Husky kennel and puppy visits in Tromsø
What the day is
You are collected in Tromsø, taken to the kennel and issued rain clothes and boots, and then you work. Handlers put you with dogs at different stages, from puppies of about four weeks up to adolescents, and the exercises are matched to the age of the dog in front of you. Part of the day is a walk of an hour to an hour and a half near the farm with the young dogs. Lunch is included, with a vegetarian option, and the whole thing runs 4.5 hours. There are around 200 Alaskan huskies at the kennel, so there is no shortage of dogs to go round.
The rules are short. Minimum two people for the tour to run. No pets of your own, no alcohol, and do not feed the dogs. Wheelchair users cannot be accommodated and anyone with an animal allergy should not book, for obvious reasons. Beyond that, it is the least restrictive product on this site by a wide margin.
Why this is a real answer, not a fallback
Three kinds of visitor end up here and all three tend to arrive apologising for it.
First, the people the sledding products exclude. Under-16s cannot drive; under-7s cannot come on the two family-friendly transfers at all; pregnancy, back and knee injuries, heart conditions, mobility impairments and weight limits knock out plenty of adults. None of that applies here. Second, the people who are simply not sure they want to sit behind working dogs. A kennel day answers that question with evidence instead of argument, and I would rather somebody spent four and a half hours looking at how the dogs are housed than took my word for it. The checks worth making are listed on the ethics page.
Third, and this is the group nobody predicts, people who came for the dogs and not for the ride. If what you actually want is to know a husky — what an Alaskan husky is, why it is not a recognised breed, what these animals are like at eight weeks — a sled tour gives you ten minutes in a dog yard. This gives you an afternoon. Michael from the UK noted they provide shoes and waterproofs so you do not have to worry about mud or weather, which is the kind of detail that tells you what sort of day it is.
No sleddingPuppy Training at the Husky Kennel with Lunch
Most bookedFun and Easy Dog Sledding Adventure
Full day inlandDog Sledding Adventure in Tamokdalen
Included
- Transport from Tromsø and back
- Rain clothes and boots
- Guiding and handler-led training exercises
- A 1 to 1.5 hour hike near the farm with young dogs
- Lunch, with a vegetarian option
Not included
- Any sledding
- Places for wheelchair users or anyone with an animal allergy
- A departure if fewer than two people have booked
- Your own pets, alcohol, or feeding the dogs
What you can check while you are there
Norway has no mandatory certification scheme for husky kennels, in Troms or nationally. What it has is the Animal Welfare Act, Mattilsynet guidance and inspections. So the checks are yours to make, and a kennel day is the only product here that gives you time to make them: dogs that are alert, interested in their surroundings and unafraid of people; clean dry bedding and real weather protection; plentiful clean water in clean buckets, since snow is not adequate hydration; group or free-run housing rather than permanent tethering. Research shows group housing reduces repetitive behaviours such as fast pacing, and permanent tethering is condemned by the USDA, the CVMA, the BCSPCA and the MSPCA.
Ask a handler which dogs are retired and where they live. It is a plain question, handlers answer it happily, and the answer tells you more about a kennel than any brochure line.
What works
- No age limit, no weight limit, no fitness requirement
- Four and a half hours with the dogs rather than ten minutes
- Rain clothes, boots and lunch are all part of it
- Suits anyone the sledding products exclude, and anyone still weighing the ethics
Worth knowing
- No sledding, which is the point but still worth saying twice
- Needs at least two people booked for the tour to run
- No good for wheelchair users or anyone with an animal allergy
- Runs outside in whatever the weather does, without a sled to keep you moving
Booking it alongside something else
Plenty of couples book this and a sledding day in the same week, which works well: the kennel day answers what the dogs are, and the sled day answers what they do. If you are choosing for a mixed group where some can ride and some cannot, start with the family page. If you want the full set laid side by side, that is the comparison hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a husky tour in Tromsø without sledding?
Yes. The 4.5-hour puppy training day at the kennel has no sled in it at all. You help handlers train young dogs, walk them for an hour to an hour and a half near the farm, and eat lunch there. It takes all ages with adult supervision.
Can you visit a husky kennel while pregnant?
The kennel day does not carry the pregnancy exclusion that every sledding product here does, but it is an active outdoor day and you should tell the operator when you book. Anyone with an animal allergy should not book it under any circumstances.
How many dogs are at the kennel?
Around 200 Alaskan huskies, from puppies of a few weeks old to working adults. One Tromsø kennel of that size runs eight to twelve teams. More on the animals themselves on the dogs page.
Is a kennel visit worth it if I also want to go sledding?
Many people do both in one trip, and they answer different questions. If you only have room for one and you can meet the sledding rules, compare the six on the hub page first.