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Jasper is 3 today! 💚💚💚

Jasper was 8 weeks old when we adopted him from @oregonhumane. He arrived with his siblings from Klamath & of course they were all scooped up right away from the shelter.

We chose to adopt a husky puppy in response to a growing fear our kiddo had of dogs of all shapes & sizes. If you have enough bad experiences as a baby & toddler, it’s not surprising. It was a high risk high reward decision to see if we could address her fear by bringing in a puppy she could raise while it was tiny, & then see it grow slowly into a big dog.

She went from running across the street when a dog was approaching to introducing herself to strangers on trails & asking if their dog would be okay with getting pet. Less than two weeks later, this guy had healed her fear & now we had a full on husky for his life! She became a regular with me in the dog park documenting all the dogs, their breeds & their humans.

It’s hard to find any pictures of Jasper by himself these days. After his first birthday, we adopted his brother. They are now pretty much inseparable whether wrestling or napping.

Jasper loves humans as much as dogs, is a fan of river cold plunging 365 days a year, would be happier with a heavy sled to pull, appreciates constant affection, sleeps underneath the bed in his cave, takes treats with his lips, would be safe to nanny a newborn, has a feral shadow side when he feels he has something to prove to another dog, has two golden retriever nemesis in the neighborhood, has a much larger canine fan club, looks like a sweetheart but will act like a scary wolf if a dude gives me a threatening vibe, is shockingly enthusiastic about his kibble twice a day every day, stays close to me off-leash, and is my favorite red husky on earth.

We sang his birthday song & he enjoyed some dog ice cream & I made a wish he’d live until 20. He has rearranged my world, and I cannot imagine my life without him.

(Now go foster or rescue a husky or donate to @huskyhalfwayhouse) 🙏🏼💚 by @pdx.huskies

29

7

a month ago

These two have done more to heal my nervous system than I could have imagined. I didn’t anticipate this & yet in retrospect it feels obvious.

I’ve spent two decades navigating significant hypervigilance inside my home as well as outside in public. Both have been spaces of profound violation.

I’ve done significant amounts of focused somatic trauma healing (& it’s also part of my job!) & it’s true that it’s harder to heal when you are still swimming in the waters where you were harmed (i.e. rape culture). I’ve developed a lot of capacity to tolerate bullshi*, I’ve built a career around tearing it down & I can recover quickly from fresh psychological wounds.

Still, there remained acute fear responses that no amount of bodywork, yoga, therapy, acupuncture, etc had to been able to dislodge. The doorbell rings & I’d hide with a racing heart. I see a man approaching me on the street & I pretend I’m on my phone, or I brace for the impact.

Along come the huskies, & without even trying, everything began to shift inside me. They are sensitive, protective & they have a far more accurate threat response than I do. I look to them to gauge whether or not I even need to be vigilant. They are like an external vigilance system helping to discern my response.

Now, if someone’s persistently ringing the doorbell, I gather them & open the door with them leading. I stand up for myself when a dude harasses me on the street or acts shady on the trail. Once when I had Buckley on leash, & a man was calling me a c***, b****, & w**** , then started to walk towards me, I told him to either back off, or that I would take my dog off its leash & he would regret it. He stopped. It was like a magical power. A few weeks ago I went out to see a show by myself pretty late & got nervous walking to my car, the dogs weren’t with me, but I channeled the strength I feel when they are at my side & it mitigated my stress response. This past winter & spring, we’ve often been on the trail before sunrise.

I am eternally grateful for them & will keep doing my best to live up to the privilege that is being their human. They are natural healers & have shown me what is possible when I feel safe. 🩵🩵 by @pdx.huskies

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3

2 months ago

They are the counterbalance to the tension of what feels hard, they are movement when my heart feels stagnant, and they offer freedom when I want to hide.

My practice is to remember that their wild spirits, their relentless energy, and their enthusiasm for living (even if it gets us all into trouble sometimes) is some of the best medicine in the world.

#huskies #pdxhuskies #pnwhuskies #shepsky #caninehealers by @pdx.huskies

26

1

4 months ago

We are coming up on our one year anniversary of running. When I rescued these guys I knew they would need to run a lot, however, I was naive as to how much I would be running *alongside* them.

As I felt this time last year, having active dogs has transformed my perspective on weather and seasons. Because they require I go outside everyday and move my own body, I am able to notice the micro changes in my local environment and witness how seemingly mundane or inconvenient elements (rain!!!) ensure the arrival of the stunning spring and summer conditions that catch the eye so easily.

