Scootering Info.

Hi everyone,
This is Kodi's mum. Apologies for the lack of blogging lately, things have been pretty busy! I wanted to say though that Kodi and I do read everyone's blogs and keep up with them even if we do not comment! We love reading about all of your adventures, they brighten our day!

I thought that today I'd put up a blog giving a bit of information on the different equipment and things that Kodi & I use while scootering. Just in case anyone is interested in getting started in scootering themselves.

Scooter
I use a scooter with Kodi, because it is lightweight and easy for her pull on her own.
Our own scooter is just a very basic one that I got for starting out, I've had it for a year now and it's still holding up.

 

This photo of Kodi & myself gives you an idea of what it looks like. It has 16 inch wheels and has no brushbow. 

You can get more expensive models of scooter that have a brushbow and bigger wheels. They are purpose built for the sport of dog scootering. One example is the popular pawtrekker model.

The brushbow is the part that comes out over the wheel, you attach the gangline to this. The presence of a brushbow means that it is less likely for the gangline to get tangled in the wheel. It is perfectly ok to use a scooter that does not have one of these but it just means you have to be extra careful that the gangline does not wrap around the wheel.

Scooters are generally used for one to two dogs. If you have more than two dogs you could invest in a three wheeled rig.

Rigs look like this:

They are obviously more bulky to transport but are steadier and safer on the trails if you are running a team of dogs.

Gangline

The gangline is what connects the dog to the scooter. It attaches to your dogs harness and to the brushbow. Because we do not have a brushbow, we just wrap it around the neck of the scooter.

We use a single dog gangline like this one:

Harness

Kodi wears a Nordkyn Shoulder harness. These harnesses are versatile and can be used for running (canicross) as well as scootering. The shoulder harness allows a center of the back point of attachment. Can also be used as a walking harness as there is a D-ring attachment point on the neck. I use this with Kodi because it clips around her stomach meaning that she cannot back out of it. They are lovely and padded too so they are comfortable for the dog. This is what they look like:

Kodi's one is pink though to match her scooter :) She is doing really well running with this harness.
Another popular choice of harness is the x-back harness:

 The reason we do not use one of these is simply that they are easier for the dog to back out of, so if your dog has a tendency to escape then the shoulder harness is more secure.

• Another very important piece of equipment to invest in is a helmet for yourself. Dog scootering is a great fun sport but is also high risk so it's best to protect yourself. It only takes a split second to fall off the scooter so be safe! Elbow and knee pads are also a good investment when starting off.

Helmet Cam
The other main thing that Kodi and I now take out on the trails is our helmet cam.
The one we use is called action cam and it looks like this:

 

It is a very basic helmet cam but good for starting off. It takes two batteries and an SD card. You simply press to record and press again to stop. We've been finding it easy to use and the picture and sound quality is good. Definitely a good inexpensive one to get you started. You can get them on various websites and on e-bay. This e-bay listing gives more information on the spec of the camera etc: helmet cam

So that's pretty much all the equipment we use while out on the trails! I hope that you find it informative and if you have any questions at all just ask and i'll answer them in our next post! 

Happy Mushing!

Lisa (Kodi's Mum)

X

Mushing - Balrath Wood

Me mushing in Balrath Wood Last week :)

Kodi x

Good Luck Irish Devils!

This is a very special blog post!

Our good friends Ole & Hector, owned by Rita & Trevor are travelling over to the United Kingdom this weekend to compete in their first fun race at the Dean Doubles, organised by Wyedean Mushing.

We want to wish them the very best of luck in the race and we hope they have a wonderful weekend!

Photo Copyright of Ray Keogh Photography.

Best of Luck to the Irish Devils!

and to the other members of Tails 'n' Trails Dog Adventure Club who are also travelling over to compete in the race!

Visit the Irish Devils at their website to find out more about them!

http://www.irishdevils.moonfruit.com/#

Happy Mushing!

From Kodi & her mum Lisa.

Scenic Sunday!

I thought that today I would share some more hiking photos with you! Recently myself, mum & dad climbed Bray Head in Co.Wicklow. Bray Head is a 241 m (791 ft) hill and headland.It was a pretty steep climb up but the views are so worth it. It was quite busy when we climbed up as it was a sunny day & I had alot of people asking if they could take my photo and even asking if the could have their picture taken with me! Mum says I'm like a celebrity! :D

 Me & Mum at the top of Bray Head.

