Our Store is Open!

Ever wanted to join our team or sport some Lucky Fox Racing gear? Guess what? Now you can!
Our online store is officially open for shirts, mugs, bags, and more. We will periodically add new styles and colors for each season.
Use your PayPal account or credit card and shop away!

Our dogs are family to us, and each pup we rescue has brought a unique set of talents to the team. We are proud to be able to love, train, and race our dogs and are grateful for your support as well.

Thank you for taking the time to shop with us! Happy trails!

It's Been a While . . .

Hello there! Yes, it's been a while since we've last posted. We've had many changes recently and promise to share with you more often.

So, here's where we are. We now have a team of 7 dogs, and dog 8 is our namesake Fox. Our team consists of Ruger, Denali, Calypso, Prudhoe, Oso, K2, and Katahdin.

Since you've heard from us last, we have been to Poland to represent the United States at the IFSS Dryland World Championships via USFSS. We traveled with Oso and Prudhoe. Nick took 19th place, and Joy brought home 46th.

You may know Calypso has dealt with glaucoma since we adopted her. When her first eye was removed, the vet let us know the same would likely eventually happen with her remaining eye. In January, Calypso lost her sight completely. But, that didn't get her down and in May, she completed a trail 5k at the Pineland Farms Trail Running Festival in Maine!

We have recently been doing more speaking engagements as well, including talks at Fleet Feet Sports in Springfield, MO, Boat Town Brewing in Phillipsburg MO, and we also shared with Mappy Hour at Mother's Brewery in Springfield, MO. We'd love to share more about dog powered sports with your group as well!

We have been focusing on canicross and setting our sights on the ICF Championships in Poland this October.

We hope to see you on the trails soon!

Looking for a Running Buddy?

We came across a webpage the other day that reminded us of how we got into canicross and mushing. Nick was a competitive runner in both high school and college before dealing with a pretty serious injury. After recovering from the injury, Joy pushed Nick to get back into running, but running had lost its draw for Nick. Nick needed something to motive him to get up in the morning and lace up those running shoes. Nick found his motivation in the form of four legs, a wet nose, and a lot of fur, also known as Ruger. After seeing how much fun Nick and Ruger were having together, Joy wanted a dog to run with. The rest is history.

We came across this graph from Lovejoys Pet Food that puts a little science behind our journey into canicross. Are you looking for motivation to exercise? Maybe you will find that in a dog. Take a look at this, and see which breed might fit your exercise routine. Do not forget the tips at the bottom of the page!

We're Still Here

Noticeably, it's been a while since we have posted. We have been busy! This summer flew by for us. We moved into a new home, and spent much of our summer unpacking boxes. In the meantime, we added K2 (formerly Shadow) to our family. He came to us from Heartland Husky Rescue and has been such a valuable addition to us. We are grateful to have him. We call Pruhoe and K2 "The Tweedles" after Tweedledee and Tweedledum. They do everything together. K2 is a very loving dog who enjoys all the snuggle time he can get.

The summer brought heat and humidity (like usual) which made training a little difficult. In the meantime, Joy suffered from an avulsion fracture in her foot, which meant much of the training was left up to Nick, who was also rehabbing an injury. Needless to say, the summer served as a time of learning and restructuring training schedules. During this time, we added an ATV to our training tools. Now that it is cooling down, we are really taking advantage of using this for strength training for the dogs.

Both Nick and Joy are healthy again, and the canicross and dryland training miles are going up. K2 is still learning his commands and learning to go "on-by" the neighbor cows, but he will get there.
Joy was able to take Denali for a run today - the first run the two have been on together since the fracture occurred. The injury has taken a long time to heal, and running with a pup adds additional stress, so Joy was waiting for the right to time to add Denali back into her training. Today was that day, and it went well! The bond formed between human and dog when working together is incredible.

Last weekend, Nick and Prudhoe took first place overall at the Jog with your Dog 5k in Mountain Home, Arkansas. This was a great chance for Prudhoe to get a canicross race in and work on being in the race environment. He was overjoyed with his bucket of treats he earned as his prize!

We have several canicross races coming up. Next weekend is the Fast and the Furriest 5k and we will be attending Jump River, Bristol, and Dirty Dog later this fall.

