In a sled dog team, every dog has its place.
But some also find a place within you.
Cheeky is not like other dogs. She is a sled dog at Green Dog – but to me, she became so much more.
I started at Green Dog in 2024 as a handler and later took over my own team of 26 happy sled dogs. From the very first day, there was one who stood out. A small red lady with a charm bigger than herself. She knew exactly how to catch people’s attention. Guests were drawn to her without even realizing it, and Cheeky welcomed all the affection as if it were her life’s mission.
A small red lady
When summer came and I started going on hikes with guests, she became my constant companion. Across mountains and glaciers, in sun, fog, and snow. She was always happy, curious, and loving towards everyone she met.
But summer didn’t only bring good memories.
A loss and a comfort
I lost my best friend back home. Allison – my little Shetland Sheepdog, who had been with me since I was 15. She had been with me through the difficult teenage years, through ups and downs, through everything. She got sick, and only two weeks after I had last held her in my arms, I had to say goodbye.
There is a certain emptiness when you lose a dog who has been part of your life for so long. And in the middle of that emptiness, Cheeky was there. It was as if she knew. As if she could feel the grief without it being explained to her. She became calmer, closer. Just her presence made it a little easier to exist in.
Inside and outside
I started bringing her inside the cabin. She quickly settled in – and once again stood out. While most sled dogs prefer the cold and being with the team, Cheeky had other plans. She loved the couch. The bed. Preferably exactly where you were supposed to sit. Outside, she was an energetic and strong working dog. Inside, she understood something else: calm, closeness, and comfort.
Eight puppies
Later, she became a mother. In January, she had 8 puppies – 4 red girls and 4 brown boys. I was allowed to have them with me for the first weeks, and it felt like a gift. To be part of their beginning. To care for them and follow their first steps. I became a proud “grandmother.”
Cheeky handled it all with a calmness I hadn’t expected. She could step back and watch from a distance, but as soon as they called, she was there. The puppies already resembled her, especially the four red girls who quickly started running the show in the puppy yard. Like mother, like daughters.
Goodbye – and a miracle
Cheeky’s brothers are Hooligan and Trouble – and she definitely lives up to that. One early morning at 3 a.m., I went outside to pee, and she was loose as usual. Normally, she sits by the door afterward. But that morning, she was gone.
“Cheeky?”
Behind the cabin, I saw dog tracks – and reindeer tracks. Oh no.
Wearing rubber boots, pajama pants, and an oversized jacket, I grabbed the rifle and followed the trail. Kilometer after kilometer. The cold bit hard, and the silence felt heavy. 12 kilometers later, at the end of Bolterdalen on the way to Scott Turner – a glacier where we run sled tours – I was close to giving up. Then I saw it. A small red dot.
There she was. Luckily, she is a very bad hunting dog.
Time passed, and a decision started to grow stronger. I have decided that now is the time to apply to veterinary school – otherwise I will never get started. If I stayed another year on Svalbard, I would remain. Caught by the dogs’ joy, the nature, and the life up there.
But it also meant saying goodbye.
Goodbye to the team. Goodbye to Svalbard. And hardest of all – goodbye to Cheeky.
She was no longer just part of the team. She was mine. My best friend, my partner, my calm. Whether we were high up in the mountains, skiing down slopes, traveling by sled through the valleys, or in the quiet moments in the cabin – she was there. Always.
I didn’t dare to ask if I could take her home. She is a young sled dog and still had many work days in front of her. But one day, my boss asked if I had her vaccination book. I looked up, confused. If Cheeky was coming home with me, I needed to start preparing.
I was completely speechless.
Today, I am simply grateful. Grateful that I get to take her with me into the next chapter. It will be good to have a companion to explore nature with – someone to keep me from getting lost in books and studies. Someone who reminds me of life on Svalbard.
She is one of many incredible dogs in my team.
But to me, she is the one who came along and found her place within me.
Thank you Green Dog for Cheeky.
