Autumn Apprenticeship Program

Are you passionate about working dogs but understand the enormous commitment of building own team?

Join our apprenticeship program designed for enthusiasts looking to deepen their connection with traditional sledding practices.


Traditional Dogsledding with Greenland Dogs

November 7-16, 2025


About us

Our small kennel in Swedish Lapland is home to 9  dogs focused on expedition travel and traditional sledding practices. With 10 years of experience working with sled dogs, I've built our kennel around education, mental wellbeing, and preserving traditional polar travel methods.

We are not a racing kennel or tourism entertainment operation. Our mission centers on understanding dogs as expedition companions and honoring their role in human survival in polar regions. Our pack consists primarily of Greenland dogs, selected for their traditional working abilities and arctic climate.

Program Overview

This 10-day immersive experience includes:

  • Daily kennel routines and comprehensive dog care;
  • Traditional harnessing and equipment handling;
  • Progressive driving instruction from passenger to solo driving;
  • Historical context of polar dogs as survival companions;
  • Overnight expedition with dogs pulling traditional sleds while we travel on skis;
  • Deep dive into understanding dog psychology and pack dynamics.

Who This Program Is For

We're seeking individuals who:

  • Have a genuine interest in traditional dogsledding practices;
  • Appreciate the historical context of working dogs;
  • May be interested in ongoing seasonal involvement with our kennel;
  • Have some relevant outdoor/dog experience (not necessarily sledding);
  • Value education and ethical partnership with working dogs

Program Details

  • Location: Swedish Lapland
  • Cost: €2850 (includes accommodation, all meals, instruction)
  • Group size: Maximum 2 participants
  • Selection: Based on application review, not first-come-first-served

Program participants may extend their camp stay with early arrival or late departure. Additional nights will be available upon request, with associated costs for accommodation and meals.


How to Apply

For questions or to submit your application, please message me directly or email [email protected] until 31.08.2025 the latest.

Please submit a brief letter describing:

  • Your experience with dogs and/or outdoor winter activities
  • Why traditional dogsledding interests you specifically
  • What you hope to learn from this apprenticeship
  • Any relevant skills you bring to the kennel environment

Feedback

Having previously worked with Alaskan teams, the unique traits of the Greenland dogs in both temperament and physique, as well as Didzis’ particular passion and experience in traditional Greenland mushing methods, offered me a new mushing and kennel experience. Significantly stronger and more muscular than those dogs I had experienced before (probably 50% stronger than expected!), they both challenged and improved my handling techniques around the yard, and provided me with even more confidence in the challenging environments of the Sarek region. To learn to confidently handle and control dogs that are undoubtedly stronger than I am and therefore are controlled solely through their mutual understanding of our aim and through our shared bond, is a particularly special handling experience.

The sheer variety of outdoor experiences offered particular depth to this experience, especially as someone seeking an understanding of not just large team mushing but also broader dog activities and confidence in the entry-level activities that can be achieved prior to committing to a whole kennel setup. With a different activity or experience most days, the experiences were tailored to the weather and personal development and goals. In only two weeks the variety of adventure styles, equipment types, and Didzis' adjusted levels of involvement allowed me to develop significantly. Having arrived being comfortable driving my own team while accompanied/under supervision, I left with exposure to and comfort with solo/unaccompanied scootering, mountain canicross, pulka sledding, and small-team sledding, and a broader appreciation of the surrounding tasks and processes, making a future entry-level/novice event now a realistic and achievable possibility.

The experience’s ability to grow my existing confidence, experience and knowledge to the stage where I now feel ready and able to embark on my own version of the sledding dream, with knowledge of the entry paths and smaller-scale options along the way, is priceless. And to be lucky enough to develop that under Didzis’s instruction and experience, in a true wilderness that will stay with me forever, and with the unique experience of the Greenland dogs, is all I could have hoped for as I look to embark on my own mushing journey.

Sarah, New Zealand (Spring 2025)


TOUR IMPRESSIONS

Trust us, the real deal is waaay better

HOLY MOTORS PACK

Meet our sled dogs! Each with a unique personality, they are more than companions, they are a family. Two majestic Alaskan Malamutes — Nessie and Tomi, two dynamic Greenland dog pairs, Torvi and Trond, and Gusta and Gabor and three marvellous adolescent Greenlanders  – Mali, Drako and Amos.