Story (below) by me, art (above) by RoxannaRachnid (her art and profile)

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At Down To Earth Sled Dog Tours, we offer a unique way to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of Alaska. Our two-week package, including a week-long sled dog tour, will give you a rare perspective on the wilds of the northernmost state — the perspective of a sled dog!

We will transform you into a malamute and you'll be part of a team pulling our highly qualified guides and mushers around on a week-long expedition, along with a mix of other clients and genuine Alaskan sled dogs.

We will provide all accommodations and equipment, from food to shelter to harnesses so that you can put away your human cares and be a dog. We will craft a bespoke itinerary that gives you a dog’s-nose view of the state.

All of our staff are highly trained and have taken this tour, so they know how to give you the best experience and keep you safe. We also consult with each of our clients to make sure they're getting the experience they have in mind and to confirm our tour is right for them.

Past clients have called our tour “fascinating”, “awe-inspiring”, “life-changing”, and even “meditative”.

We don't expect any of our clients to have previous experience being a dog, let alone a sled dog — our sled dog package includes several days of acclimatization and training.

However, we do expect our clients to have previous wilderness trekking experience — the twin challenges of navigating a new body and being away from civilization for the first time are, in our experience, too much to tackle together.

Please note: in addition to the costs of the tour, we charge a refundable compatibility deposit, which we will return to you unless you become unwilling to participate in the sled dog experience after the wilderness tour has started (Note: your deposit will be refunded if you're injured or otherwise unable to continue — this deposit is insurance against the expense, hassle, and increased difficulty for the rest of the team caused by clients who flake out once they’re on the tour).

Intrigued? Fill out the form below so we can see if this is right for you.

Itinerary

• Day 1 (afternoon): Arrive at Down To Earth's home base and kennels. Receive your initial briefing and safety training and get to know the rest of your team (both other clients and dogs) before your experience begins.

• Day 1 (evening): Begin your transformation, which will continue overnight.

• Day 2 (morning): As your transformation finishes, take your first breakfast as a sled dog and get examined by our staff doctor of transformation to make sure the changes were successful.

• Day 2: Free time to get used to your body. You'll be let mostly loose into our kennels, runs, and play area to take your new form for a spin. We'll be available to play with you and help you adjust.

• Day 2 (evening): Basic training. We’ll review emergency signals and take you through basic commands you'll need to know out in the wilderness.

• Day 3: Introduction to mushing. We’ll spend much of the day familiarizing you with your equipment, how pulling a sled feels, and the commands you can expect to receive.

• Day 3 (evening): More free time.

• Day 4: Mushing, part 2. This final phase of training will get you more practice with your team to help you start learning your rhythm. We’ll use this time to see where you best fit in the team and to make sure you know what environmental hazards feel like as a dog.

• Day 4 (evening): More free time.

• Day 4 (night): Sleeping as a pack. From this night on, your team will sleep together to prepare you for wilderness conditions and to catch any drastic personality clashes before they become problems.

• Day 5: Trial run. Your team will go on a one-day trip. We will harness you up, take you out into the outskirts of Denali National Park, and bring back to our kennels. This will help us and you make sure this tour is right for you and to fine-tune the team.

• Day 5 (evening): Last chance to back out without forfeiting your compatibility deposit.

• Day 6-12: Wilderness tour! You and your team will see the sights and smell the smells of Alaska from your positions as sled dogs. We'll make plenty of stops, and your musher/guide will tell you about the area, its nature, and its history throughout the trip. Please note that the exact itinerary depends on weather conditions and client preferences and is subject to change at your guide’s discretion.

• Day 12 (evening): Return to our kennels and relax.

• Day 12 (night): One last night of sleeping as a pack, this time with full climate control.

• Day 13 (morning): Begin the process of transforming back into a human after one last round of playtime.

• Day 13: Becoming human again. You'll have a quiet private room in which you'll regain your usual form.

