As dedicated Ontario Dogsledding Outfitters, we chose the Alaskan Husky as our breed of choice for our
Dogsledding Tours here in the wilderness of Central Ontario.  "What the heck is an Alaskan Husky?" you ask?


"Rex", the leader on the left, was bred by me in 1996, and after a successful race career with respected Ontario racer Brian Tipping
he has now been retired (thankfully) back to our kennel, where he is currently a top leader. "Hip", the timid and gentle
white dog (in point) is a valued member of our team here at the kennel.  Photo taken at the 2003 Bancroft Sled Dog Races.

At first glance, you might think these sleddogs were just an average 'mutt'.  Nothing could be further from the truth.   
Make NO mistake, Alaskan Huskies (not to be confused with the Alaskan Malamute or the Siberian Husky) are the
undisputed KING of the trail.   'Beauty is as beauty does' couldn't be more true when it comes to running in harness.  
There's no 'show dogs' in our kennel -  you'll love our dogsledding tours not just because our Alaskans are gorgeous, incredibly
fit athletes, but because you'll really appreciate how hard they work, and how much they love what they do! The world's
premiere races are almost without fail, won by the Alaskan Husky. I felt the need to take you on a tour of the legendary
background of this fabulous breed of Sled Dog, so I researched and designed a page in their honor, so you'd see what
the fuss was about.  To read more about the fastest sled dog in the world, click here.

Our sled dogs are either successful racing dogs themselves,
or they come from winning racing bloodlines.  But without fail,
all our sled dogs here at the kennel have a great attitude and
desire to run and pull their hardest at all times.  When you are
on the runners, you'll see the difference a really great dog makes!  

Some of our finest dogs were bred and raced by Bruce Langmaid,
Ontario's most successful dogsled racer! Bruce & I went head
to head many times during my racing career, and try as I might,
I only ever beat his team once!  His dogteams have won races
across North America, such as the Maine 250, and pretty much
every one of Ontario's premiere mid-distance races.  Bruce also
has succeeded in world class events such as the Wyoming Stage Race. 
He's one of Ontario's mushing heros, and his dedication to
the sport has placed him in a league with the big shots.  Ontario
Racers think very highly of Bruce, and his dog teams!

Other Alaskans in our kennel are veterans of my very own
1997 Gold Medal 60 mile team.  I worked hard at my
breeding program, and had some great results.  Many of my
dogs are either still racing, retired back to me here at the
kennel, or have taken their place in other's breeding programs. 
So what does all this mean to you, our customer? 
It means there are no bums here!  You'll really understand
how much more fun it is to drive a good dog once you step on
the runners and watch them go! Each and every one was chosen for their
ability to make YOUR Ontario Dogsledding tour the best it can be!

 To go directly to our Ontario Dogsledding Tours Packages  click here.
To read our tribute to the evolution of the Alaskan Husky  click here.
To read a bit more about our dogsledding operations, click here

Or read on to see why our friendly and loveable Alaskan Huskies will make
your Ontario Dogsledding Tour a great experience!

"REX" is the best place to start telling you about our dogs, because he is THE DOG.
He ran on my gold medal team back in the nineties and a few years back I had the
FANTASTIC opportunity of getting him back as he retired from racing at seven.
He's a high quality sled dog and now, he is NUMERO UNO in the yard. Without
Rex, and his little buddy Cayenne, and the odd pinch hitter like Stewie, Pokie or one
of the pups (whom he is currently training to lead) I would not be going anywhere
very fast. He's big as a horse, strong as an ox, and dumb as a post - but he has learned
to understand the intricate trail system and gladly and with great enthusiasm leads
my teams every single day, every single run. And his line - never slack! Oh no, this
dog is as strong as they come. My only regret is that he is neutered and cannot pass
on a son to take over - but if they ever make it more affordable - I'd clone him for sure!!!

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"Rory" is an exceptionally handsome Alaskan, and if he were a person,
he'd be a moviestar!  Rory is by Honey and Rainbow, some of Bruce's
best ever dogs.  Rory is approximately 45 lbs, very muscular, and he's ALL DOG. 
Rory is the quiet one, and you will suddenly notice him, standing perfectly still,
staring at you  with all his might with his ice blue eyes - just willing you to pat him! 
With Bruce, Rory was a  very successful racing Alaskan, and a good lead dog. 
He's run pretty much every big race in North America with Bruce Langmaid,
including the Maine 250 (with a 3rd place finish)!  Well, he had a little help from
his eleven teammates, and 'the captain'.  Any dog we've ever gotten from Bruce
has been a superstar, and Rory is no excpetion.  He has quickly become one of my
favorites, and usually runs lead for our clients.  Trained for long distance racing,
Rory stops and lays down at every break in our run!  It confuses people,
because everyone else is going nuts.  Just a smart dog, I guess!
Rory's favorite relaxed pose is regally aloft his doghouse, legs daintily
crossed in front of him, his icy blue eyes surveying the goings on around him. 

