Gaea (pronounced guy-ah) came to us as a pup from Miki and Julie Collins through our effort of helping each other find the elusive freighting lines in our community. These days most freight dog enthusiasts are having trouble keeping track of where all the big dogs have gone.

Even though many of us keep these old lines within our own kennels it is getting harder and harder to find unrelated bloodlines for future litters. Over the years we have managed to gather a handful of people in our community to keep watch for these vanishing traits.

Often times its a hit and miss kind of venture. Even if the parents are outstanding dogs with all the qualities we are looking for there is no guarantee the pups will turn out the same. When we find what we are looking for we are extremely grateful and when we don't, these smaller dogs latch onto our hearts so strongly that their size and strength quickly become an afterthought.

When we met Gaea's mother and saw her siblings we were greatly impressed with that line and how big the males were. Gaea's mother was just a bit smaller than Griffin but when I saw how she reacted to her owner and how intelligent and obedient she was I knew her pups would be wonderful to work with. It was much the same look I had seen in Juno's mom and I am starting to wonder if this intensity is a trait all great leaders possess.

There are many leaders in Gaea's ancestry and she showed this to us at a very young age. When running loose with the team she would keep up as best as she could, staying behind the sled and moving ahead of the leaders to take command if we were slow enough. Even when we were stopped she would run out to the front of the team, lay down in the snow and wait.

In those early days she was far too slow to keep up the entire time but quickly learned how important it was to use the sled bag as her resting place. She was not nearly as willing to ride as the pups in Salmon's litter. It was quite the struggle to handle the sled, tight turns and make sure she kept her seat. No matter how tired she was she always wanted to be working with the team, always ready to go, get up to the front and lead the the way!

These were great early signs for us of her potential but one thing was lacking. She had not grown in a solid winter coat. Even though it was thick, it came in short and not as dense as she would need to sleep out in the cold on our usual tough Alaskan nights.

Over time we were hoping she would grow a proper coat, like the ones we had seen on the brothers we were introduced to from a previous litter, but it would not come in. James and I were not looking for another house dog but in the end we realized this was the best option.

Agreeing to the idea was more of a struggle for myself than it was for James, most of the time our reactions are completely opposite! Gaea was smart enough to know who to kiss up to and she did so to James extremely well! Even though he may protest at the extra fur in the house, he really loves his girl...

I joke that Gaea has contracted 'Monkey-itis' since that was the sole reason why Juno (Monkey is her nickname) ended up being a house dog. Part of me wonders if Gaea had some sort of cosmic plan, before she was born, and chose not to have a coat because she knew who she would be living with. Seeing her at the end of our bed, stretched out in complete relaxation every morning really makes me wonder!

Life has a way of giving you what you need, some times before you know it. Over time I have come to realize how much I enjoy Gaea's company and, like Juno, she is now a very strong aspect of our indoor family.

It is still undecided if we will use her as a mother in the future. She has a long way to go before we have to make that decision and with her being the only intact female in our yard its not a hassle to monitor her and prevent any unplanned litters. We may have a lead on another female prospect but only time will tell what Gaea's future role will be. She is very maternal and loves to raise the shelter pups we occasionally take in as fosters. She might make for a fantastic puppy nanny.

I am excited to see her develop more into the team. Her leader skills are so strong at this point though that its getting her into trouble more often than not. Its almost as if she knows what shes supposed to do already and gets frustrated with anyone at her side if she is in lead. I have seen more patience from her further back in the team which is where she will most likely stay for this next season to help her mature.

This year we hope to focus on the little things like pacing herself, staying quiet at hook up and being kind to her neighbors. There is so much for her to learn and I have to remind myself that she is still just a youngster. Her personality is so much older than her age...