Sibe Tribe

Bed Protection!

2012-01-27T14:42:00.000-05:00

Today I received a very cool doggy bed cover, no not for dog beds but for my bed (which the dogs think is theirs!) Below you can see Mukki and Quinn testing it out! It looks a little messy because the guys offered to test it before I could straighten it out.

I got it on Woot for $19, so you might need to search around to find a bargain, but here is the web site with a movie. I have a really thick 18" mattress and it fits well and even covers pillows! This is a link to their web site: pawsOFF Bed Cover

2011-12-09T13:13:00.001-05:00

I seem to keep forgetting my promise; nay, my vow to keep this blog going!

Okay updates:

Mukki -is slowly losing his alpha position to the younger, stupider Quinn. He is not happy about it, neither are we! He is still looking good and behaving himself. Santa probably will shoot over the house this year due to the 2 kittens Mukki ate, damned siberians! All I can say is we were on vacation and the dogsitter was in hysterics and they were found hiding under the back porch. Oddly, the mommy cat, now spayed is still trying desperately to become a house cat! Poor deluded feline. Mukki so far has eaten his way through the door frame but not to the cat! whew! We had to put wooden shutters over the bottom of the picture window before he broke it trying to get to KitKit!

Quinn -know the biggest (well, Tala is bigger but I did not say fattest) let's say he is the biggest fittest dog in the pack. He loves mushing with Mukki and Rich, not competing but enjoying the run. He is still a major PIA and impossible to train or walk on a leash. Whines and cries in the car. Barks and screams like crazy, yet he is still my little splat and mommy's baby. To the left is a video of the chorus of huskies I get to hear every time I leave to go to the store or even just walking to the mailbox! The most vocal is Quinn but it's actually hard to tell, though if you grab Quinn they all shut up, not so if you grab any one of the others!

Tala -was doing really well losing weight on Thyroid meds until other vet cut her dose and now she is putting back on the pounds, sigh! I will try for the saner female vet next time. Tala is otherwise so happy and as cuddly as ever. She has lost power over Quinn and he humps her daily into the ground, which may explain the slight limp today.

This is my sibe's audition for Glee

Lulu -allows us to pat her and is a shameless beggar for dog cookies. She also naturally 'heels' when I walk her. She is a different dog in the car, she rides in the passenger seat puts her head in your lap and is sooo happy. If I ever had to take a road trip, she'd be my go-to-dog! She is only a little skittish and shy enough to quickly become everyone's favorite. Guests spend most of their time trying to woo her and I guess that is her secret :-)

Has Quinn Started Growing Up? (fingers crossed!)

2011-08-18T06:15:00.000-04:00

Well, things are getting a little calmer here, Quinn may be growing up! He follows me around everywhere and tries to be good. He doesn't always succeed. He can bring the energy of a situation into the red zone fast! We have a little cat, KitKit, who lives outside and is a source of high anxiety for Mukki and Quinn. If I take Quinn out of the equation, things calm down, Mukki Stays on high alert but doesn't go crazy. I should film them the next time they go into the red zone but my first response is usually to stop it as fast as possible!

We put a hasp on the bedroom door that has actually changed a lot of my life. No more hiding pillows in the morning, no more torn sheets and the hole in the mattress can now be fixed! Felt like I was living under siege, but now things are calmer... hope it's a trend.

Over the river and through the woods to SSR for Xmas Eve!

2010-12-26T13:49:00.000-05:00

We piled the dogs into the truck and drove to Gardner, the other side of the Moon (Raleigh) where Dawne and 35 siberians awaited us! We brought a Christmas gift of 50 pounds of beef hearts (yuck) and a husky ornament for Dawne.

Such a lot of fun, thanks for having us Dawne!

Feeling the love? Go to SSR and make a donation!

Help Dawne feed and heal all these beautiful Siberians!

A snowy christmas!

2010-12-26T13:41:00.000-05:00

Lulu watching the winter mayhem

Mukki and Quinn taking a short break from running as fast as they can around the yard, chasing each other and jumping over the girls!

