All the Fun of Crufts

Here we are, one week on from Crufts and what a Crufts it was. My friend in the UK told me it was nothing near their expectations … It was more. The team of Alex, Matt, Mischief and Arapahoe were there on stand from 7.30 in the morning until nearly 8pm every day with all the visitors barely drew breath.

Mischief and Arapahoe were teaching dog owners their skills at loose lead walking as they proudly wore their fantastic harnesses made by our friends at Cosy Dogs. Our technical consultant Marie Miller, using her vast knowledge of Telling ton TTouch has developed the design of the harness by adding a front ring, so that it allows us dogs two points of contact and we can avoid pulling when we are walked on a double ended lead. This design innovation proved very popular with visitors along with the introduction of two new designs white paws and British Racing Green.

Hall one is the best place to be as it seems that people go there looking for things that relate to dog training and behaviour and we certainly fit the bill there. We were thrilled that Marie Miller was on our stand the first 3 days doing dog training and TTouch demonstrations and giving visitors advice on all sorts of dog problems from aggression to pulling. A big thank you Marie! (right Marie and Arapahoe teaching loose lead walking)

We also had a celebrity guest – Sarah Fisher who brought Tellington TTouch to the UK and who has been seen on television in Talking to Animals, The One Show, Blue Peter and just announced on the panel of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webbers Looking for Toto. (More details of this show can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorothy/totos/auditions.shtml). Sarah was at Crufts as she and Cookie Dough Dynamo were joining Battersea Dogs home to take part in Temptation Alley. Sarah and Marie signed copies of their books 100 Ways to Train the Perfect Dog and 100 Ways to Solve Your Dogs problems. Both best sellers in their field. Both books can be purchased signed at http://www.icheeta.com/books.html (above Sarah (left) and Marie (right) with their books). Above Cookie Dough, Dynamo wearing a Spiffy Dog Green Mountains collar.

Congratulations has to go to Mrs N and Mrs K Craggs and Armstrong the owners of the stunning Hungarian Vizsla who won Best in Show. Mischief also wanted me to offer congratulations to Mrs L Ratas for winning the Dalmatian best in breed and Arapahoe asked me to congratulate Ms S and Ms S and Ms A Leichand and Koops for wining best in breed for Siberian husky. The full results can be found at http://crufts.fossedata.co.uk/. The show was brought to a close (before the Best in Show) by a fantastic display of Heel Work to Music.

We used Crufts to launch our new branding. Here in the UK we have started to market other exciting products in the European Dog world over and above the fantastic Spiffy Dog range. To avoid any un-necessary confusion we have re-branded the company as Xtra Dog with a stunning new logo designed by Steve Futcher. Xtra Dog is very committed to the Spiffy Dog range, but our friends in England feel that they need a full range of dog products to help dogs with their full training needs. The new range included the fleece walking harnesses, which are joined by a range of sledding harnesses (the same ones that I wear) that are made by Adanac Sleds in Montana. Their Zima x-back harness which they invented over 50 years ago is a standard for sledding and working dogs, and is still made in the Montana Rocky Mountains. I love mine, you will love yours.

Well that’s all our news, for now, but don’t forget that we will be at a number of other shows over the year including the Royal Cornwall Show, the CLA Game Fair, The Robin Hood Game Shows, Discover Dogs, All About Dogs, Paws in the Park to name a few, so please stop by and see us. Sarah Fisher and Marie will be doing main arena demonstrations at Paws in the Park and the Robin Hood shows. Don't miss them there.

Also don’t forget to check us out in the press we will be in the May Dogs Monthly and the May Vogue, part of their Pampurred Pooch column.

Remember keep waggin’ those tails

Spiffy xx

Hi Everybody,

Spiffy here writing from snowy Stemboat Spring, the home of the world’s most comfortable dog collar, the air collar. A lot has happened since I last put paw to paper, not least from my home town of Stemboat. I think the last time I spoke to you we were off to Montana for the Race to the Sky, and what a race it was. For us sled dogs this is one of the great races of the world and this year it celebrated its 25th anniversary. Our team ran a good race, but as many of our dogs are young so we did not win this year, but there is always next year. Saying this all was not bad as the second place in the race was taken by another Steamboat team, Jarle Halsnes with a team of 12 dogs.

