At our kennel we foster and rehabilitate many dogs through our rescue organization The Sled Dog Sanctuary. The majority of our fosters come from the Fairbanks Animal Shelter but occasionally we do take in foster dogs from other sources but there are so many in need in our community that if we opened up our kennel to all we would be quickly overwhelmed.

Remus was one of those rare fosters we took in as a rescue outside of the shelter. He became an interest to us due to his unique bloodline and while we were told he was in poor shape we didn't realize just how bad until he arrived.

Like most of our rescues we did not see the yard he was living in or what he had been through to become so skinny with a ragged dry coat. He came with the usual gossip of horror stories and what his future would have been had we not taken him in but I quickly put that out of my mind and focused on his rehabilitation. There wasn't anything we could have done to change his past but there were countless things we could do for his future.

As soon as we met Remus bonded to me instantly, I cant quite explain this or what I did 'right' but some dogs react this way when we meet. From that moment he felt right at home and started developing relationships with all the other dogs. Some welcomed him while others, mostly the boys, saw him as a threat since he hadn't been neutered.

Hera was a completely different case and bonded immediately. It was love at first sight and even though she had been spayed years ago she found a mate connection with him that she hadn't been able to form with any one else at the kennel.

When Remus had gained weight and was fit enough for exercise we started his harness training that fall and Hera was a great partner for him to learn from. Even though she showed him how to behave in harness there was still so much work for us to do. From the start we had to focus on his relaxation and to break him of his competitive nature and desire to lunge on the line before we were ready to go.

Remus was under my constant attention for the entire season and while he quickly grew into a huge asset for us on the trail with our heavy sled load he was also a constant worry.

Even with the sled turned on its side in deep powdery snow Remus would pull hard enough to get it moving and encourage the others to plow through any conditions. This made trail breaking nearly impossible when I had to find the right path and leave the team behind me. Remus hated being left and would do anything to catch up!

The next year Remus began to improve and settle down little by little. I still had to keep a wary eye on him but we were slowly starting to understand each other. I moved him up front testing his skills and to see if he had gained any of his ancestors intuition to lead a team. But even though we tried Remus showed no focus to stand still and listen to what I was trying to teach him. He remained a goofy pup who worked best nearest to the sled in wheel with his partner Hera.

As the seasons passed we came to rely on his power and stamina. While we added more and more weight to our sled in the effort to slow the team down Remus acted as if nothing was different and took it all in stride never faltering while he gave us everything he had. No matter if we are breaking through snow drifts or speeding down the trail at 20mph Remus loved every minute of it.

As we enter Remus' third season I work through my usual curiosities on how much he has changed, if he has matured enough to be tried in lead once more or if he will always be destined to remain our wheel dog. He is just entering the adult stage of his life and while males are usually slow to mature Remus just may have a few more tricks up his sleeve to use on the trail.

But even if he remains forever our wheelie we will continue to work with him and enjoy his strength and drive to keep us moving forward.