Let the madness commence! The 2012/2013 team

This is the first season ever in my seventh season of running dogs in Ohio that I've been able to start four-wheeler fall training in AUGUST! This is great because I still had the yearlings from Tak's litter last July to totally harness break (get used to learning their job as sled dogs). 

In four short months we have to go from this...

Harness breaking puppies the other evening. Yearlings Perry and Tosh are in the middle there, with their papa, Yeti, taking up the wheel

...to this

My team on the beginning of the second leg of the Midnight Run last year.

We have many miles to get under our harnesses before our first race in January. I am super stoked for this season!

New members to the team this season are the yearlings from the Reggae Litter, who are now all officially harness broken, thanks to Mother Nature's cool temperatures earlier this week. I am in the process of selling some of my females in order to move from running almost primarily females to primarily males this season. Here are some of the boys.

Meet Perry, the biggest and so far the superstar of the Reggae litter. With six hook ups since last April, he's already rockin' in harness as if he's been running in the team for years and years. Perry is named after the Reggae dub great, Lee "Scratch" Perry.

Perry giving me his best "I'm sexy and I know it" look

Returning older yearling (who will be two in November) is rockstar, educational doggy, and the kennel's 2011/2012 MVP: Miles.

Miles, who, despite his intimidating and bulging muscles, is the sweetest and most patient education dog for my dog sledding presentations. He finished the Midnight Run as a yearling last February.

Perry's brother and Elise's sled dog (who she says I can race) is Tosh.

Tosh, who also masquerades as an arctic fox

Despite popular belief, Tosh is NOT named after Comedy Central's funny (and often unsavory) show, Tosh.0. He is one of the Reggae Litter, and was named after reggae master and original core member of Bob Marley and the Wailers, Peter Tosh. His name is fitting, too, because he is laid back as any Rastafarian.

Perry and Tosh's brother, Wailer, was a bit more challenging to capture a photo of, even for me. He does not stop moving! Here is Wailer...clearly named after Bob Marley and the Wailers. His name was apropos for him from birth, however, because he had the loudest mouth of all the Reggae litter!

Wailer

Here is the proud papa of the Reggae litter...cornerstone of my kennel and the most natural leader, Yeti.

Yeti

And, leading the pack, the dynamic duo...the sisterhood of the traveling fur pants.... leaders in crime, Ruffian and Big Brown.

Big Brown

Ruffian

All of the pedigrees of these dogs can be found here: http://www.dogtec.com/kennel/lazyhuskyranch 

Here's to the 2012/2013 season - I'm hopeful it will be a season of big changes for Team Diamond Dogs!