Dog sledding is an immensely popular activity in the Sälen Ski resort. We have been running dogs in the area since 1987 and it is still our greatest passion. It combines interaction with fantastic working dogs with a historical way of travelling silently across the snowy highlands to areas where even snowmobiles are restricted.

The eager, happy, furry, noisy dogs are strong and determined while running, and social and curious when they rest. Their cries of joy and excitement just before the tour starts will immediately turn into a focused silence once the anchor line is pulled and the sleds are mobile. Only the sound of panting and the dogs paws running in the cold snow breaks the silence.

We have a lot of different available dog sled tours in Sweden, if you also wish to customize your own group expedition, feel free to contact us at info@fjallaventyr.com.

The dog is the first animal domesticated by man and research has been done to suggest that this happened between 40,000 and 20,000 years ago, during the Ice Age and the Paleolithic. The dog’s enhanced senses such as smell and hearing offered good protection to warn against intruders and the uninvited. Since it was also almost tireless compared to us bipeds, it became an invaluable asset when hunting. The Inuit, another polar indigenous people who lived off seal meat, found the dog’s sense of smell particularly useful because it could help locate the breathing holes that the seal used to get air and orient itself. The hunter waited patiently and with a familiar lunge was able to insert a spear with barbs to catch the seal. This was, of course, both time-consuming and laborious, and the spear would quickly be replaced by a gun as soon as this invention was available. The problem with weapons being expensive, was that it forced the hunters into larger catches to fund this upgrade. And here was also born for this settlement, a market economic thinking where self-sufficiency had to give room for development and our constant striving to make things better.

Well, as more seals had to be caught, the men formed hunting teams and ventured further and further from their settlements in search of hides, blubber and meat, a valuable trade against gunpowder, lead and industrial ingenuity. In these hunting teams, women, the elderly and children were left to manage the settlements, sew and maintain clothing and equipment, and defend themselves against predators and men with other intentions. The hunters discovered that the dog had other qualities than just finding prey, they could also help haul food, equip any catch and the provisions needed for the long excursions. Unlike how we deploy a team of dogs in our business, these dogs were strung parallel in front of the sled in a fan shape to minimize the risk of the whole team ending up in the same hole if the ice broke. There are also no trees on the pack ice to take into account. That the dogs were loyal and loved by their owners is unquestionable – who doesn’t love dogs – but the handling of the dogs was far harsher than what we consider humane in these times. Fights between the dogs were not uncommon and to quell such a fight the handlers used whips. So the whips were never used to encourage the dogs to go faster – that trait was innate and was encouraged rather than forced. In breeding, draft, endurance and strength were the main characteristics and the dogs that developed in the polar regions were incredibly tough and hardy. Nowadays, speed, willingness to cooperate and, above all, an easy-to-handle dog are very important qualities in breeding.

The more modern history of the draft dog has its origin from the end of the 19th century. In September 1898, gold was discovered in Anvil Creek by “three lucky Swedes”: the Norwegian-American Jafet Lindeberg and the two Swedish-Americans Erik Lindblom and John Brynteson. The news spread to the rest of the world that winter. By 1899, Nome had a population of 10,000, many of whom came there from the Klondyke Gold Rush. The great migration was largely due to the miserable conditions that prevailed in the cities. Lousy working conditions, starvation and poverty had to be compared to the reputation of a beach so full of gold that you could fill your pockets. Those who chose the gold trail sold what little they had to make the long, cold road to Alaska’s west coast. Relatively little has been written about the people who became rich from gold. Maybe because they were few but also because their story probably wasn’t half as impressive as the poor souls who got stuck chasing the gold in vain. Tent camps formed communities and bars, provision shops sprung up. There are countless books to read about the gold rush itself, not least thanks to Jack London who diligently told the outside world about the various destinies and heroic deeds that this time created. But to stay on topic, this is also where the working dogs gets its first public place in history. For the poor miners who alone and desperately dedicated their lives to extracting rock in dark caves and streams, a letter could be the little flame that kept them alive. The provision line and contact with the outside world had to be maintained at all costs and the profession of “postman” was held sacred. Searches could last for several days for postmen who had lost their way or fallen victim to the harsh climate. All kinds of transportation methods were tried, such as horse and sleigh, reindeer raids, etc., but it became clear that sleds with dogs harnessed in pairs in front were without competition the most successful. Dogs were not in abundance in these latitudes – at least not domesticated – so street dogs and even the occasional owned one were shipped to be trained in front of the sled. Here, too, Jack London has done a diligent job of distorting the dog’s leadership role in the pack, something that we must constantly correct, we’ll get to that later.

