The Athletes: Boggle

Boggle was the youngest dog on the Siskiyou team this year. He was only 16.5 months at the start of the race. He has done very well this year but was having trouble with sore wrists which I have found to be very common with young dogs. Boggle ran the first half of the Siskiyou and was still having fun when I decided to leave him at the halfway checkpoint. I figured he has a lot of years ahead of him and there was no need to push him too hard this year. He was very excited to see me 12 hours later at the finish line.


Boggle joined Evening Star Kennel in October 2007 when he and his sisters were about 5 weeks old. They were still nursing and stayed in the pen for a few more weeks with their mom, Detour, who was so excited to wean her hungry brood. Most of Boggle's sisters were very tiny and now have great pet homes. His sister Yahtzee trained with us this year and now lives with Bino Fowler in Oregon.


Boggle was a funny puppy and loved to eat. He inhaled (literally) his food one evening when he was about 8 weeks old. I had to do the doggie version of the heimlich maneuver on him. His tongue had turned blue and I thought I was going to lose him when he finally expelled the one little kibble stuck in his trachea. Twenty seconds later he was screaming and struggling against me to get back to the food pan. That was scary and I am glad that he hasn't done that again. But I do like sled dogs who like to eat.


Boggle has done very well his first year and I expect more good things from him in the future. Hopefully next year he will improve on the leading ability he showed me earlier this year. Keep an eye on this young lad. He's a keeper.