What are the most important considerations in housing sled dogs?
The dogs like to be clean. It’s also a health consideration. I prefer a dirt base in the doglot rather than gravel. The drawbacks to gravel are the heat during the summer and rock eaters. Dirt is much cooler for the dogs and I don’t spend a king’s ransom having rocks removed from their intestines. Besides, dirt is free; gravel costs money. Instead of gravel I use a lot of sawdust and wood chips. That keeps things looking tidy, minimizes the mud when things are wet and the dogs seem to enjoy the sawdust. The drawback is that sawdust can become a breeding ground for bacteria, especially when it’s warm and wet. Keep it clean. The dogs also like to have ample fresh straw in their houses. Through the course of the winter I use about one to one and a half bales per dog. Having fresh straw keeps them warm which helps on the food bill. Buying straw is a whole lot cheaper than buying food. Here in Alaska breakup creates a huge mess in the spring. It only lasts a couple of weeks but during that