Third Day out

2010-09-05T13:40:00.003-04:00

Wednesday was the first day of mushing for our guys, morning was 61º -short 1 mile run through the woods. Friday morning was 59º another run and this morning, a fun 55º! Rich took Mukki in lead and Quinn and his mom side by each. Poor Lulu, she can only do the short runs because of her short legs which are due to 5 years of malnutrition and continuous breeding :-( We sure hope hell has a special level for dog abusers!

Tala and I walked leisurely around the flat land trails, my ankle is almost healed -again! I am thinking of getting a adult trike for us -stability for me and more exercise for Ms Fatté. She lost 6 pounds last month, her thyroid meds look to be working very well! She is also acting frisky and playful, no more sleeping 20 hours a day!

As this is the south, the temps rose fast and everyone enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in the shade. Tala stayed inside since as a princess, she doesn't want dirty feet.

Hair Mats???

2010-06-06T21:24:00.003-04:00

Started saving all the beautiful fluffy fur my pups are blowing right now. Trying to figure out how to send it to this group for hair mats for the oil spill. Lots of brushing, lots of fur!

well.... this didn't work out, no one wanted my bags of hair.

Another 5K, today LOL

2010-05-04T13:59:00.001-04:00

Tala and I did the Ararat River walk again. This time I wore my new walking shoes -yikes! they really give you a good workout! I could feel my muscles burning. Tala had fun too, it was pretty hot and she enjoyed the stops for quick drinks in the river, I had my water bottle but by the end I wanted to throw myself into that cold water! Tala had lots of people tell her she was pretty -so of course, it was another 5star day for my manatee-siberian! She is building a fan club, well, except for that one guy with the boxer....

Rich and Mukki Highway Hobo Training

2010-04-20T15:37:00.000-04:00

Rich's employer, Southdata, sponsors the cleanup of a section of the roadway. Several of the employees go to clean up monthly... either Rich was trying to get Mukki to earn his keep again by picking up trash or they are just so in love they can not bear to be apart... LOL

Another Day, Another Walk

2010-04-18T13:38:00.000-04:00

Rich and I went to the Ararat Riverside walk, the one I did Thursday and Friday. He was going to mush the boys and Lulu but she kept worming her way out of her harness. Rich took her off the gangline and handed her off to me, which I think she preferred. He wanted to go neckline-free, which would have been bad.

Rich said Quinn still needs to focus more on the path but it didn't help when a wild turkey strolled out onto the path ten feet in front of them! Rich said the turkey looked stunned and gobble-swaked something hat sounded like "Oh, Sh1t!" ha ha

3.5 miles and saw a fox!

2010-04-15T16:57:00.000-04:00

Took Tala on a 3.5 mile walk along the Ararat River in Mt Airy this morning. It's a new walking path that is really lovely. On the way back, we saw a fox running on the bank across the river. Tala just plopped her fat butt down and tilted her head from side to side and sighed! Not sure whether she was tired to jump and bark at it or knew she was on a leash and not able to chase it!

We are going to try to do this walk daily -we need to lose weight!

OMG!!! Bad puppy!

2010-03-19T08:58:00.001-04:00

So the bills are starting to roll in from Rich's lacerated kidney when Quinn jumped on his back whilst he was sleeping... looks to be over $7500.... that dog needs a job! I hope Blue Cross Blue Shield is gonna pay!

Quinn's List of Shame: PRICELESS

2010-03-11T09:02:00.002-05:00

After this week and multiple visits to the doctor, Quinn has earned his own List of Shame. Rich was kidney punched by the flying nitwit who landed on Rich's back, his right kidney, in fact -point on! Rich apparently had a slight laceration but it's healed. I was relieved when he was put back on full duty since walking and caring for all 4 was a bit much... Until this morning, when Quinn body-slammed me as I was rushing down the stairs. Ankle swollen and my plans put off and now Rich has full dog duties... sigh.