We will do a better job of keeping you up to date!

Happy Trails!
#luckyfoxracing
#luckyfoxkennel

Joy and Denali this morning after their run together

Nick and Prudhoe before the Jog with your Dog 5k in Mountain Home, Arkansas

Another dog? Yep! Welcome home, K2.

If you know us at all, it should come as no surprise to you that we recently welcomed a new team member and friend into our family. K2 (formerly, Shadow) comes to us from Heartland Husky Rescue. K2 (named after the mountain) is a about 2 and a half years old. He is a very loving boy who is eager to learn and please. We are working on his commands and manners, but he is progressing quickly.

K2 has been on 3 runs with us now. His longest run was 2.3 miles, and he did great. He is learning commands, and is watching the other dogs to see what to do. Prudhoe is really stepping up and being a great leader in harness for K2.

We are excited to see his progress both in harness and as a family member. He sat and stayed on his own for his food for the first time tonight! He is a smart boy and we are grateful to have him.
Oh - his favorite location is the bathtub. So, if you're looking for him you might check there.

What? You think this is weird?

Should we have named him Skunky? Perhaps Pepe le Pew?

Photo sent to us from Heartland Husky Rescue

After his first run (2 miles)

GSDC Dryland Race Recap and Sponsorship Update

It's been a few weeks since our last post. We have been busy training and enjoying time with the pups. 

On February 13, we participated in the Gateway Sled Dog Club Dryland race. This was a small club race, but it was a great event and a lot of fun.

Nick took Ruger, Denali, Calypso, and Prudhoe in the 3-4 dog, 3 mile race. The team ran very well and placed first.

Joy took Ruger and Denali in the 2 dog, 1 mile race. On the last downhill, she hit a slick spot while on the breaks, skidded, and wrecked. She got back up only to not realize the alignment on the rig was off and proceeded to wreck a second time. But fall down twice, get up three times. Despite the mishaps, Joy, Ruger, & Denali still did well enough to place first.

The dogs ran incredibly well and we were very proud of them.

We are also excited to announce we are now a part of the Nooksack Racing Team. Nooksack Racing Supply is a great company that has been very encouraging to us in our growth in this sport. We highly recommend Nooksack for all your dog powered sport needs. For those of you who live close to us, if you want to try different sizes of harnesses on your dog to ensure a correct fit, please let us know. While we don't have every size or style, due to the various sizes of our dogs, we have many of the sizes Nooksack makes (thanks, Prudhoe for being so overweight when we got you and for going through 3 different harness sizes as you got in shape).

This weekend we are headed to Stockton State Park to camp and run with the dogs on the Lakeview Trail and the Frisco Highline Trail.

Thanks for keeping up with our adventures! Stay tuned for more. 

A huge thanks to Laura Stange for the photos below. 

The IronLine Recap

This weekend was phenomenal. We packed up and headed out on Thursday night for the Upper Peninsula (UP) - specifically Iron River, Michigan.

We arrived around 6:30am on Friday morning, and headed to our room to take a nap. We attended the mushers banquet where Ruger was the subject of much attention. Such a handsome dog warrants lots of photos!

We headed to the start line to watch Richie Camden of Breakaway Kennels head out for the 40 mile, 10 dog race. This event started in the dark, and was really exciting to watch.

Saturday morning was our turn. We left the chute at 9:40am. Our race was a 4 dog, 12 mile race (in the daylight).

We opted to race Ruger and Denali in lead, and Prudhoe in single wheel. A few weeks ago, Calypso quicked several nails, and has not been able to train. We didn't feel it was right to ask her to race. She was quite mad at us, and pouted in the corner of the dog box while the other dogs were being hooked up. However, she did enjoy playing in the snow and burying her face in it.

Ruger, Denali, and Prudhoe were ready to race. At the starting line, we overheard "That one leader is as big as two normal dogs put together" (referring to Alaskan Huskies of course).

The dogs ran well. Ruger was flawless, and Denali used her speed well. This was Prudhoe's first time on snow. He was unsure at first, but by the end of the race he was a pro.

