Sarah

What To Expect When Visiting a Sled Dog Kennel in Alaska

Sarah · May 13, 2015 ·

Dog sledding is a must-do activity in Alaska no matter what time of year you happen to visit. There are three main types of summer dog sled tours that we covered in our last post Everything You Need To Know About Alaska Dog Sled Tours that you should certainly read over if you are considering a trip to Alaska. Once you decide to go on a dog sled tour, what exactly should you expect and how should you plan ahead?

What To Expect When Visiting A Dog Sled Kennel

Sled dogs are working dogs that live outside year-round. They are a high-energy dog that are bred to endure cold arctic conditions. Today’s racing sled dogs have lean athletic frames and are built for speed and endurance. Because of their high energy demands, mushers generally run their dogs on a consistent schedule. When they are not running, sled dogs are kept at their own individual house with their own private space. These houses are arranged in organized rows. This setup is commonly referred to as a “dog yard.”

Seeing a dog yard for the first time can be quite strange to people who are used to owning one dog that lives inside and goes everywhere with them. Most people are not used to seeing so many dogs tied up. Keeping our dogs on swivel posts and chains allows them to run in their circle and get exercise to their hearts’ content.

It’s important to remember that the main function of a dog yard is to give our dogs time to rest. During the height of training, our sled dogs will run up to 120 miles at a time. Even though our sled dogs live outside, our lives revolve entirely around their well-being so they get plenty of one-on-one attention too. We even bring our sled dogs inside for short supervised visits. If they are inside for too long, sled dogs get hot and anxious — not to mention our cat gets very offended!

Older sled dogs sometimes retire to inside homes. If you are interested in adopting a retired sled dog, you can fill out our adopt a dog questionnaire. We don’t have any retirees available at the moment but we do like to keep a list of interested people. Placing our older dogs in loving homes is extraordinarily important to us.

Kennel Behavior

A common misconception is that sled dog kennels are loud. While at times a kennel can be loud, for the most part, sled dogs should be quiet. Our guests are often amazed at how quiet our dogs are, even once they enter our kennel. Sled dogs who live and work in a tour environment should be used to seeing people come and go.

In general, sled dogs who are well taken care of and have their needs met, should be relatively quiet. Sled dogs need food, water, love, and most importantly, the ability to run and pull, to live fulfilling lives.

Our dogs do get noisy when it’s time to run because they love to share and vocalize their excitement. All the barking is a big chorus of “pick me!” and “I want to run!” If you do not like dogs barking, or have sensitive ears, consider bringing earplugs as they can get loud!

Sled Dog Behavior

Because sled dogs are working dogs, they don’t always react to people the same way a pet dog does. Always make sure you ask the owner or person in charge of your dog sled tour if it is ok for your to approach or pet a dog. It’s important to understand that each dog has its own unique personality. Some dogs are shy and do not like meeting strangers whereas some sled dogs want to meet everyone. Some of our best athletes are shy around guests! Although we do try to work with our shy dogs, we also respect their personalities.

Sled dogs may also jump or be overly excited when meeting new people. If you are uncertain about approaching a certain dog, always ask. Some kennels do not like guests petting or approaching their team; if this is important to you on your dog sled tour make sure you ask at the time of booking.

What To Wear On Your Dog Sled Tour

When visiting a kennel, it’s important to dress appropriately. Because sled dogs are working dogs they behave differently than pet dogs. Many mushers encourage their dogs to jump up and “hug” them. If you want to interact with sled dogs, you should expect some jumping. Wear a jacket that you do not mind getting a little dog hair or dirt on.

Dog yards are working facilities. We strongly encourage guests to wear pants and sneakers or hiking boots. Although we keep our dogs and our facility clean, if you choose to interact with sled dogs then there is a chance you could get some dirt on your clothes. Most people are not bothered by this but a great solution, if you are worried about getting your jeans dirty from the dogs, is to wear rain gear — which you should already be packing for your trip. Invest in rain jackets and rain pants for everyone in your group because when it rains in Alaska, it pours. Rain gear can also provide great protection from mosquitos in the interior part of Alaska.

