Buck is an absolutely lovely dog, he is very sweet, very human-oriented, has super soft fur and likes to get pets, and he is just a goofy happy-go-lucky boy all around. He is up for any adventure, open for exploring new environments and making new experiences, and I can take him anywhere without having to worry about him causing trouble. He has never had any difficulties with other dogs, he is very patient with puppies, he is very good off leash and will come back right away when called. If you think of the “bestest boy” internet memes, that is 100% Buck. But that is just it – he is the perfect pet dog. In front of the sled? It’s not his passion. He will run – he loves running – but he is not a very hard worker in terms of actual pulling. He does not have any physical ailments either, he was checked out by a vet and a physical therapist and everything was found to be normal. He is perfectly fit and active in all other ways. I think he just doesn’t enjoy the pulling aspect that much. He will pull for maybe the first kilometer or two, but after that his tugline is simply flopping around in the wind. For that reason, he was rehomed already at the age of four. Usually, for a sled dog those young adult years are the best years. However, Buck showed time and time again that this mushing thing is not for him, and so, he came to me to live his best spoiled pet life.

Since Buck came to me we have travelled all around Finland, we have travelled to Germany, to Norway, to Sweden, to Austria. He is probably more well-travelled than some humans. He has been in the car, on the train, on tiny row boats, on big ferry ships, and on gondolas to go up mountains. The only transportation device that he has denied so far is a SUP board.

In all these adventures, the one thing that defines Buck is his ever-lasting optimism. He approaches everything with a positive attitude. A long hike in the rain? Let’s go! A boat ride? No problem! A small walk around the neighborhood? Let’s get in all the sniffs! Chilling on the couch the whole day? I’ll hit snooze right away!

Ever since Buck came into my life, it has been happier and more exciting because I know that whatever activity I choose for the day, I will always have my adventure buddy right by my side.

And then there is Tulva. Tulva loves to run and he also loves to pull the sled. Once you put a harness on him, it’s like a switch flips and he goes into working mode. He does not look left or right anymore, he does not care what is around him, he just wants to go forward and run, run, run. Before the start, when the dogs are hooked up to the sled waiting to go, he will get very excited and he shows that excitement by not just barking – but screaming! He was once described to have “more drive than brains” and that is somewhat true. He is a decent lead dog who knows the basic commands such as start, stop, left and right. However, his excitement and over-eagerness can sometimes get in the way of making smart decisions.

Unfortunately, at around age five, Tulva started to have some trouble with his lower back and during longer runs he would start limping. For that reason, he was rehomed to me. After getting him checked by a vet and a physiotherapist, it was determined that the problem lies with his muscles. He is a very hard worker, he pulls very strongly and, therefore, his muscles tend to get sore and stiffen up rather easily. What this means for his career as a sled dog is that in order to pull the sled and do so without discomfort, he needs regular massages and sessions with a physiotherapist to loosen up his muscles and release any tensions.

During the winter time I take him to get massages every two weeks and instead of doing 50Km in front of the sled in one day, we only do maybe 10 or 15Km. So, he has not retired entirely from being a sled dog, but the amount and intensity of his work has decreased quite a bit.