Great story and incredible people sharing their Iditerod stories. Absolutely fascinating stuff!

Very interesting tour and talk about raising and racing sled dogs. Very informative discussion on the bus to and from the kennel and a nice bonus is that you get to handle the puppies! read more

Dog Gone It! - Older pups - Tours Near Me

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"I'll be doggone if you ain't a pretty thing And I'll be doggone if you ain't warm as a breath of spring" (Marvin Gaye) Dogs are one of the greatest gifts a human being can have, an undending source of love, loyalty, affection, companionship and just plain fun. We visited the home and kennel of Iditarod Musher Mike Santos, his wife Kaitlyn, and son Max for a few hours of pure puppy and dog love. Kaitlyn's bus picked us up at our hotel, and it became apparent very quickly that we were about to visit a family of serious dog lovers. We started our evening with an extended visit with 3 puppy litters. We all had a chance to cuddle with them and get plenty of puppy kisses. But this experience wasn't just for our benefit, it helped socialize the puppies and get them used to being around a crowd. Throughout the course of the evening, we learned what it is like to live with the Alaskan Huskies, saw the sled dogs in action, and learned about Mike's running of the Iditarod. We saw a multi-media presentation that shined a light on the challenges of running in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race and saw video footage, photos, and equipment from the race. Visiting Dog Gone It was a highlight of our time in Denali. read more

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What an amazing experience! They have such a fun setup. It's hard not to love when they throw a puppy at you when get off the bus. A highlight of the trip for sure! read more

Caitlin and Mike were both amazing with their knowledge and obvious love of the dogs and the sport. Definitely a highlight of our trip. And holding the pups was super fun! read more

Dog Gone It! - The teenage pups - Tours Near Me

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I cannot describe how touching this experience was and how I wish everyone would get a chance to at least try it remotely if not in person. When we arrived the whole team was waiting for us holding a few of their puppies ready to share their love with each one of us while someone had our picture taken, then we had a tour of the facility, we witnessed how they prepare the dogs for a sledge ride, hear some iditarod stories and even received probably the best souvenir I've ever had from the team "a personalized card with the picture taken at the beginning". You could tell from the way the dogs were behaving, the overall environment and just the simple interaction with Mike, his family and his team, that, although this is so much hard work continuously done, they do it with so much love and passion for these dogs, I don't have as many words of respect and admiration as they deserve. It touched me deeply when I asked Mike, how does he handle with a loss of a dog, and he said "it's always easier to feed dog more, than one less..." and almost broke down in tears. All my appreciation for these kind of people and I encourage everyone to experience it at least once or contribute in any way you can, because any effort counts! read more

Dog Gone It! - Tours Near Me

What a memorable experience - a definite bucket list item! Mike Santos, a 3-time Iditarod participant, and his family with their Team provided an unbelievable look at the dogs, the race and the commitment to keeping the dogs safe, healthy and happy. Caitlin, co-founder and wife of Mike, completes this power couple - intelligent, articulate, professional and passionate about supporting the DogGoneIt Team. 5 star experience from beginning to end. A must while you are visiting Denali. read more

A great learning experience and tour of Iditarod training. I didn't know this place even existed until someone came into the lobby to pick up customers for the tour. We immediately signed up for it and off we went on the bus. Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted by the cutest puppies and photo ops. This was followed by an introduction to older dogs being groomed for future Iditarods. We were then led inside where we learned what it actually takes for a musher to prepare and finish an Iditarod race. The whole tour was fascinating and informative from the time we hopped on the bus to the time we returned to the hotel. Highly recommend! read more