Our official run time was 1:31:36, so about 7.9mph. We made a few quick stops along the trail, so our moving speed was just under 8.5mph! Our team placed 7th in the 4 dog race, and we were really pleased with this. It was the first time racing on snow for our team, and a great experience overall. We are looking forward to going back next year, and adding a few more races to our calendar.

Two little girls built a snow sculpture of Ruger

Headed out on the trail

Race start

This is pure happiness

Dog selfies are hard

Ready to Race!

Today is the day! After work, we are headed to Iron County, Michigan to participate in The IronLine dogsled race. This will be our first chance to race on the snow, and we know the dogs will be pumped to run on something other than dirt.

Training has been going well. The team has done several 20 or 22 mile runs on the Frisco Highline Trail. We have been doing speed work with the dogs while running, and have been working hard on their commands while training. We are looking forward to seeing how this weekend goes, and are hoping for a great experience.

January 20 marked a fun day for us as well. The County Neighbor publication was released and featured a story on our team. Calypso even made the front page.

Last weekend we met up with a few other teams for training to work on passing and socialization. We had a chance to camp out and enjoy the beautiful winter weather.

So - our next post should have a recap of the race with lots of photos!

Photo Credit: Lori Tack (Ozark Greenways)

Photo Credit: Mary Morris (Cedar County Republican)

Calypso is on the front page!

Snow!

We have snow. Just not enough to sled on. But that's okay! We headed to the Frisco Trail (Walnut Grove) on Saturday morning for a long run. There was enough snow to make everything white and beautiful, and to make the dogs overly excited to run!

Nick took the dogs 18.25 miles on the dryland rig, while Joy logged some peaceful running miles in the snow. He switched the dogs out a few times to ensure Prudhoe had a chance to work in lead position for a bit. Overall, the dogs did very well and enjoyed the snow. Calypso did exceptionally well, and wanted to go even farther once the run was over!

Hopefully we'll have a chance to get the sled out later this winter.

Dogs and New Friends

It's been a while since our last post, but a lot has been happening! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday and that you stayed safe and dry.

In mid December, we were fortunate enough to meet up with teams from St. Louis, Tulsa, and Kansas City. We spent the weekend dryland mushing on the Frisco Highline Trail (Walnut Grove Trailhead) as well as on the Lakeview Trail at Stockton State Park. We camped at Stockton State Park and enjoyed a bit of peace with our pups. We have a North Face tent meant for winter camping/mountain camping and we had a chance to try it out in the heavy rain. Needless to say, it is built well and we stayed very dry (and warm thanks to the dogs who crawled in our sleeping bags).
Our guests enjoyed the new trails, and will be returning the weekend of January 23 for another adventure! We are looking forward to this, as it allows us a chance to work on passing other teams.

Here's the big news! We have officially registered for our first sled race! While we've raced canicross and the dryland rig before, we haven't had a chance to race on snow. Nick will be mushing the team in The IronLine 12 mile sled race in Iron County, Michigan at the end of January. We are looking forward to exploring the UP and participating in the race.

Ruger and Prudhoe really enjoy opening Christmas gifts. On Christmas morning, both mals were extremely excited to tear into our gifts. They believe all gifts have their names on them, and that they're entitled to open them all. The pups received some upgrades to the sled as their Christmas gift.

We traveled to Florida over the holidays to visit Joy's family. The dogs stayed home and enjoyed the monsoon we had. Digging in the muddy yard is incredibly fun! Thanks to our amazing dog sitter for giving them all baths, and for mopping the floors :)

As far as training, we are trying to up our miles, but it's been slightly difficult as many of our trails are still soaked and muddy from the extensive rain we had between Christmas and January 1. We are headed to St. Louis this weekend for a dryland rig practice with the Gateway Sled Dog Club, followed by a long run on the gorgeous Katy Trail.

One more shout out - Happy 14th Birthday to sweet, Fox.

Thank you for following us, and keep your eyes and ears peeled for further updates! Don't forget about our new website: www.luckyfoxkennel.com.
Happy Trails to you.

Website

We are working on building a website where you can learn more about us and our team as you follow our adventures. Check it out at www.luckyfoxkennel.com.

