The five puppies are 9 months old. They are sassy, fun filled and energetic.
The "Big Boys":
"Five" is the biggest fellah weighing in at 50 pounds. He has a big head, big feet and a big cuddly attitude. Five is a sweetheart and will jump in your lap should you sit down.
Five has a thick blonde coat like his dad's. His nose has a nifty pink stripe down the center.
Five was very excited when first put in harness. The first time was confusing, but he "got it" after 1/4 mile of stopping and going. Since then, Five has run in a dog team paired with Willie several times.
Five enjoys playing with rocks so he has been moved to a wooden platform just behind his Mama in the yard.
"Scooby" is no slouch, weighing in at 49 pounds. He's not quite as 'big-boned' as Five. He has a racy build and is nonstop movement.
Scooby is the glamour guy at SP Kennel. He looks like a husky and acts like a husky: pretty and proud! He spends most of his time trotting around with a bone or rawhide in his mouth.
Scooby got the concept of being a sled dog as soon as he first left the yard in a harness. After that run, his enthusiasm got the best of his manners and he chewed, jumped and basically went crazy during the next few hook ups. Scooby was paired with Izzy, a gal who can 'hold her own'. Scooby has a lot to learn about being a sled dog, but pulling hard and running are not on that list.
"Rodney" is a sensitive sweetie. He weighs in at 48 pounds although his very furry coat makes him look quite a bit bigger. He has pretty markings on his face and silly floppy ears.
Rodney also loves to chew things. His constant companion is a green-centered chew toy (now minus the green center!)
Rodney gets along with everyone. He was the strongest puppy in harness from the beginning. His eyes were straight ahead and he pulled like a pro. We were able to switch his running partners with out him even noticing so, he was paired with Nutmeg, Dutch and even his brother, Ernie.
How Big are they?
The 50 pound mark at 9 months of age is quite large for an SP Kennel dog. But, while these three boys do seem big, especially in comparison to their cousins Chipper and Sandy, they aren't quite as large as their half-brother, Mac. We couldn't find weights for Mac as a 9 month old pup but, at one year of age Mac weighed 61 pounds. At the Iditarod start in 2014, Mac weighed a whopping 71 pounds. And he looked GREAT!
The "Smaller Side" of the family:
"Ernie" is a sleek and fast little guy. He weighs in at 41 pounds and looks good! He is the spitting image of his uncle Beemer. He has a cute little button nose and a gorgeous build. He resembles the 'ChaCha' side of the family.
Ernie is high strung and likes to run. He and Ginger are best buddies in the yard and play constantly!
Ernie was a bottle rocket when he was first put in harness. There was no slowing down and certainly no stopping. He wore himself out on the first run. Ernie ran in harness paired with Chemo and his brother, Rodney, the next few training runs and calmed down just a little.
Ernie was constant movement in the garage. We were sorting post Iditarod dog booties and his nose never stopped sniffing. Can you imagine the "stories" that he smelled from 1,000 miles of Iditarod booties?
"Ginger" is sassy, loves people and is quite sure of herself. Her build is similar to her mother's: stockier and solid. Her ginger-colored coat is still a stand out in the dog yard and only Scout has a similar hue.
"My belly doesn't feel so good."; One month later: Ginger and Biscuit "play".
Ginger is 100% healthy now. She went through a phase of not eating well and then she simply stopped eating in late March. After several Veterinary consultations and extensive x-rays she underwent exploratory gastrointestinal surgery. The crew at North Pole Veterinary Hospital discovered a intestinal intussusception (more info here). They were able to remove the overlapping area, sew the intestinal back together and give her a chance to heal. Ginger is now 4 weeks post surgery and looks fantastic. This is a condition that may or may not occur again. We do not know the exact cause.
Ginger has not run in harness yet. We believe that she will heal completely and will be as excited as her brothers when Fall Training starts in September. Currently she lives right in front of the house where she is monitored closely. Her brother, Ernie, is her best buddy. She was allowed in a play pen this week and was very excited to hang out with Biscuit for much of the day. (Biscuit found her: entertaining; yet slightly annoying.)