Rory was one of Bruce's best dogs over two solid years of racing, and ran on
Bruce's winning team in the Maine 250, and the many races Bruce won in those years.
Last year, at the age of ten, we had an opportunity to place him with 'Niki' in a great
pet home, just down the road. We still see him every once in a while - too great of
an opportunity to miss - and his new owners still love taking him down the trails!

"Pierre" is another very beautiful Alaskan that came from Bruce. A  
young dog, Pierre has blue eyes, a very althetic build, long legs, huge muscles,
and a beautiful face that makes you want to hug him.  He is the strongest dog
in the yard, with EXCEPTIONAL drive and a GREAT work ethic.  He loves
working in the team, or running in lead, dragging his teammates behind
him as he scrambles down the trail heaving into his harness like a crazy dog!
He's been a great part of our program and people LOVE his enthusiasm.
His speed and strength and willingness to run, just for the sheer love of it, are all
his best assets -  so rest assured, if Pierre is on your team, you'll be SMOKIN' !!
(That's if you can get him away from me)

Pierre came from Bruce as a yearling, and is from his best bloodlines. 

"Pokey" is also from Bruce and is just the funniest little gal.
She's a solid leader, and can run at the very front with Rex,
or can lead for the many clients who come through the kennel.
Pokey is a smaller female, neutered of course - and very very
good with the young children who come here. She loves to bounce
around and smile at them and will push her butt at the kids to
give her a scratch while she rolls her head around in happiness.
Pokey sometimes will get loose in the yard (she's very clever)
and you'll come down and see her spot empty, and look all
around the yard and think 'oh no, she's GONE!' And then, as you
start to head into the bush to look for her, you suddenly turn and
see that the whole time, she was sitting at the edge of the woods,
perfectly still, like a little statue of the RCA Victor dog - and
when she sees that you 'see' her - she'll smile and wiggle around.
Such a FUNNY DOG - so much personality - we love her!

"Casey" is a dog who resemblesa 'mutt' so much that Matt always
makes jokes! At a glance though, it's easy to to see, he is an Alaskan!
Casey is great with kids, and has a soft and gooey personality.
He's very good natured, non confrontational, and soft in his ways.
He's the dog you never really notice in the team because he's neither
a mongo puller or a line dragger - he's just always there, doing his
work and enjoying getting out for a run. He's an unusual character,
but definitely a great part of our enterprise, since not everyone
wants a dog that's going to jerk the sled out of your hands!

Casey was bred by Bruce and also comes from Martin Buser lines.   

"Fatso" is a young dog bred at my kennel and he is a typical
dog from my bloodlines - he's goofy, enthusiastic, friendly, and
a real handful at hookups! Bouncing and playful, you better hang
on when you bring him over - he is peskier than my usual creation,
and has learned very quickly that it's fun to chew through the leader
section & watch the front half of the team run away. For that reason,
he has to always be on a team that has CABLE ganglines! It's not so
funny for me, you see. Of course, when I remember, I keep his tug
line short so that he can't reach up and grab that front section -
but every so often I forget and I can almost swear he has a silly
little gleam in his eye and just WAITS for me to turn my back so
he can stir up some excitement! A great puller, his mom is Pokey
and his dad is Andy - two really great dogs that made an awesome
combo of good temperament, pulling power, and happy natures!
We also have his very special sister 'Speckles' - and she leads as well!.

"Bessemer" is a new dog here at the yard - and he's an enigma!
Bessemer has lead on Bruce's winning teams for the last few
years, and most recently led for the Maine 250 last year. This
guy likes to lay with his legs cross and survey the yard - not
getting too excited about much and certainly NOT an in your
face kinda dog! We bought him to lead for Matt's new race team,
but the funny thing is - it took them awhile to get along! After
a short 'getting to know him' period, the two are now fast friends,
and Bessemer is a big part of his ability to get where he needs to go!
He's a smart dog, and he has to love ya to run for ya! (lol)
Matt took third place in his Bancroft run last year - we were thrilled!

