A Fun Diversion - Day 6

Hey Tribe,

This K9 Challenge day, Day 6, is appropriate since by now everyone's dogs need their nails trimmed.

Fly has always been good about letting me trim her nails, but Rex used to fight me.  I was patient and we worked on it not being a bad experience for him.  Now, he's all about letting me do his nails so he can get treats.  Here's a quick time lapse video of both Karelians getting their nails trimmed:

I'll write a 'how-to' post that will go into greater detail about clipping the dogs' nails.

A Fun Diversion - Day 4

Hey Tribe,

It's Day 4 of the challenge:

Unfortunately, Fly and Rex are not toy motivated.  Usually a "favorite" toy is one that is destroyed in a matter of minutes and then left for dead: be it a stuffed animal, a real mouse (those usually get eaten though), or a Kong.

I had to think about this one for awhile and nearly despaired, but then realization came to me: Fly's favorite toy is actually Rex.

She adores him.  He has made her so much happier since he came into our lives.

Their play is rough, looks painful, and usually leaves them both panting with huge, tongue lolling grins on their faces.

They both have insurance policies, because I know, one day, someone is going to get hurt.  Karelian Bear Dog play is not for the faint of heart.

A Fun Diversion - Day 3

Hey Tribe,

So, this day of the challenge is a little dull.

I imagine other participants may be more engaged with this day because they feed raw.  I would love to feed raw, but do not want to develop my own recipes and concoctions: I want pre-made portions.

If you have any suggestions for me or recommendations about where I can source raw food from a company I can access in Alaska, please let me know!!!

A Fun Diversion - Day 2

Hey Tribe,

Ready for Day 2 of the Lockdown K9 Challenge?

Day 2: Quick Puzzle

I don't have any of those fancy store bought puzzle things for dogs, nor am I crafty enough to want to make a homemade version of a puzzle.  So, Fly's quick puzzle is a simple game of "which hand" that I taught her as a baby:

Of course, after the video, I saw that the viewer can see part of Fly's ear around the corner and I didn't want folks to think that she cheated, so I tried to get another video.  Rex, who was sitting behind me watching all of this, decided he wanted to play the game too:

I guess I should teach him the rules!  Sweet, silly boy - I can see he is going to be the comic relief and/or steal the show during these challenges.

A Fun Diversion - Day 1

Hey Tribe,

If you aren't following @flyexplores on Instagram, you're missing out on some fun right now, but don't fret, I decided to share our story posts here as well!

A fellow Alaskan account that I follow, @akhellhounds, is hosting a "Lockdown K9 Challenge" and tagged us in the challenge.  We accepted!

For the next 14 days I will be sharing posts about how we are stepping up to the tasks.  Most of the content will be video, so those of you reading this from your email may need to click over to the actual blog site to watch the fun.

Okay, let's get started!

Day 1: How many downs can your dog do in 60 seconds?

Fly managed 14.  She barked the entire time, excited and demanding treats, and was interfered with and bumped by a clueless Rex.  I think she also questioned my sanity.  Here's the video:

I am actually happy with Fly's achievement with this: last year, Fly did not understand what I was asking when I wanted her to go from a down to a sit and would stare at me blankly.  Now, she can make the transition.  Good progress!

Check back tomorrow or click here for Day 2.

Happy 1st Birthday, Rex!

Hey Tribe,

It's Rex's 1st birthday!

How is this baby already one year old??

Armando Salazar Da Villa Saloia "Rex" at 4 days old.

Armando Salazar Da Villa Saloia "Rex" at 1 year old.

I am so thankful that Nadia and Leonardo of Da Villa Saloia kennel trusted me to care for one of their puppies.  They have produced some top quality Karelian Bear Dogs and aptly named Rex, from their 'Once Upon A Time' litter, is no exception!

Rex's first year included a lot of travel:

Flights from Portugal to Alaska

Yukon territory in Canada

Cooper Landing, AK

Nenana River, AK

Skilak Lake, AK

He's had a lot of firsts:

First taste of glacier water.

First swim.

First water fowl sighting.

First ride in the back of the truck.

First camping trip.

First picnic.

He really enjoyed Christmas!

He absolutely loves snow!

Moose meat is one of his favorites.

He loves pulling the kicksled!

He is doing so great at Search and Rescue training.

His baby collar doesn't fit him anymore, but I have a new and special collar coming from Jax & Moonie that I can't wait to show everyone!

Puppy collar and leash he wore in the airports of Sintra, Boston, Seattle, and Anchorage.

