Mobezilla wrote:

Here is why Link got a new harness. Two different makers, same measurements. Top old Bottom new.

Wow, what a difference! What are the names of the brands, just for reference? Bottom looks like Alpine Outfitters?

capellalayla wrote:

Wow, what a difference! What are the names of the brands, just for reference? Bottom looks like Alpine Outfitters?

Top is a lady in Canada, she doesn't have a website or anything. Great customer service, but as you can see the harnesses run big. Probably just the style she makes them, but seeing as the measurements were the same between companies I know I didn't measure wrong. The harness tugs on his hips and I feel isn't properly proportioned. Again, wonderful lady, fast service, but don't like the harnesses themselves.

Bottom is NOOKSACK!! Hehe! I didn't jump on the alpine bandwagon, although I do have a 2-dog line from alpine. My four-dog line is from nooksack, my wolf packs are also from nooksack although obviously she doesnt make them, she just sells the packs, and my harnesses will all be from nooksack. Cloud and Link have theirs, waiting on Yuki's.

The lady who runs it is wonderful, I called her up making an order. You just talk with her, telling her what you need, and she can give you prices if you didn't already look at the website. I wanted to get the wolf packs through her so I only had to pay one shipping charge while I ordered the harnesses at the same time, but she didnt have the colors and sizes I wanted in stock. So she says give me a couple extra days, I'll get them, so I agreed!  Then I wanted forest green webbing for Link's harness.. but she only had teal green.. so she tells me I need to order your wolf packs in anyway, so I'll just make an order on the forest green webbing and it should arrive by the time the wolf packs do. She also ordered a couple other colors which made me feel better, but I was happy she ordered it in for me rather than going 'sol wait until I get it in' or something like that. And she was also able to make Cloud a small harness, which is awesome. She got my order out to me super fast as well, my first order consisted of two wolf packs, two harnesses, and a four-dog line. I made the order on February 6th, and it arrived on the 19th. That's with her waiting to get stuff in like webbing to make the harness and then shipping it out.

http://nooksackracing.com/

Here's a pic of all three pups hooked up to their four-dog line, now I'm just waiting on my second order from them of one harness and four padded collars!

Nice! Nooksack sounds like a great company. I'll have to keep them in mind when I order Layla's X-back harness and our other sledding/bikejoring stuff. Maureen at Kryska Siberians in New Hampshire makes custom harnesses, embroidered collars, ganglines, tug lines, etc., so I'm looking at her, too, and Alpine of course.

capellalayla wrote:

Nice! Nooksack sounds like a great company. I'll have to keep them in mind when I order Layla's X-back harness and our other sledding/bikejoring stuff. Maureen at Kryska Siberians in New Hampshire makes custom harnesses, embroidered collars, ganglines, tug lines, etc., so I'm looking at her, too, and Alpine of course.

Yup Kathy is nearby in Maine, forgot to add the site so its http://nooksackracing.com/
Personally I love the style of the x-back, and how the padding goes all the way to the end of the harness

Nooksack shipped out my order today, Yuki's harness and the sledding collars will arrive by Saturday.

I ordered the dogs the 'freedom harness', can't wait to try it out and do a WYDWL x Freedom review.
http://happytailpetsupply.com/freedom-no-pull-harness-training-package.html

Indi-Dog released a new pattern! I ordered the top three colors in a flats (like pictured but no buckle).
I also got Link a new police lead, this time in green, so it will match his freedom harness and collar.


Also just made an order on some diatomaceous earth to have on-hand, spring's acoming..

Now what you've been waiting for, pics of the pups!
Dog Park Day! No one there again, excellent!















And hiking pictures, breaking in the wolf packs.

Ah, isn't it nice to have the dog park all to yourself? I took Layla to our favorite dog park yesterday (unfortunately the closest ones are each a 30-minute drive one way!) and it was empty when we got there. I'm sure it's nicer if you have multiple dogs, though, as I just ran around and she chased me and sniffed the ground for 15 minutes until folks started to show up, haha.