Rig Rendezvous 2015

We love Rig Rondy. We look forward to it year round and we are already looking forward to 2016. This year was good for us, as we learned a good amount about what we need to work on with our team, and individually with each dog.

Nick participated in the 4-dog rig race and canicross (with Ruger). Joy participated in canicross (with Denali), and was the canicross runner for a relay team.

The dogs did well during the rig race and we were pleased with the way they ran. However, Denali was a bit of a "distracted husky" during canicross. During the summer, we took a lot of time off, partially due to the weather, and partially due to the fact we wanted to sleep. What we learned from this is that even if it is too warm to run, we can still work with the dogs in other ways. Obedience, hook up, etc. Not that sleeping in is bad (obviously we love it), but we want to ensure we give our dogs the best chance to perform well, and to do that, we need to put the work in.

That being said, Denali did significantly better during the canicross portion of the relay race and our relay team placed third.
The relay was a fun event. It consists of canicross, bikejor, and rig. Our dryland musher needed two more dogs to make a full team. So, Ruger and Prudhoe joined her. This was great for them as they were able to learn to work with another dog and listen to another musher other than Nick or Joy. They did well, and she enjoyed racing with them.

Overall, we were pleased with the dogs' performance and were grateful for any lessons we learned. We were most pleased with Calypso. Sometimes, she gets shy and antsy in crowds. She tends to cower, and not want to participate. We were worried that all the excitement might be an issue for her. It was a starting line decision whether to race her or not. However, she wanted to race and she truly excelled. She ran phenomenally and we were impressed with the effort she put in. She did well at the starting line, and did not seem too bothered by all the other dogs at the race.
This was exciting for us to see, as we have been working very hard with her. It was nice to know the work we have been doing is working with her.

Rig Rondy is well organized and is a great race for beginners. Everyone is willing to help, and we have learned quite a bit by watching other teams and asking questions. We are grateful to everyone who has helped us learn and grow in the sport,

New Trail Adventures and Fall Training

We are upping the mileage as fall has finally arrived! The dogs have tons of energy to burn off, and spend their days running laps around the yard and chasing squirrels. They love the cool weather, and so do we. It's perfect for rig training, canicross, and weekend hikes.

A few weekends ago, Nick headed to the Katy Trail in the Jefferson City area. Joy was running the Waddell and Reed Kansas City Half Marathon, so Nick took the opportunity to meet up with another team in the area (out of St. Louis) to work on running together, passing, commands, etc. It went very well and the dogs behaved nicely. It was a good chance to work on passing another team on both the right and left side. Sometimes, dogs will struggle with passing on a certain side (for whatever reason), so this was a good chance for us to work before Rig Rondy in November.

Last weekend we tried out a new trail in the Carthage, Missouri area. We went running and dryland mushing on the Ruby Jack Trail. This is a rails-to-trails trail similar to the Frisco or Katy Trail. The surface was a bit harder, but it was absolutely beautiful. The dogs ran well and enjoyed having a chance to run in a new area. We noticed a lot of houses right along the trail - what a perfect spot to live!

We are also gearing up for Rig Rondy hosted in Woodstock, Illinois. Both Nick and Joy will be participating in canicross, Nick will be doing the 4 dog dryland race, and Joy is part of a relay team which includes canicross, bikejoring, and dryland mushing. We had a great time at this event last year and are really excited to go back. We weren't able to participate in the rig race last year as we did not have enough dogs ready to compete, so this will be a fun adventure for us as well.

We are also excited that we will be featured in a special magazine/newspaper section called "Country Neighbor" that is distributed to several Southwest Missouri areas including Buffalo, Marshfield, Bolivar, Stockton, West Plains, and Christian County. This is really cool for us, as it gives us a chance to provide a little insight into our hobby and dog-loving family. We had a great time allowing the reporter to watch hook-up and go for a dryland ride.

Stay tuned as we post more updates about our fall training. We'll share some more photos and videos of the dogs as well.

Hello, Fall!

Fall has finally arrived. It's nice to have more than one or two cool days in a row. This means we can really start training.

You probably noticed we haven't posted much over the summer, but that's simply because there isn't much to say. We run on days that are cool enough, and we play at the lake or go camping on the weekends. Enough said.

