Profile information
Host rating
65 %
Last replied
13 Mar 2024
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Details
Description
We are looking for someone to help take care of our Alaskan Huskies! We are a family with 21 Alaskan Huskies. I, Silje, compete in long distance dog sledding races from January until April - one race per month. My mother, Berit, and my father, Åge, are helping me with the dogs, but as the kennel is twice the size compared to last year, along with Åge and Berit working full time and Silje studying, we could use some extra help. Depending on the season there are different tasks to be completed in taking care of the huskies & the dog yard. You will need to do tasks independently as much of the help is done alone.
Experience with huskies is preferred, but not necessary. We will teach you all you need to know helping at our kennel.
NB: You should stay at least 2 months
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Me and my family belong to indigenous people of Norway. The Sami culture is interesting so this will be a nice experience to see another culture. Our first language is the Sami language, but we also speak Norwegian and English fluently.
You will be a part of the lifestyle of a dogsledding kennel. You will get to know our Alaskan Huskies as well as the puppies. You will also experience the Northern way of living and gain an insight into life here in the Arctic and an insight to our culture.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We are looking for a motivated, hard working person. The training of the dogs runs right through from August to April, with races from January to April. The help needed includes an array of tasks, for example, preparing food & feeding the dogs, cleaning the dog yard, replacing straw in the dog kennels, putting on and removing harnesses, general repairs in the kennel, maintenance (fencing, mending cages, dog-houses and dog-sled equipment). We also need help to pack and prepare for the races and you have to be prepared for a lot of physical work and long days. Helping with sled dogs is a lot of fun, but also a lot of hard work.
Ideally, we are looking for persons that can stay here for a longer period of time - minimum 2 months or longer as it takes time to learn all you need to know about the dogs, tasks and routines. If we think you will manage to go dogsledding, then we will teach you all you need to know about dogsledding but this won't be a part of your job but something you can do in your freetime.
We are an active family who loves to be outdoors. The main goal for the season is the longest dog sledding race in Europe – the Finnmarksløpet. Sometimes we also have puppy litters and we will need help to take care of them, socializing them and playing with them.
As much of the help will be done alone, you will need to be independent, self-driven and take initiative. This is not an 8 – 4 job, but a lifestyle. Some days will be more than 5-hour days, and other days will be less than five hours depending of tasks of the day. There will be long days and heavy tasks, but we will have lots of fun during the time, and you will get to learn a lot about a dogsledding kennel and dogs in general.
Qualifications:
· Good physical shape with no health problems preventing you from doing physically strenuous tasks.
· Responsible, organized and hardworking
· Have a passion for dogs
· Keen to learn
· Maintenance (fencing, repairing cages, dog-houses and sled-dog equipment)
· Should be able to see jobs that to be done – without having to constantly be told/directed
· Keep calm in stressful situations
· +++
You have to be able to:
· Feed the dogs 2-3 times a day
· Keep the dog yard clean
· Socialize with puppies & the older dogs
· Help us prepare for the training and also train dogs if we see that you are motivated enough
· Help us to pack for the races
· Improve the trails
· Cut meat and prepare the dog food
· Fix or build
· +++
The list is even longer and varies from month to month, but the above tasks give a good indication. It’s a lot of hard work at the kennel, but you will be taught & guided with what you don’t know. While it's hard, it’s a lot of fun with sled dogs, preparing for races and learning about this dogsledding/arctic lifestyle. You will experience beautiful nature, see the Northern Light (northern light seasons is from mid August till early march) and have many amazing memories with the dogs.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Norwegian: Fluent
Sami: Fluent
Accommodation
Board and lodging. You’ll get your own bedroom in our home and live with the family.
What else ...
We live 2 km from the town centre of Karasjok - a small town with 2800 inhabitants. So you have to enjoy a quieter lifestyle and get your stimulation from the nature/outdoors, as there are no pubs or the usual stimulus found in cities.
You can search for Karasjok on google and read about the town. You can easily walk from our home to the town centre
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
25 hours per week
