According to an old legend, dogs came out of small tufts in the ground right after the inuit children appeared, which indicates how important dogs are for the Inuit culture. For generations, children and pups learns how to drive the sled together, and as they grow, their bond also gets stronger. 

 As a tourist on a dog sledding journey you may experience dog sled mushers use a whip or yelling at their dogs and also all dogs must be chained from the age of 6 months. This should not be considered violent or mean but seen as the tools, that a musher uses to safely get themselves and their dogs to the great hunting and fishing areas.  

The same applies when dogs fight, bark or howl – they are supposed to know their place in the team in order to drive the sled. 

 The special sled dogs of Disko Bay 

You find the Greenlandic sled dog breed only north of the Polar Circle. People here are very careful not to mix their dogs with dogs from the Southern part of Greenland. This is to ensure a pure breed with dogs capable of living and working in the cold harsh areas around Disko Bay and further north.  

Over thousands of years the sled dogs have developed a soft dense fur and a strong outer layer which means that they can remain outside all year long and have no trouble with this even in snow and very cold degrees. 

 Also the sleds themselves are special in Disko Bay region. Due to the terrain with large flat areas of sea ice, the sleds here are shorter and wider than the sleds on the east part of Greenland. 

 Dog sled racing 

It is particular for Greenland that the dogs are used both as hobby, tourism and hunting. Nowadays the dogs are part of lesser working and more hobbying, including the traditional dog sled race. 

Every year in the last weekend of March hundreds of dogs and even more people travel far to participate in and watch the Avannaata Qimussersua – the national dog sled race.  The race is definitely worth experiencing and it is an attractive event for locals. The sleds drive for about 40 km on the sea ice around islands and mountains.  

Every contestant who passes the finish line is lifted up on their sled and being tributed, while the dogs have a feast of raw freshly caught meat.