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.

It’s spring in Alaska. And you wouldn’t know it to look at the snow still on the ground. This winter gave us more snow than I’ve seen in well over a decade… and I have loved its visit. But the sun is returning and our days are getting longer. The snow is starting to melt, too slowly. I know though, like a guest who sometimes overstays her welcome, so too, the snow will eventually leave.It was to these mounds and mounds of snow that my thoughts went when I woke up in the early hours of the day. Bryce and Jupiter were at the end of their patience with the COVID-19 home isolation imposed upon their daily routines. I smiled to myself as I declared this day a day of play.

COVID-19 has hit our collective reality pretty hard.
Some people were expecting this new form of normal. Some people were caught quite unprepared. Despite our varying levels of preparedness, something wonderful has been happening these last couple of weeks;
We have been pulling for each other.
There has been so many stories shared among us about love, patience, understanding for our fellow man. In the face of such a scary time for many, our humanity is shining a beacon of hope.
I love this about our species.

A lesson about stopping for a moment, taking everything in, and finding your true north.

Have you ever met a catahoula?
Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog. This breed is the official state dog of Louisiana. And they are cool as all get out!
I’m lucky enough to have a catahoula of my own. Although, I’ll admit, it was an accident she wandered into my life. My catahoula, Jupiter was my foster fail…

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.

Winter is a joyful season for my poodles. The snow adds a new dynamic to their world of outdoor play. Every time it snows, my dogs wake up to a blanket covering familiar scents and sights. To them, each new snowfall is a new land to explore. And they take full advantage.

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…

Puppy socialization is getting your puppy out and about to be social with other creatures. Domestic dogs interact with all sorts of living things; other dogs, humans, cats, pet fish, urban wildlife (rabbits, raccoons, skunks, squirrels) not to mention the wildlife who stick around when our human habitats intersect with their own (moose, deer, wild cats, bears and birds of prey). In short, our puppies don’t really have much of a choice; they must be acclimated to these other forms of life. And the best way to accomplish this is through simple socialization.

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.

When we talk about dog feet, it’s inevitable that we’re going to talk about dog nails. And dog nails means… nail trimming. 

Queue the moans and the sighs. Everyone has one or two (or many more!) nightmares about trying to trim doggy toenails. But I have good news; learning to trim nails with ease is not only possible, there is an entire army of dog owners who do it every day! 

Ben left for university and Jupiter is a little heartbroken. Our little junkyard dog has been by his side since the moment I brought her home to foster as a five-week-old homeless pup.

We bath our dogs, we brush our dogs and we keep our dog beds clean. But how often do we think about cleaning our dogs’ ears?

Did you know… dogs living with filthy ears is downright damaging?

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!