• Day 13 (evening): Debrief and checkup. Meet with your team to discuss the experience now that you can talk again and get checked by our doctor to ensure there aren't any lingering side effects from your time on our tour.

• Day 14: Depart on your own time. Breakfast will be provided.

Accommodations

We strive to ensure your experience as a Down To Earth Sled Dog is a positive one. At our facility, we have dedicated transformation rooms with custom furniture that will help you navigate the change from human to dog and back again.

We're a proud customer of Acme (™) Transformations, the leading provider of species change drugs.

Once you've become a dog, you'll be given a kennel with heating, comfortable bedding, toys, and access to an outside dog run. During your first few days, you'll have a private room, but you'll move to shared accommodations with your team before you leave for the wilderness. These kennels are standard for all our sled dogs, whether they are natural or transformed.

All our dogs, including you, are fed premium, organic, human-safe food that gives you all the energy you'll need.

We'll take the pictures (which are included in the price of your tour), since it's hard to work a camera with paws.

Safety and warnings

• All of our wilderness tours have an oversized dog team so that the tour can continue even if some of your fellow dogs are injured or can't continue.

• Our guides are experienced in handling the hazards inherent in sled dog travel. However, you will need to exercise judgment and be alert for dangers while pulling your team’s sled. We cannot protect you from everything.

• The transformation process is not risk-free. In some cases, minor changes (like excess body hair) may persist (or fail to occur) for several days. In extremely rare cases, transformations may fail to take place or halt partway. See acme.org for more details.
    ◦ The transformation process may not be compatible with certain physical disabilities or past surgical procedures. Consult with your doctor before booking this tour if this may be an issue for you.

• You have an increased risk of accidents and injuries, especially in your first several days after transformation, due to a lack of familiarity with your changed body.

• Because you will be a dog, your ability to communicate with us will be limited. We will do our best to understand what you're trying to tell us and take advantage of the fact that you know what we're saying, but there are limits to this process.

• Your sled dog team will, in most cases, include natural-born sled dogs. These are well-trained dogs who have been screened for their temperament around unfamiliar dogs and flexibility. However, they are still animals and do pose a risk of injury to you.

• The Sled Dog Tour takes place in remote areas. Access to medical attention once the tour has begun will be limited.

Client responsibilities

• Being a sled dog is monotonous, physically exhausting work. You will be given a body capable of doing the work, you are responsible for having and using the willpower needed to do it. You are expected to, if need be, just keep pulling despite your numb paws, aching legs, wet fur, need for a snack, and all the other ways things inevitably suck. Just like when you're taking long treks as a human, it'll be worth it.
    ◦ This is a big part of why we require wilderness trekking experience. We will not take clients who haven't pulled through the suck of the wild on two legs before, because adding two more legs to the mix makes it worse.

• You are expected to cooperate with the tour and be obedient. Our process relies on your human mind and rationality to replace months and years of training. We know you know what we want and why and we expect you to go along with your musher's commands. Too much playing dumb or disobedience can cost you some or all of your compatibility deposit or will make us leave you behind.

• Conversely, you are responsible for using your judgment, paying attention to your surroundings, and acting accordingly. Do not check out and rely on your musher for all your directions. If you feel something is unsafe or that you're at risk of injury, you're expected to stop and use the emergency signals we will reach you to alert us to the problem.

• Finally, you are responsible for accepting the realities of life as a dog for the duration of your tour and stay with us. As a dog, a lot of your life will be out of your control. If you don't like the flavor of the food (or the feeding schedule), the bedding is too soft or hard, your sled partner stinks, or you experience any number or inconveniences, you’re responsible for dealing with it. You signed up for this and need to take the bad with the good.

If we haven't scared you away with those last sections and the Down To Earth Sled Dog Tour seems up your alley, please fill out the form below to schedule an intake consultation.

We look forward to seeing your tail wag as you take in your dog’s-eye view of the wilderness.