A common opinion is that a big and strong dog must be a good dog for a team, so it was believed even then. Therefore, the majority of dogs shipped up to Alaska were German Shepherds, St. Bernards, Leonbergers, etc. In Alaska there was a domesticated dog breed that was much more adapted and used to the climate. From the Mahlemiut Inuit came the dog we now call the Malamute which was completely different from the imported working dogs. They were used to hunt seals, they were released to hunt polar bears in packs, and not least to pull heavy sleds. Although they were handled kindly, there was no room for “house dogs”. It was with these dogs that they tried to combine the imported breeds to get a more obedient and stronger draft dog. All kinds of transportation methods were tried, such as horse and sleigh, reindeer raids, etc., but it became clear that sleds with dogs harnessed in pairs in front were without competition the most successful. Dogs were not in abundance in these latitudes – at least not domesticated – so street dogs and even the occasional owned one were shipped to be trained in front of the sled. Here, too, Jack London has done a diligent job of distorting the dog’s leadership role in the pack, something that we must constantly correct, we’ll get to that later.Some biologists believe that the Malamute is a product of the early dog ​​and domesticated wolf decades ago. But there are some Eskimo experts and older Eskimos who reject that idea, saying that the anatomical difference between wolf and dog is too great. Modern genetic engineering shows that Mitochondrial DNA has a similarity of 99.8% for North American Wolf and Alaskan Malamute, while it is 96% for Coyote. The theory is that the dog evolved from the Chinese steppe wolf, and they followed when humans crossed the Bering Strait.Source: http://www.mellklint.se/malamutens_rotter.htm

The sled dog sport is born

The place that would later be named Nome, probably due to a misreading of an old sea map – No Name, a beach near where the three adventurers found gold. Overnight the beach had turned into something that could have resembled a refugee camp with 1000’s of white tents lining the beach. The situation was untenable, food and supplies were in short supply and the barren and inhospitable climate broke many of the fortune seekers. But what did they have to return to? It was find gold or perish. But many also saw the opportunity to find their own gold nuggets in brothels and bars. It was also here that the infamous Wyatt Earp, ran the Dexter Saloon a place where he made a considerable fortune by “mining the miners”. The dog had become such a natural part of life around the gold diggers that both on the streets and in bars dogs walked freely. At saloons like Dexter’s, it was also not uncommon for wild arguments and fights to break out over who had the best dogs. To put an end to these discussions and proud delusions, the All Alaskan Sweepstakes was organized, the first major long-distance race held annually between 1907 and 1917. It was a 400-mile race with both the start and finish in Nome. The first to win that race was John Hegnes in 1908, in a time of 119 hours and 15 minutes.

There was a rumor of a much smaller dog that existed on the Siberian side of the Bering Strait. The dog was significantly faster, had a never ending stamina and also never seemed to stop howling – hence its name Husky – English for hoarse. In 1910, a Finnish man named John “Iron man” Johnson would start with a team of these dogs. He broke the record with an impressive time of 74 hours and 14 minutes – a time that would stand until the competition was held again in 2008. The Siberian Husky thus changed the whole mindset of breeding and how size and tenacity were hugely important traits but in a different way than previously reasoned.

For the sake of history, it is worth mentioning the race for the diphtheria serum that would enthrall the entire United States and where engineering would be defeated by ancient techniques.

January 1925 and Nome had long ago reverted to a different kind of lukewarmness. The golden age had waned and those who hung around fed on what was available. So the sleepy little village prepared for the months of seclusion that followed the ice’s grip. There are now cases of severe coughing and respiratory problems starting to appear among the village’s younger residents and the doctor fears an epidemic and worse – the cure is far out of reach.

