Dog Sledding With Kids

Why Not Try Dog Sledding?

Our first family winter adventure was inspired by the movie Snow Dogs.  Many months before our trip was even planned, we watched a movie about young boy who led a dog sled team through Alaska.  After the movie, our adventurous girls 3, 6, 8) who love animals, especially dogs decided they wanted to try dog sledding.  Being budget conscious this year, we couldn’t make a great escape to a sunny beach, so we opted for winter fun in our own back yard.

Secretly, we arranged for a two hour dog sled tour through Mad Dog Adventures.  They are a small company that offers both morning and afternoon tours on the Spray Lakes near Canmore, Alberta. We picked them simply because they were the first company to respond to our emails.  Later, we heard many compliments about their company from local Canmore residents.   We did not tell the girls about the adventure until we knew what the weather conditions were forecast for that day.  This company does not run tours if the temperature is below -20 Celsius as it is too dangerous for both tourists and the dogs.

On our tour, there were four adults and five children under the age of eight as well as our two guides.  Before the actual ride, our guides showed us all how to safely approach the dogs.  The kids liked learning each of the dogs’ names, ages and stories on how they came to join the team.  We then got to pose for many pictures with the dogs.   

After all the photos, we loaded onto four separate dog sleds and covered up in thick blankets.  Every adult was offered a short introduction to sledding techniques and given a chance to drive the sled and guide the dogs on the path.. It was not difficult as the dogs instinctively followed the lead dogs.  The scenery was indescribable as we gently drove over the frozen trail on the lake. 

By the end of the trip everyone got a chance to guide the dogs on the path including the kids (children under age 2 would have a hard time to sit, even for a short tour and would be too susceptible to the cold – save it for when they are older).  Being the driver was the most memorable experience for the kids, even if they shared the job with a parent or guide.  Having the ability to control the speed and direction of the entire dog team was a big thrill.  (Our girls still talk about driving dog sleds while trying to convince me it’s their turn to drive the van to soccer practice!)  When the kids climbed out of the warm blanketed sleighs to take a turn driving, they were shocked to find out found they were warmer than if they were huddled under the blankets.

The ride is surprisingly smooth and the gentle gliding motion of the sleigh even lulled our non-napping three year old to sleep.  Balance was necessary to stand on the back of the sleigh, but I was never worried about falling off.  Our kids loved the one hill where the adult drivers jumped off the sled and helped push the sled up the embankment and jumped back on again while the sled was still in motion quickly.  Even as a passenger in the sled, I felt safe then.

The sled dogs were not all traditional huskies like what you see in the movies.  Several were greyhounds as well.  The dogs varied in ages and experience.  We were happy to hear that the owner built them retirement kennels when they could no longer run for the tour company.

When we returned to our base point, our hosts had a large thermos of piping hot chocolate waiting for us.  We were then offered the opportunity to help return the dogs into their special kennels on the trailer.  Our kids were so excited; they hooked themselves up to a sled like a husky and helped pull the sleds back to the storage house.

Although dog sledding may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re looking for a family winter adventure, I would highly recommend enjoying the Rocky Mountains from a dog sled with your loved ones.  It’s a winter adventure that your kids will love and talk about in the years to come.