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Our house! Where 5 of us live. We typically work in the kennel 8-9 hours a day, 5 days a week. It's a relatively short commute to work (a 5 min walk), so we have a lot of free time! On our days off, we usually have to make a trip into town (20 minute drive) to do our groceries, drop off the household recycling and change sheets at the hotel. We also have to do the 'boring' adult chores, such as meal prepping, and cleaning the house. In winter, the local ski hill opens up. It'

This past week has brought freezing temperatures of -30°C ! We're currently in a strange limbo between using quad bikes and snowmobiles, and (sadly) we still haven’t touched the sleds. A few days last week, we took the snowmobiles out onto the lake with some 10-dog teams. It was beautiful - first in the sun, and later in the sunset. Since then, some “warmer” temperatures (around -10°C) and heavy snowfall have made the lake unsafe again. Joyce told me that sometimes the moose

Our frozen lake at sunrise! After months of waiting for freezing temperatures, today the thermometer read -12°C. Over the next 4 days, we are expecting ~30cm of snow. This will be our first significant snowfall of the season, so it's very exciting! It means that we can stop training with the quad bikes (which I'm thankful for, because they don't have much grip on the frozen ground, and we can't use the handbrake when the temperature is below 0°C), and start using the snowmobi

Luna There's more to a husky kennel than just sledding. Of course, every day we feed the dogs, ensure they have enough water, care for any injuries, and clean up after them. But there are also weekly, monthly, and annual duties that keep the kennel running smoothly. Weekly , we check the kennels. In summer, the dogs love to dig holes in the wood-chips, which can expose the wire below and potentially cause injuries. They might even dig under the fence, or chew on the supportin

Yesterday we welcomed our very first guests of the season - all the way from Singapore! Since it’s early October and there’s still no snow, we’re using our four-passenger wagons, each hitched with 14 dogs. For now, our trails are the same ones the cars use, so we occasionally meet some traffic. Thankfully, most drivers spot our fluorescent vests (and the dogs’ reflective harnesses) and slow down to pass us. I was nervous before we set off. Lately, we’ve been struggling with t

'C' pups born in June 2024! L-R: Cola, Chubby, Collin, Calvin, Circe If only we could plan puppy litters purely based on appearances! In...

Rule One We always tell our guests that the first and most important rule is: DON’T LET GO. When you’re standing on the sled as the...

Sorken and Amber during fall training, with Alexa in the background. This is my first 'fall' ever! At home in Australia, all of the gum...

Mat and Tush (brothers) are both command leader For the Command Leaders: Haw/Vänster: turn left. Gee/Höger: turn right. On By: keep...

Sledding in -30°C. My eyelids glued shut. How Cold Does it Get? Working with huskies in Swedish Lapland means braving some seriously low...

Personal experience of getting the teams ready as a Handler. Every kennel has its own system for putting dogs in line. Some put males in...

How sled dogs are fed, watered, and kept healthy - from diet and supplements to kennel routines at mealtime. What do we feed them? Most mushers feed their dogs with a mixture of dry food, meat sausages and water. The sausages, which come in 5–10 kg blocks, are usually made from a mix of chicken, beef, salmon, and egg whites.. The dry food is high in protein (usually chicken-based) and also includes water, vitamins, minerals, and grains like oats. To make it easier to digest,

Me standing with Fluff on my first day, Dec 2024 I can remember my first day vividly. It was Friday, the 13th of December, 2024. Olivia and Martin were in Finland that day, so it was just Nat, Theo, Thore and I. Nat picked me up in the caddy at 7.45am, and we started work at 8. First, she gave me a tour. “ Here’s the staff room, here’s the dog-kitchen, here’s the hospital room – for the dogs, not for us! ” It was -20°C. I was wearing 2 pairs of socks, thermal under layers, a

My experiences with dog fights and prevention tips. Dog fights are scary, but most of the time, they can be avoided. Knowing the...

Day in the Life - successful kennel chaos Jergul, Aila, Chubby, Collin, Circe, Ilja, Scott, Atlas. Today was our first training! Joyce...