Me & Mum again, also at Bray Head, but a different part of it than the last photo. 

Me with the Sea behind me!

Dad had gone climbing up some rocks so this is me waiting for him to come back.

Photos are copyright of Ray Keogh Photography & Lisa Murphy Photography.

It is another place that is worth a visit if you ever come to Ireland. The views are lovely, especially if it is a sunny day.

Happy Mushing!

Kodi X

Wordless Wednesday.

Photos copyright of Ray Keogh Photography

The Helmet Cam!

It was my mum's birthday back in August, and what she really wanted was a helmet cam so that she could film me running while we are out mushing. Dad very kindly obliged and bought her one. We finally got to test it out last week and I wanted to share the video with you all so you can see me doing one of the things I love best, running!



So as you can see we had a bit of a crash at the end! Fear not though, no animals or humans were harmed in the making of this film! Though I can't say the same for the poor bushes that mum dived into... or the busted brake on the scooter. Someone should tell mum that she needs practice with going around bends!
On the bright side the helmet cam works great, just needs a bit of adjusting so you get to see more of me! :D

 
Happy Mushing!
Kodi X

Hike on!

I must apologise for being so lax about updating the blog. My mum had a very busy time the last while, off gallivanting here and there! In between her gallivanting though her & dad managed to take me on some great hikes.

I'm really lucky to live in Ireland, there is an abundance of fabulous walks to go on. Some of the best are located in County Wicklow on the east coast. Wicklow is mountainous and very scenic. One of the most beautiful areas is Glenadlough, a place I've mentioned in the blog before and a place we go quite often as there are lots of different walks to choose from. Recently we did the Spinc mountain walk there. It was a tough walk (for the humans lol) up a small mountain that has spectacular views over the two lakes at Glendalough. Here is a picture of myself and mum at the top having a rest!

You can see it's quite high up! I would recommend this walk to anyone visiting Ireland as it's worth it for the views!

We also headed up to County Donegal which is in the North West of Ireland. It's another beautifully scenic area of the country and also well worth a visit! The coastal area is fabulous and we went on a hike in Ards Forest Park with the dog adventure club we are part of. Here is a pic of me and mum again on the hike.

It was a beautiful day and it's another place I would recommend if you visit here.

Thank you for reading.

Happy Mushing & Hiking!
Kodi X

All photos are copyright of Ray Keogh Photography and may not be used without permission from the photographer.

Happy Birthday Kodi

Happy 2nd Birthday to my beautiful girl Kodi!

You have completely changed my life in the last two years, but changed it for the better. I can't imagine you not being around, I'd be lost without you! 

You bring lots of love, fun, husky kisses and hugs, and so much more to my life. 

Love you lots.

Your Mum X

Wordless Wednesday!

Copyright Ray Keogh Photography

Donkey Encounter.

So in the last post I mentioned that I was at the pet expo and got to meet many different animals.
My favourite were the donkeys! Dad managed to caputure a picture of my encounter with them and here it is:

My new buddies!

As always photos are copyright of Ray Keogh Photography.

They were so cool! 

Have any of you ever met any cool animals? I'd love to hear if you have :)

Happy Mushing!

Kodi x

Pet Expo

Sorry for the lack of blog updates recently. As I said in the previous post I've been busy helping mum with her online store, I say helping, I mean testing the treats out! It's an important job you know :D

Well last weekend was a busy one for us. The dog adventure club that we are in had a stand at the Pet Expo in Dublin. So we were there for the whole weekend representing the club and handing out leaflets and taking part in demos. I got to wear my backpack and carry leaflets in it, here's a picture of me hard at work!

 

I know, I could be a model for Ruff Wear backpacks right? :D

I got so many rubs over the weekend and so many treats! It's pretty tiring being this cute hee hee. Myself and Mum and also took part in one of the clubs demos, we demonstrated canicross running, where the doggy, ( me) is hooked up to a human (mum), using a waist belt and a bungee line and you go for a run. We had to run through some barrels and then back to the finish line. It was alot of fun and as you can see from my expression, I really enjoyed it! 

Lol mum looked like she enjoyed it too! 
Edit: Look very closely and you will see me in the background too, on the barrel to the left! hee hee

It wasn't just dogs at the pet expo, I got to encounter lots of other animals! Had a run in with a pigeon, saw an eagle, ponies, donkeys, tarantulas, bunnies and ferrets, just to name a few! All in all a great weekend was had and after all my hard work representing Tails 'n' Trails was done, I got to relax and watch a demo.