The pups all look great! Nice setup with the three leashes. I just received my musher's belt and a couple shock-absorbing jogging lines (one green for Layla, one red for the soon-to-be new pup -- unfortunately Kennedy's breeding didn't take so she referred us to Kryska Siberians for an upcoming litter due first week of April where all the pups will be red and the father is Layla's dad, Trigger -- long story!) from Alpine Outfitters and tried it out with the green line today and was very pleased with how it worked. There're two D-rings on the belt so you can clip two lines for two dogs, though in theory you could probably clip more lines onto the D-rings if you had more than two dogs. I was a nice wife and bought Darren a belt of his own, too, haha.

capellalayla wrote:

There're two D-rings on the belt so you can clip two lines for two dogs, though in theory you could probably clip more lines onto the D-rings if you had more than two dogs. I was a nice wife and bought Darren a belt of his own, too, haha.

Awesome about the dog park, we love being alone and having our own little pack definitely helps!

I have a walking belt as well, its a carabiner style. Mine's from SASS. I just put any lead handles, or clips, through the carabiner and I've got all three pups latched on securely. Abby has the alpine belt and clips three dogs onto it, I think she likes hers a lot.

here's my walking belt in action from our husky hike last September

Nice! I can see myself possibly getting a strap with carabiners on either end to connect to the two D-rings on my belt and then clipping a carabiner to the strap with all the leashes attached to it, similar to the setup you have in the pic. Seems like it'd be easier with more than two dogs or even just one.

Either way, I much prefer being hands free while walking and hiking now, except when you meet up with another on-leash dog and they get to playing. Today that happened while we were on a walk and I just unclipped Layla from the leash and let her run free, since the leashes were getting all tangled up. As long as there's another (stable) dog around I'm not as concerned about her being off leash for just a minute or two (EDIT: We were in the woods, not on the street. In that case I would rather the leashes get tangled than let her off-leash!). But that's not to say I wasn't more than a little nervous about it, and as soon as it was time to move on I called her over as quickly as I could and caught her to make sure she wouldn't get away!

I hope you don't mind me asking a slightly off topic question Megan but do your dogs get along well with your boyfriends sammies? My partner has agreed to another dog when Orion is around 2ish (We've come a long, long way since the "my partner hates our dog" scenario when Orion was a baby!) and I am seriously considering a Samoyed so I'm curious to hear your thoughts as someone who sees the two breeds interact. Do you think they would be a good breed match up?
I have met a few Samoyeds and I'm slowly meeting more husky owners but I have never come across anyone that has the two

By the way I adore all your photos! I have to admit to being a bit of a lurker on your thread lol I always make sure to check it out

Can you photoshop the photo of link in the tunnel to remove the date? It would be so lovely as a framed picture!

capellalayla wrote:

Nice! I can see myself possibly getting a strap with carabiners on either end to connect to the two D-rings on my belt and then clipping a carabiner to the strap with all the leashes attached to it, similar to the setup you have in the pic. Seems like it'd be easier with more than two dogs or even just one.

Either way, I much prefer being hands free while walking and hiking now, except when you meet up with another on-leash dog and they get to playing.

Sounds like that would work^ and I much prefer hands free as well! and ah yes, the playdate parts do suck, luckily we don't encounter many dogs on our walks so I don't have to worry about the tangling XD (they go craaaazyyy when they see other doggies!)

GeorginaMay wrote:

I hope you don't mind me asking a slightly off topic question Megan but do your dogs get along well with your boyfriends sammies? My partner has agreed to another dog when Orion is around 2ish (We've come a long, long way since the "my partner hates our dog" scenario when Orion was a baby!) and I am seriously considering a Samoyed so I'm curious to hear your thoughts as someone who sees the two breeds interact. Do you think they would be a good breed match up?
I have met a few Samoyeds and I'm slowly meeting more husky owners but I have never come across anyone that has the two  

By the way I adore all your photos! I have to admit to being a bit of a lurker on your thread lol I always make sure to check it out

Can you photoshop the photo of link in the tunnel to remove the date? It would be so lovely as a framed picture!

