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Dog Welfare
Dog care is our highest priority here at Run Wild Mushing.
We spend a lot of time and resources to make sure we can offer the dogs what they deserve.
Happy dogs, happy musher!
Wild and Free
Nothing beats the feeling of freedom
No dog should be confined to a life in a cage or on a chain. To give our dogs as much free running time as possible, we built a 4 decare (4,000 sqm) free running area where they spend most of the day running around together playing and looking for leftovers and toys to hide away.
All dogs run together every day, both puppies, youngsters and adults. We often hand out pieces of meaty bones for them to take and find their own place to eat in peace, and we play ball with them.
In the summers we put up hammocks in the free running area where we can relax and hang out with them all day. They also have their own swimming pool to cool down in during the hottest summer months!
Housing
We have a mixed set up for the dog yard, with large spacious kennels with a roof and single houses.
We initially started out with a non-tether setup, but we quickly realised that a lot of the dogs got stressed, and made a lot of noise while in the pens two and two together. Some of the dogs got agitated knowing there where dogs on the other side of the fence that they could not reach, and some really just wanted more alone time.
We then chose what we feel is the best configuration for us, which is a good mix between cages and houses.
The houses are fully insulated and long chains allow the dogs to play and reach each other. It also gives the dogs their own personal space and choice to sleep peacefully in their houses. Additionally, the dogs get a lot more socialized this way.
This setup completely changed the whole kennel. Now we have more content, relaxed dogs that socialize with everyone, and they spend most of their time off chain running around anyways.
Most importantly, it's a lot safer! Although our dogs are well socialized and go well together, you can never rule out that some dogs might get into a fight. This way we eliminate injuries in case a fight happens while we are not around.
Feeding
Sustainable nutrition
Alaskan Huskies are bred for low metabolism and high exploitation of nutrients in the food.
Our dogs are fed a high protein and fat diet. The meat mixes we use are locally sourced from the butchers, and some of it is from the south of Norway where they make specialized raw meat diets for dog.
In addition to this the dogs eat:
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Goat meat from our neighboring farm
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Horse meat and bones donated from locals
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Elk/Moose meat and bones from hunting in our own area
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Pigs feet locally sourced from the butcher
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Chicken fat from the south of Norway
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Fish from the fjord
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Salmon from the rivers
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Fresh free range eggs from our own chickens and ducks
We feed our dogs high calorie and quality kibble from Eukanuba throughout the whole season, both as part of the main meal but also as an extra intake of caloriers, fibers, sugars and vitamins.
On average during training, the dogs need to have an intake between 8,000 and 12,000 Kcal a day in order to maintain their weight, and this is only possible with high-quality food. We always aim to reduce our environmental footprint, so we put a great effort in getting locally sourced meat and fish for the dogs.
Puppies and Breeding
A life-long commitment
Here at Run Wild Mushing all our breeding is carefully selected and based on how we think the new generation can help improve the Alaskan Husky as a working dog. We have strong focus on kind and people-friendly dogs without any aggression and low prey interest.
We do not generally breed puppies for sale, but will on occations exchange or sell to other mushers that we can trust. We put a lot of time and effort into selecting the right dogs for breeding, and do not aim to make aesthetically pretty blue eyed huskies, but fully functional healthy dogs with solid pedigrees.Our Kennel is AHE free, and all our dogs are tested!
All dogs selected for breeding are thoroughly examined by our vet, and the female will have an ultrasound roughly 21 days after mating in order to check if she is pregnant. At day 52 we do a full X-ray so we can count and see how many puppies are expected, in case something should happen during labor. All our puppies are born inside, and spend their first weeks in close contact with us.
Becoming a sled dog
Do you have what it takes?
When the puppies are about 4 weeks old, they move into their outdoor pen with their mother. The puppy pen is a large outdoor enclosure with fully insulated houses filled with fresh tree-wool and a large playing and running area. Here they are introduced to all the smells, noises and impressions as they are overlooking the main running pen where the adult dogs are living.
When they are confident enough to run and walk around with us, we take them out for walks in the forest and the nearby fields. From 6 to 8 weeks old, we introduce them to the older dogs, and they get to run around freely in the main running pen while the adults are relaxing at their houses.
As their confidence grows we let them run freely with all the dogs lose together, closely inspected by their mother. This is a great way for the puppies to interact with dogs of all ages, and their body language quickly develops. They learn boundaries and how to play with all dogs. This way we also quickly get to see which puppies are a bit shy, more confident or drama queens and kings.
Building this relationship with the rest of the dogs is key for being able to have a fully functional group of dogs where all can interact together.
Between 6 months and 8 months we start getting them used to the harness and the sled lines, and by the time they are one year old they are already professional sled dogs. The will to happily work and be a sled dog is so well imprinted in their genetics that it simply comes natural to them from the beginning.
Vet Care
Regular checkups at the vet clinic is very important and we will not hesitate to go to our vet if we have concerns for any of the dogs. In addition, they all need their yearly vaccines, puppies need passports and ID-chips. We've used the Malangen Veterinærklinikk for many years and Sarah Schott is amazing when it comes to taking care of our dogs. Her expertise on sled dog care is beyond belief.
Physiotherapy
Our dogs undergo regular physical examinations and treatment if necessary. Muscle-relaxing massage and laser therapy help them recuperate faster and increases the overall welfare of the dogs. Our dog-physio Anneli at Optimal Hund is absolutely amazing and professional with our dogs.
Did we by the way mention that she has a large swimming pool for training and rehabilitating dogs?
Check out her web page for bookings:
CONTACT US
Skutvikveien 152, 9055 Mestervik
Phone: (+47) 922 36 227
email: contact@runwildmushing.com