Diphtheria is an acute bacterial infection that attacks the mucous membranes of the throat. It is precisely not the bacterium itself that is fatal, but the scab forming which, left untreated, ultimately suffocates the patient. Diphtheria was at the time treatable with a serum but unfortunately the doses available in Nome were out of date and a new shipment would not reach Nome by sea before the ice melted.

The doctor who raised the alarm realized that without access from the sea, Nome is as remote as the moon in January. There is also another problem – the diphtheria serum would never survive long in the harsh environment without being destroyed by freezing. The medicine was in the nearest city, Anchorage, where it could be taken by train to Nenana, but from there it is still 108 miles to Nome. To carry the serum that distance at the time, some of the most successful dog handlers from The Sweepstakes were proposed to relay their best dogs ahead of the serum that distance. Including 3-time winner Leonhard Seppala.

While the dog handlers are getting ready, the plane wants to show its mettle and a race between plane and dog begins to take the serum to Nome. Unfortunately there was neither warmth nor shelter from the wind in the plane available at this time and it was unanimously voted that the serum had to be taken by dogs to Nome.

The relay took 5.5 days to complete and of the 108 miles, the serum traveled an impressive 42 miles with Seppala. The one who carried the serum the last distance was Gunnar Kaasen and it is said that the statue of the guide dog “BALTO” that stands in central park was not his guide dog but a journalistic reconstruction. The dog that performed the great feat was Togo, Seppala’s guide dog and there are many stories about him and has also been depicted both in film and works. Thanks to the serum, the death toll was kept down to 5-7 people, the exact figure is difficult to find and unfortunately the death toll was probably significantly higher among nearby Enuit tribes.

The famous Iditarod race is as much to honor the efforts of those who participated in the relay and most races have subsequently been set to 1000 miles (167mil) which today are covered in less than 10 days.

Contemporary breeding

From the competition-winning Siberian Husky of the time, the most successful competition dogs have evolved and gained an even more streamlined appearance and it is not entirely unusual to have drooping ears. Hunting dogs such as Vorsteh, Setter and Pointer have become increasingly common ingredients in the breeding cocktail mostly for their fast and also kind qualities.

We now know that aggressiveness can absolutely be an inherited behavior and thus a bad breeding trait. Good lines should give the kennel durable, healthy, strong dogs with a coat suitable for the climate. But the fact that the dog is also cooperative and kind have become the least important qualities.

The breed that has been mixed up with different breeds for traits has been briefly given the collective name Alaskan Husky. It’s the lines you’re looking for, not so much the breed itself. A bit like there are people who compete with Volvo Amazon for the sake of type, there are also competitions for purebred Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, Samoyeds even though the races with Alaskan Huskies are significantly faster.

The will to pull

Cooperation between driver and team is absolutely critical to your success as a musher. As I mentioned before,  they pull only out of their will and passion. Therefore, encouragement is your wood for the fire. Having said that, a functioning team is completely dependent on frameworks and communication. A dog needs to understand its task, be rewarded when it does the right thing and feel safe among its teammates in order to do its job. It’s incredibly easy to coddle rather than explain, but that’s not a good method for a long-term relationship. The biggest reason why the dog does not do what it is told is insufficient ground work and this can be improved at any time. We have no vain goals that all dogs will be given the same chance to develop into guide dogs – it’s just like in society where a large part of one’s personal success comes from chance, luck and being in the right place at the right time. But with that said, it will always be our goal to do the best we can to develop as many individuals as possible to become their best selves.

Moods

A dog is characterized even more clearly than us by moods – or? No, that’s not true, a dog is just much clearer about how it feels and what its intentions are. The easiest way to describe a dog’s thoughts is to simplify and give it a 5 second brain. It has thousands of sensations created by experiences triggered primarily by their senses. It will therefore increasingly generalize its choices according to the rapid interpretation it makes of the outside world based on these very sensory impressions.