The race to the Sky Montana’s premier winter sporting event and is recognised as one of the most challenging and beautiful sled dog races in the world. It is an unusual test of physical power, mental toughness, teamwork, and the special bond between man and animal and takes place over 350 miles. Working together, they negotiate the trail through Montana’s scenic Rocky Mountains. The race was featured in the new movie starring Christopher Lloyd, Call of the Wild 3D, along with the fantastic Zima X-back harnesses that I wear and you can get at our stand at Crufts (Hall one, stand 125).

This year, for the first time, we also had the junior Race to the Sky and saw a great team of young mushers take part. (More information on the race can be found at www.racetothesky.org). (left the junior mushers)


It has also been a fantastic week for Steamboat in the Winter Olympics at Calgary. Steamboat is known around the globe simply as Ski Town, U.S.A. and has produced more winter Olympians than any other town in North America, now a record 84 and counting. Including the 2010 Games, Steamboat’s Olympians have represented eight different countries, made 148 Olympic appearances during 17 Winter Games. On Thursday, Billy Demong and Johnny Spillane won the Gold and Silver Medals in the 2010 Olympics' Nordic Combined event, which pairs ski jumping with cross country skiing. These medals followed Spillane winning the Silver Medal earlier in the week in his individual combine event. What a week for Steamboat. On a personal note why can’t mushing get recognised as an Olympic sport, I am sure you would all like to read about your favourite dog, winning a gold medal, how cool would that be!

Now to news from the UK, our British company is expanding and as my friends in the old county have explained to me they are getting so many requests for the complete range of dog products that they are expanding their range, not only to include my favourite Spiffy Dog Air Collar collar. ( If you are not wearing one, why aren’t you?) And the other fab Spiffy Dog products but they are expanding their range of harnesses to take in the famous Zima X-back harnesses that my team mates and I wear, as well as the fantastic fleece walking harnesses, that are made for them by Cosy Dogs in Lancaster. To this end they are changing their company name to Xtra Dog an all encompassing name that will take in Spiffy Dog, and the other products they sell, all for greater good of dogs, their training and wellbeing.

Don’t forget the team will be at Cruft this year, in Hall One, stand 125 and our dog behaviourist friend Marie Miller, will be on the standstand Thursday-Saturday, (I would wonder what she would have to say about some of my antics, but that’s another story!) so drop by and say hello and if you ask nicely my friend Arapahoe might even offer husky cuddles to special visitors.

Till next time keep wagging those tails

Spiffy xx

Back to Montana

Well we are heading back to Montana for the Race to the Sky a fantastic race that I know the team who are running the Grizzle T sled are very excited about. This race is also significant for us as it organised by Jack and Pam Beckstrom from Adanac Sleds who make the most fantastic sled dog harnesses, in fact their company invented the "X" back harness that we sled dogs wear. Our team use these fantastic harnesses too. If you are coming to Crufts this year at teh NEC in Birmingham (March 11-14), go and see the Spiffy Dog (Europe) team as they will have some of these great harnesses on their stand in Hall 1, stand 125 along with the Spiffy Dog collars and leads.

Pam has written a short piece about the upcoming race, so I shall hand you over to her.

"Montana’s Race to the Sky has 21 mushers (15 for 350 mile marathon and 6 for junior race) signed up to run this year’s 25th anniversary dog sled race. Mushers from Montana, Washington, Colorado, Canada, New Jersey, Michigan, Tennessee, Idaho, and California are preparing to head out on the trail next weekend starting at Camp Rimini, at the foot of McDonald Pass near Helena for the 350 mile mushers and at Hi Country Snack Foods near Lincoln for the start of the junior race and restart of the 350 mile race.

This year, organisers of the premier race have added a Junior Race to the Sky. The junior dog mushers will be running from Hi Country Snack Foods (Sunday, February 14, 10:00 start) to the White Tail Ranch (about 50 miles) with a mandatory layover before proceeding to the finish line about 50 miles away at Seeley Lake Community Center in Seeley Lake. This 100 mile continuous race has six mushers schedule to run ranging from 12 years old to 16 years old. Included in the Junior Race to the Sky are: Lacey Hart of Livingston, Montana, Jenny Greger of Bozeman, Montana, Justin Fink of Gladwin, Michigan, Aiyana Ferraro of Victor, Montana, Eimanne El Zein of Edmonds, Washington and the latest entry from Josie Thyr of Cataldo, Idaho.

