So You Want to Adopt a Sled Dog

Happy Friday! Hope you had a great week. We’ve got a great newsletter for you, sharing some FAQs about adopting a sled dog.

But before we do that…

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So let’s get into today’s newsletter…

As temperatures have gotten warmer, we haven’t been able to run the dogs. Well, Boo is still at Beth’s at the moment, but we had a couple days around 80 degrees and would not have run them even if he was here. We have taken them to my dad’s house to free run a couple times and they really enjoy that.

Boo enjoyed making new friends last week as Beth and JT had friends in town to view the total solar eclipse. We’ve had several more rounds of thunderstorms, so Boo has also been spending some time chilling in his safe spot - the bedroom closet.

Pence has just been hanging on her couch, as usual. She’s been on some walks and met a new dog friend at the park a few days ago. Surprisingly, she hasn’t touched either of the dog bones out in the back yard! I guess it’s not as fun to play with them and hide them without another dog in the house. I think she does enjoy her own space when Boo is away, but also enjoys a friend when he is here.

So nothing too exciting has happened with the dogs in the last week or so. But that’s not a bad thing either!

While things are a bit slower dog-wise at the moment, we thought we’d take some time to answer a few questions from people asking about how they can adopt a sled dog and what to expect if they do.

Do adopted sled dogs require an active lifestyle?

It depends! I think a lot of sled dogs would enjoy active lifestyles. Whether you’re hiking, walking, biking, free running, etc. most sled dogs would be happy to do it with you. If you adopt a dog that needs an active home and you aren’t able to be active with them, they could get bored and take their energy out on say, your sofa.

Some sled dogs may be perfectly content with curling up on the couch or bed and having a chill retirement. The musher or rescue you get the dog from would best be able to tell you what lifestyle a dog would prefer.

If the dog does prefer an active lifestyle, you’ll probably be feeding them more as they burn more calories, so keep that in mind.

Does it take long for a sled dog to adjust to pet life?

There is definitely an adjustment period. Going from living outdoors 24/7 with a bunch of other dogs to living inside a house by themselves and with humans can be a big change. But it also depends on the dog.

In our experience, the first 48 hours with Boo and Pence were full of nervousness. They wanted outside a lot. They were panting and pacing around. It took them a while to settle down and relax.

Each day got better and better. They realized they were staying and settled in. It may take several days for them to get used to different sounds in the house such as the TV, dishwasher, alarm clocks, etc.

I think as long as they have “their spot” in the house, they’ll be ok. We have a dog-dedicated couch and each dog has their own crate which they can get into whenever they want to.

We were given advice to give the dog at least two weeks, but up to four weeks if possible, to adjust and decide if the dog is a good fit.

Are sled dogs shy?

Again, it depends. I’ve met several sled dogs who are shy and anxious around new people, like Boo and Pence. But, I’ve also met several sled dogs who are very social and outgoing, like Blizzard and Forrest. They all have their own personalities when it comes to people and new places.

But even for the shy dogs, if you put them in a harness, they seem to gain more confidence and come out of their shell. It’s a familiar and happy feeling for them.

Do they walk on a leash well?

HA. HAHA. HAHAHAHAHA. No.

Almost every sled dog I’ve met and had the opportunity to walk on a leash PULLS LIKE CRAZY. I mean, that’s what they’re bred to do. And they are STRONG.

Surprisingly, Boo walks on a leash fairly well. Probably the best out of any sled dog I’ve met. If we’re walking near other dogs and other people, he tends to stay closer and not pull at all. If we’re walking in a familiar area and no one else is around, he may pull more to sniff new smells along the way.

Pence absolutely does not walk well on a leash lol. She thinks we walk too slow. She will zig-zag back and forth the whole walk, pulling hard. It kind of makes me dizzy to watch.

I tried to walk them both at the same time by myself once…definitely do not recommend.

Do sled dogs shed a lot?

As we mentioned in a previous newsletter, sled dogs can come in several breeds and can have varying coats. If you’re looking at an Alaskan Husky or other husky-type dog, you will have fur. Lots of fur.

I’m not kidding, when I swept the house last week I had to empty the sweeper container three times. And it hadn’t even been that long since we swept! So. Much. Fur.

Since Boo has been living inside full time for over a year now, he didn’t grow out much of a winter coat this year. That has helped the fur situation.

Pence however, still has a thicker coat and sheds like crazy. Hopefully once she blows her winter coat this summer, it won’t be as thick moving forward.

We try and brush them frequently to keep the hair under control but there is no containing husky fur.

Do sled dogs play fetch?

I have yet to encounter any sled dog that will play fetch. Most sled dogs I know don’t even play with toys. Our dogs act like they have no idea what toys are. They’re afraid to put anything in their mouths. They don’t understand the concept of chasing after a ball.

We’ve had a toy laying around the house for months and Boo has picked it up a couple times to gnaw on it, and bat it around like a cat, but that’s about it.

Do sled dogs bite?

I mean, they are dogs…and some of them have wolfier backgrounds…but I’ve never seen a sled dog bite a human. I’m talking about adult sled dogs here, because I’m sure puppy sled dogs are little demons with needles for teeth.

Even when Boo is scared out of his mind while getting his nails trimmed, he hasn’t tried to bite. Occasionally he will put his nose on you like he’s warning you that he doesn’t like you cutting his nails, but he hasn’t put teeth on anyone.

When Pence hurt her shoulder last summer, right after we met her and brought her home, she didn’t even think about biting me. I was moving her leg, wrist, shoulder all around trying to figure out why she was limping. When I moved her shoulder a particular way, she legitimately screamed. I did not expect that at all and jumped away from her thinking I was going to be attacked. But no, the sweet girl was just letting me know that’s where it hurt. She had zero intention of being aggressive or biting, even when she was in pain.

Do they like to cuddle?

All signs point to YES. And I didn’t really expect them to be so cuddly. When I think of a sled dog, I think of working dogs. Big, strong, focused. But when you get them on a couch or in a bed, it’s like they just melt in your arms. They cuddle right up, want belly rubs, and want to lick your face.

Where do you find a sled dog to adopt?

So you’ve decided that you want to add a sled dog to your family, but you don’t know where to look. My advice - get to know some mushers who have sled dogs. But PLEASE do not hound them constantly or just straight up ask them for a dog just because you like seeing them on social media.

Mushers know their dogs best. They often know which dogs may make good pets vs dogs that would prefer to keep running in a team. If you’re really interested in adopting a sled dog, put some feelers out to let them know you’re interested in adopting when the time is right for a dog.

Sled dogs may become pets at various stages of their lives for various reasons. Sometimes due to health reasons or just lack of interest in running anymore. Sled dogs typically have long, healthy lives due to their active lifestyle, so even if a dog “retires” at age 7 or 10, like Boo and Pence, they still have a long life to live.

In addition to befriending mushers, there are also some sled dog rescues that have adoptable sled dogs, which would be a good place to start as well.

If you have any other questions about adopting a sled dog, feel free to leave a comment or send us an email!