I hope enjoy reading these articles as much as I have. Once again it has taken me a little longer to put this together than I had planned. Thanks to all the contributors for getting me their articles on time. The delay was purely my fault.

I would especially like to thank two first-time contributors, Polly Maloney and Melanie Ikola. I hope they keep us updated on their future adventures. 

July, 2006

Winter came and went in a hurry. With solstice behind us already, the days are getting shorter and I’m starting to think more about next year's racing season. However, we hardly said good-bye to the snow before jumping into another big project.  For the last four years I have been giving slideshows at local hotels about the Iditarod.  The shows have been well-received but I have wanted to expand into giving dog rides and interpretive tours about mushing and the Iditarod.

The thought had long lingered in the back of my mind to approach Pioneer Park, formerly known as Alaskaland, to see if they were interested in being a venue for such a thing. Pioneer Park is a turn-of-the-century them park that celebrates the gold rush days and early Fairbanks.  The park is located in downtown Fairbanks and has 27 concessionaires that includes a steam train ride and the world famous Alaska Salmon Bake and Palace Saloon Theatre.  The park gets an average of 2000 visitors per day.  Many of the folks are locals that take advantage of the playgrounds and picnic pavilions, although many of the guests are tourists from out of town enjoying the park.

After the race season we spoke with the park and they were immediately receptive to the idea, saying they’ve always wanted a dog team to be at the park in the summertime.  Their strong interest made me realize the potential the idea had.  I was looking forward to a leisurely summer doing slide shows in the evenings and finishing our new house during the days.  However, not wanting to pass up a good opportunity, we jumped headfirst into the new project.

Starting a new business has been a real learning experience for me, not to mention a lot of work.  As a concessionaire to the park, we’re contractually bound to be open from 11:00a.m. until 9:00p.m. seven days a week from May 27th to September 5th.  Being that I own the dogs and gear that has to be transported back and forth from my kennel daily, it’s meant a seven day-per-week obligation.  I also still give my slide shows 5 days per week in the evenings.

We were the last concessionaire to sign on and we had lots of work to do to get ready for opening day.  We built 12 dog houses out of 6” three-sided logs that turned out really nice but weigh about 200 pounds apiece.  I cut all the pieces and peeled the logs at home and then assembled the houses on site.  There was trail to clear, a cart to fabricate, puppy pens to build, signs to make, and employees to hire and train.  Needless to say, this has been the busiest Gwen and I have ever been.  I’m sure you consistent readers are getting tired of always hearing me belly-aching about how busy we are.

Our tour is Iditarod-based and lasts about forty minutes.  We start with a visit to the puppy pen.  I always get the inevitable question “are these really sled dogs?”.  This usually spawns lots of conversation about the dogs, who are the real stars of the show.  Next, we move on to a map of the Iditarod trail where I explain the trail, a little bit of the history, and the structure of how the race is run.  I don’t keep to a script but encourage questions and let the tour go wherever people seem to show most interest.  I have lots of gear including some fur hats and mitts and a parka with a beautiful wolf and wolverine ruff that people can pose in for photos while standing on the runners of my sled.

While I’m giving the talk my handler hooks a ten-dog team up to our cart that can haul as many as six adults.  After we look at the gear I introduce everyone to the dogs.  I use my older, mellow dogs that don’t mind kids climbing all around them and enjoy lots of attention.  After we meet the dogs we climb on the cart where we stage a photo.  After that we take off.  Our trail is through the “wilderness area” of the park, which is a bit blown out of proportion, but at least it’s shaded.  We also cross a creek twice on our short (1/4 mile) run that takes us just out of sight of the staging area and back.  We stop at the creek both times to stretch the ride out, cool the dogs, and talk a little more about the dogs.  When we get back we give the dogs a pat on the head and I throw them each a treat.

So far everything has gone really smoothly and the tour has been getting more and more popular.  This summer has been totally crazy but I’m glad we got our foot in the door when we did.  I think once the word gets out the business will grow in a hurry.  The one parallel I see between giving tours and mushing dogs is that Murphy’s Law prevails in both, especially at Pioneer Park.  We’re in a high-traffic area next to the playground and picnic area.  I’ve come to equate the visitors to water.  Water will always find a crack somewhere and eventually seep through.  It seems no matter how many signs we put up, people always find their way into our staging area and sometimes the dog yard.  Needless to say, I’ve got a big insurance policy on our business.

