Uncommon Journeys has been referred to as the Yukon’s “Club Med” for sled dogs. Our high level of care provided for our sled dogs that led to our kennel being recognized as Canada’s first “Certification Plus” kennel by Mush with P.R.I.D.E.

Our approach to caring for mushing dogs and our training program is somewhat different than some northern dog yards. We have never adhered to the "sled dogs are working dogs only" mentality. At Uncommon Journeys we treat every one of our dogs like we would treat our children. We believe that this leads to a relationship based upon mutual love and respect.

Our sled dogs are EXTREMELY FRIENDLY! In fact, each year we host thousands of visitors each day for a two-hour seminar on dog sledding and dog care. Up to 250 guests at a time visit us and pet all of our dogs! The sled dogs absolutely love all the attention. The guests roam throughout the dog yard with the only risk being that they might be licked to death. In fact Herschel, one of our largest dogs, has actually developed a taste for cosmetics and many women (despite having been warned!) have been lured into his circle by his beautiful bi-colored eyes only to have their make-up licked clean off their face!

We take pride in the fact that every dog is consistently exercised during the entire year - not just in the fall and winter. In the summer we run the dogs free and unharnessed in groups of ten or more behind the all terrain vehicle. The gang races behind us all the way to Cub Lake where they get to indulge in a long swim. Jackson and Bandit are our long distance champions - each having actually crossed the entire lake twice! Those dogs who are in heat, pregnant, or are new to the kennel are exercised in our "dog corral".

This is a large, wooden framed corral that is lined with predator fencing. This large, open area allows the dogs to run around and play with each other at will. It is situated right in front of the main cabin, allowing us to observe the various dogs interacting socially with each other, giving us an advantage when choosing breeding and running pairs. It is also a lot of fun for us to watch them having such a great time! We sometimes put obstacles or balls etc. in the corral and have enjoyed endless hours of watching them from our porch. When young puppies are two months old, we go into the corral with them and work on coordination exercises and just wrestle around, building the bonds between us that will last the duration of their lives.

Most days, one sled dog is chosen as the "dog of the day". This team member is allowed to roam free all day long. Coming inside the main cabin to eat some treats and receive some extra attention is always a special time for each dog. Some of our dogs even love to join us for a video, Ruby loved watching 'Iron Will' during her pregnancy! Because of this kind of relaxed training, our dogs love their position in the team. In fact when we return from a run we are able to simply unhook all of the dogs and they run right back to their particular house, waiting patiently to be clipped into their line. Sometimes when we travel over some of the more technical trails, our guests wish to reduce their "dog power". We unhook one or two dogs from that team and those dogs are trained to either heel behind their sled, or to run ahead of the team out of the way. When it is time to be hooked back up to the gangline the guest calls the dogs' names and they run up, eager to re-join the team!

Our dogs are cared for by Dr. Rick Brown and his team of the outstanding vets. Each fall Dr. Brown comes out to the Homestead and vaccinates the entire yard as well as providing a yearly check up for each individual dog.

Nutrition is a big part of any sled dog's success and our dogs are no exception. We provide our team with special high performance dry dog food and literally tons of double ground chicken, horsemeat, and chum salmon. They work hard, burning off thousands of calories a day. As such, we often provide a supplement of special fats combined to provide an even higher caloric intake during the colder months.

As well, to ward off the cold, each dog has his or her own doghouse that rests off the ground on a wooden pallet which also serves as a fine porch. Each house has a distinctive sign with the dog's name on it so our guests can easily identify their own team. (Each harness also has the dog's name on it). Each doghouse is filled with fresh straw to keep the dogs warm during the cold winter months. This entire arrangement is re-created out at our wilderness camp where the dogs have their own doghouses to sleep in. It truly is a dog's life!

Our dogs are as "uncommon" as each of our guests is and every dog has an incredibly unique personality. The moment you meet your team, the special relationship that quickly develops between you and your dogs will both delight and amaze you. We love our dogs and we know you will too!