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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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| Mushing Magazine has compiled
a list of questions that they recommend you ask tour operators
when planning a sled-dog adventure tour.
We have listed those questions, and included our answers
below. If you have any additional questions, please feel free
to ask. We will do our best to respond quickly and completely.
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First, we have a question of our
own:What is our philosophy for dog care? |
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 This
is an extremely important question for us. Our most important
principle is "Dogs First!" We feel
very strongly about this. We make every effort to provide the
best possible care for the dogs, and try always to put the dogs
first. We take care of them first after a run, and then take
care of the humans. We place their needs ahead of our own: that
applies to feeding, training, general care, health care and
medical treatment. |
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 We
do not cull our kennel, and we do not get rid of dogs who retire
– whether they retire as pups or as seniors. At any one
time, you'll find 6 to 12 retired dogs lounging around the yard
and the house. And at any given time, one or more of our older
dogs may be facing serious medical challenges – cancer,
kidney problems or arthritis. They work hard for us in their
youth and middle years, so we do our best to take care of them
throughout their natural lives. While this is a more expensive
approach to kennel management, it is the one we feel we must
live by. Grizzly (left) ran until he was 14, and lived to 17
years. |
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How long have you been in the
sled dog business? |
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| Muktuk Kennels has been in the mushing business for over
20 years, and Frank has 21 years of long-distance racing
and sled-dog expeditions.
For the past 12 years, people from all around
the world, and all walks of life, have been sharing our lifestyle
and enjoying our tours. |
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Who conducts the trips? What are
their qualifications and experience? |
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| Trips are led by Frank and/or our guides.
They are all experienced in backcountry winter survival, first
aid, and dog handling. Our senior guides have many years of
wilderness experience, including mushing and guiding. They have
Food Safe and Wilderness First Aid certification. Muktuk Kennels
has a Wilderness Tourism License, and all appropriate insurance. |
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How many dog teams go out on tours
at one time? How many teams go on a trip? How many guides?
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| On any particular tour, three or four dog teams will go out
together. We have a maximum ratio of 4 clients per guide.
We also limit the number of teams for each trip, to
ensure a true wilderness experience. A fully subscribed trip
consists of 4 guests and 1 or 2 guides; and we do not book more
than two groups at one time. |
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How many dogs are there in a team? |
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| Under typical conditions, each guest drives a 6- to
8-dog team, while the guides drive 8-10 dogs or ride
on a snowmobile (for safety and security). All our week-long
trips feature one person per sled unless otherwise requested/specified.
As our dogs are exceptionally strong, we try to determine the
ideal size team for each individual client. Clients are able,
if they want, to try driving a larger team. As we have an emphasis
on learning adventures, we want people to be able to try new
things and test their own limits, if they want to. |
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How much are guests involved in
harnessing, feeding and other dog care duties? |
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| As much or as little as they want. We encourage
maximum involvement but it is not mandatory. Again, since we
are interested in adventure learning, we try to allow our guests
to participate in all aspects of mushing, including dog care.
We have hosted guests from 11 to 80, and we customize our tours
to suit the interests and skill levels of each client. |
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What kind of dogs do you use?
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| All our dogs are Alaskan huskies; and all
of them are racing stock for long-distance competitive racing.
Most of the dogs have been bred and born at Muktuk. [You can
find more information about our teams on our "Dogs"
page.] |
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Do your dogs ever fight? |
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| While we cannot say they "never" fight, fights are
rare in our yard. Developing healthy dogs with good
attitudes is a top priority for our kennel, and we
work hard to prevent fights. Indeed, our dogs travel in an open
compartment in our dog truck and do not need to be separated
in individual boxes. |
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Are the dogs socialized well?
To children as well? |
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| All of our dogs are very well socialized to children,
adults and seniors. They are very friendly, but as
they are rather large, they can be a little intimidating for
very young children – nevertheless, they do have contact
with children of all ages. |
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What is included in the price?
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| Meals, accommodation, guides, equipment, dog teams,
camping gear, ground transportation – everything
except personal gear and expenses, and your travel to and from
Whitehorse. We pick will you up and return you to the airport.
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What equipment is provided? What
is not provided? |
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| We provide all the gear needed to make your
adventure as safe and comfortable as possible. However, we recommend
that you have your own personal winter gear. While we can provide
you with parkas and boots, you will likely be more comfortable
with your own inner clothing; fleece liners, long underwear,
sweaters, socks, hats, mitts, etc. We also provide all the camping
gear, including sleeping bags (with washable liners). |
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Do you have sleeping bags for
guests who ride in the sled? |
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| Yes, we have sleeping bags (and/or extra
parkas) for every guest; but we encourage everyone to drive
their own team, at least part of the way, as that is part of
the adventure – it can actually be a little uncomfortable
to sit in a sled for very long. |
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What happens if it gets really
cold? |
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| We are in full operation unless temperatures drop below -35ºC
or colder, with wind chill factors taken into consideration.
We have many years of experience traveling and camping in winter
conditions; we also have the expertise, clothing and equipment
needed to make sure you are comfortable in
cold conditions. We have extra parkas and boots, as well as
extra socks. We provide hand and foot warmers when necessary.
Also, we do not run if the weather is too warm for the dogs,
although that is rare during our touring season (December
to February). |
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What kind of meals are provided?
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| We offer healthy, hearty home cooking, with
organic vegetables, some wild game and local fish. We can provide
vegetarian meals as well. Please let us know if you have any
special dietary requirements. We will do our best to accommodate
your needs (and we would let you know in advance if we are not
able to). |
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How do we get to Whitehorse? |
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| There are daily, year-round flights into
Whitehorse from Vancouver (2 ½ hr flight),
plus flights from Edmonton and Calgary.
In the summer, there are weekly flights from Germany and Switzerland.
You can also reach Whitehorse by driving the Alaska Highway,
or traveling on the coastal ferry system to Skagway, Alaska
(we can meet you there). |
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We can provide references from
clients who have participated in our adventure programs in the
past.
You may
also want to check out our "Why Muktuk?" page.
And off course, if you have any other questions, please
and feel free to contact us at muktuk@northwestel.net
or use the webform
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