Our Mutt House

12/26/2024

A very Merry Christmas from my furry crew to yours ❤️🎄🎅

The size difference between Nova and Oscar is very evident in this photo, so many people are surprised when they meet Nova. She just a medium sized gal - knee height on most people.

12/06/2024

Just a handsome Christmas bubs looking fancy after a well needed blow out today.

It's been a hot minute since if picked up my camera, but Christmas photos always hit differently.

We actually bought a tree last year after Christmas, so this is my first year as an adult having an actual Christmas tree in my house. Wild it took me 11 years 😅 just wasn't financially a priority ya know?

11/09/2024

I just want everyone to know that I signed Oscar up for some beginner agility classes.

Yes, my 7 year old siberian husky. It will be fun 😂

That's all. Have a great Saturday.

10/31/2024

Happy Howloween from the scariest guard dog you might encounter 😅

👻🎃

10/22/2024

I get complimented on Oscar's looks and behaviour almost everywhere we go.

I get told "he's so well behaved for a husky" or "that's the smartest husky I've ever seen" and occasionally "I wish my dog could do that"

And as much as I love when someone compliments my dogs, certain phrases also break my heart.

Oscar is a bit of a husky anomaly. He's mostly quiet and has some separation anxiety so he doesn't really wander.

BUT. Like lots of huskies, he's not inherently handler focused, is picky about food, and gets bored easily. It has taken me years of trial and error to find what motivates him and how to train him.

It makes me so sad that huskies have such a bad reputation that having Oscar sit and stay on the scale at the vet gets compliments like that. That basic obedience is seen as impressive and unobtainable.

All this to say, that huskies are not untrainable, unintelligent, or stubborn.

10/20/2024

https://youtu.be/co7NryF5DB8

Full video of day 1 at the Rum Runners Dryland Race - Oscar in 1 dog Bikejor

Probably the most beautiful trail we have ridden so far!

Full video of the 1 dog bikejor event at Beauvais Lake for the Rum Runners Dryland mushing event. October 19, 2024 - day 1.Oscar a 7 year old siberian husky ...

09/25/2024

It's almost dryland mushing race season, so here's a throwback to our very first race last year!

We learned he's not very fast, but he has a special talent for stafing directly at the camera in every photo 😅

We only have 1 race weekend planned this year, towards the end of October, but maybe we'll add more - well see, it's tough with my work schedule.

08/14/2024

Just 2 pups out for an adventure because it's been like 2 weeks since it been cool enough to take Oscar out anywhere. He is now a very happy tired boy, and me and him have to get our butts in gear, because bikejoring race season is coming up soon!

07/30/2024

There's a story I don't tell often. And I think it's something that's important to share and remember.

If you've followed me for a while you probably know I lovingly refer to Nova as my 20 thousand dollar mutt.

That is because, she has cost me well over that in vet bills in her lifetime. I am by no means a wealthy person, but my dogs mean everything to me, and I will do absolutely everything in my power to make sure they are happy, and healthy.

In fact, there was a point in time where I had to choose between feeding myself and feeding Nova. And I of course, chose to feed Nova. She was less than a year old, I had just spent nearly a month in the hospital, I had run out of short term disability, and had gotten denied for long term disability. I had gotten my student loan funding pulled because I had to drop out of a semester of school due to my hospitalization.

Obviously none of this was in my plans.

Luckily for me my city has a pet food bank run by our shelter, the level of embarrassment going in and asking for puppy food was definitely high. But they were kind, and compassionate, and talked to me about other options available to help me. I actually also used a low income subsidized spay program to get Nova spayed I think it cost me $100.

Those programs exist for that exact reason, and we shouldn't be ashamed to need them.

Now I'm in a better position in life - I've actually donated several bags of food to the pet food bank. I also took in and spayed a feral cat with my own money last year, because all the rescues were full. I now regularly foster dogs.

All of these things I am able to do, because once upon a time someone was generous enough to give me and my little brown dog a helping hand.

I'm not 100% sure where I'm going with this other than, give if you can, have some compassion for those struggling, and don't be afraid to access the any resources around you to help when you need ❤️

07/18/2024

Nova just wants to let everybody know that it's 17th birthday today!

They are offering some AMAZING deals and bundles, so if you wanted to try Smack, nows your chance to get the best price.