Music City Dry Land Challenge

2010-02-14T10:09:00.003-05:00

Lots of fun in Tennessee this weekend! Rich, Mukki & Quinn got first place in the 2 dog race.

Local news and some pictures.

The Music City Dryland Sled Dog Challenge

2010-02-14T00:51:00.002-05:00

The Music City Dryland Sled Dog Challenge

2010-02-11T08:14:00.001-05:00

Looking forward to Saturday! Rich is entered in the Music City Dryland Sled Dog Challenge! Mukki and Quinn are ready and raring to go!

The Music City Dryland Sled Dog Challenge: TNSleddogs.com
www.tnsleddogs.com
Dry land Dog Sledding Event - Nashville - The Music City Dry land Challenge

Melty Slushy Mushy

2010-02-06T15:56:00.000-05:00

Day two and the snow is melting fast!

Fresh Snow and Hard Playing!

2010-02-05T10:41:00.003-05:00

How to Make Greenie Knock Offs!

2010-01-19T15:59:00.003-05:00

How to Make 'Goldies' Yummy Dog Treats on eHow

In these tough economic times, not everyone can afford expensive dog treats. Especially the ones that are supposed to be so good for your dog! Here is an easy way to make a similar, inexpensive and healthy treat for your dogs. An entire cookie sheet of treats should cost you about $5 click here for the recipe!

First Place! 2 dog class

2010-01-18T09:16:00.002-05:00

From Serum Run, Hotel & Race

Here is Rich, beaming with pride as he poses with Mukki and Quinn. He wasn't sure he would even place, since Quinn can be such a puppy!

Serum Rum

2010-01-16T16:44:00.001-05:00

Rich ran Mukki & Quinn on the last 2.5 miles of the serum run in Damascus VA. Kinda warm out, dogs not too keen on the weather, they may cancel the race tomorrow, hope not! My excitement came when I walked to the front of the truck and Lulu casually walked past me to investigate a BBQ pit, she broke her lead! I walked up to her and got a hold of her collar ring! The people around me held their dogs & their breaths! Whew, I was so proud of her!

Mush @ Fries VA today

2010-01-10T13:11:00.001-05:00

Just got back from Fries VA 19º -short mush for the boys, sans swimming LOL The girls and I walked along the shore. About 2 feet of 3 inch ice rimmed the shore -Lulu stayed on the ice and Tala stayed on the shore. The boys saw deer, dogs, cows, startled 100s of geese, cats, squirrels and a puffy-tailed mystery beast. Forgot camera, no disasters or mishaps...

Sick Yoga with Sibes -doesn't work

2010-01-09T06:57:00.003-05:00

Feel terrible, but thought some gentle yoga might help me feel better... The jury is still out, once the puppy discovered a lap to lie in... Sadly, he just doesn't fit anymore, at 60 lbs, it's either head or hips. He tried valiantly, but failed. He settled for lying on his back with hips in my lap... Which made any forward bends impractical if not disgusting... A good idea for later, maybe - for now, I'm back in bed. Sniffle, sneeze, cough, cough! (very cool being able to blog from iPod Touch!)

First Fries VA Mush -prior to Polar Bear Club Initiation

2010-01-05T10:10:00.002-05:00

16º and I am walking the girls while trying to take a vid of Rich -Tala, ever the diva, manages to get her ass in the shot. About four miles later, Quinn fell through the ice followed by Rich and Mukki! BRRRRR! Most awesome long johns in the world? Under Armour Cold Gear Base 3.0!!! Rich had been wearing it more for late night gaming at the computer but now I am glad he wore it!

January 3rd 2010 Fries, Virginia first mush & swim!

