Skip to main content

The Costs of Dog Sledding

Dog sledding, like most activities comes with plenty of different hidden costs but these tend to be much less than the upfront costs that is immediately discernable. The most expensive investment a dog sled team owner has is the team itself. Dog sled teams can be as small as four to six dogs or as large as sixteen dogs. While some sled dogs from semi-legitimate breeders can cost only a few hundred dollars as pups, most of the pure bred sled dogs can be worth thousands of dollars. If you decide to buy trained dogs the expense can quickly get out of hand, requiring an initial investment of as much as $200,000 for a small team of dogs. In addition to buying the dogs you also have to take care of them on a daily basis and as you can imagine feeding a team of large sled dogs every day isn’t going to be cheap.
Of course along with a sled team you will also have to purchase a sled yourself, unless you have the skills to make one by hand. A very basic wooden basket sled will probably cost you a few hundred dollars at the very least but the top end sleds for racing and long distance travels are much more. If you are just starting out save some money with a basic sled until you feel you need to upgrade. Along with your new sled and sled team you will also have to factor in all of the different equipment that you will need. In addition to all of the normal stuff you would have to buy for a team of 4-16 dogs, such as collars and toys, you will also have to buy sledding specific equipment, such as harnesses, gang lines, sled bags and all the other little things that are required to go dog sledding.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dog Sledding Equipment

Dog sledding has a history of thousand years. It was started when the Inuit made their first sled known as “komatik”. The equipment needed for dog sledding has evolved since then. The sled, gang-line everything has been improved a great deal, but the overall structure remains pretty much the same. The main equipments needed for dog sledding incorporates the following: SLED: The main part of dog sledding equipment is the sled. Dog sledding was possible with the invention of sled. The first sled was made by the Inuit. It was made from various kinds of wood like birch or ash. A sled has to be strong and flexible as well as water proof. So, a lot of care should be taken in making a sled. Inuit also used another type of sled called basket sled. It was made from mid-range floating basket. These two kinds of sled are still common today. But modern sled builders are experimenting with other materials like fiberglass, aluminums etc. DOG HARNESS: Dog harness is the straps used to hold the sled ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Dangers of Dog Sledding

Lost in the mystique and romanticism surrounding dog sledding is the danger that comes with it. Dog sledding is one of the most dangerous activities out there, not because sledding itself is actually dangerous, but because the environment that dog sledding requires can be harsh and unforgiving. If you get stranded while dog sledding, even if you are only a few miles from civilization, things can quickly get out of control if you are unprepared. Getting stranded is a sled driver’s worst nightmare because in many cases there isn’t much you can do except to wait until help arrives, if help arrives. A dog sled team can get stranded for many different reasons and not all of them are easy to prepare for. If a gang line or a harness breaks those can generally be repaired or replaced easy enough but if you get hurt or the sled gets damaged you may not have many options. Another danger of dog sledding is the wilderness itself. Wild animals can pose a significant threat to your sled team, es...
Post a Comment
Read more