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Laura under a pile of puppy! Bongo, Remo, Crash, Swingster, Jazz, Java, Skippy, Chewbacca were the first litter of her kennel at age 15.( mom, Rainey, ever pullin on leash)  A Life of Learning: Dog mushing is so much more than your average sport, it is a lifestyle. You cannot simply wake up one morning and decide, "You know what? I think I want to have a dog team." They don't make closets big enough to put your dogs away with your coat at the end of the season. The dogs become your life and they depend on you to sustain their lives. It takes years of dedication and most of all MONEY! You are in a constant state of learning, trying to better your kennel management, better your dog care, better your wilderness skills, the list goes on. You never stop learning! I have spent years being taught under some of the best in the sport. Rusty Hagan in Alaska taught me how to survive and care for my dogs at temperatures sometimes exceeding 60 below. The Barrons in Montana taught me better kennel husbandry, how to spot injuries early on for better recovery times, and how to train a winning team from the ground up. Now, Rick Larson has brought me under his wing in an area that is somewhat new to me. He taught me some of the finer points of racing a good team of dogs. This part I am still learning but thankfully he is a good and patient teacher. | Suzy Homemaker musher style! Laura cooking fish and rice for the dogs in North Pole, AK, at the age of 15.  | Taking care of Rainey's feet during fall training. You can see how stressed she gets... not! Sled dogs are very used to getting their feet looked after and enjoy the extra attention. (Chewbacca and Java in backround, see above photo)  |
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