Let me start by saying I despise the snow. You Coloradites are something special, to actually enjoy living in it. I'm a mountain rescue volunteer, and that is literally the only thing that I find worth strapping on a pair of snow shoes, or rigid boots and crampons, or ice axes for. Thus, the dogs get a little lazy over the winter, because they aren't SAR dogs, and I don't go play in the snow for fun, unless its on a snowboard or snowmobile.

Today was bluebird and 62 degrees. Perfect day. The dogs didn't come inside from 10am until 3pm today. They really ran themselves.The weather made me excited for hiking.

Already, I have been making my 3 dogs walk with their packs, just carrying poop bags, etc, no real weight, for about 2 weeks now. Just getting used to the packs. Also, we have slowly moved from two 5km walks a day, to two 7.5km walks a day, and an extra hour of fetch in the yard.

Today for the evening walk, I bought a 6pack of soda, and put one 12oz can on either side of each dog, so two per dog. We walked 7.5km. I'm going to do this week with just evening weight, then do both walks with weiight for a week, then add to evening and so on and so forth until each of my 3 dogs, whom each weigh over 45lb, are each carrying 10lb/7.5km 2 x daily.

If big ass Mixie could just pull some custom trail cart that was made for my multinight pack..

I've been doing some training on the Meadowdale Beach mile, its a quick downhill hike to the beach, but its slow and steep going back up. I may just need to head to Eastern WA for somme lowland hiking.

Makes me so jealous for actual places to hike. What packs do you use? I've been meaning to get one, so I can get her used to it, but I haven't yet because I'm terrible and forgetful. I need to get on that though, because I feel like the weather is going to warm up here before I know it...

I have been building distance on our runs though, in hopes of hiking with her this spring. But I definitely need to get a pack to start working with her.

Also, please tell me you refer to her as "big ass Mixie" on a regular basis. Best nickname.

Eric, snow is fun in fact we gonna go shoe in it today, I like to be able to train the pups yr round, sure summer is much harder stuff, longer day, climbs, winter is easy for them.

Great job on the pack and weight training, keep it up and they will be good and ready for summer.

Katie, ruff wear makes the best stuff, but check out backcountryK9.COM FOR OTHER STUFF.