The "Five" Puppies In Harness!

Springtime is not only a chance to take the adults and yearlings on some fun runs before the trails disappear; it also means we get to run the puppies for the first time!

We took them out in small groups and we rotated a bunch of adults in the front of the team including Chica, Olivia, Woody, Nutmeg, Viper, Scruggs, Chemo and Lester. We decided to run the puppies in our regular half-harnesses and without necklines to give them a chance to show their stuff!

Scooby and Rodney were the first to run and it took them only to the end of the driveway to get the hang of it. They are the two biggest puppies and they quickly looked like they knew what they were doing. They both pulled hard for the entire two mile run.


Scooby (closest to sled) and Rodney (next one up) "giving it heaps"; Five and Ernie (closest to sled) getting some encouragement from Aliy: "This direction boys"

Ernie and Five were next to go and Ernie almost resembled a gazelle "pronking" by taking huge leaps on all four feet (google "pronking" if you don't know what I mean) and Five had a little trouble at first deciding which way he should be facing. After a few quick stops and lots of positive encouragement by Aliy they figured it out and were pulling hard and straight by the end.

Apologies but we didn't manage to get any footage of Ginger, she didn't get to run today. She's a gentler girl than her boisterous brothers and she is a great looking, well put-together dog. We'll try to get some next time.



It never ceases to amaze and excite us the inherent desire in the puppies to run and pull. If anyone ever asks "how do you MAKE them pull?" they have obviously never seen a husky puppy in harness for the first time. You can't MAKE them pull, they just DO!