Owning A Dog In The Arctic

Blog Post Written by ~ Shannon Richardson
(Several photographs courtesy of Shontell MacInnis) 

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Owning a dog requires a certain level of commitment akin to raising a child. Like first time parents we quickly learn that our dogs needs begin to dictate our once flexible schedule. Bathroom breaks, walks, training and feeding become part of the natural rhythm of owning man’s best friend.

Owning a dog in the Arctic presents a new level of devotion toward the title of diligent pet ownership.

Summer in the Arctic is the ideal season for hiking, kayaking, camping and outdoor activity. Man’s best friend is the perfect addition to any outdoor exploit. They afford polar bear detection, make for great scouts on hunting expeditions, entertain on quiet days, can pack some of the gear when the load is great and provide companionship in the immense, remote expanse of tundra. The extra body heat next to your sleeping bag on cold nights is a worthy perk too.

That’s the easy part, when dogs, as pets, make sense.

Standing in -52 Celsius for the 5th day in a row, wind ripping at your coat, Hood tugging from your head, cheeks bitten from the snow, while your four legged buddy circles twenty times before selecting the right place to go to the bathroom contrasts the idealized summer experiences you had early in the year. If ever your commitment to the little furry creature were to be tested it’s on days like these.

A hyper husky trapped indoors during 100km/hr wind gusts and blizzard like weather, dropping every toy it has on your feet, barking at you, unable to comprehend why there is no outdoor adventure today but the humans are home enjoying a cup of tea and scanning the internet, can cause both of your heads to hurt and patience to wane.

Over time you notice your baseboards have chew marks, your book edges are gnawed on and the dog hair bunnies are having huge parties under your sofa.

Your dream getaways are always subject to finding a solid, reliable and dog capable house sitter, or forking out the money to board, fly, hotel and travel with your furry companion. If you are lucky enough to have a quality pet sitter, you are often in a bidding war with the next pet owner who knows him/her too. Which of you can offer a vehicle as a perk, who has better satellite tv… What incentives can you offer to keep this person minding your pet over someone else’s?

Never mind the price of quality pet food, the ability to get any kind of pet supplies in a timely manner without a trip to Ottawa or a two week wait on an amazon order.

Yes owning a dog in the arctic is a challenge.

There are no dog parks, although people get pretty crafty with doggy play dates on the sea ice (so long as you avoid the dog sled packs tethered there) and walking your dog bundled up from head to toe like an oversized toddler wobbling off to the tobogganing hill is a daily occurrence.

Yet, with all of these challenges, owning a dog in the arctic is also incredibly rewarding. Many of us live without our families here. That unconditional love, tail wagging, door greetings and dedicated companionship of our pets eases the solitude and lessons the isolation that comes with arctic life.

As a dog trainer, and a pet owner, to a beautiful, intelligent but mischievous Malamute - Border Collie cross, (who I purchased from a sweet woman just outside of town back in late 2011) I have developed a tested tried and true bag of tricks for surviving the December/January/February arctic trial of dog ownership.

My dog is 4.5 years old now. She lives in a one bedroom apartment, with no balcony and no front entrance. It’s tiny, cute, but less than ideal for a dog of her breed, however we make it work. When she was young she drove me insane (Ask my friends, they will gladly share stories). I became a dog trainer because of my quest to manage and maintain her needs. Many of her siblings went through the local animal rescue. However determination, for me, paid off. Through night classes and distance educations, trips to Ottawa and tons of readings, I became certified as an assessment based dog trainer. Now, At 4.5 years of age, she is a much different dog than she was in her first two years of life. Partly due to age, but mostly due to my never ending education on how to be a better “pack leader” and pet owner. I learned what it meant to be consistent, and balance the Pack Theory of dogs with the health and social maintenance as well as obedience training they require.  

More than anything I had to train myself. And I am still a work in progress. As is she.

But we have a routine, which is working. Strategies and resources, activities and routines, tricks and training games. The -52 days still question my loyalties to her bathroom needs. However she seems to understand getting her business done with only a few turns in the snow and getting back inside. She trusts that in a few hours a new outing will commence and resists less the urge to delay returning indoors.

On blizzard days I have an arsenal of indoor training games to occupy her intelligent mind, calm her angst and alleviate her boredom. You will find us often in the parking lots near my apartment squishing in 10 minutes of obedience, or even in the kitchen if the weather is really bad. And she has an endless supply of chew toys and squeaky stuffed animals to satisfy her prey and play drives.

Just like owning a dog in the south, training, games, activities and consistent expectations make coexisting with a dog in the north a pleasurable and a rewarding experience.
 

We northerners are tested more here, and have to get more creative, be more resourceful. But it can be done. You can teach a dog to heal in your living room, you can teach tracking through the hallways of your apartment. Sit n stay, seek the ball, fetch and retrieve are all achievable from the warm shelter of our homes. A high energy dog can be managed in a 900 square foot apartment in the dead of winter. Although, you will have to bundle up and venture outside daily still. But I promise they will stop barking, chewing (most things) and can listen to your commands if you seek the knowledge of experienced professionals. 

That natural rhythm enjoyed in the warm summer months is attainable during the cold arctic winter. Enjoying and managing a challenging, high energy dog in the arctic is possible.
 

 Shannon is an Elementary School Teacher in Iqaluit, Nunavut. She is also a dog trainer with Northern Guardian Protection and Training. She has lived in the Arctic for 5.5 years and has spent a great deal of that time rehabilitating, training and rescuing dogs all across the Territory. For more information on dog training or to contact her for training sessions please visit http://www.northernguardian.ca/canine.html or email her at srichardson@northernguardian.ca