About Grant Beck

Grant has been racing since he was 9 years old and has competed in and won many of the world's most prestigious dog sledding competitions.
races in the Spanish Pyrenees, the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps, and of course, races across North America.
Grant has been racing since he was 9 years old. For five generations, Grant's ancestors used dogsledding as a way of life.
Grant's ancestors have lived with dogs for five generations, using dogsledding as a way of life. In those days, the police patrolled by sled dogs and hunters hunted by sled dogs.
In those days, police patrolled by dogsled, hunters went hunting by dogsled, and families traveled by dogsled for the same purposes as they do by car today.
In those days, dogs were a very important means of transportation in extremely cold and snowy regions.

About Dog Sledding Dogs

Today, Alaskan Huskies bred for racing are the main breed, and here at Becks Kennels we have about 100 racing dogs.
Alaskan Huskies are very patient and have a lot of patience. Alaskan Huskies are patient, endurance, intelligent, friendly, cold-tolerant, and athletic. The dogs are jumping and barking before the tour.
The jumping and barking of the dogs before the tour is their way of showing that they want to run.

Check out dog sledding tours →

  1. The dog sledder

    The dog sledder is called a "musher" and controls the sled by understanding the personality and abilities of each dog.
    and controls the sled. The right "Gee" and the left "Haw" give direction to the leader.
    The leader gives direction to the dogs with "Gee" on the right and "Haw" on the left.

  2. Toward competing in races

    Training on land begins in mid-August when the temperature begins to drop, and full-scale snow/ice training/tours begin in November.
    In November, the full-scale training/tours on snow/ice begin. After several months of training
    After several months of training, selected dogs compete in races held in the U.S./Canada from January to March each year.
    The dogs are selected after several months of training and compete in races held throughout the U.S./Canada from January to March.

  3. Dog feed

    The dogs are fed a high-calorie food (Inukshuk) specially formulated for racing dogs, which burns 8,000-12,000 calories per training session. The dogs are also fed a mix of fish, chicken, and beef. The dogs may look skinny, but they are not.
    They may look skinny, but they are marathon runners in human terms. They are athletes with very little body fat, mostly due to their well-trained muscles.

Formation of dog sledding teams

  • Lead 2 Leader

    Leader of the first two horses: Listening to the musher's support, adjusting speed, changing direction, etc.
    The leader controls all aspects of the team, including speed adjustments, direction changes, etc.

  • Row 2 Point Dogs

    First deputy leader, almost equal to the leader, is trained to be able to switch positions during the race
    They are trained to be able to switch positions as leaders during the race.

  • Row 3 - Row 5 and 6 Team Dogs

    They support the center of the team and balance the team as a whole.

  • Rearmost Wheel Dogs

    Wheel Dogs need to be strong and able to control the sled. The entire team must be placed in order of smartest and fastest from the front.
    The team as a whole is made up of the smartest and fastest dogs in the front, and the further back they go, the stronger they need to be.

FAQ

  • Do all dogs have names?
    Yes, all our dogs are named, with the exception of our newborn puppies. Names are chosen based on pedigree and personality.
  • What kind of food do you feed?
    We feed high-calorie, high-energy food for racing dogs, fish to improve their coat, and meat such as chicken, pork, and beef. We feed Inukshuk 32/32, an expensive, high-calorie dog food, to keep the dogs healthy. Calorie counting (feeding more food for running, etc.) is also done properly
  • Does it matter whether the dog is male or female?
    Male dogs are not selected by gender, but most of them are placed in the back because they are bigger and stronger, while females are smaller and faster than males, so they are often placed in the front. Male/female leaders are not particularly related.
  • What kind of dog is the Alaskan Husky?
    Alaskan Huskies are great athlete dogs. They love to run, and if they don’t run the opposite way, they get stressed out.
  • How many races are held?
    There are many races, from small to famous, held from December to the end of March every year in Canada, North America, Alaska, Europe, and other countries.
  • How much do you pay for feed and dog care?
    Yes, it costs a lot of money and time not only to feed the dogs, but also to maintain the facilities, care for the dogs, and clean them. That is why the dogs are so carefully cared for.
  • How do you choose which dogs to run?
    Each dog has its own training plan, so basically the dog of the day is chosen based on that training plan. There are many different types of training, including puppy training, full-scale racing dog training, and training to become a leader. As the temperature drops, the training distances increase. (Puppies are usually trained by their handlers.)
  • What does it take to be a leader dog?
    It takes a lot of factors, such as intelligence, athleticism, training, and motivation. A professional musher can tell which dog is suitable for a leader dog by its physique (musculature, bone structure, etc.), personality, and behavior from the time it is a puppy.
  • Do you train all dogs?
    We give puppies a few days off to train, so not all dogs run every day. Depending on the temperature, we train 32-60 dogs a day at most. Also, as the temperature drops, the training distance increases proportionally.
  • How can I become a dog sledder? Are there any qualifications?
    There are no specific qualifications to become a dog sledder. (In Alaska, most of them are volunteers.) It still takes at least 5 to 10 years to build up your own kennel and dog raising operation. Also, handlers start with small races and gradually gain experience.
  • Do ATVs have engines?
    Yes, they have engines, but without side brakes, the dogs will pull this machine as well. During summer/fall training, it is very hot for the dogs, so we use this machine to adjust the speed so that they do not get over heated stroke from running at full speed. It also serves to train the muscles that pull forward.
  • Differences in Dogs’ Running Style
    Like humans, dogs have their own personalities, abilities, and personalities, as well as running habits. A dog that appears to be running at a brisk pace without jumping is actually a long distance runner, and is called trotting. If your dog has already run long distances, he has already learned how to run trotting. They also understand how far they should run and which way they should run in order to save their energy.
  • Why are they running at an angle?
    If the pull forward is strong and the actual speed is slower than the dog is running, the energy will be sideways instead of forward, making it appear as if the dog is running at an angle.
  • How do you tell if a dog is a good leader or not?
    Leaders are judged most by their intelligence and speed, while other dogs are judged by their strength, endurance, concentration, personality, and whether or not they eat their food.
  • How old does a dog have to be to run a race?
    On average, the peak age for a full-fledged racing dog is between 2 and 6 years old, but there are some dogs that race 8 years old. Even after they retire from racing, they are kept in this kennel not only for racing but also for various other roles, such as touring, teaching puppies (training), and being kept as breeding dogs. （They will spend their entire lives in this kennel (life expectancy 12-15 years).