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The people behind the Kuoksa Husky Park

In January 2020 we met each other on an overnight dog sledding tour in Finland. One of us was the guest, the other one the guide. But from the day we met, working together came natural to us and we started doing so around dogs. 

Over the course of the next five months we spent less than three weeks together, but it didn’t take more than that before we started planning our life in a place where we would get to know each other and be around dogs.

Dog mushing is a committed, year round, lifestyle and the daily interaction with and care for the dogs is the cornerstone of our life. Every day we learn something new from or about our dogs and – although they have come into this world as much more rounded individuals then we did – we do our best to ensure that we help them to be confident in doing what they love, adjust our work to their needs and earn their trust. When we as humans succeed in that, the loyalty the dogs give in return is unmatched.

There are as many different ways of raising, training and feeding sled dogs as there are kennels. But the one thing that everyone who is running dogs agrees on, is the magic that happens when you combine the enthusiasm and dedication these dogs have for running with the arctic nature and the forward movement of the sled. 

A well trained, well cared for team of sled dogs is an absolute joy to travel with and what we strive for when organising dog sledding tours, is sharing that experience with our guests. 

Our kennel – Tails Ahead Sleddogs – is located in Taivalkoski and together with StayLapland we organise the dog sledding tours at the Kuoksa Husky Park from November until April.

Story of Bent

When I was 12 years old I went on my first five-day dogsledding tour. At the age of 15 school kindly requested that I would continue to spread the joy elsewhere and, being the understanding people that they are, my parents allowed me to stay several months at the kennel where we’d spend our holiday. 

The ten years following I tried every other path forward that I could find, but after running out of road – and excuses – the only thing that I really wanted was to get away and to start doing something I I enjoyed. In November 2011 I returned to Finland for what was supposed to be five months in between jobs. What I found was that sleddogs, and the work and life that comes with them, provided me with much of what I had been missing up to that point. 

The dogs’ enthusiasm, dedication and spirit are a never ending source of joy and motivation. And they are resilient and forgiving enough to give us people the time to get better at working with and understanding them, day by day.

I enjoy the challenges and responsibility of organising and training a pack of sleddogs. When guiding tours, the most rewarding part is when together with Delia and our dogs, I am able to show people that sleddogs are truly amazing animals that – with the right guidance and care – can thrive at doing what they do best while giving us the connection between humans and nature that is often missing.

Our trusted guides and furry partners will show you where the real magic of Lapland awaits – you just have to see for yourself.

Story of Delia

I have always loved animals, with a special interest in dogs. Before I came to live in the north I never had the opportunity to have my own dog, so as a child and teenager I took care of two dogs in my neighbourhood. I took them on walks and would care for them when their owners went on holiday. For fifteen years (in the beginning accompanied by my father) on Saturdays I took dogs from a nearby shelter out for walks. Here I was able to learn a lot about all kinds of dogs, with many different backgrounds.

At the age of 19 I became a Veterinary Technician, after which I worked for several years in different clinics, before working at the Animal University Hospital in Zürich. These days I keep myself updated with books and veterinary seminars specifically about sled dogs.

Soon after Bent and I met in 2020 we decided to work as handlers at a long distance racing kennel in southern Norway, which was my first time working with sleddogs. Their excitement and enthusiasm for running or just watching them interacting with each other as a pack, quickly made me passionate about working with them. Given the important place that dogs have always had in my life, and combined with my experience in veterinary medicine and Bent’s fifteen years of experience working with sleddogs, we are highly motivated to share our passion and provide high quality care for our dogs. We want to set a good example and provide honest, straightforward information about the world of dogmushing.

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