Our Team!

QUICKFOOT
KENNELS

VALDEZ, AK

For us…our dogs are family! As a result, we want the best for them and do whatever we can for each and every one so that they can reach their full potential as sled dogs. Overall, we try to keep their lives full of fun and adventure (summer and winter). One thing any visitor to our kennel quickly realizes is that, just like people, all of our dogs are different in some way or another…they are unique and have their own personalities. No two are the same. Well, take a look and see for yourselves.

Musher Disclaimer: Admittedly, our team is a bit short on race experience and as distance racing kennels go…we are certainly considered "small". As a result we would like to publicly apologize now for any exaggerations and/or boasting that may occur in regards to our dogs. However, like any parent, we can't help but be proud of our "kids" as they progress in their training.

BOBCAT: 55 lbs/5 years old/Official Couch Potato & Recreation Director/(Oscar x Vail)- An unfortunate accident at 6 weeks left "Bobby" with just 3 legs. His career as a sled dog cut short, he soon learned that cheer leading for the other dogs can be just as much of a blast! A bit of a "show boat" in our dog yard as he gets to run free 24/7. Our other dogs really love his attention. Sassy, spoiled, vocal, and FUN. He continues to amaze us during the summertime free runs as he passes our 4-wheelers doing 20 mph.

BRAIN: 45 lbs/11 yrs old/Leader/(Dagger x Sprint)- A born command leader, this dog has always been one super charged girl! Although retired from racing, she's still spunky enough to hang with the team on shorter runs earlier in the season. She's been a wonderful asset throughout the years helping to train many of our leaders including Goose, Dozer, and Zuni.

DOBSON: 60 lbs/3 yrs old/Leader-Wheel/(Spade x Vail)- This big boy is quite a character and will do just about anything to get more attention. Overall he is a good worker and very motivated although…well, he goes a little coo-coo whenever any wildlife crosses his path! And though we admire his determination, the rest of the team will all breathe a sigh of relief when he finally realizes it's not worth crashing through all the brush, bushes, and trees every time he sees a rabbit. He has been a real asset in lead otherwise. Lastly, Dobson would like everyone to know how much he likes meeting new people!

DOZER: 58 lbs/5 years old/Leader-Wheel/(Oscar x Vail)- A big, lovable bruiser…this dog pulls as hard as any two dogs on our team. In fact he is just now learning to pace himself for running longer distances. A grand-pup of both Dagger and D-2 (M. Buser), Dozer has finished every race we've started. This dog doesn't know the word quit and it's easy to see the determination in his eyes whenever he's in harness. The heart and soul of Iditarod champions is truly evident in this guy!

FELIX: 56 lbs/8 yrs old/Leader-Wheel/(Oscar x Dixie)- A big, strong boy with miles of attitude. Forever the clown, Felix does a great impression of Superman in the dog yard. Look for the black and white block head, frantically pounding his harness while digging to China and yapping louder than any other dog around…that's Felix.

GOOSE: 57 lbs/5 years old/Leader-Team/(Oscar x Vail)- Sister to Dozer, Goose is strong, smart, fast, tough, and loyal. This dog seems to have it all! She has a strong desire to please and is one of our most gifted athletes. In her first year racing, she easily finished all of our races with tons of enthusiasm and endless amounts of energy. Like Dozer she has never been dropped from a race.

HEMI: 50 lbs/1 year old/Team/(Zuni x Sassy)- A beautiful pup with long legs, a nice coat, and a happy go lucky attitude. He's the fastest of his litter and quite the little athlete. So far he is one of the hardest working pups that we've ever raised at our kennel (don't tell Dozer). We don't want to jinx him, but he seems to have quite a bright future ahead of him!

ICE: 58 lbs/3 yrs old/Leader-Wheel/(Spade x Vail)- Ice is one of the sweetest dogs we have in the yard. He's famous for giving hugs and not wanting to let go. A good, consistent dog that seems to have the speed and drive to run up front, but like his brother, Dobson, is easily distracted when anything furry runs in front of the team. His great attitude and friendly personality make him shine.

JESTER: 54 lbs/2.5 yrs/Lead Trainee-Team/(Yuksi x Jody)- Jester is a 2007 Iditarod finisher and a recent addition from Goose Lake Kennels (Jeff King). A tough, strong boy, with a wonderful disposition, he joined our family to help supply some more race experience to the team. As promised he has proven to be an honest, responsible, and eager worker not to mention a whole lot of fun to have around.

LANEY: 43 lbs/3 yrs old/Lead-Team/(Spade x Vail)- Whewweeee…this little lady has energy to burn! Generally she's been the main instigator of the "Go-Go-Girls". Laney is very determined and serious on the line which helped her to finish the CB300 (her first race) as a 1-1/2 year old. Quite an accomplishment for such a young dog! This season she has already proven to be even more responsible and is learning her commands well. Her positive attributes should help our team make it to Nome. Check out that winning smile!

LICIOUS: 55 lbs/5 yrs old/Lead-Team/(Yuksi x Alberta)- Speaking of smiles…how 'bout the one on our boy Licious? Like Jester, Licious comes to us by way of Goose Lake Kennels. He is definitely our most race experienced dog, finishing many mid-distance races, as well as the Iditarod. The three words that describe this boy best…upbeat, happy, and consistent! He continues to be a wonderful addition to our team. He should once again see the trail to Nome come this March!

MAD MAX: 55 lbs/2years old/Swing-Team/(Zuni x Goose)- A big, long legged boy with a super friendly personality. He has come a long way from the chewed harnesses and neck lines, multiple tangles, AWOL episodes, and other antics of last season. As for this year…what a difference! He has really been working hard and keeping his tug line tight. Definitely our most improved student. A few more miles down the trail should prove invaluable for Max.

