I visited the Muktuk Sled Dog B&B.
Here are the photos from my visit!
At first, I was taken aback. When I drove in from the 4km long dirt and gravel road off the Alaska highway a short drive West out of Whitehorse, I was confronted with a huge yard with dogs all chained up. What in the hell was this? And this was a tourist attraction?! I was seeing thru “Georgia Eyes”, where back at home tethered dogs are dogs that are neglected and exist in a living hell, and amounts to felony cruelty.
I quickly learned how far I was from the truth with my first impression.
Over the course of my stay, I watched teams of volunteers and employees waiting on these dogs hand and foot, I am guessing at least a dozen times a day. There was always someone out there, cleaning up dung, refilling water, putting down more food, playing with them, releasing them to run, putting them back on tether, and so on.
The dogs are cycled into free running sessions and allowed to range through the vast acreage to the river where they swim and chase rabbits. They are also rotated into large paddocks, about a half acre each, where the better behaved ones are allowed to do whatever they wish, surrounded by trees, grass, and bushes. Ones that are grouches get time off tether, but are handled with more care, while not exposing the other dogs to their grumpy fangs.
The ones let loose to run to the river were loosed about 200 yards away from our guide. Yet, out of the 153 dogs, she knew their names on site. All of them. Every one. Seemed to me that all the folks working there knew ALL the dogs names on site.
Three litters were in progress, one 7 week old, one 10 days old, and one 5 days old. These folks were on top of managing the mom’s, making sure they were supported and not overwhelmed by all that a litter of puppies entails. We were encouraged to handle them, so as to more easily socialize the dogs as they mature. The 7 week old puppies loved it. A 5 day old puppies nuzzled into my arm, and basically was not going to move unless I put him down, falling fast asleep, nose buried into my elbow’s crook.
I really do not know how they do it at Muktuk. Day after day. 153 dogs.. and managed like a swiss watch. These dogs were happy, healthy, and fit. All of them. They even sprinkled in, I guess, a dozen or so rescue dogs and had some boarders mixed in as well.
Anyhow, if and when I go to dog heaven, this is pretty close to the mark.
As for the lodge, it was a wonderful. They had everything, comfy beds, nice bathrooms, a good cook, coffee on tap, hot chocolate, and a guitar that was in tune.
I really slept like a log, and did not want to leave the next day. I have not been sleeping well this entire trip, and the time leading up to it, and this has caused me stress related headaches. I slept like a baby.
I will visit again on my way back down towards the US.
I also plan to book a week of actual sled dog training, training for me.. they do a full week culminating in a 2 or 3 day full on wilderness sled dog camping experience.
Sign me up.
Brrrrrrr.
It will be COLD.