Dan Blackshaw, aged 28, a printer, and his wife Joe, a probation service facilitator, have been training and racing huskies for the last five years.

Their husky clan started as one pet dog, whom the couple decided to start racing in order to keep him entertained. Now the dogs race pulling portable scooters or tricycles in competitions up and down the country.

Mr Blackshaw said: "We get them from 10 weeks old to train them up. It started when we got one dog – my wife wanted one to keep her company while I was working nights and she wanted a husky.

"One day I was walking the dog in the town and this lady from the Husky Club of Great Britain came and offered us help if we ever needed it."

The couple, who have even gained sponsorship from dog scooter company Pawtrekker, train the dogs in a variety of locations around the county, which they have to keep secret to prevent too many people watching and causing accidents.

Mrs Blackshaw, aged 30, added: "I always wanted a husky and after we had had one for a year I realised walkies weren't going to do enough for him.

"You can't let huskies off the lead because they just run. They were bred to run 80 miles a day so no matter how much walking you do it's not going to be enough. They need to run and that's all they want to do.

"When we first started racing them I had a few accidents but I don't tend to fall off that much now. It's difficult when you first start as you have to learn the commands really well but the dogs are very responsive."

alex.valk@northantsnews.co.uk