“...Listen to the dogs. They will teach you the most. After all, it is their deep rooted culture that you are just beginning to be a part of. They know it best. ”
Tell us a little about yourself and your kennel.
Jake in 2012.
Hello! My name is Jake Hway. I was born and raised in Ely, Minnesota and sled dogs have let me be a part of their lives since the turn of the century.
I started working for a kennel of Alaskan Husky racing dogs operated by Stan Passananti in 2000. We also did guided camping trips by dog team in the BWCA Wilderness. I was a guide, and also helped condition the main race team up for Iditarod in 2002. I did some smaller races and kept guiding until Stan was getting out of mushing in the spring of 2004 when I bought 15 of the dogs that I had raised and raced. I was 16 years old, and I moved those dogs into my parents backyard with their full support. Six months later, we had 65 dogs and a contract with a national high adventure scout base nearby. I spent five winters operating their winter mushing program where we did camping trips and day trips and rides for scouts from all over the country. In the mean time, my wife and family were running more and more trips back home, so I needed to be there. Since then, I train in several staff to run the scout base program each year, and I run trips back at our kennel which is called Chilly Dogs Sled Dog Trips along with many other two and four legged staff members.
Chilly Dogs is a retirement kennel. We have mostly retired racing dogs which very in age up to 18 years old. We usually have a couple of younger dogs that haven’t started their racing career yet hanging out with us each year also, but most of the dogs are middle age on up.
What introduced you to dog mushing? What was your first experience like?
I grew up in an area where dogsledding is a big part of the culture, and it’s just kind of a way of life around here... but it was Stan just simply asking if I would like to work with dogs and learn about them that really got my foot out the door. The dogs accepted me as part of their pack and I am honored.
My first experience was just living the lifestyle and scooping poop and feeding dogs. Then we were running dogs with an ATV. I was living it before even getting on a sled. But it’s not the sled that matters, it’s the dogs. They don’t care what they are pulling... that’s our problem, not theirs. They just have a passion for pulling and covering miles. They don’t need snow, or a sled. They just love living the lifestyle and we get to be a part of that with them, and share in that passion.
Describe the dogs on your team. What about them do you enjoy the most?
My team is different everyday. I literally never have the exact same dogs in my team more than once. We have around 90 dogs and they are mixed around in different teams, and with different dogs all the time. It’s so great, because they get along so well and learn so much that way. The dogs are mostly older dogs that are happy and loving life. We are one big team. Alaskan Huskies are not a pure breed, they are a breed bred for health and ability, not for some arbitrary look. Because of that, Alaskan Huskies are very diverse and we can learn a lot from them. Size, color, gender and even age to a degree are all irrelevant for sled dogs. It’s diversity in the team that makes a team successful. I enjoy all the different characters and personalities amongst the dogs. We have very strong relationships with each dog. We are coworkers with them, but we are much more than that. We are friends, and we are family. They are considered a working dog, but if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. So these dogs are not really working, they are just doing what they love. They are doing something that every other dog in the world wishes they could do... run in the woods with their pals.
What does your training regimen look like? How long are you on the trail with them?
There is not much training involved in what these dogs do. It’s more just a deep rooted culture that they allow us to be a part of. Even as pups, as soon as they get a harness on, they just pull, and love it. We don’t really teach them anything, they get experience by doing, and they teach each other, and also teach us. Most dogs here run no more than 25 miles on a regular day. Some occasionally run much more. Some older dogs are running less often, and less miles per day based on wherever they are in life. But as long as they stay active on a schedule that is best for them individually, they will stay healthier longer.
What do your dogs do in the off season?
Sled dogs are still living their natural lifestyle year round. They are naturally not as active in the heat, much like their ancestors. But they are in their natural environment and thriving because of it.
In the middle of summer, we do some short runs occasionally if it’s cooler mornings. And the dogs are very social so they like to hangout and build their relationships. 90 dogs running loose around here is a common occurrence. It’s not often that you see that anywhere else. Sled dogs don’t need snow to run on, and they will pull anything, we use bikes or scooters or ATVs or side by sides. Sometimes there is 24 dogs pulling a Polaris Ranger. Especially in the fall when it gets a little cooler, that’s how the dogs get conditioned up to the miles that they do.
What has been your most memorable experience as a dog musher?
I have so many, I could tell enthralling stories for days.
But to me, the most memorable experience is the whole lifestyle. It’s looking back in the team behind you and seeing a really old dog loping down the trail with a huge smile on their face. It’s the feeling of a dog nuzzling their nose under your chin in a loving embrace. It’s that feeling when an up and coming lead dog just starts to call the shots. It’s the feeling when an experienced leader makes every minor adjustment based on your voice as they lead the team where there is no trail. It’s the sound of a satisfying howl at the end of a perfect day.
Some of the dogs here are 18 years young and they still run regularly. It’s because they are physically and mentally stimulated that they are alive and well. They are living the healthy lifestyle of a sled dog.
Genetics have a huge roll in why these dogs are as healthy as they are. They don’t get the common breed specific genetic issues, like hip dysphasia or arthritis, cancer, breathing problems, skin problems, bone problems. Most of those would be extremely rare, if not unheard of in Alaskan Huskies. There are several other reasons they are so healthy as well though, including their activity level, diet, mental health, the fact that they are living in their natural environment. Don’t even get me started on dogs thriving in their natural environment... just know that dogs are descendants of wolves and wolves thrive in their natural environment. Dogs that haven’t been disabled also thrive.
What’s your advice to other mushers?
My advice would be to listen to the dogs. They will teach you the most. After all, it is their deep rooted culture that you are just beginning to be a part of. They know it best.
