Gavin Baker is committed to providing exceptional care for his kennel of 20+ happy Alaskan huskies. You can learn more about his dogs below.

The qualities of a Trail Dancer dog: "A dog with heart"
In a recent interview, here's what Gavin had to say about his dogs . . .

I work very well with yearlings. I tend to look for yearlings when I purchase a dog, in addition to some older dogs with experience. I have an eye for good yearlings in terms of personality. Normally in my team, I want really happy dogs that want to run, that are always eager and happy, tails wagging, that glow in their eyes. Of course, I look for good feet, coat and great eaters, these are key things I want, but I then really select on that happy, hard-working personality.

I’m gradually getting better coats in my dogs because I’m looking at the northern races where longer coats are important. Recently, I’ve switched from the Siberian to the Alaskan huskies because they’re faster, and generally easier to work with. They’re easier to run free, seem to be easier for social interactions.

I like honest dogs, really hard-working dogs that love to pull whose tug is always tight and they always want to go down the trail. I like a durable dog, one who is not prone to injury. A dog that is easily trained is important as well. I like dogs that respond to my voice well. When I’m in the kennel their ears perk up when I speak. These are dogs that will listen in team as well. Of course, dogs need to do it on their own as well, but when things get tough, we need to be able to work together.

The last thing that I look for his confirmation. A dog could have 3 legs and look like a tripod, but if it has the heart and the drive and doesn’t hold the rest of the team back, that is still a good dog to me. It is a complete bonus if the dog has that confirmation – they’re the dogs that are the super stars.

Kennel philosophy – “numbers down, quality up”
The situation I’m in right now, it’s easier for me to keep a small to medium sized kennel – closer to 20 but somewhere between 20-30 dogs. If I can keep my numbers down, but keep it so that all the dogs are running and all the dogs have the opportunity to make the main team, then I’m in the best position I can be. That means each dog is getting more attention, more one-on-one. Rather than having 50, 60 or 70 dogs where I pick the best athletes, I develop the best I can out of the 20 or so that I do keep.
By borrowing dogs and working with other mushers like Aaron Peck, I can keep a working kennel without the burden of expenses beyond my current means.