How Much Is A Sled Dog Team Worth?

Updated on April 21, 2017

Sometimes family and friends wonder how much does it cost to put together a sled dog team.  From what I’ve experienced being around the sport for 7 years, it varies dramatically!  There are broad ends of the spectrum, you can spend as much as you want or as little as you want which is true for a lot of things in life.

I chose to go the cheaper route, to see if I would like it or not.  Mushing is not for everyone, especially racing.  I believe there are more mushers that have dogs for working or for fun rather than racing dogs.

I’ll share with you just the cost of the dogs, which is the exact price I paid to attain the athlete.  Why, because I think some people get overwhelmed when they are starting, thinking that they can’t afford a dog team.

Toivo – $250
Valor – Free on CPU trade
Seppo – $100
Magnus – $400
Jaana – $250
Ari – $250
Angel – Free
Barracuda – Free
Helena – Adopted

Total – $1250 for seven working dogs, in September of 2010.

What is the team worth? I’ve learned from other mushers to price that dog for what it costs to replace them. This is an honest estimate based upon my reasoning and limited experience. Most mushers overprice their dogs for whatever reason, I’m not sure.  But there are some mushers out there that have good honest prices.

Toivo – $800 – Well, I would never ever sell him. He’s neutered and he’s my pet. Toivo is not super fast but he’s a gee/haw leader and goes forever. He also keeps the younger dogs in line when they are learning. I tend to pair him up with the youngsters.

Valor – $5,000 – I’ve never had a better dog, leader and performance wise. Jim Benson said he would sell me his unproven brother for $2000 so that’s what I am going on. Valor is a proven champion, so he could be worth more. He also produced some nice pups in June of 2012.

Seppo – $3,000 – He’s the kind of dog that I can hook up and forget. Leader or follower, he’s fast, bomb proof, and a key dog on the team.

Magnus – $800 – He’s an Alaskan, nuf said. Runs great in team or wheel, hook up and forget too but don’t run him in lead. Sometimes he disappoints up there. But then again, he’s a proven champion too!

Jaana – $4,000 – How many female leaders have you had at 11 months old?

Ari – $2,000 – Fast, attitude, great figure. This boy has tremendous potential running point at 11 mos and has never looked back. He’s the fastest dog in our kennel and has proven to be an awesome stud producing an amazing litter with Grace in the summer of 2013.

Angel – $300 – I haven’t run her enough yet to know if she’s going to work. She’s a proven brood bitch and runs lead and that is all I have to go on.

Total – $15,900 for seven dogs, IF I had to replace them.

I’ve heard of dogs selling for way more than that, so believe what you will. I guess it’s all relative to your goals anyways!

There are many other costs associated with owning a dog team you must factor in. These include:

• Training and Racing Equipment – atv, sleds, ganglines, harnesses, fuel, snaps
• Racing – entry fees, travel, hotel
• Transport – dog truck or trailer
• Kennel Supplies – dog houses, stakeouts, poop scoops, fencing
• Vet Care – vaccinations, injuries, surgeries, sick dogs, etc.
• Food – meat, kibble, supplements, water
• Kennel Help – handlers, family, volunteers
• Memberships – local, promotional, club