Our code OURMUTTHOUSE15 will get you an additional 15% off and is stackable with the deals they have going on. It will also help poor sad little Nova to be able to get more Smack, as it runs out quickly in our household 😅

Anywhere, that's all! Have a good Wednesday

07/17/2024

We've had a crazy heat wave in Southern Alberta these last few weeks. It's current 21°C and 2am (coming at you from night shift lol)

Which means no running or biking for me or the fluffy one.

As a rule (based on trial and error) I don't run Oscar when it's over 15°C

Which even in summer if we get up early enough we can make it work. Right now not so much.

I feel bad for him, but there's not really anything I can do - maybe one day I'll have a dog treadmill for him to run on when it's this hot.

So enjoy this throw back shot of his favorite running weather

Wearing our most used trail runners the Cascadia 17

Entire outfit by brooks Lux short sleeve and spark tights

05/31/2024

A little throwback to an extremely foggy, but one of my favorite races with Oscar.

Such a good speedy boy



Bikejoring race | foggy | biking with dogs | siberian husky

05/24/2024

Throwback photo of a lake dog. Nova has been at lake dog at my moms lakehouse since she was a small pup. 2 years ago she taught Oscar the ways of being a wet swampy lake dog. Hopefully I'll be able to make time to go back at some point this summer 🤞

05/19/2024

This little brown dog is such a Rockstar.

Shes 4.5 weeks out from her z lig procedure to repair a ruptured cruciate ligament. I 10/10 recommend by the way, if you have this option over TPLO do it!

We had the first day of our scent detection trail today, and she went 0/3 in excellent (again lol). But she did SO good. There were some tricky hides and some small mistakes but she worked so well and was so focused and excited to work.

The judge made several comments about how she she just loved to search and how enthusiastic she was. And these sorts of trials just make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and remind me that ribbons are just ribbons and all that really matter is that my dog (and me) are enjoying ourselves.

04/28/2024

We call this "launch mode"

Oscar has this thing where he "play bows" but makes it look like he's going to lay down, and holds it for a second too long, and jumps at you 😅

I love it, but he's accidently head butted a few unexpected victims.

04/08/2024

Just a goofy faced girl to share a CCL tear update!

She'll be going in for surgery on the 24th of April, BUT she will not be getting a TPLO. She will instead be getting a zlig procedure. This is a newer surgery in dogs that is alot more similar to humans, and has alot less intense of a recovery. She basically will be getting 2 artificial ligaments put in a drilled into her tibia and femur replacing her tore ccl.

This procedure is still new to our surgeon (she's done about 30 of them now), which makes me anxious of the long term outcomes, as there is a potential for these to "tear" as well or pull away from the bone. But our vet is willing to guarantee the surgery, if she needs them tightened or replaced or if it ends up failing they will fix it or perform a tplo at no cost to me 🙌

I'm really excited about this because if you've been following along since Noas last surgery she had a VERY rough recovery from her tplo. She was completely non weight bearing for about 3 weeks. She had extreme swelling and pain. She had to have extra check ups and X-rays and tests to make sure everything was actually healing okay.

This surgery is supposed to have a much easier and smoother recovery. There's no strick crate rest required, so hopefully it will be much easier on her

03/28/2024

Extremely sad to say that Ember is not going to be staying with us.

Shes an amazing dog and absolutely brilliant and so fun to work with.

But there are a few things that make us believe she will be better off in a different setting.

She has a hard time settling around our dogs and they need to be kept separate when not supervised.

Our dogs have been very stressed by her restlessness as well.

She is still also extremely reactive to vehicles and will redirect her bites on the handler. We are unable to walk her in our neighborhood, so need to drive her to secluded areas to exercise her. It's alot more time consuming than people realize not being able to exercise a high energy dog nearby home.

Today she landed a bite hard enough to break the skin while i was trying to get her from the car to the house, because 2 vehicles happened to drive by.

Shes a super good girl and I just know she'll be better off living in a less busy household that has the time to take her out and exercise her.

She goes to meet another potential family tomorrow that will hopefully be a better fit for her ❤️



***leash and collar edited out

03/04/2024

It's was freezing cold and Oscar wanted to go out even though I didn't. So we comprised and went out for a bike ride lol.

The husky gets what the husky wants 🤣