I think it will depend upon the individual sammy's personality. His female comes from a show lines, more of a mellow temperament, shes a hard worker and can sled just as hard as the huskies, but at the end of the day she can cuddle and relax. Her play style is also different from my pups, she doesn't really like to wrestle and rough house too much, and she never barks. But she is also older than all my three and his male. His male comes from working lines.. oh my gosh. This dog is an energizer bunny on mountain dew. He doesn't seem to calm down and hes always barking, lmao! His male and my Link have similar personalities, they can go go go and be ready for 20 more miles! So they mesh rather nicely! Yuki also blend in with his male because they all have the same type of wrestling play. They want to run, crash into each other, jump over each other, bite each others necks, etc. Sorry to go into such a long explanation, but they get along great and overall I feel they're a great match up together! And if you ever plan to get into bikejoring or scootering, if you get a sammy from working line he will keep up just as well as your husky. It's funny because my boyfriend's female, and my Yuki, have the same slower trotting type pace, and both his male and my Link have a fast full-speed ahead charge that they can keep up for miles. You'd think they were two different breeds lmao.

And thank you for lurking! I love posting them!

As for the photoshop on the tunnel pic, I know a couple people that could probably do it, definitely something I wanna frame!

Thank you so much for explanation Megan it is really helpful!
Unfortunately I don't have the option of choosing between a show line or a working line Sammies like sibes are not too common here in nz so all lines are show dogs. Sibes have been here for nearly 40 years and we are only just starting to see the show/working split that you guys have now, there is only one breeder in the country of working lines and it has caused huge controversy lol. The breeder I am most interested in shows her dogs (very successfully) but runs them all in harness as well - she is of the opinion that a show dog of correct type should be able to function as the breed is intended. Her girls are just as you described - well capable of hard work but still total honeys and her boys sound like you described too lol they are what I would call "Bat shit crazy" they are such hilarious dogs
Orion is kind of a combo, when he is full on he is absolutely nuts but when he's had enough he's a total mummas boy and snuggles up for a snooze lol. He doesn't have a hugely mouthy play style he is more interested in running than wrestling so maybe a sammie would work I really hope so!
I will definitely be getting into joring of various kinds with him (and future puppy too!) that's one of the reasons a sammie interests me, I want something that will keep up and naturally love it like Orion. I'm currently working on his command just in a walking belt since it is summer but I'm so looking forward to winter, ironically though he seems more like the girls in the fact that he is a pacer - he will just dig in at a steady jog and keep going lol he's so serious in harness it's kind of comical because he's such a goof at all other times!

Can't wait for more photos of your pack

GeorginaMay wrote:

I hope you don't mind me asking a slightly off topic question Megan but do your dogs get along well with your boyfriends sammies? My partner has agreed to another dog when Orion is around 2ish (We've come a long, long way since the "my partner hates our dog" scenario when Orion was a baby!) and I am seriously considering a Samoyed so I'm curious to hear your thoughts as someone who sees the two breeds interact. Do you think they would be a good breed match up?
I have met a few Samoyeds and I'm slowly meeting more husky owners but I have never come across anyone that has the two  

I know the question was originally for Megan, but to add my own   , we've met a few Sammies before, and Layla LOVES playing with them. The two breeds are closer in size, which I think also helps, because it was a fairer fight when they were wrestling. Anyway, we've had nothing but good experiences with Layla interacting with the three or four Sammies we've met so far. Like Sibes, they seem naturally friendly, in general. Out of all the dogs we meet, those seem to be one of the breeds Layla loves playing with the most!

wpskier222 wrote:

That's quite a pack! They all look awesome. :)I wonder what the neighbors think.   

Lol! The neighbors actually don't mind at all. xD They love my girls, haha. They all own dogs too.  

GeorginaMay wrote:

He doesn't have a hugely mouthy play style he is more interested in running than wrestling so maybe a sammie would work :)I really hope so!