In other news, amongst all of the ride business and slide shows we’ve managed to move out of our old place and into the new one just a half mile away.  Our new place is at the top of the hill with better trail access and more privacy.  Gwen thinks we need to re-name our road to Yukon Quest Street.  At the end of the road lives our former handler, Julie Fougeron, who’s now the Quest’s executive director.  Gwen is also a finisher and just got elected to the board.  And a few days ago I got a call from Lance Mackey saying they just bought our neighbors place next door!!  Right now our secluded subdivision has 14 households and half of us are mushers.  I’m sure things will get interesting with Lance around.  He sold his place in Kasilof, saying it’s just getting too crowded down there.  He still has a cabin in the Caribou Hills where he can go if the training is better, but for now, O’Connor Creek Subdivision is home.  I’m excited to have another musher in the neighborhood and foresee some hard-fought battles for local bragging rites coming up this winter.  Maybe this will be the year I finally run the Quest…..we’ll see.  I’m tired of my wife gloating about how much tougher she is than me, since she’s run it and I haven’t.

In this issue we are very happy to have articles written by two people on opposite ends of the mushing spectrum. Melanie Ikola is in her first year of mushing, having recently acquired two sled dogs. She lives in the suburbs with hopes of country living so she can expand her team and dig deeper into the adventure of mushing. She is dedicated to her dogs and has the desire to have a versatile team of traditional sled dogs to do adventure trips and possibly do some racing. She plans to begin her fall training when the temperatures permit. In the meantime, the dogs enjoy daily fun, be it a walk around the neighborhood, a scooter run in cooler temps or just lounging around the back yard with their person.

Polly Mahoney of Mahoosuc Guide Service lives in the western mountains of Maine and has been breeding a family line of freight sled dogs for 27 years, occasionally introducing new bloodlines to keep the genetics fresh.  These dogs are called “Yukon Huskies” as the lineage originated in the Yukon Territories. Some of the ancestry dates back to the last RCMP team being run in the Yukon. Additional bloodlines come from the native village of Old Crow. They are big, long legged, very intelligent and extremely devoted dogs. Because of their size and strength, fewer dogs are needed in each team. These even- tempered dogs have all of the qualities it takes to make it easy and enjoyable for beginners to learn how to work with a dog team.

Mahoosuc Guide Service is run by Polly and her partner Kevin Slater and it is going into its 17th winter. They begin training runs in the Fall and early Winter on the network of trails on and near their property on the valley floor surrounded by the Mahoosuc Mountains.  Once the guided trips begin, the dogs are trucked to trails that are less mountainous and are about ½ hour from their home. Their trips range from a day trip that includes lunch heated by a campfire to extended overnight trips in northern Quebec with the Cree and Inuit. For those interested, Polly is currently looking for an apprentice.

We hope you enjoy the articles. We are always looking for articles to be submitted by folks with freight dogs. You don’t need to be a writer to share your adventures with your dogs. We’d love to hear from you!

By Polly Maloney
Mahoosuc Guide Service
info@mahoosuc.com
www.mahoosuc.com

Polly and friends with one of Kevin’s handcrafted toboggan sleds

Our dogs “keeping cool” in their dog pens

Our cabin to cabin trip 2006

Polly with lead dog, Maeve, Sonny and Jeremiah

Debsconeag Lakes in northern Maine

Loading dogs for a trip

Mushing on Umbagog Lake

Yukon husky, Jeremiah

The dogs are panting and the sled runners swishing as I round the bend heading to camp and home for the night. It is a stormy wintry day with temperatures dipping to 0 degrees and winds gusting to 15 mph. The dogs love to run in this temperature breathing in the crisp cold air without needing to worry about overheating. The trail is packed hard from much use and the snow firmly settled from recent thaws. It is optimum mushing and we are in our glory doing what we love most!

My dogs are descendents from husky breeds from the Yukon Territory with long legs for breaking trail, good coats for keeping warm and they are very intelligent making them a pleasure to work with.

Upon arriving in camp I tie the dogs in their normal spots for the night and give them a hard boiled egg treat to tie them over until dinner time. They curl up in the snow next to their companions resting and waiting for their comfy straw beds and warm meal for the night. Meanwhile I unload my sled and start a fire in the wood stove of the canvas wall tent getting it warm to dry any wet clothing I may have and to thaw food for dinner. Resident black cap chickadees, Canadian Jays and nuthatches welcome me waiting for bits of frozen fat that fly from my ax in preparing the dog’s food. It is always nice to see them, like friends greeting me.

