Older Dogs - the BEST

Boy do I appreciate all my older dogs.  I love them.  I adore them.  They are so awesome!  Denali, 14, a gentle beauty.  Emma-Leigh, 13, enthusiastic and happy, a smart girl.  Kubota, 13, so freaking handsome and always in the mood to hear it and be loved up or lend a shoulder to lean on.  Turbo, 12, 100% teddy bear with the fattest cheeks you ever saw and the most kissable nose, smiles and smiles as we pile on the affection.  Twinkle, 12, beautiful, calm, lovable.  Pearl, 12, a living doll, so pretty and calm...

Contrast with:
Twizzler, 1 year old, insanely happy, constant motion, spastic, wild, affectionate but gives bruises with her kisses.  Impossible to do much more than bear hug her without getting a black eye.  Have to pet  as she streaks by, which she loves.  Still thinks she should lick or mouth my hands.  Can't figure out what to do with her energy as you put a leash on her.  Hasn't figured out that spinning while on a leash causes all those tangles.
Same story with: Pixy, Salt, Leaf and Ash.  All are 1 year olds.

Even some of the others 7 yrs and younger are utterly wild.  Trying to rip my clothes to shreds as I put on harnesses and hook the team up!  Ouch!
Even Java Bean, 1 of the 9 year olds, is a blackened eye danger as he porpoises around while I try to harness him.  He can't wait to be hooked up and lunges powerfully as I walk him to the gangline.

I know your typical pet is not as wild as a husky bred to be a sled dog, but honestly people, do you really want to house break for months on end, get your furniture, socks and shoes chewed up, get your neck adjusted badly on every walk???  NO!  So adopt a 9 year old dog!!!  Even an old sled dog raised outside will be house broken (In my experience) quicker than *any* puppy.  He or she will probably be an amazing walking and hiking companion.  And a totally inspirational being in your life.

I know I know, you all want a whole lifetime with a dog.  You got your heart broken by the last dog you had who died.  You don't want to face death again so soon.

I don't know what to say to all that, it's true, death sucks and breaks our hearts.  Some losses feel like holes in our hearts and lives forever.  But sometimes when we love an old dog, we know every day is precious, and we get to live in moment.  Which is a rare gift.

And there is also something that happens to me....my heart is fortified by all those I have loved even if they are gone.  My love for my friend still feels tangible, my companion still by my side.  I know exactly where my heart is.  It is in the middle of me, wide open.  Wide open.  Isn't that a gift too?


-Miss W
Owner and Musher
Barking Brook Sled Dog Adventures, llc
http://www.Barking-Brook.com

The patience of saints

Pearl, ever loving and patient.  Can't really see her sister Twinkle putting up with all this!

More Pearlie

More luxury...retired sled dogs know how to soak up the sun, snuggle  into pillows and lavish affection on their people all while looking great.  I wish everyone could have a Pearlie.

Tart reunites with a friend

Angie came to visit today.  She was a handler for our dog sled tours 2 winters ago.  Tart crawled into Angie's lap and snuggled her head onto her shoulder.   So cute!

Moon setting over the kennel

Out in the kennel for morning chores.  A pretty sight shared with my furry best friends, a hazy orange moon setting.  My breath cloud is floating across the landscape.  Frisky pups this morning in the Siberian cold.  They love warm soup in the morning, fresh water in their buckets, clean kennels and lots of love and rubs from Miss W.  We are all so lucky to have each other, I am grateful. 

Our fun race last year in Berlin NH at the Jericho ATV park.   I was so excited to do a race I even named the team: SUGAR ON SNOW.  You can kind of see why...so many white Siberian Huskies!

-Miss W
Owner and Musher
Barking Brook Sled Dog Adventures, llc
http://www.Barking-Brook.com

Zen pair, crabby pair

I was loving this photo of leaders Bodhi and Bridget until I looked closely at the pair behind them!  Lol.  A moment of canine communication regarding whose paws belong where????
These little moments are few, so it's almost funny/cute to catch one on camera.  After a few years of sled dog tours these dogs have become so well matched as a team, yet still there are moments!

Stop calling me Tart....the name's Sweetie

An amazing catch of a split second dog conversation.  Pema, on the left, and Sweet Tart on the right.  Normally Tart is insistently submissive to Pema.  But in this micro second she is telling Pema off.  Pema is licking her lips, a clear CALM DOWN signal.  I am sure anyone can come up with a good guess as to what Sweet Tart is saying....

Tired puppies

What a life, to be ready to nap at 930 am!  These baby sled dog pups have been playing since 630 today, including for the last half hour in the huge play area.  It's wonderful to watch them sprint laps chasing each other in this new addition to the kennel grounds.  These 2 boys were recently purchased and added to our 3 pup group.  So next year we will have five wonderfully athletic sweet and handsome dogs to add to our dog sled tour team.   Actually 2 of ours are girls, so that would be sweet, athletic and pretty additions to the dog sled tour team.

We love this new play area, the dogs get a chance to lope lazy laps on their off days (we are already training with wheeled rigs).  It's wonderful to play fetch with all the apples and to see the play group finally all lay down close to each other and nap in the sun and fall leaves.

The play area also has helped get the dogs fit for fall training, as they have had a few weeks running around in it late this summer/early fall. 

Pups gone wild

Our 3 Pema/Bodhi pups are nealy 6 months old.  Just a week ago I bought 2 adorable pups from neighboring mushers.  I realized I needed even more to add to next years dog sled tour team.  The new ones are just 1 month younger than ours, but a tad more tender, quiet and sweet.  I realize in comparison I have built confident, fearless and happy puppies.  But they are a smidge wild...and now that there are 5 the mischief is getting noticeable.  Just this Monday holiday I thought I had the kennel arranged in happy play groups and was enjoying a craft date with my daughter and 2 of my lovely grand daughters.  Well I got a call from hubby, pups were out of the huge enclosure and were running wild.  They came right to the front door, thankfully! Happy buggers!  But only my 3 Pema pups had escaped!  The 2 new boys were looking ever so sorrowful left behind in the huge play area.  Well, since this escape the pups have been digging inside the kennel too.  They clearly understand edges and getting out!  It's hard to imagine that they must wait a year to have all this energy harnessed.  But I know once they come of age they will be excellent additions to our dog sled tour team.  Friendly, energetic, fearless and adventure loving.  Just what Barking Brook is all about.  In the meanwhile however, I scarce turn my back on them.  They climb things, reach things not meant for chewing, scatter things and seem in need of puppy school.

Happy puppy days

Friday I had my 2 grand daughters and we had a fabulous day with puppy walks, crafts time and general play with and with out pups.  Here is Khloe with Pixy. Nothing like 2 cuties cuddling!

Foot wear for mushers

I wear my bogs year round though you'd think they would be too hot in summer.  This is the thing, the grass is wet with dew till late in the morning and I start first chores early. I hate to have wet feet in my crocks or teva's, or WORSE squished bugs!  Ugh!  Of course later I switch.  And of course many days the long walk to the poop pile happens in crocs anyway and freaking bugs and slugs somehow jump in and make mush. Oh what a sad use of that word!  Sorry my glorious dogs. "Mush" should sacred. Our times through the fall and snowy winter on adventures and dog sled tours should not get mixed up with slugged slugs.