Check Out These Great Dog Sledding Resources

Dog sledding is a fascinating sport. Although modern-day racing takes the stage at many kennels, the history of dog sledding is extremely interesting. We love writing about sled dogs here on our blog and have started putting together some great resources to increase awareness and understanding of our sport. Check out these great blog posts.

These are some great blog posts giving an overview of mushing. If you want to delve deeper, we strongly suggest checking out these books:

Dog Of The Week: Krum

Sarah · May 11, 2015 ·

If you asked us after the ceremonial start of Iditarod who was going to be on our team, Krum wouldn’t have been on the list. Krum had been suffering from chronic wrist problems since mid-February and despite our best efforts, we just couldn’t seem to get Krum back to 100%.

Travis fretted. “I need her,” he said to me — hoping I could work some magic that would put her back on the team even though the official start was now two days away. I couldn’t, but fortunately for Travis, our good friend Patty Chase could.

Patty specializes in myofascial trigger point release therapy in humans and came to the ceremonial start of the race with her my cousin Andy. When she saw Travis fretting about his dog after the ceremonial start, she decided to lend a hand.

“I’ve never worked on dogs,” she told us, “But let me see what I can do.”

That night, although we were supposed to drive to Fairbanks, Patty generously offered to let us stay with her so she could help Krum. Using gentle touch and her knowledge, Patty was able to achieve impressive results with Krum. For someone who had never worked with sled dogs, she sure gave Travis and I an excellent education! Her results were beyond impressive. We watched Krum’s wrist which had had about 70% mobility up until that point, fully recover.

After two short sessions with Patty on Saturday and then again on Sunday morning before we drove north, Krum was spry, chipper, and she was walking on air.

“I’m going to take her,” Travis said.

Krum made it to the starting line and, more importantly, she made it to the finish line in Nome.

Krum is a small, nimble dog with a lot of heart. She is a sweet dog who we’ve enjoyed having as part of our kennel.

Spring Cleaning 2015: Getting The Kennel Ready

Sarah · May 10, 2015 ·

We’ve been busy!

April was such a tease. After a snowless winter, mother nature decided that it would snow just a little bit in April almost every day. In the mornings, we would see up to two inches of snow. We’d cross our fingers hoping it would stick and continue to accumulate but by the time the afternoon rolled around, it inevitably either melted or turned to rain.

What a bummer!

So we’ve been hard at work. Travis rented a mini-excavator recently and did undertook some significant landscaping projects at the house and kennel. It’s always so much fun watching him run heavy equipment because he is so talented at it. He even found a way to move my greenhouse!

We’ve been enjoying our time getting ready for the upcoming season. Our glacier dog sledding tours have already started. This is a big change for us as we usually don’t begin our operation until late May. So far, so good. We’ve had a few weather days but our guides and our dogs are enjoying seeing fresh snow on the glacier — they’ve had over a foot since getting up there!

For fun, we’ve been barbecuing, hanging out with friends, and enjoying our time together. We’ve gone on some fantastic dog walks, when our energy has allowed it. We are really looking forward to our Paint-a-Pooloza event next weekend.

If you haven’t already, RSVP on our facebook event by clicking here. We hope a lot of you who are nearby can come help us revamp the dog yard. We are excited to see everyone’s creativity and are looking forward to another brightly painted dog yard.

We hope you are enjoying your spring as much as we are enjoying ours.

Everything You Need To Know About Alaska Dog Sled Tours

Sarah · May 6, 2015 ·

No trip to Alaska is complete without booking an Alaska dog sled tour. Dog sledding is the apex of Alaskan Culture. A trip to Alaska that doesn’t include visiting a sled dog kennel or going for a dog sled tour would be like visiting Paris and skipping the Eiffel Tower – you just don’t do it.

But trying to figure out where to go dogsledding in Alaska can be really challenging, especially given how large Alaska is and how many dog sledding tours there to choose from. Although there are dozens of companies that offer dog sledding in Alaska, in the end, there are really three main types of dog sled tours you can choose from in the summer: a kennel tour and demonstration, a summer dog sled ride, and a glacier dog sledding tour.

