dogs | The Filson Journal

Alaskan Musher: Lauro Eklund

With his father, Neil Eklund, Lauro spends long days working with his dogs and exploring Alaska’s remote and rugged interior. With hopes his dogs will one day soon lead the 25-year-old musher to the start line of the biggest races of all, the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod.

2 Min

a blurry image of two sled dogs running across the snow with read harnesses and lines in front of and behind them

Field Notes

The Dynamic of the Line: the anatomy of a dog team

Sled dog teams consist of 12-16 dogs to traverse difficult terrain, while following specific commands from a musher. Learn the anatomy of a sled dog team and what it takes to build a good team.

4 Min

Profiles

Tonje Blomseth: From Norway to Alaska

Rumors were flying around like bugs in the small Norwegian town I lived in, and among people I didn’t necessarily want to run into at my local grocery store. I needed a break. When the opportunity to leave for a few months arose, I booked the first flight I could—a one-way ticket to Alaska. It was now just me and my dogs, a team of six malamutes.

3 Min

portrait of the berington sisters in the woods

Profiles

Lives Defined by the Sled: The Berington Sisters of the Iditarod

“The most epic 24 hours of my life that i can think of was in 2014 on the Iditarod trail,” Kristy Berington declares from the home she shares with her twin sister, Anna, in Knik, Alaska. It was harder than any basic training in the National Guard, which the sisters joined right after high school, harder than the most rugged of the ultramarathons and triathlons the 36-year-olds complete together in the summer.

5 Min

sled dogs standing in front of their pen outside with harnesses on

How-To's

How to Train Your Dog to Pull a Sled

Luna Lobos Dog Sledding is a family-owned dog sledding operation based in Peoa, Utah. Owners Fernando and Dana Ramirez believe that dog sledding is a work of art, and that all the pieces have to work together to create a successful team. Fernando has raced professionally, competing in both the Pedigree Stage Stop Race and the World Championships, the dog-sledding counterpart of the world series. His dog sled team comprises an interesting mix of professional racers as well as rescues. Below, he shares his experience in training a dog to mush.

3 Min

Profiles

Avalanche Dog Noses: Your Best Chance of Survival

Up in the mountains, avalanches are part of the territory. If you’re lucky, you might only see or hear one. But on the off chance you get caught, there’s little even the most experienced can do to escape. Bright gear, and a beacon, shovel and probe are key to survival.

5 Min

a snowy dark landscape of the Utah mountains with patches of trees and a storm rolls in

Field Notes

Remarkable Skills of an Avalanche Rescue Dog

When it comes to mountain life, avalanches are part of the territory. If you’re lucky, you might only see or hear one. But on the off chance you get caught, there’s little even the most experienced mountaineer can do to escape. Bright gear, a beacon, shovel and probe are key to survival, but when disaster strikes, nothing beats four furry legs and a wet nose. Trained since puppies, avalanche rescue dogs have unique talents that are unmatched by humans or human science – covering as much ground in thirty minutes as twenty humans could in four hours.

3 Min

a brown, tan and white border collie sitting next to a black and white on the back of a 4-wheeler parked along a blurry tree line

Profiles

Dogs with Jobs: Sheepdogs in Rural Scotland

Sheep dogs are commonplace in rural Scotland, with many shepherds owning more than one. The use of such dogs in Scotland dates back to the 19th century, but even today they still play a crucial role in gathering and herding sheep across the hills and are very much engrained in everyday rural life.

5 Min

Profiles

Mossy Oak Gamekeeper Kennels

Words are wasted on trying to describe the relationship between bird dog and owner. From the euphoria of lifting a mallard out of your retriever’s trained mouth for the first time, to the grief that comes with their inevitable passing years later, the journey must be experienced to be known. The first few years of

5 Min

Kim with dog, Floki, a 2 year old Belgian Malinois

Profiles

Svalinn: Bred to Love, Trained to Protect

Kim Greene’s email signature reads, “Alpha Female” and in her line of work, that is exactly who she needs to be. Kim and her husband Jeff are the owners of Svalinn, a Montana-based breeder and trainer for working dogs. We sat down with Kim recently to ask her a few questions about her business and

5 Min

dog hanging out of rear window of a truck

Profiles

Secret of the Sandhills: The Niobrara National Scenic River

Growing up in Nebraska, I quickly became privy to the longstanding joke that my home state offered nothing more than cornfields and pivots. Like clockwork, anytime I ventured outside the state line I was met with a tongue-in-cheek comment about Nebraska’s landscape or lack thereof. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I began to buy