The 350 mile race will start at Camp Rimini at 10:00, Saturday, February 13. The distance mushers will run to the finish that day just off the Woodville Exit near Butte. Mushers are predicted to finish that leg between 5:00-10:00 p.m. that evening.

Fifteen mushers are entered so far in the 350 mile race are: Rick Larson of Sand Coulee, Montana, Steve Madsen of Cougar, Washington, Chris Adkins of Sand Coulee, Montana, Jarle Halsnes of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Lachlan Clarke of Buena Vista, Colorado, megan Routley of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, Laura Daugereau of Port Gamble, Washington, Kim Darst of Blairstown, New Jersey, John Fink of Gladwin, Michigan, James Bardoner of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, Ryne Olson of McMillan, Michigan, Kris Hoffman of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Cindy Gallea of Seeley Lake, Montana, Mark Ibsen of Helena, Montana and Doug Wurzelbacher of Chilcoot, California. Officials expect a few last minute entries to come in this weekend.

The restart of the 350 mushers will start Sunday at noon from Hi Country Snack Foods near Lincoln. This starts the continuous portion of their journey and they will be following the junior mushers into White Tail Ranch Checkpoint.

Also on Saturday is the Junior Vet Check at the corner of Park and Dakota in Uptown Butte at 3:00-4:00 p.m. Come and see the dogs have their physicals before they run 100 miles and then head to Woodville to see the bigger teams finish the first leg.

Checkpoints for this year’s race include Camp Rimini near Helena, Woodville Exit near Butte, Hi Country Snack Foods near Lincoln, White Tail Ranch near Ovando, Seeley Lake Community Center in Seeley Lake, Owl Creek wilderness checkpoint near Condon and back to Seeley Lake, finishing under the start/finish archway at Hi Country Snack Foods.

All checkpoints are accessible by car. The White Tail Ranch and Owl Creek wilderness checkpoints are not operational for the public but the rest of the checkpoints are accessible by car. The public is encouraged to take part in all the events."

Thanks Pam! If you can't get to Montana then I hope my English friends will see you at the NEC for Crufts. Remember we are in Hall 1, stand 125 and we may be able to reveal some exciting new Spiffy Dog designs coming out later this year.

Until next time ... Keep Wagging those tails

Spiffy xx

What a week!

What a week ... the team and I have been up in Montana racing whilst the UK team have been in Stafford at the Manchester Dog show. What a great 4 days they had there, met so many fantastic dogs, especially a number of Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers. These are the most amazing dogs with wonderful personalities. My friend Arapahoe also told me that she had a fantastic time meeting huskies who came by to the stand to say hello, especially the grey husky bitch whose mother kept feeding her chicken!!

Above, the wonderful Nova Scotia Duck tolling Retriever

We are all really excited about Cruft, except me, as they won’t fly me over for the show, but they have promised to put my photos up on the stand and to tell everyone about my life here in Colorado. We are in Hall 1 and on stand 125, so please pop by and say hello to the team. Arapahoe has promised husky cuddles to those who want one!

We are also excited that we are soon going to be launching a range of sled dog and cani-cross products similar to the ones I wear. They are coming over from Adanac Sleds in Montana who I am told invented the famous X-back harness so familiar with us racing dogs.

Well have to go, my sled is waiting, so till next time keep wagging those tails

Spiffy xx

Hello from Montana

Hello friends

We are up here in Montana for the Seeley Lake dog races in Montana and we're all very excited to see how our Grizzle T team do this year.

The race starts in front of the Hotel Lincoln in Lincoln at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon (US Mountain Time). The mushers will travel to Seeley Lake and return to the finish in Lincoln no later than 5:00 P.M. on Sunday.

The teams will travel East from the start to Sucker Creek Road and then head North on Sucker Creek Road.

If you want to follow the race then follow this link to the official race blog over the weekend http://seeleylakeraces.blogspot.com/ and lets hope my kennel mates do us proud.