2010-01-03T17:51:00.005-05:00

OMG! Well, Rich finally told me the full story of the freezing cold river swim today! He took Mukki and Quinn down a cliff to the river bank for a drink of water. He chose a spot with the only ice in sight. He said it was about 1 inch thick. While still attached to the scooter, Quinn ran out onto the ice and fell through, Rich managed to reach down and pull Quinn out but then Mukki fell in and Rich lost his footing and slid into the water! Air temp was 16º with 28mph gusts of wind! Rich fell in up to his waist (he is 6'3") and he said the cold took his breath away. He managed to pull Mukki out and got back on the scooter and ran back to the truck -4 miles! He had on UnderArmor Cold Gear Base 3.0 long underwear and very thick wool socks (Mt Wash tested) from LLBean. He said he wasn't as much cold as uncomfortable... He said the scooter was pinned behind a tree so provided a good tie down...

Moral of Today: Do not go near deep water in a rapidly moving river with two dogs in frigid weather! Jeese (common friggin sense? LOL!)

Happy Birthday Tala

2009-12-21T10:29:00.002-05:00

I would wish you get all you wish for... but that might not bode well for me! LOL

Tala looking for her birthday present under the bed!

We met Santa today!

2009-12-07T18:21:00.001-05:00

Pictures with Santa at the Vets.. Tala thought Santa sounded a lot like Dr Strauss... Tala acted like the manatee she aspires to be, Mukki acted like he has a chicken brain, Lulu acted like everyone was gonna abuse her and Quinn acted like he had ants in his pants.... pictures soon!

Happy Thanksgiving SIbes

2009-11-30T08:34:00.003-05:00

with a special thanks to Mount Airy Meat Center!

Mukki spent three days guarding, nibbling and finally allowing a feast! During deer season, our butcher graciously gives us deer bones leftover from dressing hunter's deers. We usually use an axe or saw to break them into more manageable pieces but this year, we just wanted a little peace & quiet, so we gave them an entire ribcage with neck and backbone attached. Mukki, being alpha took charge of it, Quinn being second in command made sure Mukki didn't need any help, Lulu just fell asleep so proud of her men.... Tala? she took a smaller bone, ate it and hung out with us LOL. After all, she's not a husky, she's a hairy manatee :-)

How to Deal with Your Dogs on Halloween! by MyMukki

2009-10-05T08:57:00.004-04:00

So, do you have dogs that bark when strangers come to the door? For security, that's a good thing but what about Halloween? What do you do then?  You don't want to frighten the kiddies!

Last year, it was our first Halloween in our new home. We didn't know our neighbors but we were sure they knew our dogs!

We decided the easiest approach was to incorporate the beasts into part of the fun! Here's how you can bring barking dogs into the festivities without scaring the kids!

  MAKE A SIGN  
Have a sign pointing to where your dogs will be hanging out. --> TO THE WEREWOLVES!!!   Make sure your dogs are unable to get outside. Keep the lights out inside the room or porch, but, have lights on outside, so the kids have lots of visibility.

  INVITE THE CHILDREN  
When children approach your house, ask them if they would like to see the werewolves first or after the candy. All the children at my house screamed "Werewolves first!"

POINT THE WAY  
I did not lead the children to the dogs, I simply pointed with my very cool skeleton glove to the end of the deck, where the screened porch was located. The children all ran down to see the werewolves!   A few children came back and told me that those were really "Snow Dogs!"

MAKE IT FUN  
Of course, the dogs barked and howled, but after expecting to see werewolves, this only made the children laugh and giggle!   One of our dogs was only 3 weeks old and my husband was inside to show the children the baby werewolf! Of course, the children had a million questions and we did our best to answer them all.  The parents seemed to enjoy this also. One mother told me that her son was usually terrified of dogs and thanked me for a positive experience.

  KEEP IT SILLY  
Most of the children wanted to pat the dogs, which was a terrifying prospect for us! We solemnly told them that the dogs were only allowed to eat one Trick or Treater every year -this made the children laugh and giggle more!   Halloween ended with low stress for us and lots of fun for all. If only the water delivery guy was as brave as the children!

