Agility, tracking, hiking and packing are some of our favorite summer activities.
We're members of a local dog club and train agility on a weekly basis between June and October. Like most dogs,
our Mals love this sport and we think it is a great way of encouraging and improving contact, balance and confidence.
While our winter activities are usually carried out collectively, i.e. teamwork in harness, in the summer we
focus more on each dog's individual skills and often take classes to develop their own unique abilities.
Between June and August the sun doesn't set in Lapland and we can stay out late in the evenings exploring the
wilderness under the midnight sun. Lapland offers endless opportunities for hiking and equipped with a tent and backpacks one is free to go anywhere. The only drawback with the subarctic summer are the swarms of mosquitoes that invade the region during midsummer.
Malamutes are not so bothered by these insects thanks to their thick coats. For people, however, the mosquitoes can be a real pain!
Since our sledding season is extensive we tend not to focus so much on pulling activities during the brief summer.
However, we do have some high-energy members in our family who will not be satisfied unless
they get to do some work in harness during summer too! So when the temperature is low we sometimes take a team
carting along the sandy roads leading up to Ounastunturi Mountain Range. Afterwards, we all go for a
swim in Lake Ounas. Most of our Mals (not all) love to play in water!
The summer is not an ideal time to show Malamutes due to the breed's seasonal shedding cycle but
we nevertheless sometimes combine our summer vacation with a visit to a couple of shows in our northern region.
Last, but not least, summer is the ideal season for having PUPPIES! Not only plants and insects benefit from the subarctic midnight sun - puppies raised during this beautiful and bright time of the year gain a head start in life too!
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