Ruby

When I wrote about Blitzi I said that I had never met a happier, more eager to please dog. Ruby comes a close second. Ruby is a special dog, partly because she is the first sled dog puppy we had. She is, it seems, constantly smiling. Jenn did a lot of work with Ruby when she was young and consequently she became a good leader for us. Unless you want to turn. Or go fast. But, if you want to see the scenery, on dog time, Ruby is your dog.

For a long time Ruby and her sister Amber were the best dogs we had in our kennel. Now, however, Ruby has a hard time keeping up with our racing team so she is more of a substitute or touring dog. She has endless stamina and the willingness to be run by anybody. Lately we have had several people out to run our dogs and Ruby has been perfect each time. She is definitely the favourite of visitors.

Unfortunately for ol' Rubyroo, she will not come when called and therefore doesn't get free run like the rest of our dogs. She needs a leash. If Ruby were to get off her chain, and she has, she'll do 40 acres of running before you so much as catch a glimpse of her. You can call, offer treats, whatever, but Ruby won't come until she is ready. When she was eight months old, Ruby broke her right front leg by twisting it in a pallette on the ground while playing. We took her to the vet and he was reluctant to put a cast on it, since the one bone was acting as a splint for the broken one. He gave us a splint to help out and a roll of Vet-wrap and told us to keep her quiet for two weeks. All I can remember of this time period is Ruby running full out through a ploughed field dragging her splinted and wrapped leg behind her. Keep her quiet. Right.

Ruby is the mother of Valley