Tips & Warnings:
--  Decorate the werewolves den with lots of scary spiders and bats
--  If you don't have a screened porch use the front window, you know your dog will jump and go crazy -just like a werewolf.
--  Don't force any kids who refuse to see the werewolves, agree with him or her and offer an extra piece of candy!
--  It's best to have someone with the dogs, just in case! We had a

How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Siberian Husky

2009-09-16T10:10:00.003-04:00

Reasons Why you Might Want to Avoid Falling in Love with a Siberian Husky

[under editing process]

The Mighty Quinn -Zero to 50 lbs in 10 months!

2009-08-09T14:25:00.009-04:00

Even little monsters were cute at one time!

Here is Lulu -no one knew she was growing a monster inside!

This is just 30 days prior to the big SPLAT

Quinn at 2 days

Quinn at 5 days

Rich holding Quinn at 7 days

Quinn at 21 days, eyes open! Here comes trouble!

Come back soon, there is more to come!.... 10 months, in fact!

Wild fun in the Summertime

2009-08-09T13:50:00.013-04:00

A summer spa day. Sadly, Quinn ate these chairs.... they were Mukki's favorites!

Well, you would think things would be quiet in the summertime in North Carolina.

Tala and Mukki afternoon nap under ceiling fan.

After all in previous years, Tala and Mukki have hibernated with their favorite air conditioning vent. Mukki would get his tags caught in the register, Tala snnoze while reading from her summer list. But then came Quinn!

The puppy and his Mom have other ideas. Last week the puppy ate the sofa and this week the Mighty Quinn demolished silk pillows.

NRT Feb 2nd

2009-02-03T23:23:00.002-05:00

Over the past few weeks we have been training Lulu to run. Today she did great and pulled real well; it won't be long before she is in as good of shape as Mukki. Best of all every time Lulu runs she is happy all day. Everyone had a good time Sunday.

where have we been lately?

2009-01-22T05:40:00.003-05:00

LuLu, Quinn and Tala

Up to our knees in siberians! We fostered a few sibes from an abusive situation and ended up adopting one and she had a puppy!

Those who know siberians know they are a handful! Well, a siberian puppy is a real challenge! His name is Quinn, as in "The Mighty Quinn"

Mush on!

2009-01-22T05:39:00.001-05:00

Rich and Mukki placed third in a dry land challenge last weekend in VIrginia! It was their first race and lots of fun!

First Snow

2008-01-21T10:04:00.000-05:00

We had our first snow with the pups they were like a puppies hopping around and playing all morning; but it all melted that day. We took them up to the New River Trail Sunday, it was 16F with a 10mph wind, we were cold and Tala & Mukki were ready to run. We did 4 miles, wish I had a sled though, most of the trail was covered in snow and the scooter was sinking and creating a lot of drag. I had to work this time too push the scooter through the snow with the dogs, it was fun and wasn't long before I was feeling a little hot with all the layers I was wearing. We did pretty good averaging about 9mph for the short trip. At the half way point Mukki made a u-turn on command which was awesome. It was too cold for us to take pictures, will try to get some next time :)

We have a web site!

2007-12-04T17:25:00.000-05:00

Tala and I are thrilled to announce our new web site! -mukki
Monkey Junction
We named it in honor of our simian caretakers, Cris & Rich.

Best Wishes River

2007-11-08T08:29:00.000-05:00

River, who have have been fostering, is a great pup, very loving and full of energy, we've had no problems with him. In the short time we had him, he became a happy and healthy husky and we wish the very best for him and hope a loving family will find and care for him soon.

For a siberian husky contact the one we recommend: Southern Siberian Rescue!

Day 7: "Passing" Training

2007-11-05T15:45:00.000-05:00

We went up to the New River trail again. Its a fun trail to run the dogs on. Robin had a crappy day but she still found time to come out and play and help us train Mukki and Tala. We owe a lot to her.

We ran the dogs up to Fries Junction, crossed the old railroad bridge and went through the tunnel. The tunnel was pretty fun, it gets very dark in there. The pups handled it very well except for one small part where they stopped in the darkest part of the tunnel just long enough for me to run over the gangline and get it caught in the tire -which is really fun to untangle in pitch dark.

