Small Group Highlight: Alaskan Iditarod Sled Dog Kennel

Every March since 1973, the world’s most elite sled dogs and mushers have raced across nearly 1,000 miles of rugged Alaskan terrain during the Iditarod, “The Last Great Race on Earth.” The Iditarod originated as a way to keep Alaskan sled dog culture alive, as well as to preserve the historic Alaska Native trails and gold rush supply routes the race follows.

We learn all about the Iditarod and working dogs in Alaska on our Alaska’s Untamed Wilderness small group tour, where we visit a sled dog kennel owned by a four-time champion Iditarod musher.

An Odysseys guest holds a puppy at Husky Homestead, the Iditarod sled dog kennel we visit on Alaska’s Untamed Wilderness.

The history of dog sledding in Alaska reaches much further back in history than the start of the Iditarod; in fact, the Inuit people – pioneers of mushing in North America – have been using dog sledding as their cornerstone of transportation and commerce since as early as 1000 CE.

To this day, many rural Alaskan communities rely on working dogs, and during our visit to the sled dog kennel, it becomes clear how the Iditarod honors this legacy. We see firsthand how mushers and dogs prepare and learn about the clothing, equipment, and supplies required to finish a race that can last up to two weeks.

A display of some of the equipment and gear required to complete the 1,000-mile Iditarod.

Kennel staff members also demonstrate the dogs’ strength, stamina, and skills, explaining exactly what the Iditarod entails and how the dogs train for it. In addition to physical fitness, the sled dogs must learn how to identify and stay on the trail and how to work together as a pack to guide the musher to the finish line.

Of course, we’re also given ample opportunity to spend time with the dogs and play with the husky puppies. After all, socialization is an important part of the dogs’ training as well!

You can visit these pups yourself and learn more about the revered Iditarod and working sled dogs in Alaska on our Alaska’s Untamed Wilderness small group tour. Just submit an online reservation request or give us a call and we’d be delighted to assist you in planning your Alaskan adventure.

Read about more small group highlights featured on our tours by clicking here.