6 Min

will-kutscher-dirigo-II sailboat with white sails on the water

Profiles

Family At Sea

Morgan Lohrey has been sailing for as long as she can remember. Suppose it to say that a sailing life has not been an unlikely outcome given that her father is a boat captain himself. Together, they have restored the Dirigo II and now can be found at sea, amidst the winds both fair and

wolf stands in snowy field in front of pine trees

Profiles

In the Company of Wolves

Look across the valley and you’ll see old fence posts that mark the corners of properties, they collect the bleached skulls of field mice left by hawks who see fence posts not as boundary markers but as windows into a world free from want. You see, mice fuel hawks so that the observant rancher might

wintery homestead and barn stands at the foot of two tall snow-covered mountains

Profiles

A Yellowstone Coexistence

Four generations have lived here. The old schoolhouse stands where it has for nearly a century, a totem of those who came, laid roots, and grew families deep in the heart of the Greater Yellowstone basin. This place, in many ways, has retained a pulse of wildness that once poured across North America. This is

travis gillett in idaho silhouetted duck hunter stands in river at sunrise

Profiles

Knocking on Doors to Find Ducks in Idaho

In Idaho, some things are still done the old way. Hunting in this state is a rite of passage, an important part of conservation and land management in the region, and a valued tradition to pass on to younger generations. The best means of finding land to hunt are through public access points or by

two men in orange vests and hardhats and a black dog survey lush green forest

Field Notes

If They Ain’t Wavin’

“There are those who love to get dirty and fix things. They drink coffee at dawn, beer after work. And those who stay clean, just appreciate things. At breakfast they have milk and juice at night. There are those who do both, they drink tea.” ― Gary Snyder There have always been lumberjack poets, dock-worker

group of bird dogs signal in field of yellow grasses

How-To's

Filson 101: Bird Dog Training with Ruggs Ranch

Gene Barnhart of Ruggs Ranch has been training world-class bird dogs for over forty-five years. Gene’s love of working dogs runs deep, and he’s handled them his entire life, hunting Beagles in his early years and then moving to Pointers. Now, you’ll find Gene at Ruggs, training and conditioning over forty hunting dogs. Ensure success

karelian bear dog and master stand in front of yellow seaplane in lake

Profiles

Trade Stories: Soledad, Wildlife Service Dog

Soledad is a 6-year-old Karelian Bear Dog working as a Wildlife Service Dog for the Wind River Bear Institute. Born in Florence, MT, she was the only puppy born of her litter earning her the name “Soledad”, meaning “Solitude” in Spanish. Soledad began shepherding grizzly bears at 11 months of age and she has since worked successfully with all three species of North American bear; polar, brown, and black.

Filson Life - Iditarider. woman with fur lined hooded parka and knit scarf pets white dog

Profiles

Living the Filson Life: Experiencing the Iditarod®

During the ceremonial start of the Iditarod®, the city of Anchorage comes alive. Thousands of Alaskan Huskies fill the streets, eager racers prepare their teams, and a few lucky people get to experience the race themselves by riding in the seat of a musher’s dog sled. In February, Filson ran a contest to celebrate the

Filson Life - Winter Duck Hunting, hunters stand among reeds holding camouflage shotgun

Profiles

Cold Mornings, Dark Skies, Bright Green Birds: Duck Hunting in Snohomish Valley

Around these parts, winter means duck hunting: cold mornings, dark skies, and bright green birds. In the latest Filson Life, follow Alex Busillachi and Blake Berry of Slade Northwest through a successful Snohomish Valley hunting trip.

6 Min

Filson Life - Elliot Anderson - Dogsledding dog with master in filson black coat and gloves

Profiles

Behind the Book: Elliot Anderson Dreams of the Iditarod

Born in the heart of dairy farming country, Elliot Anderson (better known as “El”), was raised hunting, trapping and fishing in the north woods of Wisconsin. El’s father David imparted romantic tales of Robert Services’ writings into his childhood. Sharing legends of gold, mountain men, and remnants from his own Alaskan days, David created a magnetic pull towards the life of an outdoorsman that El would never shake. Now, El has been drawn to the Iditarod; one of the most revered races in the world. In this Filson Life article, learn more about the man, El, who appears alongside his crew in the November Filson catalog.

4 Min

bird dog pointer on grouse hunt in the olympics

Field Notes

Guinevere’s First Grouse: Learning to Hunt in the Olympic National Forest

Patrick Colleran has spent summers exploring the Wilderness of Oregon, Montana, and Idaho as a Wilderness Ranger and backpacking guide. Alison Riley is a former hiking and rafting guide who had more bird dogs than friends growing up in rural Vermont. It wasn’t until right before Guinevere, the 11-month old Wiredhaired Pointing Griffon was born, that they started bringing shotguns into the mountains to hunt birds

Snowcock Hunting; hunter stands on mountaintop above the clouds

Profiles

Chasing Ghosts: Himalayan Snowcock Hunting in Nevada with Larry McKurtis

Larry McKurtis is a writer and amateur photographer living in Northern Nevada. He prefers sleeping in the dirt, pushing himself to delirious exhaustion, and getting to the marrow of the matter at hand. Aside from writing he’s an avid cyclist, wood worker, hunter, and fly fisherman. These activities give him an excuse to travel and

10 Min

hunter with pack surveys sage-brush valley from hilltop

Profiles

Reflections on a Northern Baja Quail Hunt with Sinuhe Xavier

Sinuhe Xavier is a commercial photographer and director invited to join the Director’s Guild of America in 2008. When he is not telling stories for his advertising clients he can be found as the creative director for Overland Journal or behind the wheel of his 1962 Land Rover Series IIa mapping remote routes across Utah.

