Through the years many of our guests, neighbors, and friends have expressed the desire to ‘live the life’ with sled dogs. Here’s a chance to have that experience without committing to a full-season job…try it out! 4-16 week Volunteer Opportunities available.
Skills/ attitudes preferred:
- Enjoy working with animals, especially sled dogs
- Hardworking – you like to work outside and prefer to be physically busy; upper body strength is a must as you’ll be using it, you can lift and carry 50 lbs
- Your glass is half-full – good attitude, a generally happy person who enjoys new challenges and likes people; we are a tour kennel… not as busy in summer, but you’ll still have guests to talk to
- Mechanically inclined: Driving atv’s & full-sized pickup, knowledge and use of power tools, lawnmower
- Couples are encouraged to apply.
What you can expect:
- An introduction to sled dog/ kennel life and training
- Comfortable cabin with water/shower and an outhouse …and stipend to cover food
- Work independently and with others to complete kennel chores and kennel building projects.
- 5-day work week with time off to do other things – we realize it’s an intense job living and working with animals in a tour kennel…getting out to hike a nearby trail or soak in the hot springs, enjoy the land of the midnight sun is soul-cleansing.
Program Dates:
Summer 2021: 4 week (minimum) begins May 1. You can commit to one 4-week stay or the whole summer (May thru August). Be sure you consider your commitment carefully as the position is multi-faceted. It takes a lot of energy and training on our part to offer this experience. Summer is a more relaxed time in the kennel as far as schedules and tourism…it is a good time to be around the dogs in their ‘off-season’ and give and receive lots of dog love.
Fall and Winter are far more fast-paced and regimented. Training ramps up in the cooler months (end of August, September we are training everyday on ATVS, and switch to sleds when the snow flies). Tours increase as we enter the Fall Aurora Season (September). This summer volunteer opportunity could turn into a paid handler position for the right person for Fall/ Winter season.
Considerations:
- You will need a vehicle. We are located 20 minutes driving from the town of Fairbanks for grocery shopping and activities.
- You will need work clothes and gloves – you will get dirty and smell like a dog when you work with 50 sled dogs. Yes, the cabin has a shower J
- You have the cabin to yourself; the owners live 10 mins away, but will be there each day to work on projects and work with dogs
- You may be asked to work independently for a few days at a time if the owners are out of town.
What might be a typical day?
8:00 to 9:30 am-ish: Mornings begin with coffee and dog chores: The sun is up early and the dogs will greet you with a smile and a wag as you visit each with the bucket of kibble. You’ll scoop the kennel, grab some breakfast and get ready for the day’s project:
10:00 – 4:00 refurbish dog houses, painting projects, fencing projects, puppy walks, dog training, tending the gardens, mow the grass, weed-whack, talk with visitors about sled dogs, etc…..
5:00 – 6:00-ish: Evening feeding and a last scoop of the kennel
Evening in the land of the midnight sun… when the work day is done: sit on the deck and read a book, watch doggy tv, grill a burger, or take a walk on the homestead! Our kennel is situated on 280 acre homestead property owned by a local family who runs a B&B and farm on the hill above our kennel. The cabin and kennel are situated on a quiet, sunny, south-facing slope looking at the Alaska Range.
**Days off are a must and need to be planned…it is suggested you travel around the local area and enjoy the land and outdoors. We’re 50 miles from Chena Hot Springs Resort, you’ll pass the Chena River State Recreation area on the way out there. The recreation area has several hikes: Granite Tors, Angel Rocks…etc…take a dog with you! We’re 2.5 hours from Denali National Park. Visit lodges on the Denali Hwy- Maclaren River Lodge, Alpine Creek Lodge, go fishing at the lakes on the highway (all dirt roads lead to cool places). Drive out the Elliott Hwy to Manley Hot Springs, Manley Roadhouse. Pick blueberries in July locally in the flats off Nordale or on the Steese or Elliot Hwy. Check out town activities – Museum of the North at UAF, Antique Car Museum, check out local breweries and eateries – from Fairbanks to Homer and Seward. And don’t forget fishing in Valdez, etc….too much to mention here. Check out www.explorefairbanks.com to see more fun activities.