Introducing the final pair of dogs collected during the trip, 2 more Seppalas from Deer Creek Sleddogs.

Oak is a delightful, friendly in a very “in your face” kind of way – provided she likes you. When I first met her at Tabby’s, she wasn’t at all happy to see me and the whole world knew it. Over the thousands of miles we travelled to get from Wyoming back to Alaska, I think I won her over – and the proof of that, for me, was when she slipped her collar at one of our rest stops on the Alcan.

Middle of nowhere, chucking it down with rain, 7 dogs on drop chains and she is running round loose only a few yards from the road. Fortunately, my wife has trained me well (she’s a great fan of dishing out doggie treats) and I had got in the habit of having treats on me and also placing them in the dog box everytime the dogs got put back in.  The pups, Rimi and Hop especially seemed to like this idea and I actually had trouble sometimes stopping them trying to get back in their box. Anyway,  deep breaths, calm demeanour,  and sprinkle a biscuit or two about. Oak darted here, there and everywhere, visited all the other dogs before deciding I wasn’t so scary after all and could be investigated. She got her treat, and several more besides,  and since then, she has been openly affectionate and very well behaved.

Quizno or Quiz as he gets called here, is another from Tabby. He’s a young male and like Oak, was a little unsure of me at first. He too has come round although maybe not quite as openly affectionate as her, he loves one on one attention and is a real wriggler.

Oak of Deer Creek

Deer Creek's Quizno