Can't wait for more photos of your pack

I really hope so too!! I really think they will, the sammys never seem annoyed by my pups hehe.
Pictures shall come, they shall come~ every day is a new adventure!

capellalayla wrote:

I know the question was originally for Megan, but to add my own   ,

Thanks for chiming in!!! I haven't met many sammys aside from the bfs :'(

Thank you both of you, my experience with sammies is limited so any amount of info I can glean from others is awesome When the time comes I will take Orion down south and book him in to stay with the breeder I am considering (she runs a small boutique boarding kennel as well as her breeding kennels) so she can get to know him and hopefully temperament match a pup with his personality.
Fingers crossed my next little furbaby will be on the way when you get your little Natsu Megan

GeorginaMay wrote:

Thank you both of you, my experience with sammies is limited so any amount of info I can glean from others is awesome :)When the time comes I will take Orion down south and book him in to stay with the breeder I am considering (she runs a small boutique boarding kennel as well as her breeding kennels) so she can get to know him and hopefully temperament match a pup with his personality.
Fingers crossed my next little furbaby will be on the way when you get your little Natsu Megan

Awh thats be epic! Little puppies growing up together on the forum hehe, not the first time its happened Natsu is due in the spring of 2015.. eep.. far away yet not far enough!! Lol

Organized all the dog gear today.. oh my gosh I'm so happy about it I had to share xD
Still organizing stuff around but this is the end result for the dogs gear anyway

I'm very jealous of all your awesome dog gear makes me want to go dog stuff shopping. Where do normally get your stuff from? Also nice organizing looks great were did you get your bins? Also what is the K9 harness for?

I am really itching to get some dog sledding gear watching the iditarod is making me itching to get ready for next year.

To bad all our snow is gone.

Playing with the Big Dogs wrote:

I'm very jealous of all your awesome dog gear makes me want to go dog stuff shopping. Where do normally get your stuff  from?  Also nice organizing looks great were did you get your bins? Also what is the K9 harness for?

I am really itching to get some dog sledding gear watching the iditarod is making me itching to get ready for next year.

To bad all our snow is gone.

Umm.. I get my stuff from LOTS of places!!!

My favorite, ALL time favorite collar/lead supplier is http://indi-dog.co.uk/ they have such cute designs, an awesome guarantee. She lost my order one time (Shipping uk to us can be tricky) sent another out no questions asked. Plus her gear is meant to last, tested by huskies for huskies (or other breeds haha!). I also love http://mesamisonline.com/ for tag collars, leaving the collars on full time, as it doesnt damage the fur. And various etsy suppliers that make cute things

http://nooksackracing.com/ is where I got my harnesses and lines. I also just got padded 1" sled collars with the 1.25" rings to make it easy to hook a neckline on them. I need to get pictures of all that gear still.. to come later ;D or now actually haha. One collar is inside out to show the padding on the inside. The pink and blue ones are the boyfriends sammies collars (he doesnt buy them new stuff!!) and the purple and green are for Yuki and Link. Since the collars are so thick, I didn't get one for Cloud xD



The organizing bins my mom and I actually found at dollar general! The stand was really easy to put together and only $10, then each little drawer was $4 each. Cheap and easy set up :Dand its all organized, yay!

The Julius K9 harness was Cloud's biking/sledding/hiking harness. I don't use it anymore since he got his own x-back, because I didn't like the way the julius went around him for him to pull in it, and I'll take him hiking on collar or in his petco harness now.. so honestly its just there in case I find a use for it again lol.

And yeah.. all our snow melted too :(Right when I got my four-dog line in too. Sad. There's always next winter I suppose!!

Both of you are more than welcome to the six inches of snow we still have on the ground out here! I'm waiting to see grass and dirt again.

Nice organizing! I both envy you all your awesome stuff, yet I think if I actually had that much my husband would kill me. But it's only fair, because he has hundreds and hundreds of video games for all sorts of consoles all over the house!

capellalayla wrote:

Both of you are more than welcome to the six inches of snow we still have on the ground out here! :)I'm waiting to see grass and dirt again.

Nice organizing! I both envy you all your awesome stuff, yet I think if I actually had that much my husband would kill me. But it's only fair, because he has hundreds and hundreds of video games for all sorts of consoles all over the house!

