That is a SERIOUS truck! I've wondered how people get all their sled dogs around to events...your solution is elegant. Is that a second story in the box? Looks like every dog has his own cubby?

Dog Trucks are pretty much kennels on wheels. The dogs also get accustomed to them and for free droppers they will hop into them on command.

Yes I built mine so each dog has their own hole. Some mushers build theirs to 'double up' so what looks like an 8 dog box fits 16. With some of our trips being quite lengthy I prefer not to double up so I made the boxes a tad smaller and gave myself more storage space for equipment- it makes its maiden voyage tomorrow to West Yellowstone for our first race of the season!

jmscott wrote:

Dog Trucks are pretty much kennels on wheels. The dogs also get accustomed to them and for free droppers they will hop into them on command.

Ok, my ignorance, again. What is "free droppers"?

Those would be the lucky non-Siberian runners that can just let their dogs loose around the truck LOL or in the case of our property, a secured fenced area to pull the truck into that the dogs can then 'free load'. As Siberian mushers when outside of fenced areas we don't 'free drop' they are on picket lines or drop chains depending on setup. I use drop chains.

Team Keahi hit the trails 01/01/2015 for the start of this mushing season! Finally! 4 miles, which was intended to be be 2...the dogs did great and were wanting more at the end of the run.

Lani - I swear the dog on the left in the 3rd picture is grinning from ear to ear! The all look pretty happy, though.

Enjoy your season...and, pretty please, take a run for me and Ami. (Though Ami would never make a sled dog...he can't walk 2 feet in the snow without scooping it up or sticking his nose in it )

Oh will do! And yes a lot of happy faces on the trail off again tomorrow for another couple miles. Maybe my phone will cooperate and not shut down while saving my run!

Well Lani I'm glad Team Keahi is running in snow, even if the cart is still the preferred vehicle. Team "me and Maya" have not had any ski-able snow yet this season so we are bummin'. Sad part is northern Wisconsin has some good snow cover and I do have to go there for work but I'm there long enough to turn around and head back down so it's more like torture. A dusting this morning and two more fronts to move through so maybe I'll get out next week!
Incidentally it hasn't been mentioned, but Sled Dog Central has a photo journal of different dog haulers from ultra basic to elaborate dog and human furnishings on wheels"Lani's truck too".
One last thing Lani, do you know the blind dog sled girl? I can't remember the name but I saw a show that she was featured in and thought it was pretty cool. The other thing I thought was how scary it would be to get separated from the dogs and only see shapes.

Wish we had some snow in Massachusetts, even the little bit you guys have. Even if we did, though, I've had to put off my plans for this mushing season with Layla because of my pregnancy. I'm itching to get back to it in spring, though, just as the snow is melting.

Dogs look gorgeous and happy!

I enjoy seeing your dogs doing what they know best and loving it....As the others have said happy dogs.....and all are such beauties

Another day on the trails! 4.5 miles, still not enough snow to run the sled yet but it was great training!

Last cart run of the season if the snow keeps falling! The shortest run of the new year, but most of it was spent breaking trail in the new snow! Lots of resistance training!

Can you tell us who is who, any interesting tidbits about them individually? The silver paired with the white always looks so happy go lucky. And the dirty face with the black bar has such a sweet expression, I love his (her?) deep brown eyes. How do you decide who goes in what position?

Glad to hear you're getting enough real snow for sleds!

You could not capture happier faces than these!

Who I'm Running-

Tumnatki's Mason (9yr)/Tumnatki's Harvest Moon (8yr)- Leaders, these are my most experienced sled dogs and most consistent on their commands. Their job is to find or keep us on the trail and teach the point dogs to be the next up and coming leaders.

Galena Creek's She's On Fire At Keahi/Galena Creek's Born Of Fire At Keahi siblings both 2.5yrs- Point dogs or team dogs depending on if I'm running 6 or 7/8. They are learning, and I'm observing this season if they have the aptitude for leader positions when my older leaders retire. It's too early to tell right now but I do hope one or both will have what it takes, if not I know they are consistent workers and make fantastic team dogs.

Kaniska's Ashen Hotshot Denali (4yr)/Keahi's Sifting Through The Ashes (2yr)- Wheel dogs. Rogue is my newest addition to the team and still very distractible so she finds herself in wheel to limit the 'who's behind me and wants to play' constant looking over her shoulder, rather she's learning by 'chasing' the rest of the team. Denali is in coming into his 3rd year in harness and is a great confidence builder for her to learn from. Plus both are built well to be my power through the deeper snow and steering when on sled.

Who's sitting out- Tumnatki's Dream Weaver has been a little under the weather coming into this season and he's still out resting- he is one of my better Gee/Haw leaders where as the other two are more trail leads (following commands even in less obvious trails vs following well marked trails). And of course Silver Falls Summer Lookout At Keahi is still growing up, he may join us toward the end of the season for some fun runs if he joins us in harness this year at all.

thanks, Lani, for the reply! I did'nt realize you could still run a dog at 9 years old!


I had to chuckle when I read about Rogue:lol: Reminds me of the teacer keeping the class clown next to her on field trips!

Looks like a lot of fun as well as a lot of work!

Some find their dogs are actually in their prime around that age, from 6 to 10 or so. Some dogs can even run into their teens if they're healthy and still in shape. Amazing what this breed is capable of.

Oh yes, it is amazing what a structurally sound well bred dog can do! Harvest/Weaver's dad Comet was still racing at 12, though retired from main string he was still going out and doing what he loved to do! He passed away last month at 14. I was so happy to have met him and feel so privileged to have 2 of his fantastic kiddos

Tumnatki's Comet 9-4-2000 - 12-21-14

The weather finally decided to cooperate and get us up to Priest Lake for a first sled run of the season! Trails were icy so we dropped to a 4 dog run for safety-

What a beautiful trail! Is that Enya and Rogue in wheel?

Yes that's miss Enya and Rogue at wheel. I have 3 ladies in standing season on top of icy trails...so we were the hormone train plus one neutered male LOL

They all always just look so incredibly happy, it's awesome. I love seeing pictures of breed doing what they were born to do. Your team is beautiful.

That looks beautiful and it looks like everyone - dogs and human - had a good time.
I've adapted too well to the south Texas climate (though I did wake to two inches of snow this morning) I can't picture getting out into that weather again. Add to that the fact that I'd have to buy a whole wardrobe, I have no "winter" clothes, a couple of hoodies do me well through the "winter"!

I am always struck with how happy, satisfied the dogs look in your pictures. I can almost hear a big collective sigh with "this is the life..."

Do you take females in season in a race? Imagine it would put extra oomph into the other dog teams if you were in the lead