We believe diet and exercise are crucial elements to keeping our dogs happy and healthy. Working and training our dogs is a part of our daily routine. We believe that all dogs should be give the appropriate amount of exercise on a daily basis. This is in addition to their normal free romp out in the yard, which, we believe is no substitute for exercise at a consistent pace. We physically walk, run, and train our dogs all year, regardless of weather conditions. We use a variety of activities such as harness work on the scooter/sled, rollerblading, biking, running, walking and weight-pulling. Our usual walk or run consists of 3 to 5 miles on dirt or gravel terrain. The younger dogs require less exercise than the adults, however, they too need to slowly built their endurance and increase their muscle tissue to further prevent injuries. We take pride in having our dogs in excellent shape and this proves itself not only in competitive events, but in their health also.  All our dogs begin their training at a very young age. The first sled outings with the youngsters are very short. They provide us with the ability to watch the younger dogs' natural abilities in harness. We are very happy with the results we have achieved from our training program. All our dogs are always eager to get out on the trail and it is nice to see their natural ability shine through!

     If you plan on starting an exercise program for your dog, whether it is walking, running or sledding, it is very important to begin slowly. Your dog might not be ready for vigorous exercise. Therefore, there is a chance that he/she could get injured. Dogs' food caloric intake is also very important. You must ensure that your dog's diet has the proper caloric intake to compensate for the amount of calories expended. When dealing with an overweight dog, it is also crucial to begin at a very slow pace and eventually increase the number of miles as they begin to lose weight and increase their endurance. Those few extra pounds takes more effort for a dog to move, therefore, it is crucial to start slowly to prevent injuries.

    No dogs should be expected to run long distances until the dogs are used to running at least several times a week for a number of weeks. Our dogs are often slimmer in the winter months than in the summer months. Although we walk/jog/run our dogs all year, the longer distances are typically only when the weather is cool (fall & winter).

We feed a mixture of raw and kibble. We ensure that all the dogs get a correct protein/fat ratio to match their energy output in order to built muscle and decrease the risk of injury. We also supplement each dog as needed. Supplements that feed are : Fish oils, Alfalfa, Kelp, Lecithin, Garlic, Raw Eggs, Yogurt, Vitamin C. This also ensure all dogs regardless of the age are kept in excellent condition in order to lead happy and healthy lives.

Links of interest

Alaskan Malamute Club of America - Working Dog Programs

What makes a Sled Dog?

Training puppy... making the task enjoyable

Training exercises for mushers and dogs

Life of a sled dog

A primer on working the Alaskan Malamute

Conditioning your dog/backpacking

 Backpacking with your dog

nternational Weight Pulling Assoc.

About dogs and weight pulling

Article on training

FAQ - Weightpulling

Weightpulling - History & Info