The closeness I feel to my dogs and nature when mushing is an experience to be treasured. I often feel such a connection to my leader that when I think a command she will respond before asking it of her. This is a special rare gift that keeps me addicted to this lifestyle of mushing and winter travel.

The dogs are a huge commitment year round requiring care 365 days a year. Never a day goes by where I don’t enjoy time with my dogs. They get you out in all kinds of weather. I have been a musher for 26 years from the Yukon to Maine to Quebec to Nunavut and Nunavik and seen a lot of country with my dogs. It is a great way to connect to the area you are traveling in and meet the Native people.

After getting the fire going and food thawing I decide to take a little exploratory snowshoe trip around camp looking for fresh animal sign to see who the visitors were since I was here last. I see some moose tracks close by where they have been browsing on willow branches. The coyotes were curiously coming around sniffing the trail and following my dog tracks within 1/4 mile from camp. Feeling it might be getting a bit close they turned off into the woods looking for snowshoe hare where there was an abundance of tracks in the thick stands of fir and spruce. There were fresh grouse droppings along the trail. I didn’t find any deer or fox tracks but I know they frequent the woods around camp and I often see them.

As I make my way back to camp the dogs howl welcoming me and reminding me that they haven’t had their dinner yet. After hanging my snowshoes I make a cup of tea to sip on as I finish preparing the dog food of soaked kibble, chunks of beef fat and cooked hamburger. The dogs lick their lips in anticipation.

Finally it is ready and I carefully dip out each dog’s portion and hand it to them. They eat in a variety of ways from wolfing it down to picking out the good bits and some just slowly pick away at it until it is finished. After feeding and collecting bowls I make their straw beds and tuck them in for the night. I feed myself and turn in snuggled in my warm sleeping bag and lulled to sleep by the occasional howl from my friends and a distant coyote talking back to them.

There is such peacefulness about traveling with dogs and camping with them. I think they make you slow down and appreciate living in the moment. When mushing I find it very important to be present and pay close attention to what you are doing. If you don’t you can lose your sled, hit a tree or run over a dog. Many things can go wrong if your attention waivers for even an instant.

After a good night’s sleep we all have breakfast and get ready for the day. It is beautiful weather and I close up camp, load my sled, hook up my dogs and head on down the trail. The initial start is always exciting with much anticipation and anxiousness to stretch their legs and see who may have been traveling on our trails during the night. Once I pull the knot of the snub line and release the dogs their barking stops and with noses down and backs arched pulling hard we move quickly away from camp for another adventurous day on the trail!

Polly & Kevin at Umbagog Lake

By Melanie Ikola
Little Wolf Kennels
www.freewebs.com/littlewolfkennels

Amber and I hanging out together at the cabin.

Zack at home just chillin'.

Close up of Amber at Crane Lake.

Zack at Crane Lake taking a nap.

My two sled dogs in front of my new sled.

Amber and Zack during fall training with Linda and her team
(my first time out...ever).

When I was asked by Linda to write an article about my dogs, I couldn't believe it. I felt honored, like it should be a privilege only given to special people. Then I realized something. I am special, not because of how smart or popular I am, but because I am a musher. My name is Mel Ikola and I run Little Wolf Kennels. I am 14 years old and was born and raised in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Although we lived in the city we spent most of our time up at our cabin in the BWCA during the summer. We also always had dogs, not sled dogs but ordinary house dogs. I lived my life like any other kid in the city. I went to school, had friends, played sports, just the normal kid stuff, until October 23, 2005 when my life changed drastically. It was the day I got my dogs.

The summer of 2005 was spent at our cabin and was like most summers except for one thing...I went to Ely. I had never been to Ely, nor had my mother, so we decided we would go to as many shops as we could. One in particular stands out to me now. It was a little house converted into a furniture shop and we had decided to check it out. As we walked in, a big beautiful Malamute came down the stairs followed by a woman. As my mom looked around the shop, I stayed by the dog and started talking to the woman; whose name I later found out was Ellen. She showed me some pictures of her other dogs and some photos of them mushing, which got me started on lots of questions. She told me a little about dog sledding and skijoring and I became immediately hooked! She recommended I check out Wintergreen and some other shops around the area, so I did, and I decided I had to do it. I had to get on the back of a dog sled!