Pretty in Pink

All photos are copyright of Ray Keogh Photography and must not be used without permission. 

Thanks.

Thank's for reading! I won't leave it so long to update next time :)

Happy Mushing!

Kodi X

Wuff Dog Launch!

It has been quite a long time since I updated the blog. There is a very good reason for this though. It's because I have been helping my mum with getting her online store up and running!

I am very proud to introduce to you http://www.wuffdog.com

Wuff Dog are dedicated to providing you with only the very best products. It is our belief that natural is better and as a result we try to source the best natural products that are out there to give you more choice. It can be hard to find good quality healthy products for our canine best friends, which is why we are striving to make it easier for all dog owners to find what they need all in one place! 

The Feelwell's treat range are some of the best treats you can buy, not only are you buying treats that are natural and healthy but they are beneficial to your dog! The Probiotic range are good for tummys helping aid digestion and are great for dogs with sensitive tummys!
The Benefits range target specific areas such skin & coat, breath & dental and joint and mobility!

I am very proud of my mum and hope you all like her store!
You can follow Wuff Dog on Twitter: http://twitter.com/_wuffdog
And Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ireland/Wuff-Dog/141294769215027 

Happy Buying! 
Kodi x 

Summertime.

Well summer is officially here! We've been getting some really sunny weather for the last while. Mum doesn't like it, she misses the snow. I don't mind it so much as it means I get to share some ice cream with mum & dad :D

Mmm ice cream...

The nice weather has also meant that the grass in the fields where we walk has gotten super tall, taller than me in some parts! Lots of buttercups have appeared too and tehy keep turning my head and nose yellow when I dive in them!

Here's a pic mum took of me today in the buttercups :)

Photos are copyright of Ray Keogh Photography & Lisa Murphy Photography.

I hope everyone is enjoining their summer so far!

Happy Mushing,
Kodi x

Please, please help!

I am appealing again to anyone who reads this to please, please help spread the word about Murphy the missing Northern Inuit. His owner and breeder are absolutely distraught and want him home desperately! He has been missing for a week now with no sightings.

If you have friends in the UK or know someone who does then please spread the link to his story!
The more we spread the word the more people will be aware to look out for him!

Think about of it was one of your dogs or pets that was missing, you'd want all the help you could get to ensure that they made it home safe to you! Please do a good deed and help someone else be reunited with their beloved pet! It only takes a minute to post the link!

Link people to the facebook page set up to find Murphy, all details of his story are there! Post it everywhere you can!!!

Link: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=100791966637376

Thank you! 

Help Find Murphy!

It's been ages since I last posted as we've been super busy here and not had time to blog! This is a very special blog.

We need help in spreading the word about Murphy, a Northern Inuit who has gone missing in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. His breeder is a lady who is in our mushing club and is frantic with worry. Please spread the word! Here is Murphy's story:

Murphy went missing from the Somerby area of Leicestershire around 2am Friday 28th May. He is a 2 year old black gold and red entire male Northern Inuit Dog with a distinctive kink to the right end of his tail, making it very curly. He's new to the area (24/05/10) and UK having arrived with his breeder from Ireland where he's been at her kennels since a newborn pup. The next chapter of Murphy's life is to become a family pet. He was finding adapting to a house strange still and wasn't generally settling easily for sleep. On return from a walk he twisted away on approach to home well before our path, managed to slip his lead, likely twisting collar 'd' ring against lead clip and 'springing it'. I was able to be near to him four times before he took off again, the last time at considerable pace.I then lost sight of him completely. He was circling rather than covering huge distance at that time hopefully indicating that he has not ultimately travelled a long distance but is rather hiding nearby. Of course he may now have travelled some distance. Murphy is not micro-chipped/tattooed but is hopefully still wearing his collar (brown/ gold check) and tag (multi-coloured metal disc with home and vet contact details). I am truly hoping he will seek the company of other dogs and/or a bitch in season seeing as he's used to a pack and is entire.

All agencies have been informed, local community and farmers (who are landowners of some 15 miles perimeter of the village) on high alert with a special request to check outbuildings and extensive searching, day and night, continues with expert help and dogs, both in larger group and smaller splinter groups who stay in contact with each other. Posters and fliers are out everywhere. This was all put in place asap on the day he went missing.

