"The Arctic Circle" Sled Dogs Kennel is ready for winter!
There is more and more snow in The Arctic Circle, which means that our sled dogs team begins winter training! A few days ago, Maria Prozorova, the head of The Arctic Circle Kennel, opened the training season by riding a sled pulled by a team of 4 dogs. It was dangerous to harness more dogs — the snow cover was shallow and loose, the brakes would not hold more dogs. So the main part of the team is still training by pulling an ATV with a driver, but as the snow cover increases, it will be possible to train with large teams.
By the way, only mixed-breeds, which are specially bred for dog sports, participated in this race. They don't have thick undercoat, for "well-dressed" dogs quickly overheat when running intensively. However, that doesn't mean that these athletes freeze in winter! 7 of our 13 mixed-breeds do with a regular insulated kennel and do not require a heater, but the rest are quite heat-loving, and therefore their enclosures are equipped with warm houses with heaters.
We definitely don't have to worry about Alaskan Malamuts and Yakutian Laikas — these breeds are adapted to constant cold weather thanks to thick wool with soft and very warm undercoat. Moreover, even at winter competitions such dogs get hot because they were not brought out for racing, but for life in the Far North, where no one is in a hurry, moving through the endless snowy expanses.
By the way, in the upcoming sports season, it is quite possible that new promising runners will appear among mixed-breeds! For three dogs participation in the races will be a debut. The team plans to attend at least two races this season — The World Cup stage "Russian North" and The Karelian Championship.
Follow the updates, cheer for "The Arctic Circle" team and, of course, come meet our champions in person! They'll give you a paw, allow to take a selfie, show various tricks and freestyle elements, drive you through the snowy forest on a sled and will be very glad to meet you.
