'Princess' Sookii Su is a Siberian Husky born October 5, 2008 at Sibersong Sleddogs in Ashland NH.  She is my special girl - just a bit of a drama queen and thinks the world turns around her.  She loves to ride and when we provide transportation for our guests she always wants to come along. Weighing in at 28 lbs she looks like a toy beside the rest of our big dogs but her heart and attitude make up for her small size.  Sookii loves to run lead.  As a puppy in training she refused to work anywhere else in the team so she always ran double lead.

UPDATE 3/12:  This year Sookii has really matured mentally and took over mid-season as my main leader when Ruger was retired due to his challenges with sight and hearing.  She has racing in her blood and pushes the team for speed.  There will be little 'sugarbears' in the future.  Maybe next spring...  We're hoping for a mate for her from our friends at Team Tsuga.

Clyde is my big baby (90+ lbs) born April 16, 2009.  An Alaskan Husky, he loves to pull and runs in wheel in my 'puppy' team.  Almost drags me off my feet in his rush to get to his place in front of the sled.  Clyde has multiple personalities.  With new folks, sometimes he's shy and sometimes unfathomably affectionate.  We never know which it'll be.  He absolutely adores puppies and is very protective and gentle.  They are allowed to chew on him and take food right out of his mouth.  Also, he won't allow any fighting in the dog yard.  If an argument starts between neighbors he runs over to them and it stops immediately.

UPDATE 3/12:  Clyde has become an awesome wheel dog.  He knows what to do and when to do it.  On downhills his tug is slack - he understands I don't need his power then.  On uphills he digs in and takes more than his share of the load.  In tight turns he jumps the gangline if necessary to bring the sled around the turn.  Still shy of most strangers but not shy of work. 
On a tour earlier this season, I thought I hooked his neckline but missed the collar ring.  He was loose just as we were about to pull the snow hooks and leave the yard.  Josh and the first team had already taken off.  Clyde took off through the woods to head them off.  He was waiting with Josh's team at the bottom of the drive when I got there with my team and came immediately to be hooked in and we took off.  No way he was going to be left behind!  Normally when he gets to run loose in the yard he won't come to me until he's ready to go back to his place inside the fence.  There's no catching him if he doesn't want your hands on him.  With all the new faces of our guests and excitement of taking off for a 3 hour tour with 4 dog teams I wasn't sure how he would react.  Lucky for me his sled dog blood rules.

Ojibwe is a Siberian Husky from Secondwind kennel in NH.  Born January 26, 2008.  He has come a long way since we adopted him in May of 2009.  He is intense and focused on moving when in harness - hates it when we stop and lets you know it.  Out of harness he is a bit prissy and very loving.  Eats one kibble at a time - it's hard keeping weight on him.  He runs in any position with my 'puppy' team.

UPDATE 3/12:  It brings tears to my eyes again when I think of loosing Ojibwe to torsion June 3, 2011.  He lives forever in my heart and part of my soul is with him still.  Never far from my thoughts, he rests on top of the ridge watching over us.  The kennel has not been the same without him.  He was our alpha dog and no one has yet to fill his position in the yard or in our hearts.

Isolde aka 'Soda Pop' is an Alaskan Husky (Clyde's little cousin).  Born January 3, 2010.  She's 75 lbs. now and running with my 'puppy' team.  She's always very focused and all business in harness.  A bit shy out of harness and very sweet.  She wants to be the boss in the puppy pack but can't pull it off yet and gets put in place regularly by Bella.

UPDATE 3/12:  Now one of our best sled dogs, Soda is all grown up.  No longer shy, she's affectionate and confident out of harness and Bella doesn't bother her anymore.  In harness she is the steadiest, hardest working, most reliable puller I have.  Always with a tight tug and a happy but no nonsense attitude.  Runs anywhere in the team.

Spirit is another of our big puppy girls.  Born July 8, 2010, she is 70 lbs at 9 months old.  Goofy and girly, Josh was chosen by her when she was just a wee pup and she still worships him.  She spent most of the winter running along with Josh's Eagle team.  He hooked her in with them for short periods and she did very well.  She should be a great addition to his team next winter.

UPDATE 3/12:  Spirit has worked very well her first season in harness.  Still a fun loving, affectionate daddy's girl, in harness she's always ready to go and not quiet about it.  She has a beautiful pace - moves like a race horse!  I love to watch her run.  She's happy anywhere in the team.

This is my 'little Shortcake' although not so little anymore.  She weighed in at 50 lbs at 4 months old.  Compliments of our friends Andy Bassich and Kate Rorke at Calico. 
They have some awesome dogs out at Calico Bluff in Eagle, AK.  (Josh and I started mushing with a team of 7 experienced sled dogs from Andy and Kate.  That Eagle team is Josh's now.)  Ursa comes from a litter of 11 born to Vixen and Typhoon on Sept 20, 2011.  5 pups stayed at Calico, 2 went to Cranberry Kennel in Eagle, 2 to Mikki & Julie Collins at Lake Minchumina, 1 to Denali Park Kennel and one to us here in Fairbanks.

