What happens to the Mushing Dogs during the summer?

During the winter we can see the dogs pulling the sleds or playing in the snow but many ask us what we do with them during the summer season.
Who better than Carlos, the manager of the section of mushing in l’Escola, to do a mini interview on this topic.

As you can imagine, the first question is to know where the animals are in the summer season?

The dogs, in summer, are in Cerdanya. Looking for the maximum tranquility located in the middle of nature, we have mounted a special canine residence for them, so we do not break the balance of the herd.

Do you live with the musher or do other people handle? Yes, Albert and his family are responsible for taking care of them all year round. To facilitate the day-to-day care work they have set up the kennels (the dog houses) next to their house.

So, they must have a very close relationship between them, right?

Well yes, think that it is a daily coexistence 365 days a year! This has created a very special bond between all of us who are part of the team, it is difficult to explain but just looking into the eyes of the dogs we know how they are. Of course, they also intuit how Albert is at the sight!

And now, how is your day-to-day work with them?

We have a schedule with the tasks to be done, so they know what they are doing and they are not nervous. The day we distribute it as follows: in the morning we start at 9, we are going to clean the kennels, we fill the drinking troughs so they can drink and we make them exercise. We let them play in a very large and controlled space to have them always watched. Then we feed them and let them rest. In the afternoon we repeat the same thing.

They seem very active animals, very energetic and during the winter we can see their main activity in the snow, but during the summer months do you also train them?

Oh no, we do not train them in the summer. It is very hot and joints are good to take a break from the work they have done all winter, like us!

It’s true, we all need a vacation! So, do they go from 0 to 100?

No, when it starts to get cold we start training, it’s like your preseason. We do trainings in a buggy and we had a great time, the dogs and Albert! He thinks that we train them of puppies, reason why they are already accustomed to this routine.

We know that every dog ??has its personality, would you highlight any?

We love each other alike but Kiko, one of the leaders of the pack is one of the strongest and hardest working dogs we have, but at the same time is very docile and affectionate. He brings a great balance within the group. We also have Flipat, the most affectionate dog we have, loves to play with children and is also the king of the photos!