My story

Hej, I’m Kat

The woman behind the pack!

The first dog in my life was Nicky, a small dachshund who teached me how to go to the potty.

21 years later I decided to quit my job as a dentist assistant to try something else before my studies of dentistry. Live is to short to save things for later – I thought.

A planned trip to Swedish Lapland of 4 months extended to 13 years by now.

I decided to „go with the flow“ and worked two winter seasons at a husky farm between Gällivare and Kiruna.

It simply felt right to work with the dogs, living in a site trailer in the woods and stand weather and temperatures down to -46 degrees. The coldest temperature I expirenced until today.

I left this place with the love of my life Johanna and our first Alaskan Huskies Jet and Luna.

We moved together into a little Swedish cabin, worked in the tourism business as outdoor guides, build our first dogyards for the new family members Sapun and Kesik and got married at the river Kalix.

We loved exploring the nature by our dog team, powered by 4 dogs whereby Jet only enjoyed the shorter trips.

Soon we had 6 dogs and I found myself training for my first race. I can´t really explain why I wanted to participate in a race. It´s a bit crazy – it´s cold, mentally challenging, often physically demanding but it makes me deeply satisfied and happy. To master challenges together with the dogs is a great feeling. I feel extremely alive out there.

At the first race I had no idea what I was going in to. I was unsure what the dogs could handle, especially because I borrowed two dogs. We didn´t reached the finish line, I quit the race after 200 km.

Johanna and me moved to Miekojärvi in 2011 and decided with a heavy heart to sell the three younger dogs Sapun, Kesik and Kate. The future was uncertain, our professional career unclear – we weren´t sure to be able to earn enough money to have more dogs.

A time of trying different possible solutions followed.

The next winter came and I simply had to go outside again, exploring the nature by dog team. The great anticipation of the dogs before heading out on the trail, the even beat of the dog paws hitting the snow and the love and affection from the dogs is what I´m passionate about.

Our professional existence got more and more stable so that I was able to start a cooperation with two more experienced mushers (coach of a sled dog team). I trained their young dogs for a winter season and learned a lot about different dog personalities and training methods. I had to realize after a while that I always started from scratch each season and our philosophy differed more and more.

I want to develop each dog individually so that they gain more self confidence and are as balanced as possible. Always trying to find the right communication and discover the needs for all fantastic dog personalities.

Now it was possible to have more dogs again. We coordinated our work and daily life with the daily dog routines. We offered more tours during the summertime so that I had more time for training in winter, when the temperatures are dropping below zero and the dogs are almost exploding of energy.

Our living standard didn´t evolved much – but the ones of the dogs did constantly. We always improve the dogyards, free running areas, training equipment dog food and medical care.

In 2016 I could start for the first time at the long-distance race Finnmarkslöpet about 500 km with an own team of dogs. I had several young dogs in the team and didn´t want to ask too much from them. I decided to stop the race after 390 km with a happy dog team. We could finish that race in the following year.

The decision was made – for a life with the dogs in the center.

Jet turned into a house dog and Luna joined the shorter tours. I bought a young dog and two experienced dogs from a successful musher to build our own team for the Finnmarkslöpet 1200 km. First start was planned in March 2022.