"Gilmour" is Bessemers' brother, and the two are
alot alike (and nothing like our older style dogs) Gilmour
(like Bessemer) is very laid back, but loves his job. He was
given to us along with lead dog Bessemer last spring, because
he needed a home and we were looking to add to our yard.
Both of these dogs have turned out to be wonderful not
just for outfitting, but for the great little sojourns we take
just for fun into Algonquin Park - in between tours! So
much fun, and these guys both lead, which is awesome.
The new superstars of the kennel - they're just TOO SMART!
They'll be great for clients, because they won't overpower
the teams and are enthusiastic and easy to get on with.
Doesn't Gilmour look very thoughtful in this picture?

"MALICA" also came from Bruce and like
all his dogs, she's easy to handle, she's
fond of the clients & kids, and is very VERY good
at her job. She loves to run, she's a crackerjack
leader, and I just know our visitors are gonna
love her. She's a pretty female, big, fuzzy and
with lots of eye appeal - and her temperament
is second to none. We love her and she, like
the rest of the girls is spayed, which makes
her a very good addition to our dogyard.
Malica is kind, and she's definitely
got the right stuff to be an important part
of our family & team here at the farm.

"GEORGIA" aka 'The Gerbil" is on here
just so you can see what a REAL racing
dog looks like! We purchased her from
New York last year - and I remember the
first time I ran her, I put her with Cayenne,
in lead - well, Cayenne was running as fast
as she could - but this female had TWO MORE
GEARS! I took the brake off momentarily
to see this gal amp it up to the point where
poor Cayenene was struggling just to keep up -
so we slowed down - which begs the question
how do we find a team to keep up with her!?
Now, she's not a dog we'd give to clients
because she's just TOO darn fast - and
she got the nickname 'Gerbil' because she
goes around, and around and around her
area - and makes a heck of a ruckus! But
she's the 'throttle' of the race team this year
year & I am guessing we'll see great things!
(I wonder if WE can keep up to her?)

"Slinky" is another one of those spotted dogs!
She's very goofy, loves people, runs like the
wind (even though she's not really built to do it)
and led her very first time in harness as a PUPPY!
Sometimes the desire to be out front is more
important than the build to do it - and she
has more desire than I've ever seen in a dog.
This is a picture of her at around eight months
of age - so she's not a big dog - and now, she's
got so many spots coming on that she looks
really FUNNY - more like a border collie
than an Alaskan Husky! But make no mistake
you're gonna love running this gal, because
her enthusiasm is CONTAGIOUS!

"Biscuit" is Fatso's sister and she is a very natural running dog
who loves to go and pulls like a trooper. Not a big female, but
packs a punch when she pulls because she is very muscular.
Unfortunately Biscuit did not get the same friendly and outgoing
nature of Fatso - she's been quite shy of strangers since she was born.
To keep her happy, she runs on my team where she is comfortable
and familiar with the driver. Occasionally, she leads with Pokey
and is a very good candidate to lead in the future. She's been
well socialized, but she is finicky in who she will allow into her
'inner circle' of friends! Soft natured, shy but hard working - Biscuit
has been a great addition to our program and we love her style!
And the funny thing is, she always likes the March Break Kids!

Biscuit is a great little dog and we are very happy to have her.
Both she and fatso are a mix of my bloodlines and Bruce's!

"Speckles" is one of the nicest built dogs we've ever had.
Her sire, Skaggs, was a fantastic running dog and good enough
to make my main team back when I was racing - and this is MY
style of dog! She's fairly big for a girl, but not TOO BIG - and is
a wonderful combination of speed and power - she's daughter to
Pokey & carries the familiar 'spots' that are characteristics of my lines!
These are all very flashy dogs that look more like English pointers!
They all love to run and pull and Speckles is NO exception!
She's got a great build and a passion for the lead position -
she's a dog that is a natural talent, and her brothers are just like her!
The tuglines are always tight, the tongue is always flying out the side
of her mouth and with the wind in her teeth she looks positively thrilled.
I just love the personality on this little gal and with a season under
her belt, she made her debut as race leader just fine - I just LOVE her!

Speckles is so pretty and good natured - it's impossible not to love her.

