Northernmost

The northern coast was hit by a storm during the weekend and we got stuck in a snowdrift on our way home from Hilary’s puppy class on Saturday afternoon. It was an eventful evening but all went well in the end. The heavy snowfall continued on Sunday and we spent a few hours shovelling out the area in and around the dog pens to be able to open the pen doors and prevent the dogs from jumping across the fence. The storm blew over during the night and this morning we woke up to a beautiful sunrise and took Tuisku and the pups out for a walk on the lake. Isn’t it typical that the sun is shining from a clear blue sky when you have to stay inside and work…my dad used to call it “Monday weather”…

Tuisku and Hilary joined me on my lunchtime walk today. We make an effort to separate our two pups now and then, as they spend so much time together anyway. Also, training the recall with two pups is not ideal, they usually have too much fun together to bother to come when called. Instead we bring along a reliable adult dog whose behaviour the puppy can copy. We had a big snowfall last night and had to struggle through deep snow on our walk – great exercise for everyone, including me!

Today it was time for Lyra and Hilary’s second run in harness and they did amazingly well. I tried to keep them at a steady trot but it was hard as they were eager to run. Below are some mixed pics from today, it was a beautiful Sunday!

You can view a short clip of the pups on YouTube:

 

 

We usually prefer skijoring to sledding but when the temperature drops below -30C it’s quite nice to dress up in heavy winter gear and stand on the runners in warm boots instead. Today I hooked up Leia, Tuisku and Thunder and went for a trip along the Lake Trail. The pale winter sun accompanied us for a while before sinking behind the treetops. This time of the year, everywhere you look is white and blue and beautiful…

A quick report from our recent packing trip with Thunder, Tuisku and Gem; We had a great time hiking on the Norwegian island of Senja in Arctic Norway, even though it rained practically every day. Regardless of weather, Norway is still one of the most beautiful places on earth. Thunder and Tuisku completed their WPDX-titles and Gem completed her second leg towards this title. Below are a few photos from our trip, you can find more pictures in our Gallery.

Thunder, Gem and Tuisku – admiring the Norwegian Kingdom.

 

It’s been a sunny and dry summer here on the coast and most of the time it’s been too warm to involve the dogs in any working activities. Instead we’ve been taking it easy at home, enjoying quality time with the family.

Tuisku hanging out at Grandma’s place – she lives next door.

Since we live in the countryside and have farms nearby it’s important that our dogs behave well around livestock. Our neighbour’s horses sometimes come wandering into our yard, making everybody very excited. Having lived in Lapland, our Malamutes are more used to reindeers than horses and cattle…

Leia making a new acquaintance.

This handsome guy lives in the village. We haven’t said hello to him personally but I don’t think it’s necessary, our dogs seem to have plenty of respect for Mr Goat.

We still have a couple of weeks left of our holiday and are soon heading up North to do some hiking in the mountains. See you later!  

Tuisku, Leia and Thunder came along for a quick swim at midnight. The ocean was quiet and the beautiful sunset reflected on the water, creating endless hues of pink, lilac, yellow and blue. Being by the sea evokes the same sense of freedom as I experience in the mountains – and both places create a big calm.

Tuisku and Leia were quick to dive into the warm water, while Thunder prefered to remain on land as usual.

Tuisku decided to go island hopping…

Unlike many Malamute owners, I love summer as much as I love winter. Every season has something to offer and I believe our dogs are just as happy now as they are in midwinter. It’s not the weather or temperature that is important – it’s the magic moments they share with their buddies and with us.

By the seaside at Bjuröklubb – Midsummer’s Day 2011.

Our friend Toni Bøgemose Chrillesen of Unavoq Kennels in Denmark recently organized a Puppy Party for the Tuisku x Uniq litter. The pups are now 9 months old and are growing up fast. Here’s a video from the weekend showing at least five of the siblings mingling with some older friends. I showed the video to Tuisku and he got very excited watching his kids, lol. Lovely to see so many dogs having fun together. Thanks Toni, and Bettina & Anders, for doing such a great job with this litter!

I found a photo of Tuisku from 2006, when he was the same age as his kids are now.

This is Tuisku’s son “Tocho”. Definitely a case of “like father like son”, don’t you think?

While there are many features more important than eye colour for a working sled dog, dark eyes provide the soft expression which is a hallmark of the breed. I do love a pair of dark eyes in a Malamute. In fact, the darker the better!

Thunder

Tuisku

Titan

Bank holiday and beautiful weather – what a great combo! We had planned to go hiking during this long weekend but decided to stay at home since there is a lot of work that needs to be done around the house – such as mow the grass, mend fences, move logs and plant potatoes.

We’re really loving our new location, it’s a great place to be, especially during summer. The birdlife in the village is incredible, we often sleep with the window open and it’s like being inside a bird house! We haven’t identified all the sounds yet but we have swans, cranes, canada geese, peewits, cuckoos, eurasian curlews and great spotted woodpeckers just outside the house, and on a couple of occasions we have had golden eagles circling above us. There are beavers in the lake and moose and deer in the forest – the abundance of animals near our home is keeping the dogs busy at night!

Tuisku, Thunder and Gem exploring the fields.

Snowhow Shade of Raven, WTD, “Leia” at six years of age.

Titan’s sprained foot has now healed and he can join in the games.

Someone has stolen my slipper!

Evening fun on the fields.

So far this summer we’ve had no mosquitoes and no bugs – let’s hope it stays this way!

Our Mals are featured on Canadian Urban Mush Puppy – a webshop based in Ontario, Canada,  that specializes in providing equipment for sledding, scootering, skijoring and weightpulling.

Fredrik and Tuisku skijoring – April 2011.

Don’t they look great?! You find lots of useful equipment, together with photos of other working Malamutes at www.sleddogsleddingharnesses.com