Dogsled training

join the team!

Interested in enrolling your dog? Let us tell you why this is such a great program! Between exercise, training, and socialization - think of it like doggy daycare meets dog walking/ running!

eligibility

Here are the basic requirements for your pooch to join our training program!

If your dog has a surplus of energy and could use some more exercise, this is what our training program is made for. Whether you get a little anxious walking your dog or find yourself worrying that they’ll tear up the house while you’re away - we’re here to help!  

High Energy:

Friends make life better. This doubles for dogs, who usually spend most of their time with people who can’t speak their language or run as fast as they can. We like to give them the space to, well, be a dog! By surrounding them with others and helping them learn to work together as a team (and as a pack).

Love New Friends:

Most of the dogs on our team are huskies, husky crosses, or working breeds as they are often the most keen to pull. However, this doesn't mean that other dogs can’t come out! We have definitely learned over the years that ANY dog can pull on a line if they really want to. This is where our training program comes in handy!

Active Dog Breeds:

Training Types

rookie training

This is for newcomers to the sport! This will include dogsledding training and conditioning throughout the fall season. Plus, depending on your goals, it can also be fine-tuned to train both the dog and the owner if you want to learn as well.

for dogs $80/ Session

These 1-hour sessions cover the basics that need to be assessed or learned before your dog can head out on a sled. Typically we do a maximum of 4 sessions per dog for this kind of training. If your dog still requires more sessions after these, it’s likely that they aren’t cut out for the sport (think of it like try-outs to make the team)! This training is mandatory before any dog can join on any dogsledding runs.

for owners $80/ Session

If you are super serious about joining dogsledding, these sessions are for you! They cover the basics that need to be assessed, learned, and driven into habit before you’re able to head out on your own. Just like driving a car, its good to have a solid foundational understanding before you hit the road. Not only does this protect both dogs and people from getting hurt - but it also protects the sport itself by allowing the proper knowledge to be shared. 

runs

After a successful 1-4 sessions of Rookie Training, your dog should be ready to hit the trails! At the beginning of the season, we usually start with 4km runs. By the end of the season, teams will usually cover up to 40km in a single run - depending on their individual capabilities.

adventure runs $40/ run

This is our favourite part! It’s when we head out to countless trail systems that we’ve travelled to over the years. You can expect your dog to be out on the trails anywhere between 2-8 hours (including travel time to and from trails). These runs are weather-dependent and are typically fairly flexible hours.

Honestly, most of the time, we're heading out to explore the trails as a team, and we’ll go as far as the energy and fitness of the team allows. 

touring runs free

Once your dog has completed enough kms on the trails with us (at least 250km total over the fall training season to be exact), then they’re eligible for our touring team! This team brings our guests out on dogsledding tours throughout the winter season, starting in December. We’ll only invite the dogs that are best suited for the touring team as we want to ensure they can handle both the runs and the extra attention. For every tour that your pup runs with us, your fee is dropped and your dog still gets all the benefits of the adventure runs! 

what’s included

What we cover on runs:

  • This is likely the reason you're here, so here’s the nitty gritty! Each session/run can last anywhere between 1-8 hours and typically heads to a different location. In comparison to dog-walking gigs, it's a pretty good bang for your buck. 

  • Although most of the heavy-duty training happens throughout the fall as we prepare for the dogsledding season, we are continuously working on enforcing and encouraging proper behaviour, team-building, and skill training customized to each dog.

  • We take an enormous amount of care to ensure that no matter the size or breed of dog, they're getting the appropriate nutrition on the trails to perform like the stellar athletes they are. We provide all the treats, which can typically include raw moose meat, beef trimmings, or super high-octane dog kibble (Tokamak brand).

  • Before and after each run, we look over all limbs, paws, joints, tummies, etc. to make sure that each dog is in good physical condition. That being said, sometimes injuries DO and CAN occur like they would for any athlete. In the case of injury, we do our very best to accommodate the dogs immediately and prevent any further injury by working with the owner during the recovery process. 

  • The coolest part is that you will usually get running updates while we’re out on the trails (unless it's too cold to have a phone out)! We’ll update you on where we’re headed, the adventures we’re getting into, as well as some feedback about your pup and their behaviour. We’re also constantly tracking milestones and accomplishments for each pup!

  • Once your dog starts coming out with us, it'll be important for their health to get the right nutrition at home. We know every family is different, so we try to work with you as best we can to make sure your dog is getting what they need.

your commitment

What you’ll need to provide:

  • This is the equivalent to dropping your kids off at school! We’ll provide a set meeting location for you to pick-up and drop-off your fur-child.

  • Every dog’s family is responsible for providing their own leash, harness and any necessary protective gear (with their name written clearly)! We do our best to make sure all items are returned in good condition, but like most sports equipment, they sometimes get damaged or misplaced, so please be forgiving - we do our best to keep track of everyone's gear!

  • For humans and dogs alike, sticking to a diet sucks. However, because your dog’s health is SO dependent on diet and exercise, we need to ensure that all pups have solid food regimes both on the trails and at home.

  • We ask for the dogs to be regularly attending runs (at the very least 1/week) in order to keep up fitness to a level that will prevent injury.

sign up your pup!

Interested in signing up for training? Contact us today to learn more and see if your dog is eligible for our training programs!