Seren sits in her ex-pen, she’s staring at me while delivering her signature high-pitched bark. She is insisting I release her from her confinement.

“You get this prima-Donna attitude from your grandmother,” I tell her as I toss some treats into her pen to distract her. I know it will only work for a moment.

While Seren snuffles around her pen for the treats I tossed, Sojourner excitedly prances over to find out what Seren is snacking on . He stands with his four feet square, neck perfectly arched as he observes the puppy and her treats.

As a poodle owner, it's essential for me to provide not only physical exercise but also mental stimulation for my dogs. I’ve found that the best, most consistent, and most productive way to provide this stimulation on a regular basis is through the decompression walk.

You’ve just hiked a vertical mile. You are at the crest of your favorite destination, prepared to relax and take in one of your favorite views. You settle in to rest with your hiking partner, your dog.
Can you imagine the dog you have with you?

Did you imagine yourself with a poodle?
No? Well then, I encourage you to keep reading so I can alter your imagination a bit.
Take a minute, and get yourself comfortable while I tell you what makes the standard poodle the ideal hiking partner you never even knew you needed!

As I write this blog entry, my sweet puppy, Sojourner, is almost five months old. Life with him has been so special! In some ways, it feels like Sojourner has been a part of my Galavanting poodle crew from the beginning. He’s such a good, biddable puppy and he fits right in.
But then, isn’t that the goal of a breeding program; to create dogs that compliment a home?

I have to be honest: I did not expect 2021 to be quite as successful a show season as it ended up being for my “baby” Grace. The fact of the matter is, American Kennel Club dog show season in Alaska is painfully short. It is incredibly difficult for a poodle in Alaska to finish her AKC Championship in a single show season. With only 16 All-Breed dog shows and 1 Non-Sporting Dog Club show between May and the end of July, my goal for the Alaska show season is usually to collect the major wins necessary for a Championship title and then take our time traveling around for single points in and outside of Alaska.

It was on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 that I learned Kluane was having a singleton puppy. All of us who were involved in breeding Kluane had hoped for a full litter of puppies from Klu. But, breeding in a COVID-19 year was never going to be easy. And the fact Klu was even pregnant, given the pandemic-initiated obstacles we had to overcome to breed her, was happy news.
I was going to be grateful for whatever I got!

When it comes to the search for the perfect dog bootie for my Alaska poodles, one could say I’m a bit of a connoisseur. The keyword here being; search.

But! At long last! I think I’ve found the best bootie for my wonderful, active, happy-to-run-through-the-muck poodles!

Fall time in Alaska has a tendency to sneak up on me. It seems to arrive each year on a day in August.. Some years it’s early, other years it’s a bit late. But one thing I know as an Alaskan; if I’m paying attention to the subtle signs, I’ll never miss the “unofficial,” but true, first day of Fall in Alaska.

Holistic is a word that has found new life in the last decade… The adjective, holistic, simply describes a philosophy of paying attention to the whole of something, in order to comprehend issues that affect a part of something. I’ve listed 4 holistic principles I consider non-negotiable when it comes to the health and well-being of my own dogs.

I am always open to sharing my experiences with my dogs, both the good and the bad. And it is in that same spirit that I will share how I learned that my dog had bone cancer.
A few weeks ago, Wallace came in from playing with what looked to be a mild sprain. Instead, we soon discovered that my precious poodle dog had osteosarcoma…

Did you know that puppies should have their own bedtime routines?
It’s true! To benefit a puppy’s mental and physical health, a regularly scheduled bedtime and bedtime routine should be on a list of Things-I-Must-Do-With-My-New-Puppy.
One of my non-negotiable points, every time the talk of a new puppy came up in our household, was that the puppy would always keep to a regularly scheduled bedtime routine.

A regular brushing routine is a great way for you to bond with your furry best friend while keeping her skin and coat healthy and clean! Treat your dog to a spa night as the two of you cozy up on the sofa, binge some great Netflix shows and gently (gently no pulling or aggressiveness allowed) brush through your dog’s coat. 

It’s hard for me to remember a time when I didn’t do my own midnight grooming sessions. Heck, it’s hard for me to imagine a time when I relied on a grooming shop to do any work on my dogs.
Truthfully though, it wasn’t all that long ago that I didn’t know the difference between a 4 blade and a 40 blade. Ear powder meant nothing to me and the very thought that there were dryers made specifically for dogs was a completely foreign concept to my mind. 

August in Alaska means berry season! A big trek to the mountain peaks in the backyard of Galavanting Poodles leads to blueberries, bears and the honoring of family traditions.

First, the heat! Alaska has experienced record breaking heat all summer long. And if the records were only barely broken. If the heat index had registered only a smidgen above what is normal for Alaska summers… maybe I wouldn’t be so worried. But the records that were broken were not gently tapped with the butt of a butter knife until cracks could be seen. Nope. Instead, these records were smashed. Demolished with a massive hammer that left nothing intact. What old heat index records? There are no old records here!

Take a look at a day-in-the-life of hiking poodles and their catahoula sister. Life is good for this dog pack in the mountains of Alaska!

Did you know that, in North America, poodles can be three different sizes? It’s true! AND. Did you know? There is even a mysterious FOURTH poodle size that is alive and well in Europe? Read on to find out more…

Poodles have hair, not fur! When we understand this simple fact, the care and maintenance of the poodle coat becomes so much easier. Learn important facts about poodle coats and hairstyles with this informative blog article!

I’m still coming down from the high that is the Poodle Club of America’s National Specialty. I got to spend a great week with friends and fellow poodle enthusiasts.
I ate a lot of junk food. I stayed up really late. I saw, literally hundreds of gorgeous poodles. And I laughed with my friends until my sides hurt.

Poodles are probably best known for their fancy haircuts and circus antics. But long before Poodles were performing tricks for human entertainment, they were the staple breed for the various water retrieving dog breeds we know today. It is the long history of selectively breeding the Poodle type… from water retriever to trusted human companion… that gives us a dog breed so diverse in natural talents.