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I was so impressed with this place on many levels! It is located off the beaten path in a small native town against the backdrop of majestic Denali. The owner built every building, kennel, and structure on this property with his own hands! The log cabin buildings and custom built wood auditorium are beautiful and amazing, a testament to the careful planning, pride of ownership and the attention to detail the owner possesses. The grounds in itself are immaculate, well kept and very very clean. The tour starts on a fun note being greeted by a litter of cuddly puppies that we get to hold and cuddle. Then there is a very professional and moving multi-media presentation along with a well thought out and well scripted talk. The tour moves about from the kennels to the beautiful hand built wooden auditorium where the media presentations and talks continue about all things dog, life in the last frontier, and the greatest journey-the Iditarod. There is also a live demonstration of dog sledding where the dogs get to go out on an exercise run and they are so excited and want to be chosen to pull the sled that they all bark enthusiastically in anticipation and excitement as if to say "choose me! choose me!" It is evident that these dogs really love to run and pull! The owners are very friendly, personable, warm and welcoming. You can just see their love and devotion to their dogs and the dogs seem truly happy and well taken care of with all their needs met. The dogs are their family. I was at first wondering if I would feel uneasy about the life of a sled dog but came out so impressed with the impeccable care and genuine love and affection the owners have for their dogs, that any uneasiness completely vanished. The owners and their dogs live and breathe the Iditarod. I never realized all that went into it, and now have a greater appreciation and respect for the sport of dog sledding, especially seeing firsthand how the dogs just love to pull and run. You begin to see how dogsledding is so ingrained into the Alaskan culture, and it has been a very necessary part of Alaskan culture too, sometimes providing the only means of transportation in Alaska. Remember Balto, the famous Alaskan husky who brought life-saving serum to the town of Nome when a blizzard prevented all other means of transportation! This is a high end presentation at a very reasonable price, LESS than 1/3 the cost of one of the Juneau dog tours! You don't get a sled ride in this tour (which explains the difference in cost) but who cares. You leave this tour in awe of Alaska's celebrated and legendary sled dogs, the strong, graceful and beautiful Alaskan Huskies. read more

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Awesome tour with a great family owned operation. Mike & Caitlin Santos (& their wonderful staff) make you feel so welcome from the minute they pick you until the minute they drop you back at Denali. Caitlin gave an informational talk before arriving in Cantwell to prepare us for our experience. We were greeted with armfuls of puppies & Caitlin took photos of everyone. We were shown the area where the dogs train & live, and learned so much about the lives of these fascinating dogs. Mike has run the Iditarod three times & shares some of his experiences on the trail. If you come to Denali, be sure to visit them for a memorable experience. Before leaving, each person is presented with a copy of the photo taken of you and your puppy. A perfect way to spend time with & learn about the Alaskan Huskies. read more

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Wonderful experience! I have to admit I was not excited to tour this, but I really enjoyed learning about the dogs, training, care, and the Iditarod. Nicely presented and very entertaining. read more

Went here July 31. The whole bus ride(which the wife drives) you are learning about the area, why they came to Alaska and about their kennels. Upon arriving you are handed a puppy to hug and they take your picture. They then show you the area where the dogs are kept and load up a team to go on a ride. They have built a fantastic building where you view parts of the iditarod and she explains how it all works. They even built a row of restrooms for their tour groups. Absolutely worth the money! read more

Visited DogGoneIt in June 2024. It was amazing to see the dogs and the kennel operation. But what made the experience so exceptional were Mike and Caitlin. They are such warm, engaging, and friendly people, sharing their experience of life in Alaska and the world of dog sledding. Would highly recommend this adventure for you! Cindy read more

What a great chance to learn about life in Alaska, the love and care of sked dogs and visit the hosts home territory. this tour is so well done thanks to Mike, Caitlin, son Max and staff. It is our very favorite Husky experience and we've done three. Great job! Susan & Jordan read more

Excellent morning spent with Dog Gone It Tours. Catlin and Mike and Family were a joy to visit and spend a couple of hours with. Meeting arriving guests with arms full of puppies is a awesome approach. Very professionally done and very informative. I would return without a moments thought if I am ever able, and would go out of my way to do so ! Bob Travis, Nancy Hibbs, and Rachael Laux. read more

This is one of those tourist attractions that is both genuine AND well run as though its professional tourism people. The family is REAL. The dogs are loved, well-cared for and part of a family, not just the team. They built their entire property as though they are professionals at tourism. Our kids thought this was the best stop of the vacation. I left understanding what it takes to participate in the race, I'm now a fan and can't wait to come back and watch the race. read more

I'm not a big animal person, but my wife is, so we signed up for this tour mainly for her, with me along to take photos. It was great! This entire family is "all in" to dog sledding and it's contagious. Well orchestrated tour that begins with a hands on experience with puppies. My wife was in heaven and I got a lot of great photos. Then they use a combination of engaging talks, media presentations, and live demonstrations to explain dog sledding and the husbands participation in the Iditarod. It was quite interesting and very engaging. Don't miss it when you come to Denali. You'll be glad you went. read more