A Day in the Life of a Minnesota Sled Dog story and photos By Ashley Bredemus
[ABOVE AND TOP RIGHT] Lady and Billie are both yearlings and are learning to run lead—they are showing a ton of promise. [BOTTOM RIGHT] Musher Andrea
DeBoer gives Duke a hug.
I’ve met a lot of people who love winter (some who don’t) but never have I met anyone more excited about the season than a sled dog. As I drove down the snowy driveway to visit Andrea DeBoer of Amarok Kennel, I wondered what her team of dogs might be able to teach me about this magical season through their daily lifestyle. As Andrea, second generation musher, introduced me to her dogs, one thing was clear—these Alaskan Huskies had a purpose that was also their passion. The dogs greeted us with gusto as Andrea walked me through their day. The entire yard of dogs wakes up around 6 a.m. to enjoy a light breakfast before going back to bed for a morning nap, which sounds like the kind of winter morning routine I can get on board with. Andrea implied that the life of a sled dog can look pretty relaxed if you’re there during downtime. By 9 a.m. it’s a different story. These off-duty pups quickly morph back into excitable sled dogs as Andrea (or her husband and three children) gears up for their routine morning run, which is typically a 30- to 40-mile-long trek through the boreal forests north of Grand Marais.
The dogs wake up around 6 a.m. to enjoy a light breakfast before going back to bed. 14
FEBRUARY 2022
NORTHERN WILDS
“It’s about to get a lot louder in the yard,” she warned me as we approached a large building where her sled was waiting. The dogs in the yard knew what was about to happen—their morning run. As Andrea started gearing up inside, I was greeted by two members of the team I had not yet met. It turns out that not all dogs at Amarok Kennel race. These two pups help with gear and office work. It takes a village…
Not all sled dogs race; Rani and Woody help with gear and office work.