So, here's what we have been up to lately:

September 26: Run for the Paws Benefiting Loving Paws Adoption Center
This is one of our favorite dog-friendly 5ks. Ruger and Nick took 1st overall. Denali and Joy took 2nd overall (1st female and 2nd dog awards). This was also Prudhoe's first 5k. He ran with Nick's cousin, Allison. It was a great chance for him to be around other dogs and feel the energy a race provides. He listened very well and ran great!

Training
We have been training on the Frisco Trail and are headed to the Katy Trail this weekend. These trails are pretty shady as well, which helps a bit until the weather really cools off.

Lakeview Trail at Stockton State Park
We frequent Stockton State Park quite often, and the ~8 mile Lakeview Trail is a great place to train. It's quite a bit more technical than the rails-to-trails Frisco and Katy. Nick had a wreck on the rig and we have it on video. Unfortunately, the video doesn't really capture the situation in its entirety.

So, what do we have coming up? Well, we are looking forward to Rig Rondy in Illinois in November. Nick and Ruger and Denali and Joy will be doing canicross. We have titles to defend! Plus, Nick will be entering the 4-dog rig event.

We'll be posting more frequently now that fall is here and we are back into our training routine. So, stay tuned for our dryland/mushing/canicross adventures.

 Start of Run for the Paws

 Nick and Ruger Post-Race

Joy and Denali Post-Race 

Allison/Prudhoe, Joy/Denali, and Nick/Ruger after the run

Fall . . . We are ready for you!

As much as we love summer for all the hot fun it brings, our pups are ready for fall - and we are too.
We have started planning our fall racing and training.

We are very excited to head back to Woodstock, IL for Rig Rendezvous in November. If you are not familiar with this fun and well put together event, we encourage you to check it out here.
We are planning to participate in canicross, the 4 dog dryland rig event, and hopefully the relay. Last year we were only able to participate in canicross (which was a blast), so this year will be a bit different for us. This race was well coordinated, and we learned a lot simply by watching.

We would love to attend Dirty Dog Derby at the end of October as well, but we have a conflict. We have heard great things about this race as well. If you're interested, check it out here.

We are also looking forward to doing some camping and training on the Frisco Highline Trail and the Katy Trail. These trips provide us with a chance to get away, and they provide the dogs with new scenery during training runs.

As for now, we are running with the pups when it is cool enough. This weekend was reasonably cool (mid-upper 60s in the morning) so we had a chance to log a few miles.

The dogs have been keeping busy during the hot summer days by romping in the yard and taking extra naps.

Keeping your snow dog (or other double coated pup) cool during the hot summer months

We know how hot it can be during the summer months. Malamutes and Huskies can do just fine in the heat, but it does take a little extra planning and care. Essentially, we ask that you take precaution and care to help keep your furry friend happy and cool.

The first thing we want to mention is DO NOT shave a mal/husky/double coated dog! Not only does the coat insulate the dog in the cold weather, but it also provides insulation in the warm weather. The coat protects the dog from sunburn and heatstroke. Many people believe shaving their dog down will help him keep cool, but remember that your pet has this coat for a reason.

Make sure your pet has a cool place. We understand your dog probably doesn't want to be left inside all day (and you probably don 't want him roaming the house all day while you're at work). Make sure you have a lot of shade in your yard. Shade trees are wonderful, but an awning will do as well. Some dogs like to crawl inside/under bushes into the cool dirt. Also, remember that concrete and pavement can get very hot in the summer, so grass or dirt is the coolest place to lay. Don't forget to make sure he has plenty of water to drink during the day. If you have an option to have a large fan in a shady spot, your pet will thank you for this as well.

When you go to the park or for walks, pick a shady route and make sure your pet has a shady spot to play and lay at the park. Don't forget to take water if there are not water options along the way and at the park.

Does your pet like water? Pet or kiddie pools are a good option. Fill it up with cool water from the hose, and stick the pool in the shade. This allows your pet a fun place to play/lay/drink. Many mals think of it as a giant water bowl they can stand in. Just make sure you change the water frequently.
If you have a built-in pool, make sure it is fenced off or your dog is kept away from it if you are not home. Many dogs love to swim, but if your snow dog's coat gets waterlogged, he may have a hard time getting out of the pool. If you're swimming in the pool, you're dog would probably love to join you! Offer him a raft and he'll likely float around with you.