"Andy" is a young dog bred at my kennel the last year I raced.  
His father was "Happy" and his mother "Moxie" a very nice leader
also from my gold medal team.  Andy ran for Brian Tipping for a year
and did very well racing.  With his great work ethic, we were happy
to get him back and he is proving himself to be a great outfitting dog.
He is a chip off the old block, with the same goofy personality as his
father, Happy.  His floppy ears stand up, as you can see in this photo,
only as he bounces around in excitement.  The top left photo shows Andy
in his favorite pose - with his mouth open screaming to go!  He is
very friendly with strangers and very loveable, a hard worker,
and incredibley strong.  We are VERY happy to have had
the opportunity to get him back here at the kennel.

The product of my 6 year breeding program, Andy is a mix of 
Jamie Nelson's durable long distance lines & speedy Wright hounds,
to make a large, strong, fast & durable mid distance dog.   

"Mary" is a nice young female who raced for Ken Golton and Family.
Mary wasn't quite fast enough to make the main team, so they offered
her to me, and I was happy to get her! She's a very friendly female, she's
related to my old bloodlines, and she's spayed, which makes her an
asset to our program here at the farm. Mary is just a great all round
outfitting dog and you're going to love her hard pulling enthusiasm.

"Ash" is as much of a stuffed animal as you can get in a living creature.
Soft, fluffy, sincere, sweet, affectionate - she is a living GUND DOLL.
Better yet, this girl loves to run, and likes to work hard for her drivers,
steady, not insane, and totally fun to have around.  We really love her
and she is an awesome choice for the kids, or for someone who wants
the GENTLE touch.  A nice all rounder that anyone can love!  Thanks
to Brian Tipping for a great addition to our kennel. And yes, Ash is
living proof that when you are FIXED, you get FAT. But we don't mind,
she's one of our very favorites (of course they are all favorites!)

"Cayenne" is another dog from Bruce, and she is a real PET.  
In fact, if there was ONE dog I would call my VERY own,
Cayenne is IT!! She is a hard worker, loves to lead, loves
to go for a dash, and having her is like having a little worker
bee who loves to follow you around and just be with you,
when she isn't running in a team.  A really special little dog,
lots of power to the pound, and a loving and generous
disposition to match.  She runs lead with REX, but often
leads for clients, and helps trains puppies - a crackerjack
'GEE HAW' leader - we just couldn't run the place without her!

"Niki"(left) is from my second to last race litter, and was born in 2000. 
She's from Wanda (oh how I loved you Wanda) who was a good leader
- and a great leader I bred and owned named "Monster" (who was by Happy). 
That makes Niki very closely related to Skaggs, and she was given back to me by
the same musher (for which I am eternally grateful).  And just like Skaggs,
she is great in harness.  I have even been able to use her in lead for the clients
and I love to watch her run, she is so smooth!  She is a very driven little girl,
and I love having her because she's so friendly.  She is very  much like her
mum Wandaand I was proud every time I ran her, because I knew I was on the
right track with my breeding program, during those racing years. 
She is spayed now, and she lucked into a wonderful retirement home at the
ripe age of ten - and now is not only a couch potato but also gets to run!
Their new owners bought them a sled and do skijoring and rec sledding!

"Teddy" (right) is a character! Ted's best feature is his smooth running gait,
and the fact that he loves to lead (but only when it's his idea of course)
  He is funny because he 'hunts' as he runs, sniffing the trail.  This is handy,
because if the lead teams get a bit ahead, he rarely makes a mistake at a
turn, sniffing which way to go.  Ted is also an incorrigible mitten grabber.  If he
finds a dog bootie or a mitten on the trail he'll snatch it up and carry it around
the whole loop.  This funny dog is very clever and absolutely LOVES people
(watch out for your mittens though!)  A truly great dog, he's
very popular here.  Ted is also another neutered male, which is great,
because I can run him next to the girls, and he could care less!

"Skaggs" is a son of Happy, and was from the very last litter I bred before getting
out of racing.  His owner very graciously offered him back to me, at just four years of age,
when he decided to quite running his dogs.  Skagg's is a litter mate to Andy, pictured
above. He's everything I love in a sled dog - he's large, and strong - he has a smooth
flowing gait which looks good whether he's loping or trotting - and he pulls like godzilla! 
A good working dog like this is hard to come by, and he's truly a superstar, just like
his father and uncle.  There's no doubt in my mind that this dog could make any decent
race team - and our clients love his ability in harness.   Of course, as is usually the case,
I don't like to work too hard - so I always whisper to Matt to put him on my team
*grin*  Because after all, running a great dog is what is so enjoyable about dogsledding! 
Skagg's is a very good boy, and he's got a home for life!  His mother "Moxie" was on my
gold medal team, and he is alot like her - he's just plain fantastic!