After our trip to Ely I spent endless hours on the computer researching dog sledding, and I emailed tons of people. I read lots of books on the subject too,  and it seemed the only words out of my mouth were, "I want a sled dog", which was always answered by, "We will take a trip in the winter and see if you really like it". The trip never happened. My aunt helped me find dogs and I had the two Alaskan Huskies and a sled just in time for the 2005-2006 season. The only problem was I really didn't know what I was doing. I knew the commands and I had the book smarts, but not the street smarts. That's where Linda came in.

After buying dog food from her, she gave me the chance to go carting the next weekend. She said I could bring my dogs and we could put them in her team to see how they would run. I was so excited, I could hardly wait! When Saturday finally rolled around, I couldn't believe it, I was finally going to do it. I was going to be pulled by dogs! Granted it wasn't on a sled, but it was pure heaven for me. I don't think I have ever had so much fun. After the first time I wanted to come back, so we made a regular thing out of it, and she became my much needed mentor.

When snow came I got to go out on her sled and she let me "drive" which was kind of a scary thought, but it went well. I now think of her and her dogs as family to me and my dogs. Ok, I'm sorry I rambled a bit but it's all the truth.

Now on to the most important part, the dogs!!! Right now I own two Alaskan Huskies which I got from a kennel in Moorhead, Minnesota. The owner was going to go "pro" so he was getting rid of some of his adventure type dogs and some of the dogs that were just too big to race. I picked out Amber who is seven and has more of the traditional look This is what I like. Then there is Zack who is three and is more of a racing type, but he's cute so it's all good. Amber is really the brains of the whole operation while Zack is the brawn. I do question his intelligence but he is quite friendly, while Amber can be a bit shy and aggressive, but I wouldn't trade them for the world. Both work well together as a team and follow basic commands which Linda also helped me on.

Right now, since we only have the two dogs, I am an adventure musher, and like where I am. Mainly what the dogs and I do is have fun. We sled, bikejor, and scooter while receiving odd looks throughout the neighborhood. It's fun to try to explain to some little four year old kid how I'm not hurting my dogs, they are meant to pull. 

Recently they learned to swim. Amber accidentally slipped off the dock and Zack thought he could walk on the water so he just walked right off the end of the dock not realizing the water
wasn't solid. I may also want to get into some agility in the off season. A musher friend of mine does it, and it sounds cool.

Another fun thing I experienced that year was being at our cabin during the winter. We never had a reason to go so we didn't. We spent most of the time at Elbow Lake and the dogs and I had some good times on the forest road, especially me screaming with joy like a mad woman at the end of it because we made it all even miles, not considering the way back, but we did make it home, and I don't think I have ever been so proud of them.

Like most mushers, I do have dreams for the dogs, myself, and the kennel.

1. Build a kennel comprised of Hedlund Huskies, and traditional looking huskies.

2. Convince my school to make a dog sledding team.

3. Educate people about dog sledding.

4. Go on a 500 mile expedition, just me and my freigh dogs.

5. Meet Will Steger (he's my hero, and he graduated from my school in 1962 before it became coed)

That's a brief "history" of my dog sledding career, for more details check out my web site http://www.freewebs.com/littlewolfkennels/ and feel free to email, or ask questions.

"A dog is not 'almost human', and I know of no greater insult to the canine race than to describe it as such."
-John Holmes

Getting a Good Fit:  Your Dog’s Harness

Every musher knows the importance of using a well designed, high quality harness.  It is a piece of equipment that will last for years if properly taken care of.  Today we will be offering some tips for fitting or custom fitting harnesses, an explanation of some of the choices of webbing and padding and different choices of materials.  We will also explain what makes a good fit.  Every year at the races, we see harnesses that are rubbing, fit incorrectly, or are just downright uncomfortable for the dog to wear.

Styles

Siwash harnesses go back before the popularity of the x-back style harness.  The Siwash harness was first used by the Siwash Indians and later by freighting teams long ago.  The Siwash had a wooden spreader bar in the back of the harness and getting the right length was critical.  Mushers wanted a harness that offered more freedom of movement so the dogs could stretch out and go faster.  It gave way to the less cumbersome x-back harness.

There has been some renewed interest in the old Siwash style harnesses by some Iditarod mushers.  They incorporate spreader bars in their towlines and harnesses to transfer the pull directly back rather than angling into the centerlines.  This allows the dogs to pull straight forward.  These systems appear to be somewhat bulky which is why mushers turned away from them fifty years ago.

