Devil Dog Kennels

MushHusky! Kennels (known as 'Devil Dog Kennels' in Alaska) has been around since 1993 and we have just recently begun to participate in races around Alaska.

When we started mushing we were a small kennel that was strictly for recreational purposes. We only had 6 to 8 dogs at the time, and didn't worry about the training much. Now that we're in with the 'big boys' we are taking training to a completely different level. It's like learning to walk all over again.

Racing is a complicated process and if I were to explain it in three words, I'd say "detail, detail, and detail". The slightest mistake can affect your race for the worse; to be one ounce heavier than planned may slow the team down as much as one-tenth mile an hour and lose the race.

During a race "time is of the essence" and that's literal. The 1978 Iditarod champ, Dick Mackey, (father of Lance Mackey, winner of the 2007 Iditarod) won the Iditarod Race only one second ahead of Rick Swenson. So, think about that race... Swenson could have won if only he drank his coffee a little faster.
Mark A. Ruzicka