I am also more connected to nature and my community through my own body - noticing & feeling new moss textures, listening to frogs, being curious about shifting water levels on the river, knowing where the cats hide under cars on runs, watching the sunrise daily, observing how my own energy changes as the season changes, and tracking the increase & decrease of husky hair flow throughout my house.

These guys won’t be young forever and neither will I, so I recognize what a privilege and joy it is (for all of us) to be able to sprint down trails, jump across pools of water, hang out amongst massive trees and ferns, see woodpeckers & geese & elk on a walk, swim in a beautiful river, and I try to take advantage of our time together.

Their life is sweet, albeit simple.

Could they survive with less activity? Probably. Could they handle a whole lot more activity? For sure. Will they need this much in 3 years? Maybe not? Is it my responsibility to do my best to maintain the health of my own body so I can keep ensuring their access to movement? Absolutely.

In my optimism, I’m hoping our second year of running leads to my ability to run them simultaneously so we could go further on each run, and I could have some days off from running. It may take a bit longer than that, but we have come really far in less than 12 months, so anything is possible. In the meantime, we are heading into rainy season with waterproof running shoes, a new route with less potholes & less dogs barking behind fences than last winter, and microdoses of evening dog park visits again.

#huskiesofinstagram #huskies by @pdx.huskies

10

2

9 months ago

Husky mom life has been a lot of everything.

Highs and lows trying to keep life in balance with two teenage boy huskies who are still working out the pack dynamic over a year into their brotherhood.

We are all finding our way.

Yes they are a lot of work and they also give back more love, joy, awe, and *protection* than I could have ever imagined. The safest place in the world is with them at my side and they’ve proven this a few times while out on our dawn adventures.

They’ve also turned me into a person who wakes at 5am and runs one, sometimes both, before sunrise. The daily runs have made an amazing impact on their energy (as in chipping away at it!) still, there is nothing like their full speed freedom on the weekends at 1000 acres.

I am trying to appreciate their high levels of energy because I know down the road, they will get older, slow down, their wrestling matches will last for seconds versus epically long sessions, and these high octane adventures will be a thing of our past.

Last week I met an elder husky and it was so sweet to hear about her glory days running in the snow in Alaska, her gentle life in Portland, and so precious to pet her wooly body in her golden years. I definitely squeezed Jasper and Buckley extra extra when I got home.

All that said: I still think anyone who’s interested in adding a dog to their life and is physically active (running, hiking, biking, skiing, rollerblading, skateboarding, etc) should rescue a husky! You don’t have to get two! I know I made my life about 1 million times harder when I doubled the fluff. It’s worth it but not for everyone!

I’m still dreaming of writing a story for @runnersworldmag that ties husky rescue stories to running stories. In the meantime, they are the greatest animals and true companions with giant personalities.

#pdxhuskies #huskiesofinstagram #pnwhuskies #malamutesofinstagram #shepskysofinstagram by @pdx.huskies

15

2

9 months ago

Meet us at 1000 acres on June 6th at 11am.

We will start out heading towards the field that is just south of the parking lot then head towards Boundary Trail and see where they go.

#huskiesofinstagram #pnwhuskies #pdxhuskies #shepsky taken in 1000 Acres - Sandy River Delta by @pdx.huskies

14

1

a year ago

I could never thank them enough for the joy they give to me just by existing as they are!

The best thing that happened to these huskies and me was figuring out how to safely be off-leash.

They’ve worked so hard for this and I am so proud of them, and me, and us!

Now they have their freedom and I receive the gift of witnessing them running unbound by leashes and the slow pace of their humans.

They still challenge me all the time and they are also always healing me.

💚💛

#pdxhuskies #pdxmalamutes #pdxshepsky #pdxhusky #huskiesofportland #huskiesofinstagram #malamutesofportland #adoptsontshop #huskylife #huskylove #pnwhusky #jasperandbuckley taken in Thousand Acres Dog Park by @pdx.huskies

14

6

a year ago

This is from the day Jasper and Buckley met last August. They wrestled hard and ran hard for about 6 hours straight and then they collapsed side by side.

I still monitor their play and occasionally interrupt so they don’t escalate too high, but for the most part, I think these two under 2 year old male huskies are an amazing match.

One day they’ll be elders and I will remember this exhausting and intense era of their adolescence fondly.