The h-back harness has advantages, a more direct pull from either side of the neck back to the base of the tail with minimal downward pressure on the back.  But, by the very design of the harnesses, they don’t allow as close a fit in the neck because they don’t encircle the neck but runs along each side of the neck.  The dogs tend to come out of the back of the harness quickly when stopped, camping, or just resting.  The harness doesn’t always stay centered on the dog’s back and when the dogs are resting or might stop and roll in the snow, they can get tangled in the harness.

The x-back harness has been around for more than 50 years and is a proven design.  There have been modifications made by innovative mushers over the years such as collared neck harnesses, sliding x-back harnesses, and split chest harnesses but the original design seems to be a harness that fits great and lasts well.  They distribute the pull nicely particularly around the base of the neck and over the notch between the shoulders, fits comfortably, and stays put on the dog.

In a long race or training season, if a dog develops soreness from one style of harness, to relieve pressure, a musher could switch styles of harness to get some relief.

Tracking style harnesses.  The tracking style harnesses were developed to offer more freedom.  The point of attachment is on top of the back behind the shoulder blades on dogs that wear these.  You must set the gangline up with longer tuglines and can’t switch a dog around in the team easily unless all your dogs are using the tracking harnesses.  They seem to roll from one side to the other and could cause rubbing.  In all honesty, we have received conflicting reports from mushers using this type of harness.  We will reserve our opinion until they have been proven to be better than other styles on the market.  They could be an evolution of harnesses or just a passing fad like so many others.  Time will tell.

 You can see other designs anywhere but harnesses are all generally one of these types of harnesses, some just distribute the weight lower on the dog for wheel dogs, others pull up higher, and still others say they can prevent crabbing.  There are many versions of the x-back, h-back, and even the old fashioned Native American Siwash floating around.  We still prefer the x-back for weight distribution, pulling power, durability, and staying in place.

Padding

Harness padding usually falls into two categories:  waterproof and fleece.  Of course, the old harnesses were padded with blanket material or pile-type fabrics but we have access to comfortable fabrics now and thank goodness we don’t have to sew harnesses by hand anymore.

Lightweight, quick drying closed cell foam padding is covered with rip-stop nylon for harnesses.  Padding usually extends past the armpits on foam harnesses.  The closed cell foam is great for splashing through overflow and puddles, wet freezing conditions, dries very quickly, and won’t freeze.  Lighter webbing is used on these harnesses making them very lightweight.  The disadvantage is they don’t last as long as the polar fleece padded harnesses.  

Some manufacturers use neoprene instead of closed cell foam and still others are using neoprene with a fleece covering.  The fleece covering seems to defeat the quick drying properties of neoprene but can add comfort and less abrasiveness to the hair.

Polar fleece padding is great in dry and/or cold running conditions, training, racing, and especially great for thin coated dogs.  We use a heavier fleece to make a longer lasting harness that is stronger, holds up to more abuse and is easier on the hair coat.  It does take longer to dry than closed cell foam padding.  Polar fleece harnesses offer two styles:  extended padding and regular padding.  Extended padding extends past the armpits of the dogs and regular goes around the neck and down the chest.  Extended padding is great for those houndy, thin coated dogs that need extra protection for their hair coat.  They are also best for dogs that pull off to the side and refuse to run straight and can provide some extra protection against rubs.  Incidentally, one of the biggest reasons for dogs crabbing (pulling off to the side) can be the neck opening of the harness is too big and the dog is trying to pull into the side of the neck to keep it from slipping back into its shoulder.  (See our notes on correct measuring later in the article.)

Webbing

Most people don’t care much about the webbing but it is important to get a good 1” webbing that suits your needs.  In our opinion, nylon is best because it lasts the longest and performs the best in cold weather.  We have a lightweight and a standard weight webbing. The lightweight webbing will dry quicker than standard weight nylon webbing.  The standard weight will absorb quite a bit of water and can freeze stiff.  Polypropylene webbing is used by some manufactures but isn’t as durable, tends to get stiff, which is hard on the dogs hair,  and breaks down quicker than nylon.

