We got started in Siberian Huskies during March 1984, when my wife presented me with my first Siberian Husky at a surprise birthday party.  He was this really cute eight week old big black and white ball of fur from Mike & Maggie Marion of Marionhill Siberians.  It was love at first sight.  In a few days I named him Kodi and we had a great life together.  Many of you knew him personally from his exploits in the obedience ring.

Our new- found Siberian Husky human friends told us that two Siberians were easier to take care of and no more work than one.  And so, Spunky arrived at our house five months after Kodi.  They became instant buddies and we discovered that our friends were absolutely right.  Kodi and Spunky went on to play large roles in our lives and to excel in the obedience ring.

Now it was late 1991 and the potato chip syndrome was going to kick in, as we kept a Siberian Husky female we rescued, and named her Nikki.  She was a wonderful, gentle two year old who added some spice to the lives of Kodi and Spunky, who were both around 7 1/2 when she arrived.  The three of them played and romped together.  But, Nikki could put them in their places when need be.

Next came Jasper less than a year later.  He was beautiful and he gave me a special gift every day that we were together.  Jasper finished his Championship at 16 months; had fantastic careers in the breed, obedience and agility rings; and achieved national rankings in all three venues.  But, first and foremost, like all of our Siberians, he was a pet and companion.  Unfortunately, his time with us was cut short by two bouts of cancer.

When Jasper was 6 during the early summer of 1998 his nephew Frankie showed up and they quickly became what I liked to call running buddies.  They went everywhere together, seemingly connected at the hip.  Frankie finished his Championship at 19 months; has gone on to exceed the achievements of his uncle Jasper; and still made news in 2005, earning his 20th title overall.  In the Fall of 2006 Frankie earned his 20th AKC title; the first Siberian Husky to accomplish that feat.

Frankie went into a very real state of depression, as did I, when Nikki and Jasper left us suddenly just four days apart in mid-January 2003. 

Something needed to be done to snap him out of it.  Enter Lucy in March 2003.  She was a female that a friend  loaned to me to see if it would help Frankie’s depression.  They were introduced and Lucy had a new permanent home.  It took some time, but Frankie eventually snapped out of it and came back to be a great companion and team mate.  Like his uncle, he has achieved high national rankings in breed, obedience and agility.  Lucy is the matriarch of the pack, and she has also done very well in the breed ring and has surprised me in agility. 

More potato chips.  In May 2003 Frankie was bred to a female in Virginia (Debra) and one of his sons, Travis, came to stay. Lucy was bred to Romeo a year later and one of her sons, Webster, brought us back up to four Siberian Huskies.  In May 2005, Travis finished his Championship at the age of 21 months, Webster finished his at the tender age of 11 months and then Lucy finished hers; all within a 7 week period.

During the Summer and Fall of 2005 we added three of Lucy's puppies (Comet, Dewey and Misty) and one of Frankie's puppies (JR) from our 2005 breedings.  Yikes...8 dogs!!!!!  What were we thinking???

Finally, we wish to give a huge thank you to our mentors, Mike and Maggie Marion.  Kodi was out of their breeding, as were Spunky, Jasper, Frankie, and JR.  They gave me handling lessons with Jasper and Frankie, helped with the decision to pick Travis as the stud puppy from his litter and whelped Lucy's first litter which produced Webster.  Mike & Maggie were there to help as needed with Lucy's 2nd & 3rd litters.  They have freely offered advice on the care and feeding of our dogs as well as in handling them in the breed ring.  We will be forever grateful to them for getting us started with what we thought was going to be one pet Siberian Husky puppy.  And, as the saying goes, the rest is history. 

Take a few minutes and read the stories.  They're about some wonderful dogs, their exploits, and the unconditional love they give.