About our dogs

Q: How many dogs do you have?

A: We have about 35 dogs in various ages. Alaskan Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes and Samojeds

Q: Can I buy a dog from your kennel?

A: We only breed dogs for our own use and not in order to sell puppies. Occasionally we rehome dogs if they don’t thrive in our kennel. If we have dogs available for adoption you will find information about them under the adoption page on our website.

Q: At what age does your dogs go in to retirement?

A: That is up to the dog. We don’t have a rule for age. Normally they start showing us they enjoy their days off more from around the age 8 years old and up. Some dogs never wants to retire but the older they get the more rest we make sure they get in between runs, whether they agree to it or not.

Q: What do you feed your dogs and how much?

A: Twice a day we feed our dogs a mix of dry food for working dogs, fresh meat and water. We call it their soup. During season we also feed the dogs before and after every run. We always add a lot of water to their food to make sure they stay hydrated.
Our puppies and youngsters are fed with food specifically made for growing puppies.

Q: Is it OK to bring and give the dogs a snack?

A: We kindly and respectfully ask you not to do that. Our dogs are on a calculated diet and new snacks might upset their stomach. We also do not want our dogs to associate guests with food which will cause stress.

Q: What does the training look like?

A: This is a big question but we will try to sum it up.
We early on start by teaching our puppies to respond to their name and calmly we introduce them to basically everything through the trust technique. Such as walking on a leash, getting harnessed and later on how to behave and work in front of the sled. We also teach our dogs that food time is a non-stressful event and that stealing food from one another is never necessary.
During winter as adults the dogs gets most of the daily physical training by pulling and running in front of the sled. During summer they get a rest from pulling and they get to go on forest walks, do exercises and balance training in our obstacle course, they get individual training to make sure they are healthy and fit and of course a lot of playtime and free running.
You will learn more about how we work with our dogs on the mindfulness part of our tours. We encourage you to ask any kind of questions while visiting us.

Q: Why is it important to reduce stress?

A: We believe that stress is as bad for animals as it is for humans. By reducing stress we see nothing but benefits for our dogs. For example stress can cause anxiety, pacing, tension between the dogs, chewing on gear such as harnesses and lines and also if we would let our dogs hype up and stress before a run they would use up a lot of energy before they even start working. To sum it up, stress doesn’t bring anything good to the table so we try our best to keep it to a minimum. 

Q: Am I allowed to interact with the dogs?

A: Yes, we will instruct you in how to greet and interact with the dogs when you get here. Some of our dogs are a bit shy and off limit for guests. The shy dogs are not dangerous by any means but we never force ourselves on a dog who is not open for interactions. All of our dogs always get to say yes or no and we always respect that. But don’t worry, most of our dogs will love you and some will even shower you with kisses.

Q: How can you tell if your dogs are happy or not?

A: First of all by spending a lot of time with them and really get to know each individual on a deeper level. Animals are known for being experts in hiding discomfort so it is our responsibility as humans to look for the smallest, most subtle ques that something might be wrong. By truly knowing a dog we increase the possibility to immediately detect any irregularities in their behavior or movement.
We also make sure our dogs have good shelter and enrichment in the kennels. And yes, we clean out the kennels every day.

Q: Why does the dogs live outside?

A: This are polar dogs and they thrive when living outdoors. Outdoors we also have more space. By keeping our dogs outside they have the room they need to act out their natural behaviors. They grow a thick coat during winter which shelter them from the elements. They also have dog houses that they can access whenever they please. 

Q: Do they go inside during night?

A: No, our dogs stay outside during night. One exception would be for medical reasons. For example if a dog just had a castration or similar procedure that require monitoring the dog will recover indoors. Most of them will go into their dog house sleep, but some of them prefer to stay outside no matter what.

Q: Are the dog houses warmed up?

A: The dog houses are designed to trap the heat generated from the dog itself as long as the dog stays in the dog house. There are no electrical heating in the houses. Every dog house  is insulated and have a thick layer of bedding to keep it nice and comfy for the dogs. 

Q: Are you sure it’s not cruel to make the dogs work so often?

A: Huskies have been bred to work for generations and they love their job. We never force them to work. If any of our dogs show any sign of injury or discomfort we take them out of training immediately to evaluate the situation and take necessary actions.. The dogs desire to work is also one of the reasons we train them to be calm and to accept to do nothing. A dog who is on rest will quite easily get stressed when their friends get to go out for a run but they have to stay behind.

Q: How long of a distance can the dogs run?

A: That depend of course on the training. But they will easily do 50 km and more in a day.

Q: How fast can the dogs run?

A: To be able to run for 8 hours straight we keep the dogs in a balanced torr around 12 km/hours.  They find their rhythm and goes on. If we drive them to fast they will get tired faster and it is easier to hurt them. That means we help them do keep the speed down in the beginning of a run.

Q: Does the dogs ever go to a veterinarian?

