few days at home to look through her work. She will get them back to us ASAP.

New Portraits will be on the Website October 15th along with the start up of the 2017-18 Dog Fan Club. 

The SPK Dog Log has been a place for people to truly become part of our team. You’ve seen our ups and downs, and all the ins and outs of running a world class competitive sled dog kennel in Alaska. You’ve also been our most ardent supporters and teammates, keeping up with us every step of the way.

After a lot of leg work, this brand new website, spkennel.com, is ready for you to enjoy! The SPK Dog Log that you’ve always loved is still here– including posts going back to 2009– and now there are also some exciting other features for you to explore. Also, don’t worry– You can still get here by typing “spkdoglog.com” or “aliyzirkle.com” or even “spkenneldoglog.blogspot.com”… It all leads here!

Check out the new sections About the Kennel, About the Dogs, About Aliy, and About Allen. Enjoy our Social Media page, complete with an archive of YouTube videos. And, most exciting, we are opening the opportunity NOW for you to become a member of the RED TEAM or BLACK TEAM. Check out both to see what team membership includes!

Our site now includes a mobile responsive version! That means it looks a little different on your phone or tablet. You might see this icon in the top right of your screen: 

Give that a tap, and it will expand into a menu for you to explore! While you look at the site on your mobile device, that menu will always be available in the top right.

Look around, explore the site, and most of all– have fun!