A kennel tour and demonstration allows visitors the opportunity to visit a sled dog kennel and watch demonstrations of the sled dogs running. A summer dog sled ride consists of being on a wheeled sled that the dogs pull over dirt. A glacier dog sled tour requires flying in a helicopter up to high elevations where there is snow; this is generally what people imagine to be a dog sled tour but it comes with a hefty price tag.

Dog Sled Tour Availability Is Greatly Influenced By Location

It’s important to understand that although there are dog sled tours throughout Alaska, location plays the biggest factor in what type of dog sled tour is available. In the cooler parts of south central Alaska (Seward) and southeast Alaska (Juneau, Skagway), summer dog sled rides on dirt are possible. The mountainous regions of southeast and south central Alaska also make it perfect for glacier dog sled tours. In the interior part of Alaska (Denali, Fairbanks) the consistently high summer temperatures mean that dog sled rides cannot be offered – though kennel tours and demonstrations can.

Location also heavily influences price. Dog sled tours in Juneau and Skagway are generally more expensive than dog sled tours in Seward or dog sledding experiences in Denali or Fairbanks. Ironically, even though Juneau and Skagway have some of the highest volumes, most of their bookings come directly from the cruise ships. Cruise ships take a large commission out of each sale, forcing these companies to have higher prices so they can still cover their costs. Because of this, we haven’t worked with cruise ship companies. It means fewer visitors for us (we like small intimate tours anyways!) but better prices for our guests!

Alaska Dog Sled Tours Will Have Puppies

Many dog sled tours will have puppies for you to hold as it helps socialize them.

Although different companies will always offer differ experiences there are generally a few highlights that remain the same regardless of what kind of tour you choose to do or who you choose to do it with. Puppies are commonplace at almost any dog sled tour operation in the state. Mushers want their young dogs to be socialized and who better to socialize them then lots of young visitors? If, however, you find yourself visiting during the early part of May there many not be puppies simply because they haven’t been born!

Alaska Kennel Tour And Sled Dog Demonstration

A kennel tour and mushing demonstration is a great first introduction to mushing. Generally, these tours are designed around theatrical experiences that showcase the passion sled dogs have for running. What’s great about these operations is that they will keep you captivated from start to finish: there is no lull in the excitement.

Kennel tours also provide a great glimpse into how these dogs live day-in-and-day out as you get to experience the day-to-day life of a sled dog.

One of the most popular kennel tour’s in Alaska today is Jeff King’s Husky Homestead tour. Jeff King is a four-time Iditarod champion and has also received awards for great vet care. If you are visiting Denali National Park, his kennel is a great place to go to learn more about Iditarod and dog sledding.

Denali National Park also does a short sled dog demonstration to park visitors focused on the role of sled dogs in helping protect the park. It is not as an in depth as a full kennel tour and demonstration but it is perfect for those on a tight time schedule or budget.

Summer Alaska Dog Sled Rides

The summer dog sled ride is arguably the most popular dog sled tour in Alaska. It is affordable and still gives the dog mushing experience. In fact, as mushers, we spend a good chunk of our training season running our dogs without snow – so even though these tours are run on wheeled carts over dirt, they are still very authentic. From September to the end of November, mushers spend thousands of miles on ATVs training their sled dogs without snow.

Jane leading a dog sled tour — A dog sled ride at Turning Heads Kennel led by Iditarod musher Travis Beals

Summer dog sled rides range from 1 to 2 miles depending on the weather. Most of the bigger summer dog sled tour companies such as Alaska Excursions In Juneau and Skagway and Seavey’s Ididaride in Seward, Alaska can have as many as 250 visitors on a busy day. Because of the high volume, many of the tour guides are mushers in training.

What’s really exciting about going on a summer dog sled ride is seeing the dogs enthusiasm and witnessing their power. Did you know that a team of sled dogs can, quite easily, pull 8 full grown adults? It’s an amazing strength training program for the dogs to be in and its exciting for guests to be a part of it.

Our own dog sled ride is kept small. During a busy day, we may have 10 or 15 people visit our home who we get to introduce to dog mushing. Travis or I lead a majority of our dog sled tours, though we both believe in taking time off for ourselves too. When we do take time off, we hand them off our tours to our apprentices who’ve been training with us and have had time to learn the dogs and spend lots of time out on the trail.

