Celebrating 1 Year Since The Birth Of My Thanksgiving Babies

Daisy and Tumac produced some wonderful pups who have all turned 1 year old and all seem to be thriving.  My four are in harness and are proving to be wonderful in harness, eager to learn, insane pullers with a lot of hardyness to keep moving down the trail no matter what the conditions.  I'm seeing some signs of early leaders and the making of some good distance dogs.  Besides the excitement of how they are in harness, first and foremost, they are beautiful dogs who are as happy in harness as they are on the sofa next to us. Raised in the house, they tend to come in the house most evenings which allows us to really bond as we snuggle and cuddle together in the evenings.  Happy Birthday Beautiful Doggies!

Aise and Illy

Illy and Aise live with my good friend Linda Newman in Minnesota.  Linda has some amazing dogs and these two seem to fit right in.  Illy looks like her mom Daisy and her brother Wishbone and Aise looks a lot like Honey but is more slender and leggier.
Lovely girlies.

Rigel

Rigel... ever so sweet, not to mention adorable.  Rigel has a smashing life with Caroline and Andy in Maine. I'm so grateful to them for their good care and nurturing of this special boy who has had a few special needs along the way.
Happy Birthday Rigel.

Pretty Pear

One of my most favorite photos of Pear.  She radiates such joy! Love her to little pieces.  Her coat is unusual, her eye color is unique and so is she.  She is slowly making her way to the front of the team and I have no doubt that's where she'll stay!

Turkey Jim!

TJ, my lovely gentle boy.  Here he is, lean and leggy.  This isn't a recent photo, he's filled out a little now but is so like his papa, Tumac.  He's amazing in harness, he is all business and is going to be a great distance dog.  Very hardy and recovers quickly.  He's such a love.

Honey and Wishbone

Honey in the background and Wishbone infront.  In true Uktousa style, all pups MUST be bed dogs before they can become sled dogs !
Honey is a stocky, self assured, mild mannered dog. She's become and instant mom for Sofie, always centered, always present.  To think we almost lost her at birth, I couldn't image a moment without her.  Wishbone, oh my lovely boy.... a little shy, so gentle and yet such a dedicated hard worker in harness.  His lovely blue eyes..... both are cuddlers, lovely doggies to snuggle with at bedtime.

Welcome Sofiel "The Nature Angel"

Here she is, another little angel.  Named Sofiel after the Nature Angel. She fits in so remarkably well with my Angels In Fur Coats.  Sofiel arrived on November 3rd all the way from Fairbanks though born on Calico Buff. Sofie comes from a great kennel of working dogs on the Yukon River. She was bred by Andy Bassich and Kate Rorke .  She is totally remarkable.  Besides her human eyes, her savvy nature, self assured disposition, natural ability to be in with the adults after a mere few days, her instant willingness to listen and learn......she's the cutest, cuddliest puppy and I love her! She has become a natural companion to me and is loved by all the dogs in the kennel. She feels like an incarnated soul, there is just something so familiar about her. Sofiel might not have made it here had it not been for two wonderful friends, Linda Newman and Nita Fowler

She's Stunning My Little Sofie

Sofie Likes To Howl

Thank Goodness For Good Dogs!

TJ has been running so well and making his way up the gangline.  I had 11 dogs hooked up and was just about to pull the quick release when I saw dogs out of line... hmmmm what the heck I thought!  I then quickly realized that TJ had chewed 3 tugs and 2 necklines in his impatience to get moving down the trail.  Rosie, Cookqiz and Yahboo were released from the positions on the gangline but being the amazing dogs that they are, they didn't go anywhere... well, Rosie trotted ahead for a few feet and then looked back wondering why we weren't attached to her.  She came right back when asked to.  What good doggies!

Boy, have I got some catching up to do!

Where does the time go?  I know, work, work and more work and then running dogs at night and oh, back to work :)   Despite the busyness of our days, the dogs are getting out and doing really well.  Somehow we have more miles on us this year than last year and I'm not so sure how that has happened other than we have had more hook-ups perhaps, though sometimes shorter distances than planned due to temperature and conditions. 

The pups are 1 year old now and in harness and boy... are they wonderful!  Each one brings something a little different to the team and to our lives. All are great pullers and I'm pretty confident that all will be taking their turn in lead quite soon. Training 4 pups at the same time is not so easy as they feed off each other's energy when in harness.  In the meantime, my stunning and most loyal leader Yahboo, is still out infront of these youngsters, unwilling to give her up place as my main leader and what an amazing job she is doing once again this year.