PEPPER: 50 lbs/3.5 yrs old/Team-Wheel/(Moose x Tinkle)- A WILD AND CRAZY GUY! This dog will tire you out just watching him run circles while playing in the dog yard. Never stops moving when he's awake. Another Goose Lake Boy from Denali Park, Pepper has been a wonderful addition bringing top notch experience and enthusiasm to our team. An incredible worker on the line, this boy gives it his all on every run. For certain he is one of a kind!

PTARMIGAN: 40 lbs/3 yrs old/Swing-Team/(Spade x Vail)- Smart, fast, and eager to go…that's Ptarmy. She's been so consistent and responsible in the team that we finally decided to move her into Swing this past spring. She does a great job helping to motivate the rest of the team…on and off the trails. In the dog yard she loves playing with the other "Go-Go Girls" and they'll keep their chains squeeking for hours on end trying to get the upper paw on one another.

RAVEN: 52 lbs/5 years old/Lead-Wheel/(Oscar x Vail)- Another wonderful girl from Buser's Dagger/D-2 lineage. A late bloomer in the motivation department, Raven has just recently showed us an ability to be consistent and responsible. One of our fastest and most athletic team members and really enjoys the longer runs. She was so excited at the end of last year's CB300 that she seemed to be "bouncing off the walls" with excitement. Throughout the race she became more and more animated the further down the trail we went…barking and jumping to continue even after we crossed the finish line. She keeps us laughing by mimicking her mother Vail while she's in harness. Everything Vail does you'll see Raven copy shortly afterwards.

RINGO: 50 lbs/1 year old/Team/(Zuni x Sassy)- Here's the shy guy of our bunch. From the time this guy was just a little shaver he's been running away from attention. However, he loves his family of dogs and is a quick learner who is eager to please. This should be a great asset as he is now "in training" and cruising down the trails happily with a tight tug line.

SASSY: 50 lbs/2 years old/Swing-Team/(Zuni x Goose)- Sass seems to be the perfect mix between her mom and dad. Naturally we have high hopes that she'll become as talented as her parents with a few more miles under her harness. Smart, strong, fast, responsible, and eager, there isn't much more we could ask from her at this point. Like her siblings, she rarely stops moving. She is a founding member of the "Go-Go Girls".

SHINE: 45 lbs/2 years old/Swing-Team/(Zuni x Goose)- A sister to Bandit, Mad Max, and Sassy, this houndy girl resembles her mom in many ways. In the dog yard she's a clown forever playing with her neighbors and instigating fun. However, put this girl on the gang line and she's all business. She's enjoyed running in Swing and Lead and proved herself to be a quick study. This next season she'll be spending more time up front, leading the charge with her wonderful attitude. As you may have guessed, she too is a "Go-Go Girl".

SMOKEY: 55 lbs/5 yrs old/Swing-Wheel/(Unknown)- Here's a super tough dog we adopted from Second Chance League in Fairbanks. He's got endless energy but still has one main issue we're working on. Although he's completed every race he's been in (including a few 200-300 milers)…he has never slept during a race. Take him camping and he'll zonk out…put him in a race…forget it. Hopefully he'll have learned that lesson before we head north to Nome this March. We just can't get a serious picture from this guy.

TIGGER: 54 lbs/5 years old/Lead to Wheel/(Oscar x Vail)- This one is full of energy! As a puppy Tig was painfully shy and couldn't stand to be held or even touched. Now, she loves attention and "talks" and "purrs" constantly as you pet her (hence the name). Very smart and eager, she makes a super Swing Dog and a motivated Leader too. Tig is a dog that gains energy with each passing mile and especially enjoys the long runs. And, if any dog is still bouncing off the walls by the time we get to Nome, it'll be Tig!

VAIL: 50 lbs/9 yrs old/Leader/(Fearless x Lafite)- A wonderful addition out of Happy Trails Kennels (Martin Buser), Vail has been a great asset and constantly works hard to keep "her" team motivated. She has a habit of barking at other dogs on the team when she thinks they aren't working hard enough. She especially dislikes being passed by other teams and the other dogs get to hear all about that too! She's become the main foundation of our kennel giving birth to two of the litters we've had. She was our first sled dog and has a sweet, loyal, and loving personality.

WISHBONE: 40 lbs/5 yrs old/Puppy Leader-Team/(Oscar x Vail)- It's easy to see the famous Milkcow lineage (Buser) coming through with her black/white coat. She has made her biggest contribution to the team as "Head Cheerleader". Small in size but BIG in heart, she loves being part of the team (as long as she doesn't have to work too hard). As a result she's part sled dog/part house dog. What a life! When the rest of us are heading down the Iditarod trail…Wishbone just might be kicked back on the couch eating popcorn and watching movies with Ang and Bobcat.

ZEBBY: 50 lbs/3 yrs old/Team. (Spade x Vail)- Like her ½ sister, Raven, Zebby was a late bloomer in the motivation department. However, these days she gets all fired up once the harnesses come out and won't be quite until she is finally wearing one. This season she has been very consistent and working hard through each and every run. She's pretty quick on her feet and also has a very efficient, beautiful trot that is a pleasure to see. Someone must have told her we were going to Nome this year!

ZUNI: 64 lbs/5 yrs old/Leader-Swing/(Yuksi x Jody)- Ohhhhh Boyyyyyy…is this dog ever exciting to watch! We felt like we won the lottery when we adopted him out of Goose Lake Kennel as a 2 year old! Naturally gifted, he's a very proud dog who makes friends easily due to his wonderful personality and easy going disposition. Powerful, smart, and strong, he has certainly turned the tide as our main leader, bringing our team to another level altogether. This boy LOVES being a sled dog!