UPDATE 3/12:  Ursa is awesome!  No longer worthy of her nickname, she's a long and leggy 84 lbs.  She's also running double and single lead already.  Knows her commands well - just needs the confidence that comes with experience.  Works hard and keeps her tug tight anywhere in the team.  One of our regulars inside the cabin, she prefers people to dogs for the most part.  Although she was quite an amazing surrogate mother at 1 year old last September when we brought home 10 puppies from Eagle, AK for a month long stay with us before going on their way to their permanent homes.  She immediately started cleaning, guarding and snuggling with them, even let them nurse so much she actually started lactating!  During the time they were here she slept outside with them but after she weaned them gradually resumed her place in the cabin and left them in the puppy pen.

Bella was adopted from the Fairbanks Animal Shelter as a puppy in the summer of 2009.  I fell for her beautiful blue eyes.  Sookii picked her out as her maid-in-waiting.  Bella loves Sookii madly.  She's also an awesome little sled dog.  Loves to pull and run in my 'puppy' team.  Shy and cringing almost with people, her personality in the puppy pack is the opposite.  She's the boss and doesn't let any of them forget it.

UPDATE 3/12:  I'm happy to say that Bella is no longer shy and cringing but will come up to all our of our guests for pets now and even likes to join Sookii on the rides to town when we offer transportation.  The puppies have all outgrown her and although she is able to bluff and grump her way with them most of the time she's not taken very seriously.  She still adores Sookii and is rarely more than a few feet away from her.  A true 'lady-in-waiting' for our little queen.  While Sookii's affection for Bella isn't always obvious it is evident.  The 2 of them went for a run without us and were gone for hours.  When they finally returned home together it was late at night.  Bella was limping and what was left of her harness was twisted about her and in tatters.  She must have gotten hung up on something out in the woods.  Sookii was fresh and clean. It was clear she had just waited patiently for her best friend to chew herself free instead of leaving her there alone.  We now have a Pet Safe Wireless Fence for the ones who like to wander.

Spade is a retired leader from Calico.  He doesn't run with the teams anymore but still loves the excitement of harnessing time and gets to run loose and follow the teams some as well as going out with a pup or two in training.  His main job now is collecting as many bones as he can find and squirreling them away in his house.

UPDATE 3/12:  Almost 16 years old, Spade is sweet and happy.  He and Ruger have free run of the puppy yard and are helping the young ones learn their doggy manners.  He loves the Summer Mushing Schools where he patiently teaches guests how sled dogs should be treated - with lots of pets and kisses!

Ruger is my lead dog from Calico.  Born 1997 to Moon and Cruise.  A solid command leader.  Loves a butt scratch.  He's still going strong leading my team and training my puppies.

UPDATE 3/12:  Sadly we have retired Ruger this season.  Although physically strong, his sight and hearing have deteriorated badly, interfering with his confidence in harness and in general.  He has been very happy in the puppy yard with Spade and the 2 old boys act very puppy-ish as well.  Bouncing at the gate when anyone approaches and playing and eating together in the big fenced yard.
Thanks Ruger!

Zeppelin is a hardworking, hard pulling dog.  He never quits.  Another awesome dog from Calico, he runs wheel and lead for Josh.  Hands down the best eater I've ever seen.  You should see the dance he does at chow time.

UPDATE 3/12:  Zepp still has plenty of heart and desire but 12 years of working hard in wheel have taken their toll on his big body.  He ran the first part of the season in double lead and swing but stiffness in his hips and back legs have prevented him from running with our regular teams for the second half of the season.  He's still in the dogyard.  Didn't care to join Spade and Ruger in the puppy yard.  He'll still be able to go for short puppy training runs this spring.

Spud is Josh's main leader and comes from Calico.  Big, beautiful, blue-eyed, gentle and affectionate, he's a favorite for our guests to pose with for pictures.

UPDATE 3/12:  Spud is still Josh's main leader.  He's slowing down with age but no one else can hold a team out like Spud. 

Snickers is another big girl from Calico.  Quite a talker even when she is running and most dogs are silent.  Affectionate almost to the point of jealousy.  She runs swing and team with Josh.

UPDATE 3/12:  Snickers is having a great season.  It was a challenge keeping fluids and enough calories in her last year.  This year she's cleaning her bowl regularly.  We can thank Red Paw for kibble and Josh for cooking salmon into a hearty broth for our dogs.

Control was born in 2007 to Gucci and Minto (from Denali Park Kennel) and came to us from Andy's kennel in Eagle.  She's been a little slow maturing but has lots of promise.  Always happy and excitable.  Loves to play loose in the fence with my 'pups'.  Runs in Josh's team.

UPDATE 3/12:  AKA No Control due to her bouncy and excitable nature.  She's really settled down and been reliable and steady this year running anywhere in the teams.

Yet another great dog from the Bassich line in Eagle.  He training for lead and runs anywhere in Josh's team.  One of the most excited when it's time to run.  Very affectionate easy keeper.

UPDATE 3/12:  Skookum's doing well this year too.  Still needs more work in lead.  He's a big boy and his bounciness and banging in harness puts off Spud who is his training partner.