Murphy may be nervous around strangers, if you have any sightings of him please contact Becki on 07745918245 (I'm afraid its a generally poor signal area around Somerby) / Julie Kelham (NIS)
01636 681082 or
Serena office@rottie.rescue.keythorpe.co.uk 01858555577 (has worse mobile reception than here).

Here is the link to the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=100791966637376#!/group.php?gid=100791966637376

Please, please help spread the word about Murphy. It is now a week since he went missing and there have been no sightings of him yet. His owner and breeder are so worried about him and want him home safe and hopefully soon! Please post the link to the facebook page on your blog, twitter, facebook everywhere you can. The more we spread the word the better chance we have of finding him!

Thank you for reading!

Kodi X

Strike a pose.

My dad is a really great photographer. He really knows how to capture a moment and also how to capture my best side! :D I've been photographed by Mum and Dad since I was a baby so I know how to strike a pose!
Here's two pictures that Dad took of me the other evening.

My Regal Pose (Because I am Queen Kodi!)

Happy Head!

It's tough being so good looking! :D
Have a great weekend everyone. Can't wait to see more pics of you guys!

If anyone wants to see more of my Dad's work check out his website at www.raykeoghstudio.com
Happy Mushing!

Kodi x

P.S. If you want to keep up with my adventures then follow us through the google connect box on the right hand side of the page!

All Pictures are copyright of Ray Keogh Photography

Best served cold!

We've been getting some really nice sunny weather here in Ireland lately. As a  result mum has been worrying about me getting too hot so she decided to make me something yummy to cool me down, frozen yoghurt treats! Some countries have these available to buy from stores but you can easily make your own.In fact we got a delicious recipe for them from a blog we love to read, check it out here: http://houndstooth4.blogspot.com/2010/04/frosty-paws-for-you.html

Mum bought the ingredients, blended them up and froze them in some tupperware. Then I got to enjoy the end result!

Mmmm, yummy!!!!

I really really enjoyed my frozen treat! Perfect for the hot weather! :)

Happy Mushing!

Kodi x

Spring in my step!

Well it is officially Springtime now. It has been a while since my last update but that's because mum & dad have been hogging the laptop for work.

Alot has happened in the last few weeks. The most exciting thing is that my dog adventure club was filmed for an Irish tv programme! I of course was a complete proffessional in front of the cameras showing off what I do best, mushing! I can't wait until it airs on tv to see if I will see myself. Next stop, Hollywood! :D

The last few days we have had some fantastic sunny weather! It feels like summertime especially with the evenings getting longer. Mum & Dad took me to the phoenix park the other day to enjoy the sun. The park is huge, the biggest public park in the Europe and the presidents house is located there. But even better it has deer! Huge herds of them. It was my first time to see them and boy were they fascinating! For a while we chilled out in the sunshine beside the papal cross.

Because it was so sunny there were lots of people around and so i got lots of attention. I got compliments from adults and got rubs from children :) We also bumped into one of our friends from the dog adventure club. Everyone was really enjoying the sun.

Mum says if the good weather keeps up we will take out my swimming pool! I hope the sun stays a bit longer :D

Photos are copyright of Ray Keogh Photography.

Happy Mushing!

Kodi x

Sled dogs don't swim?

It's been a little while since my last blog and I've been up to lots since then! We have been to explore some new forest parks, one had a beautiful view from up high! You could see out over the countryside.

Me on top of the hill :)

We also went to my local mushing spot, but not scooter just for a walk. And we discovered some new trails that had recently been uncovered which was really exciting! I also got to watch the ducks swimming on the lake.

On the trail.

Sunset by the lake

Yesterday we headed to the beach as it was so sunny out. I always love going the beach, it's been one of my favourite places since I was really little. I explored the sand dunes and watched the boats going in and out. Mum wanted me to paddle in the water because it was hot but i don't like the waves coming in over my feet. She said all dogs love the sea, but maybe sled dogs don't! All I know is that it's much more fun to try and eat seashells :D

In the dunes.

Happy Mushing!

