The owner of two snow dogs, @cricketinthethicket let us in on their adventures in Alaska and British Columbia.

Tell us about your pups.

I have two little monsters!

Cricket is a 2 year-old Shiba Inu from a breeder in Fairbanks, Alaska and Facts is a 1 year-old Siberian Husky from a breeder in Olympia.

Cricket is really independent and stubborn, but can be amazing when he listens! He's participated in agility, scent work, and Flyball. His nicknames are Crick Crick, Crickaroo, Crockett (that's what my phone autocorrects his name to), Shiba, and Baby Dog.

Facts is such a sweet boy and gives the best snuggles! He was named Facts as a joke as my husband often makes statements with no evidence to back up his argument. Facts was supposed to be his dog. He decided to name him Facts so he'd always have Facts to back him up. That backfired as I've done all the training so Facts is totally my dog! Facts also goes by PooPoo, Factswell, Facts On-Facts Off, and Factston.

Where do you enjoy adventuring with your dogs?

I love adventuring in snowy areas. I've driven up to 4 hours (one way) to take the boys on a hike with snow!

My favorite places are areas where I can't see city. I love being out in the wilderness by myself with the dogs.

What’s your favorite outdoor activity with your boys?

Our favorite outdoor activity is definitely snowshoeing!! The boys have a BLAST leaping through the snow and I get a great workout once Cricket gets too tired and needs to be carried down the mountain.

A close second is camping! I have snow dogs so we exclusively winter camp, as summer is too hot for all of us.

What do you love about Ruff Rescue Gear?

I absolutely love that I know I can safely transport my dogs in the event of injury or emergency!

I have both The Back Country and Pup Traveler carriers and they're really easy to use!

Cricket had knee surgery 3 weeks ago and isn't allowed to go for walks for another 9 weeks. I've been carrying him around in his Pup Traveler for two weeks and he's happy as a clam!
He loves being carried and his mood has improved substantially since I started "walking" him.

With Facts, there's no way I could carry him in my arms if he ever got injured in the trail. The Back Country harness is perfect and Facts is happy to chill out in it.

I also want to mention the amazing customer service. We were having issues with our first Back Country harness and Ruff Rescue Gear exchanged it, even though it was outside of the return/exchange window.

Our new Back Country harness is PERFECT and works as it should! Thank you Ruff Rescue Gear!

What other gear do you and your pups recommend?

I have some amazing dog products! I absolutely love the seatbelt harnesses and clips we have for Cricket and Facts. It's so helpful for their safety, and for my own, to have them clipped in and secured in the back seat!

I also have basket muzzles and both boys are muzzle trained. Facts wears a Baskerville muzzle. Cricket’s face doesn’t fit standard muzzles so he has a custom Bumas muzzle.

They each have a biothane long lead, which allows them some freedom while exploring on-leash trails and they're super easy to clean.

I also have a canine first aid kit, which I won't leave home without!

What tips do you have for photographing your dog?

I'd say to just have fun! Cricket LOVES being photographed so he's in more of my photos.

I've trained him to hop up on rocks and pose, so he'll voluntarily offer that behavior in hopes of receiving a cookie.

Facts sometimes enjoys being photographed. If he's in the mood, I go with it. If he's not wanting to sit still or doesn't want to be in a photo, I try not to force it so he's not in as many photos.