We had to make one sharp turn each way, Mukki and Tala still need to learn haw and gee. On the way back we practiced passing and moving over with haw over and gee over commands. Its funny how the dogs like to be out front and will run harder to get there but once in front of the other teams they slow down a bit. Overall they did pretty good, but they still need a lot of training.

We passed a couple cows on the path, Mukki did good keeping Tala from going to say hi. The cows then began following us and headed towards the road. While Robin and I packed up, Cris went off to herd some cattle and get them out of the way of traffic and back towards the farm house, I wish I had pictures. She did good.

Day 6: The Quick Run and Dog Party

2007-11-05T15:41:00.000-05:00

Today is the Southern Siberian Rescue 5 year anniversary party in Raliegh, NC. In an attempt to to make the pups tired before the party we decided to make a quick run up the walking path in near the house.

The Run:
The walking path runs along the river and is about 4 miles total. We ran half the path; the part where we figured there would be less people. Mukki and Tala got hooked up and we took off down the path, little did we know that River had decided he wanted to go too and made a loud "WEEEeeeeeeee" sound slipped out of his collar and started chasing us leaving Cris behind in the dust. It wasn't till he passed by Mukki and Tala did I realize I had another dog with us. I yelled up to Mukki and I felt the rig jolt as we started moving faster. The chase was on! We rounded a few corners and luckily saw someone walking and I yelled up to "Please grab that dog!" he didn't have to try hard, River ran right up to him and sat down to get some attention. I pulled up along side grabbed Rivers scruff and moved over to grass thanking the man for his help. I waited for Cris to walk about a mile to catch up to us :(

After the excitement Mukki and Tala and I went to the end of the path and turned around to head back to Cris. We decided since River wanted so badly to run we hooked him up with Mukki and took off down the road, Mukki kept him in line, but we were taking it easy. We went about a mile then turned around and headed back. Tala didn't care she wasn't running she sat next to Cris like a princess.

The Party:
Afterwards we went home. River was picked up to go to a dog fair and we packed up for the 2+ hour drive to Raleigh. The pups slept on the back seats. The party was fun. There must have been about 100 Huskies all wanting to meet everybody. There were games, food, and a Silent Auction.

River

2007-10-31T08:38:00.000-04:00

We're fostering River, a Siberian Husky who's about 1 year old. He's a sweetheart, very gently and submissive. He gets along great with Tala and Mukki and spends most of his time following Tala and Cris around. Tala and River talk to each other too which is pretty funny :) So far it seems like a pretty good experience for Tala and Mukki. Mukki is establishing himself more as the dog in charge and he gets a little break from Tala now that she has another playmate.

Tala, Mukki and River. River is the pup on the right.

River is a great pup and we don't think we'll be fostering for long :(

Day 5: The Long Day

2007-10-30T16:21:00.000-04:00

Day five was one long adventure. Time and distance can become hard to judge when running sometimes. This trip we traveled 1 mile too far. It certainly didn't feel like 5 miles. but once we realised we found a nice patch of grass on the side of the path and hooked up the picketline.

We brought chicken salad and Cris made some delicious wheat rolls. Robin baked wonderful red velvet cupcakes so it was pretty good picnic. We did however forget the dog bowls for water and had to use the container the cupcakes were in. A few people stopped by to meet the dogs and say hi while we relaxed.

As we were cleaning up and attaching the dogs to the ganglines Tala flipped out of her harness and took off running, luckily i was close and dove when she ran by and grabbed her collar.

Mukki was either showing off how good a lead dog he can be or he just wanted to get home; there were squirrels running across the path, bicyclists, and horses and he stayed focused on the path even pulling Tala in and forcing her to avoid the distractions. I'm proud of him.

Overall we did about 10 miles. Tala and Mukki did pretty good although it was the longest they've ran. Looks like I might be picking up a some kind of trip computer for the scooter :)

Next weekend is the Southern Siberian 5 year anniversary in Raleigh. It sounds like there may be 100+ people and just as many pups. It should be fun.

