Retired Dogs - Jodi

We told you a while back (please don't check the date for exactly how long ago that was!! ) that we would dedicate a blog to some of our retired dogs. Why not start close to home???

JODI
Person: Nicole Torre

Jodi has spent the last couple of years in pampered bliss as she resides with me and JJ in our quaint little cabin on the hill in Fairbanks. Content to lay on the couch or her bed all day long, she must sometimes be forced outside to "do her business" Easygoing as ever, she is still the ultimate "mother", she puts up with the antics of our new puppy with the utmost patience. Though her poor shoulders and elbows still give her a great deal of trouble and we have to be careful not to let her do anything too strenuous, she still loves our daily walks through the woods and looks quite sharp in her bright red coat, which she prefers when the temperatures plunge below 10 degrees(I'm not sure how she ever survived multiple Iditarods!) Still an eager eater as always, we do have to keep her on a diet, or else I think she might eat herself into oblivian, though it is always hard to resist those deep brown pitiful cow eyes and forlorn "Jodi" expression, that we all know, when she is begging for table scraps. She did have a scare with a cancerous tumor on her foot last year, though they were able to remove it and we've seen no signs of it returning since. All in all, she is the most wonderful, happy, well behaved dog that anyone could ask for. She is an absolute joy to us and we do love her dearly and feel quite privileged to be able to care for such a wonderfully important and famous dog.

Nicole is currently spending her fourth summer here with us at Husky Homestead. If one of the retirees in the lot is missing... check Nicole's cabin! She's known for spreading love - and maybe an extra biscuit or two... :)

Keep an eye out for more 'retired' dog blogs!!

Happy Trails!!

Agility Update

Time for the Goose Lake Agility Update!

So, World Team Tryouts was a total BLAST! The place, the people, the dogs were all amazing! Peg and Q did a great job handling the scene but were a bit challenged with the running surface. (I'll have to find a place to train before next year that has the same surface.) We didn't embarrass ourselves.... well, except maybe when adorned with the fake mustache and sideburns purchased from the little vending machine : ) We look forward to returning with more competitive goals next time.

Meanwhile, back in hot and sunny Denali, we are back at the tours and summer training. The big news is that Q won his MACH (Master Agility Championship) this past weekend at a trial in Soldotna, AK. Quite an accomplishment for a guy just barely over three years old! He's an awesome dog.

QC, Donna, and their MACH!

We have another new addition to our agility crew. Hidden Valley's Call of the Wild (Hoot) arrived last week at 8 weeks old and has settled into the Goose Lake scene with aplomb. She is a little, blue merle from Grant's Pass, Oregon. She has already won her way into all of our hearts... Jeff's included!

Hoot!

Summer swimming in Goose Lake!

Throughout the summer, I use the paddle boat to take the dogs for a swim. QC (3 yrs) is the tri-color and Peg (6 yrs) has the white face. Tack (almost 8 months) is the black and white, and the white pup is Ringer (4 months), one of our husky pups. Hoot, our new addition, is in my arms. The lake is just 30-40 feet from our deck and is especially appreciated on these hot summer days.

We look forward to a few more trials here in Alaska over the summer and then off to the Seattle/West Coast for more trials/training and family visits this fall. Daisy Peel, a World Team Member, will be presenting a 4-day agility seminar here at Goose Lake in August as well, so we have a lot of fun ahead! Enjoy your summer!