Summer Kennel Tour

Experience the Workings of an Iditarod Championship Sled Dog Kennel

• Mushing Demo
• Tales from the Iditarod Trail with an Iditarod Veteran Tour Guide
• Informative Video
• Pet famous Alaskan Huskies & Cuddle Puppies

Duration

1.5 hours

About

Arriving at the kennel, you will be greeted by between thirty and sixty sled dogs resting comfortably on their houses in the dog lot.

Your tour begins with a welcome and a brief introduction to Happy Trails, with some guidelines for appropriate behavior with our dogs. They are all friendly -- almost too. They love being petted and snuggled, but are high energy!!!

In our Visitor Center, your virtual trip along the Iditarod trail begins. Via a twenty-minute video, you travel from Anchorage to Nome. Martin’s narration includes anecdotal stories from his thirty-nine years of racing, as well as a great deal of Iditarod history.

The next stop on your tour is the log amphitheater. The campfire and wall tent, a mockup of the checkpoint at Cripple, set the stage for a description of life on the trail. The presentation includes an in-depth look at how the real athletes -- the dogs – are cared for and outfitted for the elements, complete with a "runway" model wearing the latest trail fashion.

A dog sled demonstration run is the noisy part of the tour. A team of six lucky dogs is harnessed to the gang-line. You will see and can photograph them as they pull an ATV on a short, highly visible loop. During the harnessing, the uproar of barks of “take me” prohibits any discussion, and the smiles on the dogs’ faces show visitors what our sled dogs love the most ~ running. During this demo your Iditarod veteran guide will explain the nuances of the training process.

Puppy time is the GRAND FINALE and most visitors’ favorite part of the tour! You will get to hold puppies and be a part of our socialization program, since a major goal at Happy Trails is to raise happy dogs!!!

We maintain a small Gift Shop with a large selection of unique HTK (Happy Trails Kennel) items.

Your tour can be as long or short as your interest. Some folks have to pet every dog before leaving. We feel fortunate to have and share our life with dogs.

More Info

• We are Located 90 minutes north of Anchorage
• Minimum booking of 2