If it is especially hot, you may consider coming home at lunch and allowing your pet to come inside and cool down if there is not a way for him to be indoors while you are gone. Even an hour laying in the air conditioning on the cool floor indoors can help your pet keep cool. Working from home? Let your pet hang out inside with you if you don't already. You have an automatic "bring your pet to work" day.

If you have a double coated dog, especially a snow dog that runs or exercises with you, please be mindful of the temperature. Snow dogs were built to work in cold climates, but can adapt to their surroundings. That being said, heavy exertion over 70 degrees is not recommended (consider humidity as well). Snow dogs blow their coats at all different times, so be mindful of your dog's shedding progress in the summer as well. As your dog begins to blow his coat, spend time daily brushing him to help remove the winter coat. Not only will he enjoy the time with you, the removal of the extra fur will help him cool down.

Summertime brings bugs, so ensure your pet is protected with a heartworm preventative as well as a flea and tick medication. Keeping your pet bug free will help keep them more comfortable, and will keep the bugs out of your home.

No matter how careful you are, sometimes things happen. If you think your pet is overheated, bring him inside so he can begin to cool, and contact your vet. The goal here is to lower his body temperature to avoid seizures and brain damage. Do not submerge your dog in the bathtub or cover his whole body with wet towels, as cooling too quickly can be harmful. Allow your dog to rest someplace cool (inside and perhaps in front of a fan). Place wet, cool (NOT cold) cloths on his tummy, inner thighs, and paws. Allow your dog to walk around slowly as he begins to cool down. Movement allows the cooled blood to circulate back to your dog's core. Don't allow your dog to gulp huge amounts of water. He should sip slowly. This may sound silly, but do not offer him any type of sports drink such as Gatorade. These are not formulated for pets. If he does not want to drink water, you may try to offer him some chicken broth.

Last but certainly not least, do not leave your pet in a hot car. Even what we consider "cool" can quickly become an oven for your pet. For example, if it is 75 degrees outside, it can reach 100 inside your vehicle in less than 10 minutes even if your windows are open. Even temps in the low 60s can quickly become too warm inside the vehicle for your pet.

Your pet is a wonderful gift, full of love and respect for you. Show them the same love and respect and keep them happy and cool during the summer.
If you have any questions about ways to keep your pet cool, let us know. We are happy to help.

Fireworks, The 4th of July, and Keeping Your Pet Safe

As the 4th of July approaches, we encourage you to take extra precautions to help keep your pets safe and comfortable.

Many pets are frightened by the loud, unexpected sounds produced by fireworks. In fact, many pets run away during the 4th, simply because running away from the loud noise is their instinct. This causes many pets to wind up in shelters or become lost and homeless. We encourage you to take precautions to ensure this does not happen to your pet.

We encourage you to microchip your pet as collars and tags can be lost. Some pets feel more comfortable in certain rooms of the house. If your pup feels most comfortable somewhere and you know fireworks will be happening outside, let him stay in that room if you cannot be home with him. Perhaps you can leave his favorite toy or blanket for him as well.

If your pet is left outside and gets scared of the noise, he or she may start to dig as well. Just keep this in mind if you have an escape artist like we do (although ours climbs/jumps).

We hope you all have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Summer is officially here!

Happy Summer! We have had several weeks of rain and extremely humid temperatures. Now it's just plain hot - just like summer should be. If you have snow dogs like us, this isn't really their favorite time of year, but that doesn't mean you can't still have a little fun. We still run on days that are cool enough which seem to be few and far between. It looks like this weekend may provide us with temps in the low 60s which would be nice!

We have been traveling to the lake almost every weekend which changes up the scenery for the pups. Snow dogs have very active minds and like to be kept busy. Changing up the scenery helps with this when they are not getting to run. Plus, when they go to the lake they get a chance to go for boat rides and splash around in the lake.

We had a fun time at Stockton State Park over the weekend for Father's Day. With all the rain we have had, the lake was up quite a bit. But, we found a nice quiet spot where the pups could cool off and enjoy the water.