In winter, the Northwest Territories goes to the dogs. Dogsleds slip across the glittering snowscape, towing harvesters along their ancient traplines, competing in thrilling dog-derby races, and carrying visitors like you to rendezvous with the glorious Northern Lights.

The key to making it all happen? The pups themselves. Mushers take great pride in breeding and nurturing these fuzzy, tail-wagging wonders. You’ll find that meeting the dogs is half the fun.

Here’s your guide to the pooches that are waiting to guide you on your Northern adventure.

Operator: Nivek Ltd., Fort Smith

Name: Riley

Age: 9

Gender: female

Position: lead dog

Breed: Alaskan Husky

Favourite treat: Dog biscuits

Riley loves people. She always wants to be the centre of attention. She is the smallest dog in the kennel but has the biggest voice. In the team, she is tiny but mighty.

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Operator: Arctic Chalet Tours, Inuvik

Name: Pippa

Age: 7

Gender: female

Position: lead dog

Breed: White husky

Pippa has real character. With dogs, she’s temperamental. Every female hates her and all males submit to her. But she loves people.

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Operator: Enodah Kennels, Yellowknife

Name: Rocky

Age: 2

Gender: female

Position: wheel/team

We adopted Rocky from the Yellowknife SPCA. She is already 65 pounds and is not even finished filling out. She is still very young but already is showing good potential for the future.

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Operator: Arctic Chalet Tours, Inuvik

Name: Mukluk

Age: 7

Gender: male

Position: leader

Mukluk is Arctic Chalet’s smartest dog and the most amazing leader the kennel has had. He is beautiful and a very good teacher.

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Operator: Nivek Ltd., Fort Smith

Name: Optimus Prime

Age: 11

Gender: male

Position: wheel dog

Breed: Alaskan Husky

Favourite treat: Frozen fish

Optimus Prime is incredibly friendly with people and a tireless worker. He is a dog most people don’t notice because he just works hard and does his job. Kids love him because he is named after a Transformer.

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Operator: Enodah Kennels, Yellowknife

Names: Sledge & Hammer

Ages: 5

Genders: male

Positions: can run in all positions

Brothers, Sledge and Hammer, are two special boys. They are obsessed with their owners and love meeting new people. Sledge (front left) is one of our most enthusiastic dogs. Hammer (front right) works like a champ no matter where you put him in the team. Sledge’s distinctive barking is the first thing you’ll notice when you walk into our kennel.

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Operator: Arctic Chalet Tours, Inuvik

Name: Jeroon

Age: 6

Gender: male

Position: swing dog/substitute leader

Jeroon is friendly to all. He loves affection, is always obedient in the wild, and is always a top performer in the team. He is also a great hiking buddy and a good summer dog in grizzly-bear country.

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Operator: Nivek Ltd., Fort Smith

Name: Moki

Age: 5

Gender: female

Position: swing/point dog

Breed: Alaskan Husky

Favourite treat: Meat soup

Moki loves people and is very friendly. She can run in any position. She is one of six siblings, all of which are very special dogs.

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Operator: Enodah Kennels, Yellowknife

Name: Najak

Age: 5

Gender: female

Position: anywhere

Najak is the big boss of the kennel. Physically she is the biggest female at Enodah. She walks around the kennel like a lion in a pride. All of our dogs learn to respect her authority, and when they do so, she will be their best friend. She is very loyal to her owners and accepts all the puppies as her own.

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