A: Yes they do! All of our dogs gets vaccinated regularly according to the Swedish recommendations. If a dog gets sick or injured they also get to go to the vet. Our dogs are very important to us and we would never keep them from medical care if something happened. Therefore we have a dog insurance that cover all of our dogs. 

Q: Are you keeping males or females or both?

A: We are keeping both. Some of them are castrated and some are not. Most of our dogs live in mixed groups or pairs. We only need to separate our intact females from our intact males when the females are in heat. This also goes for setting up teams before a tour. A female in heat should not work next to an intact male or all they will do is try to make babies. The urge to reproduce is one of very few reasons a sled dog will not be focused enough to work.

About our tours

Q: How do I prepare for a tour? Do I need to bring my own gear and what would that be?

A: We will provide you with clothes suitable for the arctic climate such as a jacket, pants, boots and gloves. You do not need to bring any specific gear to be able to make the tour. However we recommend you to wear a warm base layer, warm socks, a scarf and also a suitable hat. From December to February the temperature can be around -20 to -25℃ (-4 to -13℉) for weeks and occasionally drop as low as below 40°C/F.

Q: I have a disability, is it possible for me to go on a tour?

A: If you are unsure of whether or not you are able to go on a tour due to individual needs, please send us an email telling us about your disability and we will look in to how we can best adjust to your needs. We love our dogs and our lifestyle and aim to be able to share it with everyone.

Q: Do you offer any tours during summer?

Not at the moment. During summer our dogs get to rest from working in front of the sled and we focus a lot on their individual training and needs. We also think it’s fair to give them a break from meeting new people daily and just let them be dogs for a while.

Q: Is it OK to take photos of the kennel and on the tour?

A: Absolutely! If you come for our Husky Memory tour where you drive your own team it’s important to know that when you are driving you need to focus on the dogs and keep both hands on the sled and therefore are not allowed to use a camera or your phone. While you sit on the sled however you can take as many photos as you like.
Feel free to share your experience and tag us on social media. We love to see your point of view from your experience!

Q: Why are the dogs prepared and put in teams already when I come for a tour?

A: We want to prepare our dogs in a calm and stress free manner. Our staff knows the dogs best and preparing them might require some time and patience in order to do it calmly. It is also a way for us to make sure all the dogs are up for the job for the day and we can make changes before the tour starts if needed.

Q: Which tour is most suitable for me?

A: You will find information about our tours here. Click on a specific tour to read more about it. If you still are unsure of the right tour for you please send us an email and we will help you figure it out.

Q: I will only be in Kiruna for a short time, is there a way you can guarantee I will get to see the northern lights?

A: Unfortunately we have no power over the weather nor the northern lights. If it’s cloudy you won’t be able to see the northern lights and sometimes it’s just not out showing itself. Being out on a tour in the darkness of winter with the dogs are magical on its own and that is not too bad according to us.

Q: Do you offer transfer or how do I get to you?

A: Transfer from Kiruna and back is included in all of our tours. If you want to you are allowed to take your own car but we will meet up at Camp Ripan in Kiruna and you will drive behind our transfer car to our kennel.

Q: Do I get to assemble my own team on any tour?

A: No, our staff will set up all the teams on every tour. The reason is simple, we work with our dogs every day and keep track of how much they work and how much rest they need. We also know where in the team we should place certain dogs and where we definitely should not place them.  We don’t think it’s fair to our dogs to be put in teams only based on their looks and that’s how it probably would be if we let guests assemble a team.

Q: Is it dangerous to go on a tour?

A: We would not offer tours if we thought it was too dangerous however it´s very important that you as a guest pay close attention and really listen to the safety instructions given by the guide before the tour starts. We work to prevent any kind of accident regarding both our guests and our dogs. If something unpredictable would happen during the tour your guide will help you and tell you what to do.

Q:Why are your tours so expensive?

We completely understand that our tours might seem more expensive compared to other providers in the area. The difference is that our prices reflect the way we work and what we prioritize, both for the dogs and the people.

Here are some of the reasons why:

• Animal welfare first – our dogs live in harmony, with year-round care, enrichment, and rest.

• Year-round staff – continuity is crucial for the dogs’ well-being and security.

• Fair salaries – we pay our staff properly, which is rare in this industry.

• Ongoing education – we continuously train ourselves and our staff to raise the standards of sled dog welfare.

• Mindfulness approach – unique in the sleddog world, we work with calmness and presence to create harmony for the dogs and for our guests.

• Private tours only – your experience is never shared with strangers, which makes it more personal, safe, and relaxed.

• Award-winning – recognized with four awards, including Best Ethical Dogsled Experience Provider 2023 (Scandinavian Business Awards), Best Sleddog Provider 2023 (LUXlife Travel & Tourism), the Kiruna Lapland Award 2024, and Excellence in Tourism 2024/2025 (Global Tourism Awards).