Yes, You Need to Go Dog Sledding With These Insanely Cute Huskies
Photo courtesy of Terje Rakke/Nordic Life - Visitnorway.com
Dogsledding in Norway is the gateway to cuddle town ... squee!
Dog sledding is a quintessential winter activity in the North of Norway. Travelers come from near and far to see the Arctic tundra firsthand and to experience it in a completely different way. But mostly, they go on a dog sledding excursion to see the region’s hardest-working pups ...
<3 the Alaskan husky. <3
Alaskan huskies are primarily bred as working dogs. They love to roam, and they go crazy with anticipation when their mushers prepare for take off. As soon as we depart, and the dogs get what they want, which is to run, it becomes almost jarringly silent and serene.
The first two dogs, called lead dogs, are intelligent, strong leaders who steer the whole team. The two dogs behind them are known as swing dogs. They are often younger, smaller dogs that motivate the team, create more speed and allow the sled to take the corners with more agility. You can think of them as lead dogs in training.
Photo courtesy of C.H. - Visitnorway.com
The huskies in the middle are called team dogs, and the huskies in the back are known as wheel dogs. They are typically heavier dogs that help to counterbalance the weight of the sled when the team takes corners.
My musher at the Kirkenes Snowhotel, like so many others, fell in love with the dogs and never looked back.
“I took a holiday to Tromso, about three years ago now. And much like you, I was doing the dogsled trip and I liked it so much that I asked for a job. And the rest was history,” said Kirkenes Snowhotel musher, Josh Persello. “My education is not with animals. It’s like bio-medical science. But yeah, [this is] much better.”
Dog sledding tours in Kirkenes typically last two or four hours, including enough time for you to play with the dogs, take photos and check out their living quarters. And if you end up falling for your new furry friends, set a little extra time aside. Who knows? You might find yourself checking with the crew to see if they’re hiring.
My trip to Norway was made possible by Hurtigruten and Visit Norway. Views Expressed are my own.