Dog Sledding in the Arctic

We were picked up at a hotel in town at 6:30pm by the dog sledding company's van and driven for about 20-25 minutes into the wilderness and away from city lights to the base camp. There, we were given a set of equipment that included a snow suit, snow boots, a hat, and gloves. Even though we already had our own warm clothing, taking this provided outfit was a good choice as we would be petting and playing with hundreds of smelly dogs.

Once we were suited up, we went out to the dog lot where 300 dogs have their raised wooden huts to sleep in. The dogs are Alaskan huskies, where are a mix of different breeds; that is why all the dogs vary in looks, some with blue eyes and white fur, others with brown eyes and black coats. Unlike Siberian huskies, Alaskan huskies are better built for dog sledding. Their huts are set up in rows that represent a team. In the back are the large males, who are the "wheels" of the team. They are biggest and strongest and take most of the weight from the sled. In the middle are the youngest dogs, who have the most energy and are the motivators. They bark and are very spirited, and they are usually girls. Lastly the dogs in the front are the leaders, who are clever and can understand and obey the musher's directions. They are also females, and they are purposefully put in front of the males to make them chase the girls.

Villmarkssenter also has a VIP section where the MVP dogs are housed. These dogs belong to the professional musher Tove Sørensen who also owns the center. Sørensen is known first because she is a woman, and female mushers are uncommon. Second, she has raced in the Finnmark Race several times and in the Iditarod, which usually takes 9-15 days and is the longest and most well known dog sledding race in the world. Our guide informed us that the race runs on "dog time," so once they have rested enough, it is time begin the next leg, and sometimes the dogs need as little as 10 minutes. While they sleep, the musher checks each dog's paws to make sure there are no injuries. The dogs are even conditioned to sleep with their paws sticking out because they know they will be checked. If a dog is injured, it is not allowed to be switched out. The musher must continue to run without the dog or withdraw from the race.

Along with the 300 adult dogs, there are also puppies! Almost as soon as they are born, they are introduced to tourists because they must learn to be around people. The dogs are all very well-behaved because of this. They never bite out of aggression (but might playfully steal your glove or camera). One puppy grabbed one of Kyle's gloves and took it into the puppy house, and our poor guide had to try and get it back. "Ok, first one who gives me the glove gets a sausage!" he said.

At first you might think that the dogs are not well taken care of because they are out in the cold all night and day and some look a little on the thin side, but our guide assures us that they are perfectly fine. First, it is forbidden for any employee to beat the dogs. Second, they are born outside and live their whole lives outdoors, so they are used to it. The breed is built for being in the snow. Lastly, the dogs work very hard throughout the winter pulling the sleds, which they enjoy very much ( I could tell!), and during the summer they rest and grow fat. Besides, Tove works with these dogs their whole lives, so she knows them all very well and they are truly her best friends, so they must always be kept in top shape. They even have a retirement plan for the dogs; once they are too old to race they are taken home by Tove or by the many guides where they get to lay on the couch inside and eat treats for the rest of their lives. Also, the center does not sell any of their dogs, so there is no chance that a dog will be given away to a bad owner. 

Finally it was time to say good night and go to sleep in our Sami tent. However, all night the dogs were howling at each other! When you have 300 dogs together, of course it is going to be noisy.

The next morning we were served breakfast in the larger Sami tent:

Then it was finally time for dog sledding!

It seems like as soon as the sleds and harnesses are brought out, the entire dog lot gets excited. I think they were even more excited than me! 

The route took about 30-45 minutes, but of course time flies when you're having fun. We went through pristine powder, and I sat in the sled for the first half to take pictures and videos. The dogs need no motivation at all from us humans; they are incredibly happy to be out running, as their deafening barks attested. Halfway out we switched, and I stood behind the sled to steer. The trip alternated between moments of serenity as the team kept a steady pace over smooth terrain to sheer exhilaration (and even a little bit of fear) as the sled would lean off balance at times, and should the sled tip over the dogs were sure to just keep running unless you yell "STOOOOPPP!" But luckily all the sleds stayed upright. 

Once we got back to the base camp the dogs did not seem tired at all. As we were leaving the sled, all the teams were barking just as much as when we left off.

We're leaving Norway in under a week, and we saved the best adventure for last. Kyle has been missing his dogs throughout this whole semester, so it was nice to just be around dogs again even if they weren't ours. It was truly a trip of a lifetime!