How-To's

Prepping for the Upcoming Hunt: Dog Training and Performance Tips

For over two decades, George Hickox has shown all levels of owners how to train great bird dogs. As the hunting season nears, it’s incredibly important to reinforce good gun dog training procedures and attempt to break bad habits. Below, find some of George’s best tips and tricks on bird dog training. Training a

How-To's

The Blueprint for a Successful Bird Dog Training Program with George Hickox

For over two decades, George Hickox has shown all levels of owners how to train great bird dogs. Today, George details the blueprint of a successful bird dog training program. The blueprint for a successful training program must be implemented in a timely manner and fundamental canine training principles must be adhered to in

bird dog and hunter stand in a field of short yellow grasses

How-To's

Tricks of the Trade: 4 Helpful Hints for Dog Injuries in the Field

For over two decades, George Hickox has shown all levels of owners how to train great bird dogs. Today, he reminds hunters of 4 ways to prepare for injuries in the field. When spending time afield with your dog injuries can occur to your four legged buddy. Listed below are a few helpful hints

camper van lit by the light of fire with the moon in the sky

Profiles

Upland Bird Hunting in Eastern Washington with Elias Carlson

Elias Carlson is a 31 year old freelance photographer, graphic designer, and videographer from Seattle, Washington. He has a thing for mountains, road-trips, and his wife Theresa. He is easily distracted by moving water of any kind, especially the sort with fish in it. When he’s not outdoors with a camera, he makes some pretty

autumn forest with yellow and green and red foliage bisected by river

Field Notes

Finding a Reason to Wander: Grouse Hunting with Blaine Peetso

Blaine Peetso is a mill worker in Northern Alberta and a self-described daydreamer. With a penchant for the outdoors and for photography, he created The Borealist blog as an excuse to capture images of his part of the world and to rearrange the alphabet as he sees fit. Follow Blaine as he finds a particular kind of beauty in his own backyard on a late Autumn grouse hunt.

How-To's

Afield Without A Dog: Hints for Dog-Free Hunting

While most serious upland hunters wouldn’t think of leaving their dogs at home, sometimes opportunities to hunt good land (or between big trips) are lost. Plenty of other hunters may want to tackle upland birds but don’t have dogs, but that’s no reason to stay home. Words by David S. Lewis. Photos by Lee Kjos.

Alaskan Musher: Lauro Eklund

The Dynamic of the Line: the anatomy of a dog team

Tonje Blomseth: From Norway to Alaska

Lives Defined by the Sled: The Berington Sisters of the Iditarod

How to Train Your Dog to Pull a Sled

Avalanche Dog Noses: Your Best Chance of Survival

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Remarkable Skills of an Avalanche Rescue Dog

Dogs with Jobs: Sheepdogs in Rural Scotland

Mossy Oak Gamekeeper Kennels

Svalinn: Bred to Love, Trained to Protect

Secret of the Sandhills: The Niobrara National Scenic River

Family At Sea

In the Company of Wolves

A Yellowstone Coexistence

Knocking on Doors to Find Ducks in Idaho

If They Ain’t Wavin’

Filson 101: Bird Dog Training with Ruggs Ranch

Trade Stories: Soledad, Wildlife Service Dog

Living the Filson Life: Experiencing the Iditarod®

Cold Mornings, Dark Skies, Bright Green Birds: Duck Hunting in Snohomish Valley

Behind the Book: Elliot Anderson Dreams of the Iditarod

Guinevere’s First Grouse: Learning to Hunt in the Olympic National Forest

Chasing Ghosts: Himalayan Snowcock Hunting in Nevada with Larry McKurtis

Reflections on a Northern Baja Quail Hunt with Sinuhe Xavier

Prepping for the Upcoming Hunt: Dog Training and Performance Tips

The Blueprint for a Successful Bird Dog Training Program with George Hickox

Tricks of the Trade: 4 Helpful Hints for Dog Injuries in the Field

Upland Bird Hunting in Eastern Washington with Elias Carlson

Finding a Reason to Wander: Grouse Hunting with Blaine Peetso

Afield Without A Dog: Hints for Dog-Free Hunting