I get glimpses of the mature dog he will become; he is going to be extremely handsome.

Just look at that profile!

Rex is already kind, smart, and everyone's favorite when we attend group events.  He became the 4th KBD to ever win a Barn Hunt title!  This coming year, we have several certification goals: Trick Dog, Canine Good Citizen, Scent Work, Search and Rescue, and more Barn Hunt.  He's ready and so am I.  Follow Rex's second trip around the sun and see how far he goes!

Alaska Goldens Co

Hey Tribe,

I want to share one of my favorite little shops with you today: Alaska Goldens Co!

Shop owner Molly has two pretty adorable Golden Retrievers that call her mom, hence the name of the company, and her products listed on Etsy are so cute, it is difficult to show any restraint when perusing her online shop.  Whenever I meet up with Molly in person, she is always sporting a huge grin and her cheerful personality easily rubs off on the people around her - who says humans don't resemble their dogs?!  The shop sounds good already, doesn't it, so let's talk product.

Oh Whale bandana is one of my absolute favorites - it's so Alaskan!

As I am sure you are well aware, Fly is not at all gentle (unless we're around babies) and is extremely rough on anything I put on her body.  Collars have broken, cloth has torn, everything gets stained.  So, when I tell you Alaska Goldens Co products have not only held their own, but still look good, it is a testament to their quality.

She knows she looks good!

Fly is not a dog who willingly swims, so I was shocked when she waded out and started swimming one hot day this past summer.  She happened to be wearing an Alaska Goldens Co bandana (the By The Seashore bandana, to be exact) and it got completely soaked.  Often, material will stretch when wet and permanently lose its shape and I feared the bandana was ruined.  When Fly paddled back to shore, I removed the sad, soggy mess of material and distractedly dropped it on the silty ground - baby Rex was being crazy and I didn't have time to fiddle with silly bandanas.

Soggy bandana swim.

Then, I remembered I had packed Alaska Goldens Co's Island Scarf: a water-resistant tube-like bandana (or scarf) that Fly had not worn yet.  So, I dug around in my pack and popped that soon-to-be well tested wearable on Fly's neck.  I will admit, she looked a bit silly in the stiffer water-repellant material, her fluff doesn't take well to restricting items such as this.

Mermaid pose.

Flattering or not, Fly didn't mind, and she merrily waded back into the glacial fed pool.  She was after a floating plastic water bottle I'd tossed in for her and would paddle circles around the bobbing bottle as she navigated in for a grab at it and brought it to shore for a game of keep away with Rex.

Fashion swimwear at it's finest.

She spent quite a while in the silty water, especially after she noticed that there were salmon in there as well!  So, when she finally emerged, tired and happy, I got a chance to inspect her fashion accessory for defects.  It was wet, but not the sagging, sopping, nasty kind of wet that most material becomes when met with similar circumstances of dog + water combination.  I wrung it out, after which I thought maybe I shouldn't have done in case it damaged the material, but it was too late to worry about it; then I tossed both bandanas in a plastic bag with my wet boots, dumped it in the back of the truck, and promptly forgot about the whole lot.

Don't judge me, I'm a forgetful person.

Several days later, I remembered my neglect and washed the smelly dog things in the washing machine on the normal setting, dried them in the dryer (also normal setting, nobody has time to pamper dog gear) and then assessed the results.  The tie-on bandana was wrinkly, but otherwise un-deformed; the tube/scarf bandana looked so unused it could have been new!  Oh, and zero residual dog smell from either.  No pulled stitches or misshapen ugliness on either piece and I couldn't be happier or expect more from my dog gear, let alone something that is meant as a fashion accessory.

Clean and back in use!

If you are looking for super cute, durable, quality items to fancy up your adventures and you like supporting super nice small shops and their owners, I would wholeheartedly suggest Alaska Goldens Co!  Be sure to check out all the other goodies that can be found at this little shop: collars, add-on vinyl options (look for the "Fly and Rex" font!), and more - there's such a nice selection.

You can find Alaska Goldens Co at these social places as well: Facebook and Instagram

(As always, I do not get any sort of kickback from writing this post, nor does Alaska Goldens Co currently know I am writing a review.)

Rex's Goggle Eyes

Hey Tribe,

Just wanted to share how cute Rex looks when wearing his Rex Specs goggles.

He's still getting used to wearing them: the lens is out of the goggles, so he doesn't scratch at it and he gets a lot of treats for being such a good boy.