Back in the UK, I have been helping the UK team put finishing touches onto their new Facebook page. Alex complains about having such a page, but I keep telling him Facebook is the cool way to keep in-touch and he is finally listening too me. Check it out and become a fan it's called Spiffy Dog (Europe)

We are hoping to be adding some sledding harnesses into our range soon, and with all the snow you guys have had in the UK I bet you will be glad of them. Keep an eye on our website for more details. In the meantime; Alex, Matt, Arapahoe and Mischief are getting ready to head up to Stafford to the Manchester Dog Show next Thursday to Sunday; so make sure you come and say hello if you are going.

Well its time to get off this computer and join my kennel mates, so until next time, keep waggin those tails

Spiffy

Crufts

Hi All

This is a quick message from Steamboat. I heard last night from my friends in the UK office that we are going to be at Cruft in Birmingham in March. I am most upset with the guys as they won't fly me over for Cruft as I would love to meet all my friends at this famous dog show. I hope that Mischief, Arapahahoe, Matt and Alex will welcome you to our stand and show you all the goodies we have.

I hope that everyone in the UK is not snow bound, but if it was me I would be getting out pulling the sled and showing you what fun sledding is.

Till next time

Wag those tail

Spiffy xx

Hello Everyone

Hi Everyone,

My name is Spiffy Dog and I know you can read my profile to find out all about me, but I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce myself. I am an Alaskan husky and live in a place called Steamboat Springs in Colorado in the USA. Steamboat is a beautiful mountain spa town, and it is believed that there are more of us dogs than human in the area. How cool is that!! I am part of the Grizzle T racing team and if you are in Stemaboat, please come and join me mushing. Take a look at their website www.steamboatdogsledding.com



Steamboat is also famous as a ski area and my human friends, just love the mountain and getting out and enjoying the lovely powder snow. We proudly boast that Steamboat has bred more Olympian skiers than any US ski town. Our best know champion is Billy Kidd (left) who won silver in the 1960s and is now the director of our ski school.

In 2001, here in our spa town a very unusual dog collar was invented by my friends at a local company called Fat Eddies that they called the air collar. It was made of a material called aerospacer that my human friends tell is the same material that they have in their trainer shoes. When they showed it to me I could not believe my eyes as it looked so soft and in a really cool design. I was asked to try it on and I told them that it had to be the world's most comfortable dog collar! Trialing iot over a perid of time, I came to realise that in the snow and the wet it was really quick-drying and breathable so did not get smelly like other collars I had worn, it was also really quick drying.

In time they decided to market these collars on a big scale and name the company after me, so here we are at Spiffy Dog. As time has gone on other great products have joined the range and I have to say that I love everything that they sell. Check out www.Spiffydog.co.uk

Last year my friends at Spiffy Dog told me that there was a European Spiffy Dog company setting up and I was so excited to hear that our fantastic collars and leads were crossing the Atlantic and that English, French, German, Irish dogs would be able to enjoy these products too.

The owners of Spiffy Dog in the UK have asked me to be your guide and keep you up to date as to what is happening in the company, and also what is happening in my home town, especially with the Winter Olympics coming up. I am hoping that a few Steamboat medals are won.

On a personal note I am also very excited about the upcoming Iditarod, the world's longest dog sled race from Alaska to Nome It’s unlike any other event in the world. A race over 1,150 miles of the most extreme and beautiful terrain known to man: across mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests, desolate tundra and windswept coastline ... I am hoping one day to compete in this race myself. I will keep you abreast with all of this, but in the meantime check out www.iditarod.com.

Finally I am thrilled to be able to tell you that at the end of last year Pet Product Marketing Magazine named us in the Top 15 product launches for 2009. Here is a short excerpt;

"The Spiffy Dog Air Collar is made from a soft, lightweight and quick-drying fabric called Aerospacer, enhancing a range that brings the latest in dog collar technology to the UK. Aerospacer is best known as the material trainers are made from, so it is soft, and comfortable for dogs, especially the short-haired varieties."

Editor's comment "Wow! This collar is really soft. Chances are the dogs won't even know they are wearing them."

Until next time enjoy the snow!

Wag those Tails

Spiffy