Day Four

2007-10-27T18:30:00.000-04:00

Today was just Tala & Mukki making a short run to the river and back (approx 4-5 miles total). No major events, the pups were well behaved and listened to some of the commands. They did excellent with oncoming bikers and passing by other distractions. Next we need to work on gee around, haw around - When they get their mind set on one direction they stick to it :)

This was the first run with the new Diggler DSK. the brakes worked great - very responsive. It also was a comfortable ride, partly probably due to the front shocks and partly being able to stand up straight. The board is a good size to stand on and it was easy to stay balanced.

Overall we had another fun day. Tomorrow we meet Robin at a different trail for a second run this weekend.

Need to be Ever Vigilant!

2007-10-26T08:27:00.000-04:00

A heck of a way to start the day! We trained the pups to sit several feet back from door and gate when we leave. They have been very good and we've been very proud of them.

This morning, they sat quietly in the back yard while we kissed 'good-bye' and I teasingly asked for a second kiss... Tala in a blink of an eye took the opportunity to shoot out of the gate and run into our neighbor's carport. Rich went after her and I snagged Mukki as he strolled out to see what's what. Tala jumped up on the wall and evaded Rich -taking off down Worth Street! One good thing about these Siberians -they have a 'path' mentality and tend to stay on the sidewalk rather than run into the street. Rich tossed me the truck keys and took off after her.

Rich is 6'3" and runs like a deer -must be his Chreokee blood! I got into the truck without Rich's natural grace and fumbled with seat, keys and lights. Did I mention it was raining? This was another reason Tala's flight took us by surprise -she hates the rain and hates to go out into it to pee!

By the time I got on the street there was no one in sight. I assumed Tala would stay on the sidewalk and turned up the next street -following one of our usual walks. Two blocks up the hill I saw Tala forced into submissive pose (on the ground on her side) with Rich panting over her.

Back home, we told her to lie down and she did but this time with tail between legs -a first for our submissively-challenged Tala! Rich drove to work looking worse for wear and I am writing this with the submissive brat lying at my feet, trying to sneak a few quiet chews on the chair leg and licking my ankle! Mukki is strutting around looking smug and collecting all the toys -even Tala's -Mukki loves to punish her. He has taught me a few lessons in how to deal with her.

We say it all the time, "Never trust a Siberian!" and who got the last laugh? hopefully it will prove to be us! We want to share our lives for a very long time with our pups. All ends well, this time and a good lesson reinforced. Also, Cris gets kisses with door/gate closed from now on!

Scooter has arrived! YEAH!!

2007-10-25T08:32:00.000-04:00

Tala is curious about the new delivery but Mukki is obviously upset. The FedEX man was NOT informed that all deliveries to our house must be accompanied by a cookie! Mukki is looking out the window, I guess he is checking to see if the man will come back with a treat. But, no, he just drove away! The UPS lady has spoiled the mutts terribly, in fact, she will be dissappointed to learn that the scooter came via FedEX and not UPS! LOL Well, here it is: the eagerly awaited new toy: A Diggler DSK from dogscooter.com. Surprisingly, the dogs were not that interested in the toy as Rich put it together. They are very excited when gear arrives and is unpacked -like the harnesses and the gang lines... I guess it is all about 'them', no interest in the scooter, they must consider it a Rich-toy! :-)

A Very Rare Polka Dot Siberian Husky

2007-10-25T08:23:00.000-04:00

You won't believe your eyes but here it is...Seen here first on Sibe Tribe!!! As you can see, you don't have to be a Siberian to mush! This is an equal opportunity sport and great exercise for dogs.

Third day of training...

