Be in the middle of the game instead of the sidelines
Working with sled dogs is absolutely fascinating. But don’t forget – it is work. To work professionally with sled dogs means to have to learn a lot in a short amount of time. It’s not quite enough to spend two months training on the job if you like to work as a guide – at least, if you like to work with us.
We do understand, that this kind of work is not your lifetime job. Please understand, that we are not interested in people who like to have a winter full of holiday fun. The work with tourists and dogs in the north is not that easy. It is more than just walking a dog on the leash for an hour. It is a job where you take responsibility for up to seven customers, 40 dogs and everything else involved in being out in the wilderness for 5 days straight – whatever the weather is outside.
Our education is organised as internships and they start in June. From June til the end of September we will teach you all you need to know about the daily care of dogs: Feeding, cleaning, medical care, training of puppies, socialising of the puppies and much more. From October onwards you will be involved in the training of the dogs for the upcoming snowy season. You will learn how to handle a group of dogs no matter if it is for training with an ATV, kick-bike or cart. This means harnessing the dogs, putting together a team and going on a training run.
As soon as we have enough snow the training with the sled starts. It is a huge step up also as the days are getting shorter and we have to work with small teams to keep it safe. It is a huge task.
From December onwards you will learn a lot about the work that goes on in the background, which is very important for a great experience for our customers. Opening trails with the snowmobile, bringing equipment back and forth, taking goods to the wilderness cabins, sometimes picking up customers from the trails, maintaining the kennels and the sled dog center, taking care of customers when they are not on tour and much more. In between again a lot of training with the dogs, learning all the trails, learning how to handle problems and much more.
From March on you will be on tour with our groups and you will practice what you learned under supervision of one of our guides.
The highlight of the season will be a two week long tour out in the wild – the crown jewel of our tours, the Panorama Tour.
Our part
Accommodation: Staff members at the camp get free accommodation at our camp house in double rooms.
Food: The staff members cater for themselves. We reimpurse €200 per month in grocery costs if you bring us receipts from your shopping. Of course all food are provided when out on tours with guests.
Equipment: Äkäskero provides the warm winter outer shell for you: overalls, winter boots, hat and gloves.