Jasper

22 April 2011

Canadian Inuit/Polar Husky mix

Age: 4 years

Home Kennel: Chris Maher's near Ely, MN

Favorite Position: Swing

“ Sit pretty, Jasper.  Sit pretty.”  I just love hearing those words. They mean that it's time for me to sit down, then a human puts a harness over my head, pulls my legs through the holes in the harness, and gives me a few pets. When this happens, I know that all of us dogs are going to get hooked up together and run all day long!

I like running because I get to play around a little bit, and even sometimes growl at the other dogs. The scenery changes all the time, which means I have lots of chances to mark my territory and let everyone know that I am the top dog. When I'm running in front, I can stop the whole team if I want to pee in a particular spot. This always results in a little extra attention from the humans. They try to sound like they are upset and want me to keep moving, but I know they are really saying, “Good job, Jasper! Keep up the good work!”

My fur is almost all black, except for a little bit around my mouth and on my legs. When it's really cold out, if the sun is shining, I am glad for my dark fur because it helps me warm up a bit quicker than the other dogs. Lately, though, with these warm temperatures I have been secretly wishing that someone would give me a haircut. The sun's heat is a little more bearable when a cool breeze blows through my fur, but I still get pretty hot in the springtime.

If the humans gave out an award for best tail among us dogs, I would definitely get it. I always make sure to hold my tail high when I am running so everyone can admire my luscious locks. I get a little scared of the dominant female dogs from time to time, but there's not really much that gets me down. Maybe if we have too many rest days in a row, but that's about it. I dare you to catch me frowning. I once heard the humans say, “Looking good is feeling good.” I'm almost positive they were talking about me!