2007-10-25T08:02:00.000-04:00

We started at the picnic spot in Fries VA (pronounced 'freeze') First Robin worked unloading her rigs and euipment while Rich worked on Robin's scooter to help repair some of the damage the squirrel detour caused (a twisted brake pad), While Robin worked on her 4 wheeler -a big mega rig, Cris played with the pack. We had 9 dogs and just sorting them out was lots of fun. It's funny to see the reaction Mukki and Tala have with the pack and visa versa. Old friendships are rekindled and lingering feuds still smolder. Mukki apparently had made some rivals.Cris became smitten with a new member of the pack, an 11 week old pup named yogi!He was so much fun. He hops and skips around the pack -keeping just out of nipping range. He really enjoyed the water. While the gang was out mushing, Cris took the each dog into the water for splashing fun with Yogi. Yogi is so affectionate, you can't help falling under his spell! Mukki and Tala have so much fun on the line waiting for their run, here they are watching as Cris gets out a bag of treats -one for everyone, you can't help feeling like Santa dispensing yums. Mukki wasn't interested and spit his out for Tala to eat! He had only one thing in mind: MUSHING! He is a big galoopey guy who is as happy in harness and on the couch watching NCIS!

New harnesses have arrived!

2007-10-25T07:57:00.000-04:00

Our friend Robin has been kind enough to generously share her gear with us, our gear has been on order and is slowly arriving. The gang line arrived and both dogs were excited when they saw what was in the package! But now they have their harnesses! straight from Nordkyn Outfitters in Graham WA.

The dogs were very excited and ran around chasing each other.

Ganglines

2007-10-13T23:14:00.000-04:00

Our ganglines arrived today from Cold Spot Feeds up in Fairbanks, AK. Unpacked them in front of the pups; we think Mukki knew what they were for, he dropped his ears back and started wagging his tail like crazy. Can't wait for the rest of the gear to arrive.

Dirt Sled Training: Day 2

2007-10-01T23:04:00.001-04:00

Day 2 for training was very excited, everything that could go wrong did; we had gang lines snap and dogs taking off down the path, wheels falling of scooters, and a couple of "mishaps" caused my crazy squirrels running across the path. We ran a total of 8 miles and Tala and Mukki kept up their usual pace. One thing is for certain they don't like to be behind another team, they'll really push it to get out front. This weekend we had a total of 6 dogs and 3 rigs going down the path and a beautiful day. Again we had fun and this time we remembered to take some photos and video.

Dirt Sled Training: Day 1

2007-10-01T22:53:00.000-04:00

Up until this day, Cris and I would walk and run the kids every morning for 2 miles. As soon as they started working together during the run and when i couldn't keep up anymore we thought it was time for them to try running a dirt sled, So we gave Robin their foster mom and experienced dryland musher a call. As you would have guessed they were naturals. Mukki took the lead and keeps Tala in check most of the time, squirrels on the path pose a slight problem -more on that later. We averaged about 15 mph for the first 2 miles and about 9 mph for the whole 4 mile trip, not a bad start for a first time. We still have a lot of training to do both for the dogs and for us, but It was a blast and Tala and Mukki were so happy. We had so much fun that we forgot to take pictures of the event. The pups slept good that night.

Meet Tala

2007-10-01T22:34:00.000-04:00

Tala is a gray and white Siberian Husky with two of the most beautiful blue eyes. Tala is younger than Mukki, we estimate she's about one year old. She still has a little puppy in her and can be wild and playful, but she is extremely smart and is doing very well in her training. Tala is very curious and will follow you around the house - she doesn't want to miss any action. If you stand still too long she'll sit down leaning up against your leg, it's very cute.

Meet Mukki

2007-10-01T19:29:00.000-04:00

Mukki is a black and white male husky with possibly a little malamute or german shepard mixed in. He is bi-eyed with one brown and one blue eye. Mukki is just about 2yrs. He's a kisser and a jumper; occasionally combining the two traits jumping up to give a quick and unexpected kiss on the lips. In the house he is the sweetest he can be, but outside his favorite activity is running and boy does he love to run and run and run...

Mukki & Tala

2007-09-30T18:23:00.001-04:00

Tala & Mukki are two Siberian Huskies that Christine and I adopted August 19th 2007 from the Southern Siberian Rescue in Raligh, NC. Tala and Mukki were rescued from the pound and they bonded and became friends while staying with their foster mom Robin H. We were so lucky to find these two sweethearts.