THE RAXEIRA KENNEL

Working together with animals is a privilege - but it also comes with great responsibility. Our firm conviction at RAXEIRA's is that what we do in our business should never be at the expense of the physical or emotional health of our dogs. Therefore, we place great emphasis on transparency and openess in our care of the dogs. We see it as our responsibility to educate our guests to increase understanding of dog sled tourism and that is it not just about the fun parts, but also a lot about spreading knowledge about these amazing dogs. We pride ourselves in communicating the importance of cooperation, mutual trust and respect between human and dogs - after all, that is what mushing is all about!

Our philosophy at RAXEIRA's is that our role as leaders of the pack is about meeting the needs of our dogs in terms of security, closeness and dog care. But it is also about tending to their great need of physical and mental stimulation. Our Siberian Huskies love to work and run together in the team, there is no doubts about that. They were born to run - and it is of great importance to us that they feel true joy in their work.

Our dogs live as a pack and mostly outdoors in big, enriched kennels with daily access to a larger free-running area. In there, in addition to sleddog training, they spend their free time doing typically doggy things such as playing, sunbathing, digging and other things they find enjoyable. However, all Raxeira dogs also spend time indoors on a regular basis; cuddled up in the sofa and sleeping in our bed. 

During most of the year we focus on mushing, both on snow and dryland. The team has many miles in their legs before the first snow comes - all in order to prepare them for the sledding season. When the warmer months come we enjoy and welcome the slower, resting phase in our lives after a very active mushing season. We go on walks, mountain hikes, play around with the clicker or take a trip to the lake together. When the water is warm enough, the dogs start their swim training in order to maintain good condition and muscle before the next training season starts again in the fall. Throughout the year, we put effort in building strong, durable bodies through varied physical movement and training. All of the dogs get regular check-ups by our canine physiotherapist and veterinary; we do what we can in order to prevent injuries and be proactive about their health and physique. We are also firm believers in rest and good recovery as essential elements of the well-being of our fourlegged friends.  That is why we always give our dogs a couple of weeks of continuous "vacation" after a completed training season, before the summer's fitness training starts.