FAQ

Q. why “Wild RooT”?

A. I came across the idea of wilding trees a few years ago; these trees manage to grow from seeds spread by wild animals outside the confines of the curated orchard. Instead, they grow up alongside their wild counterparts in the forest. They may struggle away from the safe borders of the farm, but they survive and eventually bear fruit. The fruit of those trees are recognizable, but their taste is like nothing that grows under strict care and supervision of human cultivation.

With a childhood spent bouncing between the United States and Southeast Asia and a rather nomadic young-adulthood, the meaning of home and the search for a place to put down roots is something I’ve spent a lot of time mulling over. When I arrived in Alaska in 2004, I knew that I’d finally found a place that fit in a way nowhere else ever had. But even so, it took years to figure out how to establish roots and settle in to grow into a community and a life here.

Wild Root Kennel is the amalgam of these two seemingly opposite impulses; the compulsion to be free of outside expectations and boundaries, woven into the true wilderness that I crave, balanced against the deep human need to have a place, a home, and to be rooted in land and community.

Q. How many dogs live at wild root?

A. There are currently eighteen sled dogs and three house dogs. Meet them here .

Q. Do you race in the iditarod?

A. Wild Root has never been a competitive endeavor. As the kennel (and my confidence) have grown, we’ve tried a few mid-distance and casual local races, mostly to explore new areas and connect with other mushers. But racing has never been the focus of our kennel. Although it is an exciting, well known and highly followed sled dog race, the Iditarod is not one of our long-term goals. We are more focused on learning to travel and explore the wilderness by dog team, learning to work with the dogs to be able to do this, and enjoying the challenges and joys this old form of winter travel and year-round companionship with these incredible working animals brings. We also hope to share some of what we are learning with like-minded folks who are interested in visiting, meeting the pack, and maybe taking a dog-powered ride through the boreal forest.

Q. Where do all the dog names come from?

A. Litters of sled dogs puppies are usually named on a theme, so mushers can keep track of which puppies are siblings. Litters can be named after characters from a favorite movie or show, elements from the periodic table, types of food, space objects, insects. Imagination, and making sure the names don’t sounds like commands (Gee, Haw, Whoa!) are the only limitations.

The older Wild Root dogs came with names from their own litters and kennels. For example, Tinder is from SPK’s Fire litter, with siblings like Nomex, Spark, Torch & Hotshot. Bean is from the Coffee litter, with siblings Creamer, Decaf, Perky, Barista & Sanka.

Saami & Sahka were named after Nordic and Siberian native tribes. Zeya & Taz were named after Siberian rivers. Hanners’ ‘real name’ is Hannah, and her litter from Husky Homestead was named entirely with palindromes (Bob, Kayak, Ava & Noon were a few of her siblings.) Our own Hardware Failure Litter were so named because their very existence is due to a quick-link coming loose at an inopportune moment (Link, Blot, Latch & Swivel) and the Make Your Own Luck Litter - included Rabbit, Seven, Clover, Dragon, Tortoise & Wishbone (although some were renamed after puppyhood).

Q. What do the dogs eat?

A.  A racing sled dog can burn more than 10,000 calories per day - that’s almost twenty Big Macs per dog for every day on the trail! We feed a combination of high-quality kibble from Inukshuk, with the addition of beef, chicken, fish and tripe. This special working-dog kibble has a much higher fat content than pet food, to fuel the dogs on their runs and help keep them warm during breaks. They also devour frozen beef and salmon snacks along the trail, and enjoy frequent bowls of savory, meaty broth to help them stay hydrated when regular water bowls would freeze solid in the cold. MinuteEarth made a great video about how Alaskan Huskies’ unique metabolism makes them some of the best athletes on earth!