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Kuusamo was a positive experience in many ways with so much untouched white snow all around and so much fresh and beautiful nature surrounding you all the time. The many National Parks and different nature activities give you endless possibilities for exploring the northern beauty of Finland in the Kuusamo region. One of these amazing possibilities is to hop onto a husky sleigh and go for furry ride with fast and cute blue-eyed huskies!

Adorable huskies of Ruka

I absolutely love huskies and they really are my favourite dogs, because they are so beautiful and they have this northern magic in them. While we were driving near the Ruka ski mountains, we got the idea to go and see some huskies nearby. After a quick search online we found a great place called Erä-Susi Huskies and drove there to visit their husky ranch.

The Erä-Susi Huskies ranch is located right next to the Ruka Ski Resort, so it’s very easy to find. The address is Rukajärventie 30. It is mainly just a husky ranch, but they do have a small café and souvenier shop with cute things to buy. There are also some horses, reindeer and a few other animals living on the ranch. They have 150 huskies, that are all very well taken care of and the professional guides know each and every single dog by their names and their natures very well.

LOVING HUSKYSAFARI FOR EVERYONE AND EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR

Erä-Susi offers different types and lengths of safaris all year round. They are suitable and adjustable for the whole family and you can go alone, with a friend, as a group or as a family. The guides are professional and very nice people, who will be happy to answer any questions you may have before or during your sleigh ride with the dogs. Usually one person will be the driver of the sleigh and the other one will sit inside the sleigh. In the middle of the trip you switch with each other. I was going alone and I didn’t feel comfortable taking charge of the dogs by myself, so I got a wonderful guide called “Saukko” to be my driver and I got to enjoy the ride to the fullest.

Interaction with the dogs is always very important and all the guides know the personalities of these dogs and they can read the dogs well. This way they know what is the best way to arrange the dogs for the sleigh and which dogs interact the best with each other. Every dog is different and some like to run a lot and others like to run only sometimes. The dogs also have their own clicks, strengths and weaknesses that need to be taken in consideration.

My dutch guide Saukko was funny, professional, easy-going and he was very good with the huskies. He taught me many things about the dogs and riding dog sleighs and he had a good energy with the dogs. He really made this experience!

Interested in becoming a husky god parent?

The husky ranch is big and wide area and all the animals are very well taken care of. All the dogs are kind and active and they love the attention. Sometimes the ranch can get a bit noisy but don’t let it bother you, the dogs just want you to give them your love and affection.

This past year has been very hard for all the tourism companies and husky ranches. It takes a lot of money to take care of this many animals and with less tourism comes also less money. That’s why husky ranches have come up with the idea for husky god parents! You can become a god parent for a husky of your own choice from the website and donate the amount of money that you choose. The money will be used to take care of the whole ranch.

Erä-Susi Huskies Oy was founded in 1998, but had a change in ownership in 2017, when animal lovers Mervi Rantamäki and Jukka Keinänen from Vantaa bought the ranch. They want to develope and upgrade the ranch to become even better and their goal is to always provide the best care for the animals. Erä-Susi Husky ranch also has the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice 2020 Award.

Unforgettable experience

Visiting the husky ranch was a really amazing experience and the dogs are so charming and lovable. Next I will definitely become a husky god mother and support this ranch and the dogs in that way, until my next visit!

During my sleigh ride with my guide Saukko I also found out that he is very good friends with the owner of our Bed & Breakfast Ajakka, and the small reindeer horn earrings that I bought from the shop in the B&B are actually his handwork. This was a surprise, but a very fantastic surprise and what a coincidence! So big thanks to Saukko for the earrings and the husky ride and also big thanks to the lovely huskies!

Did you know, that reindeer drop their horns every now and then naturally and grow new ones? It is very popular to make for example jewelry and other handcrafts from the dropped horns in Finland.

Have you ever been on a husky safari? Tell me your experience in the comment field below! 🙂

<3: Tiina Johanna

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