Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, has sent his pair of six-month-old husky pups to Alaska for a little education.
The pups — named Taz and Keely — are learning about sled dog racing from four-time Iditarod winner Susan Butcher and her husband, Dave Monson, a Yukon Quest champion.
Stevens grinned when reporters in his Washington office asked about the dogs recently.
"I understand that one of them has made the team," the senator said with a laugh.
Well, almost. At this age, the puppies' muscles aren't developed enough to run far, said Monson. Six miles has been the longest outing to date, Monson said.
But Taz has shown promise as a leader. "I just threw Taz up in lead to see what would happen," Monson said. "He didn't look right or left."
Keely is "a little less focused," Monson said, but it's still early.
"Actually, I'm getting kind of enthusiastic about their potential," Monson said.
The senator said he didn't want to keep the dogs at his Washington, D.C., home full-time. They needed some space to run, he decided. So he contacted Butcher and Monson.
Stevens, 80, said he missed his new charges, to a point.
"I don't miss being pulled off my feet by dogs that just want to run, run, run," he said.