Sometimes people and things just pop into your life at the exact right time and moment, don't you all think??

Earlier this year I had been looking for a replacement to the supplement that we had feed our dogs for joint support and helping with extra 'wear and tear' that their lives put on their fuzzy little bodies.

The one we had been using was expensive and the dogs hated the taste of it. Loki actually would carefully pick all his kibble out of his bowl around the granules of supplement and then pee in the bowl on his supplement. Not too subtle a message!

I had been researching a few products online and talking to some friends, but was just not finding anything I was feeling really good about feeding to the team.

At the same time I had also been talking to Mark about retiring Moses. You all know how much I respect and adore Mo, he led me across the finish line in the '06 Iditarod and has been a solid and dependable leader in my team since the '04 Race. However, lately I was seeing some changes in his gait that was making me think that he was having some issues with his body - and more bothersome, he was cranky and snarky with the dogs he was running with. Very 'un-Mo' like and I was worried it was a sign that he was in pain.

I decided to give him a few solid days off and then look at him in harness again.

During those few days I received an intriguing email from a local company that I was unaware even existed. The company, Super Dog (www.superdogtreats.com) , makes a high end pet food treat that contains Elk Velvet Antler (EVA), Saskatoon berries, Kelp Meal, Flaxseed and many more interesting natural ingredients.

Quoting from their information brochure "This high end dog treat was formulated as an aid towards keeping your dog healthy. Especially from old age, poor coats, allergies and stomach problems. As well Elk Velvet Antler is proven (www.canadianveterinarian.net) to help dogs with joint stiffness, lack of energy, old injuries and arthritis. All the ingredients are designed to holistically help with these problems and not intended as your dog's main food. Dogs also love the taste of Super Dog treats; therefore can be used for training or as a reward."

 This sounded exactly like the kind of thing I was looking for (and EVA has always intrigued me) and what better time to give it a try?

Don and Dave Bamber paid a visit to the kennel a few days after the email. We got a chance to get a feel for what we were each about and they left me with a bunch of treats to feed the main string dogs in the kennel - and Fly, who we were having some coat troubles with this fall.

 So the 'test feeding' has gone remarkably well and we are thrilled to report that our 'main string' or 'A team' dogs can now be referred to as the 'Super Dogs' in the kennel!! They will all be supplemented with Super Dog treats throughout training and racing.

 They are actually thrilled about it - as they LOVE the treats!!! Loki actually picks his treats out of his bowl and eats them first rather then peeing on them. And those lovely pictures of Crunchie standing so attentive in the show ring in California - he was being fed Super Dog treats as bait for 95% of that show.

 Fly's coat is actually finally starting to come in - which is great, as I was very concerned about what we were going to do for him this winter. (For those that don't know, his coat just wasn't growing after he got his summer hair cut this year).

 And of course you know I'm about to mention Moses. Moses led the team on a lovely fast 22 mile run the other day. He was wagging his tail on breaks (which is actually fairly 'un-Mo' like in of itself, he's never been a tail wagger in harness) and leaving his co-leader alone. I had a chiropractic assessment done on him yesterday and there were only very minor things to adjust, overall he was very sound. We are no longer discussing cutting him!!

We are thrilled to announce SUPER DOG as part of the NorthWapiti team!!

Check them out at www.superdogtreats.com - and of course, tell them I sent you!

Karen