Our tour requires experienced staff because our ride also serves as part of our lead dog training program. Every time we hook the dogs up, we believe they should be learning something or working towards our goal of being Iditarod champions. It’s really fun for us to share training with our guests! We are also continually making improvements to our kennel for our dogs and for our guests. We combine the best part of a kennel tour and demonstration with a dog sled ride!

Glacier Mushing: Alaska Dog Sled Tours

Glacier dog sled tours are an incredible experience if you can afford the hefty price tag. Glacier dog sledding is the apex of summer musing in Alaska. Take a helicopter to the top of a glacier, get out on the snow, and go dog mushing. It is a breathtaking experience from start to finish. Glacier dog sled tours range dramatically in price from $519 for our dog sled tour to $650 for some of the dog sledding tours in Juneau and Skagway.

After the run, our dogs wait happily to have their booties removed and their feet rubbed!

One of the biggest difference between operations in South Central Alaska and Southeast Alaska is scale. Glacier dogsledding tours in Juneau, such as Alaska Icefield Expeditions, and Temso Helicopters in Skagway receive tremendous amounts of volume due to the heavy traffic cruise ships bring. These camps are large and have approximately 200 dogs and 15 staff members on the ice at all times. It’s quite a sight to see. These tours are used to large volumes and do an excellent job of making you feel like you have your own private excursion.

We currently operate the smallest glacier dog sledding operation in Alaska with Seward Helicopter Tours. We generally have about 30 dogs up on the glacier. Unlike other operations which bring dogs in from all over the state, our kennel is located in Seward so if we need to give dogs rest days, we can easily swap dogs.

When booking a glacier dog sledding trip, we always advise people to book it for the first part of their time in Seward as occasionally trips get cancelled due to weather.Our policy is to rebook if a client’s schedule allows at the earliest possible time that is convenient for them. If they cannot reschedule we give a full refund.

It’s also important to remember that glacier dog sledding requires good snow conditions. Many glacier dog sledding tours will advertise staying open until the end of August, only to close around the 15th or 20th of the month as snow conditions deteriorate. We are fortunate that our dog sled tour on Godwin Glacier always has plenty of snow due to the local geography. Last year we closed mid-September and ended up taking bookings from other dog sled tour companies in Alaska who couldn’t fulfill their obligation.

Dog Sledding In Alaska Is A Must-Do

No matter what type of dog sled tour you choose to take in Alaska or who you choose to do it with, your trip will certainly be memorable experience. We hope that by taking a summer dog sled tour you will become interested in our sport.

Interested in learning more? Ask us your dog sledding questions on facebook or shoot us an info request.

Dog Of The Week: Mongoose

Sarah · May 4, 2015 ·

When I saw Mongoose training with the main team this fall after just turning a year old, I was reminded of myself growing up and playing soccer. I was a stand out goalkeeper and in 7th grade I made the varsity soccer team as starting goalkeeper. I felt proud being part of such an accomplished squad and happily took my uniform. Although I felt comfortable with my team on the field – helping us win our league championship in sudden overtime – off the field was an entirely different story.

I was 12 years old handing out with 17 and 18 year olds. My teammates talked about who-was-dating-who and what colleges they wanted to go to — but all I could think about was how to beat our big rival, Portsmouth Abbey. I was 100% soccer, all the time.

And that’s been Mongoose. When everyone else has bedded down and is ready for rest, there’s Mongoose ready to rock and roll. In the team, he moves flawlessly. In the dog yard, he’s less sure of himself. He’s good, he knows he’s good but yet he hasn’t quite found himself.

When we go into the dog yard to play, we invite the dogs to jump on us. It’s our form of a greeting. Not all our dogs do it, but most do and we enjoy it. Mongoose can never quite decide if he is comfortable with jumping up on us. He wants to jump on us but some inhibition generally stops him halfway and what results is usually an awkward mixture of him putting his paws on our shins and knees.

His youthful enthusiasm was key out on the trail and we look forward to this young dog, with the toothy grin, finding his way and gaining confidence in his abilities. Mongoose ran about 700 miles of this year’s race. Next year, we are certain will we see him at the finish line.

Thanks for all of your hard work this year Goose!