Musher Jessica Klejka bought Ralph for a cut price.
“We’re very good friends with Pete Kaiser and Pete said, ‘I’ll sell you two dogs and I’ll throw in one for free,’” Klejka stated. “So Ralph is the free dog.”
Klejka stated Ralph is a seven-year-old lead canine racing in his fourth Iditarod — he ran with Klejka in each of her prior Iditarods and ran one with Wade Marrs, inserting fourth.
Klejka stated she loves Ralph however “he has a lot of neurotic tendencies.”
For one, he can’t cease operating.
Klejka stated Ralph normally stays in her home within the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and sleeps of their Arctic entryway as a result of, exterior, he’ll simply run in circles all day. And when he’s hooked as much as his workforce, he’s full velocity forward except advised in any other case, incomes him the nickname “Wreck-It Ralph.”
“He’s not going to bring you home in a blizzard,” Klejka stated. “He’s going to run straight until you tell him to turn. He will run right past our house every time. So he’s an odd dog. But he’s a great lead dog as long as you’re paying attention.”
The different uncommon factor about Ralph, Klejka stated: His finest pal is their household cat named Meow. The two spend a whole lot of time collectively in the home, and Klejka stated Ralph is shockingly light along with his finest pal. She stated Ralph wags his tail and paws at Meow, then Meow paws again, and so they just about do this time and again for lots of the day.
“Ralph is best, best, best friends with our cat,” stated Klejka. “Like not in a weird, obsessive way. But in an ‘I love you’ way.”
Paul is a part of our “Dog of the Day” Iditarod collection. Previously we met Paul.
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Tegan Hanlon is the digital managing editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at [email protected] or 907-550-8447. Read extra about Tegan right here.