I have seven dogs. Yes, I said seven dogs, four Siberian and three Alaskan Huskies. A year and a half ago I would have said you were nuts if you told me I'd have that many dogs. At that time I had just two pet dogs - one mutt named Duke (we later learned he was an Alaskan Husky) and one Border Collie/Dalmatian mix named Lucky. Lucky ended up being "not-so-lucky". In April 2001 I had to have her put down because she was very ill and bit my daughter. After that horrible experience I told my wife "No more dogs unless it's a purebred husky!" Since we didn't have enough money at the time to buy a purebred anything I thought that meant that we wouldn't be getting any more dogs any time soon. Boy was I wrong. The following month my wife had a whim. She called the local shelter to see if they had any husky puppies. They had one. A few days later we were the proud owners of a beautiful seven-month-old red and white Siberian Husky we named Chinook. Chinook was such a happy, lovable, and boisterous dog that it didn't take long for us to become completely hooked on Siberians.

Soon after adopting Chinook we discovered that he had way too much energy. He was like the "Energizer Bunny" - keeps going and going and going... After one incident when he got bored at night and proceeded to dig a two-foot diameter hole through the living room carpet - and almost through the floor - it became apparent that I would have to find a more constructive (and less destructive) way for him to burn off his energy. I turned to the Internet for some research and found a wealth of information on dogsledding - that being what huskies were bred for in the first place. I ended up buying harnesses for Chinook and Duke and built a wheeled "rig" out of two old bicycles. I harnessed the two dogs up to it and started training them how to be sled dogs. They LOVED IT! I LOVED IT! I was completely and totally ADDICTED to the sport the first time I tried it. Flying down a trail behind a team of grinning huskies was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life and the bond that developed between the dogs and I through the training process was (and is) totally priceless. Within a month we adopted two more Siberians and today, more than a year later, our kennel has grown to seven dogs with more on the way and I have plans to compete in sled dog races this coming winter.

The dogs have brought a quality to my life that I never even knew was missing. They have given me a purpose beyond just living my life. They are the truest of companions and give back every ounce of love and attention I give them tenfold. My relationship with the dogs has even improved my relationships with my wife and children because mushing is truly a family oriented sport. I have made many new friends and had new experiences that I never believed I would ever have.

Caring for and training seven dogs is a lot of work and requires many sacrifices, but "nothing worth doing is ever easy," right? I wouldn't trade them for the world!

Robert Bibber
robert@karobsiberians.com