I once tried loading a dog after the day’s tours. The dog was noticeably done with the tours on the mountain and was probably looking forward to coming home and getting food and bedding down in the straw. I drove the car for a lap but instead of the kennel I came back to the starting place and opened the box. The dog got up, at least as happy again to get out and run on the mountain – just as it had been that morning. -Ludwig Lind

Working with moods is a trick among many of Sweden’s coaches. They explain that if you go on stage with a winning attitude, you will most likely give a more confident speech. On the other hand, it is incredibly difficult to shake off a proper tumble in a rapid, a fall with the mountain bike, etc. It has become directly associated how we succeed with how we feel.

With dogs, it is an incredibly important observation what energy level it has and whether it is present for training. There is no reason to try to train more difficult tricks with a dog that is “boiling with energy”. Far better is to let the dog change its state of mind before you start communicating. Where do you then draw the line for what you should allow, or rather what level do you dare to put on your boundaries? For example, it is not necessary for the dogs to be quiet before the start of a mountain tour, but it helps our guests not to be distracted by the noise, therefore it is an aspiration that we try to fulfill. Barking and howling is also part of the dogs’ energy levels being raised and communication becomes more difficult. It will also lead to the dogs being very likely to get so excited that they try to start a fight or bite the equipment. Both are unacceptable behavior and here we have clear rules on what the dogs are not allowed to do.

Setting frameworks that increase your communication with the dog starts at the first meeting each day with the dog. Even before you meet the dog at the gate, you start communicating with the dog, without knowing it. Here we start talking about your mood; smell, body language and voice clearly show the dog how it will respond to you. The dog can test you, I mean, even we test each other even though we know what we’re not getting. The key to success is consistency. Let the dog come out on your command – then you start the day by setting boundaries and the dog’s world becomes ever easier to understand. But again it only works if we are all consistent.

Triggers and anchors

We will encounter a number of triggers during the winter that we can both use and some that we really try to avoid. For example, if we approach the anchor by the guide dogs, every day when it is time to go, the dogs will see this as a sign to start howling and barking. This might be worth knowing before you go ahead and mess with an anchor.

Bully victims and the struggle for power

The struggle for power is a natural mechanism to ensure that in nature the strongest individuals survive. In a kennel, we help individuals who might not have had a place in the herd to still find their place. Contrary to what many people think, it is not the “natural leader” who deserves the lead dog position. That place is reserved for dogs that are responsive to your communication, cooperative with the team, not striving to advance their position in the pack but rather choose to step away from bullies. If you find such a nugget, you do everything to protect it. In a non-stressful environment, it instills well-being and calmness in the group and I have witnessed several stressed individuals completely relax next to a dog with this confidence.

Herd animals and healthy play

The collective name for wild large canines is Canis. They then mean the Australian wild dog Dingo, Wolf, Coyote and African wild dog among others. It was for a long time an image of a strong alpha male creating his pack. It is something that could also be shown through the groupings of fenced Canis, for example in zoos. But there have actually been theories about pack composition that would rather mean that individuals choose the largest group rather than a dominant male. In the group itself, a dominant male may very well have priority when it comes to food and mating, but the herd is seen as a family rather than a patriarch where older individuals create calm and balance, strong individuals defense and protection, and playful individuals keep the game going. Did you know that pack games not only train the animals for future hunting but also make the animals secrete Oxytocin as an important part of feeling better?

Well-being in symbiosis

We are as much herd animals as dogs. They have tested how people are affected by unchosen loneliness and with tops they have been able to find increased levels of cortisol in the saliva. The test was performed over a long period of time on a number of different people at randomly selected times of the day. Mao, it’s not just dogs who dislike being alone. You can back up that reasoning with the fact that loneliness requires increased presence of mind to detect possible dangers – I thought I’d let that whole reasoning rest on googling and rather go ahead by also saying that substances like adrenaline, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphin help the body process cortisol . Exciting activities can thus contribute to stress. But also Oxytocin (touch hormone) and Serotonin (feel-good hormone) counteract Cortisol. And imagine, in addition to nature experiences, these hormones are stimulated in the meeting with dogs. It may explain our timeless friendship with the animal. But there is more. A similar hormone is also released in the dog when meeting us. We can consider ourselves lucky for the time we get to spend with so many loving dogs and then the last thought remains – how can we help more people with stress-related symptoms such as panic, depression and anxiety with the help of our dogs?