Fitting your Dogs

Getting a good fit is time well spent. Go out and measure your dogs to see what size they need. Don’t guess. For our harnesses, we expect a good neck measurement, starting at the point of breastbone (where the breastbone begins below the windpipe indention) and taking the cloth tape measure all the way around the neck (not the shoulder) and back to the point of breastbone.

Next a length measurement is taken. Start at the point of breastbone again and go straight down the breastbone, between the front legs and angle back along the ribs to the base of the tail. This follows the line of an x-back harness and will insure a good fit.  Our kennel is fairly evenly matched so we can use the same sizes on several dogs, smaller for the females and larger for the males.  Getting a good fit can alleviate harness rubs, restriction of breathing, and unnecessary pressure on the hips, back, or shoulders.  We offer so many sizes for so many shapes of dogs but you may have a dog that doesn’t fit the standard sizes.  That dog may need a custom sized harness.  Any good harness maker can make up custom sizes for your dog quickly.

Other tips for measuring include having one person holding the dog, making sure the dog is standing squarely on all fours—not hunching or curling to one side or the other, and measuring the dog not the hair.  A good fit is one that you can flatten your hand and it will barely slip between the dog’s neck and the harness.  After working the harness down through the hair until it settles in at the base of the neck, pull on the tail loop of the harness and the end of the webbing should be near the base of the tail.  (Our Akita picture above doesn’t have the harness attached to a tugline and it looks bunchy but it does pull to the base of the tail.  It was definitely a custom fit harness and, hey, he holds STILL for a photo.)  One of the biggest misconceptions is that a harness should be loose.

Some of the Iditarod mushers are using dog jackets with tail loops, neck openings that are sewn shut (no Velcro) and replaceable belly bands. We have to say, we sewed lots of them last season.  The thinking behind it is that when the dog gets tired, you can have the dog run without a harness but wearing his coat and kind of coast for a run or two by attaching the tugline to the dog jacket.  If you do that, make sure the tail loop is sewn securely to the coat so it won’t come loose and that the neck fits properly like the harness would so the dog can’t get away).

Harness tips

You have measured your dogs, ordered the proper sizes and have used them.  If they are wet, hang them up and let them drip dry.  Wash them in cold water, using a mild detergent and the gentle cycle so they don’t shrink.  Don’t hang them in the sun because they will fade and don’t force them to dry quickly next to a wood stove or in the clothes dryer.  They will shrink and you may have a harness that is at least one size too small for your dogs.  Clean them periodically so the dogs don’t have grime and dirt embedded in their harness padding--another source of harness rubs.  Keep them clean and free of chew marks and tears and they will last a long time.

We are hoping to see more properly fit harnesses at the races this next season for each dog's sake.  There are redeeming qualities to each style of harness and it is up to the musher to find a good fit for your dogs.  If we can answer any other questions, please let us know.  

Happy running!

Remember, this newsletter was created for you. We encourage your input on any sporting dog related topic. If you have tips, questions, or suggestions, please send them to us.

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Makin' Tracks accepts advertising from non-profit groups that benefit dogs and dog sports. Please show your support by visiting the organizations below. If you would like to see your organization listed here, please contact editor@redpawfeed.com.

Midwest Skijorers

A non profit organization that strives to promote dog sports and work to gain community trail access for other dog sport enthusiasts.

Midwest Skijorers Club is committed to advancing the sport of skijoring in the Twin Cities and upper Midwest.

We endeavor to develop and promote events and activities related to Skijoring.

We seek to educate the public about the nature and benefits of skijoring for dogs and dog owners.

We work with communities to expand trail access and improve trail safety.

We assist beginning Skijorers with seminars and novice events so they may more fully enjoy this unique sport.

http://www.skijor.org

Adopt A Husky, Inc.

A Siberian Husky Rescue Serving
The Midwest and Pacific Northwest Regions

A 501(c)(3) NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Over 700 Siberians Saved Since August 1998

Visit our website, send us email, or call:
262-909-2244 (Wisconsin and Illinois)
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509-999-5118 (Pacific Northwest area)

What is Mush with P.R.I.D.E.?

P.R.I.D.E. stands for Providing Responsible Information on a Dog's Environment. The relationship between sled dogs and humans is one of the oldest bonds of its kind. Modern sled dog owners are proud of their dogs as canine athletes that are bred and trained to do what they love: run as part of a team. Mush with P.R.I.D.E. supports the responsible care and humane treatment of all dogs and is dedicated to enhancing the care and treatment of sled dogs in their traditional and modern uses.