I’m hoping to organize a pack walk on leash at Mt Tabor in the coming weeks. I would still love to meet up at 1000 acres and I understand not all huskies stay nearby without a leash and fence.

Please message me if a pack walk would be of interest to you. I will absolutely have to run them first so they can chill on the walk, but going uphill at Tabor will help slow their pull!

#pdxhuskies #huskiesofinstagram #pdxhusky #pdxmalamutes #pdxshepsky by @pdx.huskies

15

1

a year ago

Hello!

Thanks for your patience as I try to actually organize a husky/mix outting. Turns out managing my own pack (and life!) keeps me busy.

Meeting at the river was fun but it was hard for some of us whose dogs wander and while I’d love to try 1000 acres as a big pack, I think for now a fenced in space makes the most sense.

I reserved a one acre piece of land in Gresham (pictured in the first 4 photos) on sniff spots for this Sunday, 2/2 from 10:30am - 11:30am for 5 dogs. That is the max they allow! The space is about 20 mins directly east from the Brentwood dogpark.

I’ve got two, so this means 3 spots are open. Ideally I’ll find bigger spaces for more dogs to gather, but I wanted to be realistic as we start this up.

Please message me if you’d like to join us and I’ll send you the address. If you cannot come at the last minute, please send a message to me by Saturday evening, so I can free up that spot for another husky/mally/mix friend!

Jasper and Buckley will be excited to have an acre and friends to wrestle and run with!

If no one else can come meet us, this will still give me a chance to check out the spot and confirm if it’s a good one to go back to! The dogs in these photos look happy and I was glad to see some huskies were there. The last 3 photos are J and B being cute at home. 💚💛

#pdxhuskies #huskiesofportland #adoptsontshop #huskylove #huskylife #malamutesofportland #pdxmalamutes by @pdx.huskies

12

3

a year ago

These two went on their first run today!

It was very spontaneous although I’ve been wanting to do it for a while. I was hoping to start with one at a time but one of our training needs/areas of challenge is figuring out separating them without distress. They don’t have separation issues from me, but they *do not like* if one of them leaves the house without the other. I think the one leaving with me is actually fine flying solo, but the one that stays home gets very upset.

Together, the 3 of us ran for about 20 minutes, although my watch “paused my workout” midway, so I couldn’t fully track their time or distance.

If you run with your huskies, how did you get started? If you have multiples, did you start with all of them or one at a time?

Any leash set ups that you recommend? Thoughts on pavement vs. grass? How did you build up their mileage?

These two ran with weighted packs and I’m not sure it’s necessary, but it was really helpful on our hike at 1000 acres and even with the weight, they were flying today! They also went to the river on a beach run this morning, and that didn’t slow them down for their afternoon jog.

I’m also thinking about rollerblading, getting a dog sled for pulling, and cross country skiing, but the snow stuff requires more preparation (& money as I don’t have any of the gear). These two have radically altered my ideas about how I will spend my downtime! 😂

Still, if you have a husky/mix you know how satisfying it is to see them running their hearts out, and also, to be able to fully tire them out. By the morning, their batteries will have reset and the work begins again. by @pdx.huskies

7

2

2 years ago

Being the guardian of a husky (x 2) is one of the most humbling experiences of my life after parenting a human.

Sometimes, it feels more so, because when we are off-leash and learning our good manners, it feels like all the other dogs have got it figured out. I’m always the only human chasing after my little beasts who’ve gone off on another adventure.

I do believe that the only way we will get better at things like off-leash outings, recall, being gentle with young and old house guests, and playing like a husky without going overboard, etc. is by practicing as much as we can.

I am looking forward to another husky meetup with some acreage and fencing so they can run and play without inhibition and I can relax knowing the other husky parents get it!

#huskies #portlandhuskies #pdxhuskies #huskymeetup #pnwhuskies by @pdx.huskies

11

0

2 years ago

Our first @pdx.huskies meet up was sweet today!

We had 6 dogs and were able to stay as a pack for nearly an hour despite lots of other dogs and humans passing through.

Please stay tuned for a survey of dates for a December meet up at @sniffspots to ensure we have fences and no potential tricky distractions for our pups.

Thank you to the lovely humans and huskies that came!

#huskies #portlandhuskies #pdxhuskies #huskymeetup #pnwhuskies taken in Sellwood Riverfront Park by @pdx.huskies

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4

2 years ago