Pleeeaseee can we have it?!!

And yes, only fair! Some people collect clothes, some collect video games, I collect dog gear!!

Ah and random post but here's Yuki in her new nooksack harness and padded collar

So as you all know I was looking into a 4th addition next year by a wonderful breeder. Despite our high hopes, the breeding for next year will not take place after all. One of the mom’s siblings was found to have a luxating patella, and the breeder is being super cautious and will not continue the line by breeding her. I know I’ve been talking about it for weeks, but I’m more bummed for her than myself. She has done a lot with her pup, it’s always disappointing when things like this happen. The 4th addition will wait a couple years until I’m ready to search again.

Aw, what a bummer! So sorry to hear, but good for the breeder that she's being so cautious. I'm sure your 4th will come along when he/she is meant to. These things usually have a way of working themselves out at just the right times!

As you know, our hopes were dashed as well when we found out Kennedy's winter breeding didn't take. But now we've got a great referral to Rachel's mentor, who's expecting a litter the first week of April, and Layla's dad Trigger is the sire! Since he and the dam are both red, now we have 100 percent chance of a red pup, which we wanted, as opposed to 50 percent with the Kennedy litter. Also, this April litter comes at a much more convenient time for me, as I'll be working outside the home for three weeks in May, which was the exact time we would have brought the Kennedy pup home. We would have made it work in a way most beneficial to the dogs, but it would've been difficult (and expensive), so now I'm glad that stress is off my shoulders. It's all working out for the best, and I'm sure it will for you, too.

capellalayla wrote:

Aw, what a bummer! So sorry to hear, but good for the breeder that she's being so cautious. I'm sure your 4th will come along when he/she is meant to. These things usually have a way of working themselves out at just the right times!

As you know, our hopes were dashed as well when we found out Kennedy's winter breeding didn't take. But now we've got a great referral to Rachel's mentor, who's expecting a litter the first week of April, and Layla's dad Trigger is the sire! Since he and the dam are both red, now we have 100 percent chance of a red pup, which we wanted, as opposed to 50 percent with the Kennedy litter. Also, this April litter comes at a much more convenient time for me, as I'll be working outside the home for three weeks in May, which was the exact time we would have brought the Kennedy pup home. We would have made it work in a way most beneficial to the dogs, but it would've been difficult (and expensive), so now I'm glad that stress is off my shoulders. It's all working out for the best, and I'm sure it will for you, too.

Yes most definitely. I have a way of taking signs, things worked out perfectly with all my dogs and I'm taking this as a 'now is not the right time' kind of sign. I'm bummed, but not too bummed. I'm going to keep working on my dogs the way I was planning on this year, working towards CGC titles for all, and some agility for Cloud, and WPD for Yuki and Link. I am thinking of a pup from Kennedy in a couple years, I had my eye on them when ya'll joined the forum.

I know for my 4th I was also hoping for a red, but it was also only a chance since mom was a red, but dad wasn't although he was a carrier. I can't wait to see your new addition in April!

capellalayla wrote:

Both of you are more than welcome to the six inches of snow we still have on the ground out here! :)I'm waiting to see grass and dirt again.

Nice organizing! I both envy you all your awesome stuff, yet I think if I actually had that much my husband would kill me. But it's only fair, because he has hundreds and hundreds of video games for all sorts of consoles all over the house!

I would love to take your snow Granted it was really nice yesterday I got to have lunch on a deck in shorts and flip flops. Simon and Sadie got to come with it as a lovely lunch. Maybe spring is not such a bad thing.

Also I think I need to expand my dog stuff collection I am thinking special shampoos and skijoring equipment. Also a bigger collar for Simon in a few weeks.

And I am sorry to hear about your future pup being pushed back. We were supposed to get our pup August of 2013 and it ended up being January 2014 and that was a lot better for us. Gave us time to get ready and there were two times were we got to help out friends and there dogs that we wouldn't have if we had a puppy at the time. Also when we got Simon it was timed perfectly for us to get him into a puppy class.