Clyde 4/16/2009 - 8/5/2024

Clyde is my big baby (90+ lbs) born April 16, 2009.  I was visiting a friend in SC in June of '09 and it was love at first sight when I saw this little black fuzzy pup.  I brought him with me back to Alaska.  An Alaskan Husky born in the south, his northern blood runs true, he loves to pull and runs in the wheel position in the team.  He almost drags me off my feet in his rush to get to his place in front of the sled.  Clyde has multiple personalities.  With new folks, sometimes he's shy and sometimes unfathomably affectionate.  We never know which it'll be.  He absolutely adores puppies and is very protective and gentle.  They are allowed to chew on him and take food right out of his mouth.  Also, he won't allow any fighting in the dog yard.  If an argument starts between neighbors he runs over to them and it stops immediately.

Clyde became an awesome wheel dog.  He knew what to do and when to do it.  On downhills his tug was slack - he understands I don't need his power then.  On uphills he dug in and took more than his share of the load.  In tight turns he jumped the gangline if necessary to bring the sled around the turn. 
On a tour once, I thought I hooked his neckline but missed the collar ring.  He was loose just as we were about to pull the snow hooks and leave the yard.  The first team had already taken off.  Clyde took off through the woods to head them off.  He was waiting with the first team at the bottom of the drive when I got there with my team and came immediately to be hooked in and we took off.  No way he was going to be left behind!  Normally when he gets to run loose in the yard he won't come to me until he's ready to go back to his place inside the fence.  There's no catching him if he doesn't want your hands on him.  With all the new faces of our guests and excitement of taking off for a 3 hour tour with 4 dog teams I wasn't sure how he would react.  Lucky for me his sled dog blood rules.

Very intelligent, stunningly beautiful and a gentle giant, Clyde just keeps getting better and better.  He is mostly over his shyness with new folks now (thanks to all of the guests who come to mush and view the aurora and help us socialize all of our dogs) and one of the favorites of visitors to Sirius Sled Dogs.  

In 2018, Clyde retired to being the puppy king and yard boss.  He's more gray than black these days but has lost none of his charisma.

Clyde passed in August of 2024 after a long healthy life.  He is greatly missed.