Kodi x

Sunny Day

This weekends location for our adventure was Belvedere House & Gardens in Mullingar. Belvedere house is a beautiful Georgian villa located beside a large lake with huge parkland to explore. Yesterday was a beautiful day for an adventure as the sun was beaming and the skies were blue, something that is quite rare here. Myself, mum & dad headed off on the long trail for our walk, it was a beautiful woodland trail with lots to see. There were little stone gargoyles hidden in the forest and we had fun trying to find them. We also got to see a beautiful gothic arch and old ice house aswell as a lovely gazebo where I encountered a lion! After our walk we headed back to the lake where we lazed in the sunshine for a long time. I spent ages watching the swans while dad took pictures and mum soaked up the sun. It was one of the best places we have ever been for a walk and well worth a visit.

Relaxing by the lake

One of the gargoyles we found.

The lion that I met!

A view across the parkland.

Smiling after a good day :)

All Photos are copyright of Lisa Murphy

Expect more pics this week as dad also got lots of photos of our day out!

Happy Mushing!

Kodi x

Urgent Appeal!!!

This is the story of Holly, a little Japanese Spitz. Holly was rescued by the lady who runs a Japanese Spitz rescue here in Ireland.

When she was rescued on Christmas Eve Holly was in a very bad state, nails so long she couldn't walk, patches of hair missing.  She is completely yellow from lack of nutrition and care. She has broken teeth and problems with her throat.  She can't seem to bark and her breathing is very raspy. It is believed she suffered a major trauma to her throat which had resulted in a build up of scar tissue that has been causing her problems. Just the other day she had to undergo important surgery for her ailments. It is now pretty certain that poor holly was debarked. Debarking is a veterinary surgery that involves removing tissue from the dog’s vocal chords. This results in a dog’s voice being quieter, when done properly.

Holly is doing well after undergoing her surgery and thanks to the love and care of the wonderful Japanese Spitz rescue she should make a full recovery.

However the rescue is a non profit organisation and Holly's surgery cost in the region of 1,500 euro.

I'm asking for anyone out there who is able to, please, please can you donate some money to the rescue to help the cost of her surgery. This little dog has been through so much and she now deserves the chance at a happy normal life.

Every little bit helps and will ensure that Holly gets a great new start in life and I know that the rescue appreciates every single donation no matter how small!

You can donate through paypal here: http://www.japanesespitzrescue.com/

Or you can send a Cheque! All details are on the website! Link is above ^ and also in my links section here on the blog!


Thank you for reading!

The beautiful Holly. Looking much better than she did when she was rescued, thanks to the Japanese Spitz Rescue!

Sunday is adventure day!

On Sunday's mum & dad try to pick somewhere for us to go to. This week we headed down to Wicklow. First we went to the Powerscourt waterfall, Powerscourt Waterfall is Ireland's highest at 121m (398ft.) and is surrounded by woods and specimen trees. I loved the waterfall and I wish I had of been allowed closer but mum was afraid I'd fall in! We walked around the nature trails here and took some photos.

Powerscourt Waterfall

After the waterfall we headed to Glenadalough, Glenadalough is home to one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. This early Christian monastic settlement was founded by St.Kevin in the 6th century and from this developed the ‘Monastic City’.

Glendalough Round Tower

All photos are copyright of L.Murphy & Ray Keogh Photography

It was a really good day and mum reckons I'm becoming a very cultured and well travelled husky! :)

Happy Mushing!

Kodi x

Ready to be a wilderness explorer!

With the mushing season coming to an end soon mum wanted to get me ready for going hiking in the non mushing season! Today my Ruffwear palisades backpack arrived in the post! Mum was very excited and couldn't wait to try it on me to see if it fit! Here I am modelling my new accessory!

Pictures are copyright of L & K Murphy

Don't I look very snazzy in my backpack? Mum says I look ready for an adventure!I'm all kitted out now to go hiking, now I just need mum & dad to get ready for all the adventures we're going to have!

Happy Mushing!

Kodi x

To mush or not to mush?

This weekend mum and dad decided we would go to the beach again. I love the beach so I didn't mind at all! When we got there it was still quite cold and mum and i headed off mushing while dad took some photographs. We didn't do as much mushing as usual because I was more interested in seeing what my dad was doing rather than running! We drove down to the other end of the beach and headed off for a walk instead as the sun was starting to shine. There were lots of people at the becah and one nice lady took my picture because she thought i was lovely :D I had a great time smelling all the seashells and watching the seagulls flying around. I met some more dogs as we walked and played with a golden retriever puppy. It was a lovely day and dad captured some great photos! Here they are, Hope you enjoy them!

All photos are Copyright of Ray Keogh Photography

Happy Mushing!

Kodix