Adventures with Dogs (AKA the BEST Kind of Adventure)

So, if you didn’t already know, I LOVE dogs. They are (usually) cuddly, active, friendly, loyal, and just amazing animals! So when I heard that we had been offered the chance to go hang out with dogs and go dog sledding, I said “YES!!!” Basically, there’s this really nice couple who are named Rolland and Deb. They went through the Northwest Passage with their daughters, too. Dad found them somehow, and they invited us to use the break room in their house for wifi and a place to hang out. Now you might be thinking, why do they have a break room in their house? It’s because when Rolland and Deb came through the Northwest Passage (from east to west), they stopped in Nome, and bought a hospital! They now live in it after converting it into a house and an auto repair shop. So I am writing this post from the break room, which is the old ER waiting room! Now, I know, you’re grumbling to yourself, “Talia! Stop rambling and get to the part about the cute puppies!” I completely understand your desire to hear about them, so here you go:

Rolland’s dogs are Alaskan race dogs, trained to race in huge dog sledding races such as the Iditarod. They are work dogs, so their one purpose in life is to get on the line and run! They are always excited to see Rolland drive up to their home in “dog city”, a place where multiple dog owners, or mushers, keep their dogs. They bark and jump because they are soooo excited to work!

As soon as we arrived, we put harnesses on the dogs who were chosen to pull us. The dogs who didn’t get to come were really sad. What you may not have expected is that it is July here in Nome, and that day it was 70 degrees! The dogs are used to running in snow, but there is no snow when it’s 70 degrees, so we couldn’t use a sled. Instead, we attached the dogs to a buggy-type off road vehicle, and we ran them out on the training trails on the side of the property. It was so fun! Here are some photos:

When we returned from our run, the dogs were pretty tired. We put them each back in their area, and we brushed, fed, watered, and petted them. They were much more calm and affectionate after their run, and some were actually pretty cuddly. They were all happy, and we could tell by the smiles on their furry faces that Rolland and Deb took really good care of them. It was an experience that I won’t forget!