Our Philosophy

At Eden Dog Sledding and Dogsledding-On-Wheels, we strive to provide a fun, educational, safe, and wonderful tour.  Central to our philosophy is our commitment to provide our dogs with a quality life that respects the sensitive, loving, joyful nature that dogs bring to the earth and our human co-existence with them.  We believe that dogs left their wolf origins to become loyal friends, helpmates and family members to help us live authentically here on the earth.  Sled dogs evolved to live intimately with their human communities – pulling their people across the snow for hunting and moving supplies, sleeping with the family at night to provide warmth, playing with the children and generally being very important companions globally in Northern Native People’s community life.

We believe that all dogs – including sled dogs – deserve a full, rewarding life.  To this end our dogs are kept free range – this means we do not chain our dogs.  They are given free access to humans – sleeping on beds, helping in the kitchen, watching television, listening to radio and classical music, eating high quality food, getting frequent biscuits and specially baked dog cookies and playing outdoors – they love to swim in our large pond in the warmer months   We plan our conceptions very carefully to time when there be plenty of time to give the pups the long, labor intensive interaction, socializing and training that all dogs of all breeds need to help them reach their full potential as good, trustworthy, fun human companions who serve and give pleasure for a lifetime. Eventual retirement to good families or here at the center is planned for from the time that they are whelped.

We support many backyard kennels because they love their dogs and treat them well.  However, In terms of proper, ethical dog care there are horrendous abuses of dogs within ninety-five percent of the Commercial, for profit, sled dog ride industry in North America.   The abuses are often hidden from the public by slick marketers and tour operators – many whom have or claim to have run the well known, but actually often protested by animal rights activists, Iditarod.  Puppies are chained early in their lives, have little human interaction, fed low quality diets and often end up euthanized or found starved or shot by Animal shelters – after they have made a tour operator fast money from operating cheap dog sled tours.  Most of the public – including the well known, high priced ski resorts and Inns that surround  them - have no idea that they are supporting horrible, unethical dog abuse because they are taken in by the self promotion and marketing of the tour operators.

We are committed to giving an educational, fun, Discovery Channel type tour which centers on the dogs – who are the real hosts and stars.  Our prices reflect the bare minimum in achieving an authentic, loving and proper life for our Alaskan Huskies.  We believe the public will understand and support the true costs of ethical dog care in the industry once education provides people with understanding.

Suggested Books and DVD's

Following is a list of books and DVD's that we love or have had guests highly recommend.  We will try to bring you in depth reviews in the future.  In the meantime, if you press on the links they will bring you to Amazon.com where you can go to the customer review section to learn more.  If you order any of these items from Amazon, please consider clicking through from this site as we are an Amazon.com associate and your support will go directly to supporting our free-range, loving dogs and our vision of having a non-profit center here so that many can come to enjoy and learn.  Thank-you!

The Emotional Life Of Animals A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy - and Why they Matter by scientist, Marc Bekoff with a foreward by Jane Goodall. (2007) This is a very important book that helps to explain why our companion animals need respect and a right to join us in equality.

Animals In Translation Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior by Temple Grandin.  Paperback 2006 - Temple Grandin, Ph.D. really helps us to understand the way the animals relate and how people with Autism, especially Asperger's Syndrome (which she has) are a link between the animal and human world that can help make a bridge of understanding.

Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish This is a book that comes highly recommended to us by many guests and friends.  A book to read when a loved pet has passed on.

Merle's Door: Lessons From a Freethinking Dog by Ted Karasote This is a wonderful story about how a human and a dog can form a bond of companionship where each is learning from the other. Writer Ted Karasote shares about how each loved the other in a different way, developing a relationship that was about personal freedom and  less about making the dog obedient. He says, "His (Merle's) lessons weren't about training, but about partnership. They were never about method; they were about attitude." At Eden Dogsledding we try to see each dog as an individual and feel that our work here is about the dogs and what they can share with us and teach.  We think that you will enjoy this book if you feel the same way. 

Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant This is wonderful for children and adults alike, providing warm support when our cherished dog passes on.  Although a child's book - most adults will find comfort in it as well.