Matanuska

Matanuska ("Mattie") is an Alaskan Husky. She was born at Plettner Kennel in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley in Alaska and that's how she got her name.

Her birth mom is "Mitten" from Plettner Kennel and her birth dad is from Linwood Fiedler's kennel (but I don't know which dog), so her bloodlines on both sides are from Iditarod racing kennels.

I met Mattie when she was 3 months old and brought her to CA when she was 4 months old (I spent a month training with Lynda Plettner). While she isn't the latest addition, she is the youngest member of the Greenacre Gang.

She is shy in public (such strange places, sounds & people!), but put her on a gang line and she's all business and ready to run.

When I got Mattie, I considered her my "final exam." Getting her as a puppy and training her using everything I've learned, how she turned out would be a big reflection on me. The pressure was on!

Fortunately, Mattie has turned out to be a very good command leader. Her faults are due to what I haven't gotten around to teaching her - I know if I took the time to do more leash/ground work with her, she'd learn more very quickly. She usually runs lead with Button.