Sleddog Guide

Every day as a Sleddog Guide is different because we have different customers and weather conditions as well as changing daily schedules. We also have different kinds of safaris so the days are quite versatile, and that’s why it never gets boring! 

I arrive at work 15 minutes before I start working, so I have time to change my clothes and get ready for the day. The morning shift started at 7 am and the evening shift at 10 am.

Sleddog Guide – Morning shift
 

6.45 am: I arrive at work, change my clothes, and get ready for the day.

 

7.00 am: With my 2 colleagues we start giving morning drinks to the dogs and after that we take some more meat to unfreeze etc.

 

7.45 am: The morning routine is done and we can start cleaning the kennel. We always try to finish the cleaning before the safaris start, but sometimes if the day is busy, we finish the cleaning during the day between the safaris.

 

8.30 am: I’m the group guide for the first safari, so I prepare the cabin where we serve the juice after the safari and give our kennel presentation. I make the hot juice ready and make sure that there are enough cookies and cups in the cabin.

 

8.45 am: We start harnessing the first teams for the day and we drive the teams to the starting line.

 

9.15 am: First customer group arrives. I welcome the people and give them driving instructions. Then I take them to the starting line and sign the people in their sledges. Then we can start the 10km safari. On the safari, I’m driving a snowmobile in front of 3 teams. After the safari, customers have time to pet the dogs and take pictures, before I take them to the cabin to listen to my kennel presentation.

 

11.15 am: It’s time to thank my group and say goodbye. I clean the cabin and make sure that it’s ready for the next group.

 

11.30 am: Time for my lunch break! I always take the lunch break when I have time. Every day the schedule is a bit different, so I rarely have a break at the same time of day. It depends on when I’m on the safaris or when we need to make more teams etc.

 

Midday: After my lunch, we need to harness some more teams for the next safaris.

 

12.15 pm: I’m guiding on a 10 km safari.

 

1-2.30 pm: I’m on the starting line watching the dogs and making sure that they behave. I also send some teams on the way for the safaris, where I’m not guiding, and I help them when they come back.

 

2.30 pm: The days’ last customers arrive for the 4km safari. And I’m guiding on that safari. After the safari, we drive the teams back to the kennel. We unharness the dogs and put them home. Then we put sleds back on their places.

 

Around 4 pm: I finish my day after everything is done. I change my clothes and I go back home. My colleagues who are on the evening shift, are still on the last 15km safari, and after coming back to the farm, they will feed the dogs. 

 

 

 

At 7 am – I start giving morning drinks to our dogs with my 2 colleagues. After that, we take the meat to defrost and prepare the meat for the evening feeding, etc. this is our everyday morning routine. 

At 8 am – Usually, more people come to work and we clean the kennel. We always try to finish the cleaning before we start to harness the dogs for the first safaris. But sometimes it’s not possible and we finish the cleaning during the day between our safaris. 

Our first customer group arrives at 9.15 am and I’m guiding the group. Before the group arrives, I need to prepare the cabin where we serve juice and cookies for our customers and give a presentation on our kennel. I prepare the hot juice and make sure that there are cookies and cups for everyone in the cabin. Also before the customers arrive we need to harness the dogs, prepare the teams, and drive them out to the starting line, so that they are ready for the safari.

The first safari is 10km, so the whole program lasts approximately 2 hours. At 9.10 am I’m ready and waiting for my customers. The group arrives at 9.15 am just in time. First I welcome the customers to the husky farm, introduce myself, and then give them driving instructions for the sled. All of us go together to the starting line, and I assign everybody to their sleds after which we are ready to start the safari. 

The 10km safari lasts about 45 minutes depending on the weather conditions. During the safari, I’m driving a snowmobile in front of 3 sleds and I am making sure that the dogs are running well, customers are enjoying, and everything goes well. After the safari, the customers have time to pet the dogs and take pictures before I take them to the cabin to drink juice and listen to my kennel presentation. In the cabin, they also have the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the sled dogs. 

At 11.15 am it’s time to thank my customers and say goodbye. When the customers have left, I clean the cabin and make sure it is ready for the next group.

At 11.30 am I have time to have my lunch break before I’m guiding on the next safari. I rarely have a break at the same time of day, as it depends on when we need to make more teams or the schedule of the safaris I’m guiding.

After my lunch break, we make 5 more teams and drive them to the starting line before the 12.15 pm group arrives. For this safari, I’m only guiding, so I won’t be giving driving instructions or the kennel presentations. 

After the safari, I have about a 1-hour break before I’m needed on the next 4km safari. Between the safaris I can be on the starting line watching the dogs, helping safaris to leave and come back, cleaning the kennel, or doing some other maintenance work that is needed at that moment. There is always something to do! 

At 2.30 pm the last customers of the day arrive and it’s time for a 4km safari. After the safari, we drive the teams back into the kennel, unharness the dogs, put the dogs home, and sleds back to their place. While doing so, we check that the sledges, lines, and breaks are in good condition. If something is broken we fix or replace it. 

After all this is done, it’s usually around 4 pm. We can finish the day, change clothes, and head back home. Usually at this time the people who started working later and are on the evening shift, are still on a 15km safari and they come back to the farm at around 5:15 pm. After they have put the dogs home etc., they feed the dogs. And that’s how the day ends for us and the dogs.