happy trails kennel

Anything you want to ask, feel free to ask. Friendly, kind dog owners. Besides which he won the Iditarod four times so far

I have been a fan of Martin Buser for almost as long as I've had an interest in following dog sled racing. Having followed the sport for a number of years, I counted the opportunity to visit Happy Trails one I did not want to miss. I'm grateful to Martin and his wife Kathy for sharing their passion with those of us who can't do what they do. Playing with the dogs was an experience I won't forget - the very ones that have run the Iditarod. It is obvious that they are not starved for love and attention for they had so much affection to share with me - someone who means nothing to them in their day-to-day lives. When you take an interest in people who lead public lives, you see the personae they present. As a fan, should you meet one someday, you really hope they are the cool, down-to-earth people that made you take interest in them in the first place. We found that Martin and Kathy are those kind of people and then some, which is why they have many, many fans. Even so, my wife and I were treated as though we were the only two fans they knew. Thank you so much for your kindness and hospitality.

Many time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser and his family open their kennel to visitors, I am sure, to help finance their operations. However when you visit, you are treated like a close family friend. You feel as if they are opeing their hearts and home. It is a facinating experience, and, wow, if you are a dog lover you will treasure this experience. You will learn what it takes to be a champion musher, you will learn about these amazing dogs, and how the two come together. Probably everyone's highlight is the opportunity to hold a puppy. How great! I am frankly amazed some people don't try to sneak away with one...they are that cuddly!

About 90 minutes north of Anchorage, you will find the Happy Trails Kennel - home to some very happy dogs and 4-time Iditarod winner and musher, Martin Buser. Over time, Martin, hiw wife Kathy and his son Rohn have produced a wonderful tourist experience that will introduce you to the Iditarod race, mile by mile, to their philosophy of raising and training the dogs; to their outstanding care of the dogs and to the dogs themselves. If you go, dress to get dirty. The dogs are secured to an area next to their dog houses but they make it clear that they want to meet you; to put their paws on your shoulders; and to give you a big wet kiss. And if you are not up for wet sloppy kisses, you can hold the newborn puppies and do your part to socialize them for their future careers.This year Martin agreed to host a visit by the Anchorage Glacier Pilots - a summer baseball team of college students who play for love of the game. They were impressed by the challenges of running the race and by the similarities between developing a successful dog team and a successful baseball team.No one should come to Alaska without meeting a musher. I vote for Martin.

What a great place to visit! We took our two kids (9 & 11), and we all walked away with a really wonderful experience! Martin and his family were really welcoming and informative about the caring if the dogs and the Iditarod. Took the time to answer any questions and if course the puppies were adorable!

WOW. What I can say except an EXCELLENT Place. We had to travel to Alaska on a last minute notice and finding a room proved to be challenging to say the least. I actually stumbled onto Happy Trails by accident and they proved to be a great choice. It was the night before I flew out that I left a posted message for the hosts requesting a call to work details. You just don’t go to Alaska with some room reservations in place during the summer and I was going to be there about 9 days. So back to the story, Kathy called about 10:30 my time and we worked the details out. She was helpful and very flexible since I did not have all of my details worked out either. So we made it to Alaska and found the B&B without any issues except for the moose on the road which we missed hitting. They look like long legged cows on steroids, they don’t mixed well with automobiles. The room was great the setting fantastic and very peaceful and quite a view. We left early the next morning for personal reasons then came back as our plans were now changed. Making this short now..we explained the whole situation to our host and they were very understanding and gracious. Unfortunately we were not able to spend more time with the Buser’s and get to know them better but the short conversations that we had showed me that they care about their guest’s experience and want it to be enjoyable. Ours was just that. If I could rate it a 12 on a scale of 10 - I would, it was that great.

Don’t miss this place! The staff is fantastic and it is a great educational opportunity. We were lucky enough the meet Martin Buser, who was happy to spend time with us. We are able to meet his new litter of puppies! His story and his dogs are fascinating! My kids loved it and it is one of our favorite Alaska memories.

As part of a pre cruise trip we were scheduled to stop at Happy Trails Kennel. I thought this was just a typical, tourist stop but was happily surprised at how great our time was at the kennel. We were met as we got of the bus by Martin Buser. Martin is a multiple Iditarod champion. He has a great personality. We started with a short movie about the Iditarod experience then were led to the dog yard where we spent time with some of Martin's dogs. Next we had a boxed lunch while listening to Martin talk about his dogs. The visit ended with a visit of some of Martin's puppies.What I thought to be a stop to fill in some time turned out to be too short. If you are in the Big Lake area don't miss Happy Trails Kennel, Martin and his family.

We stopped in after a 3 hr bus trip. We even had lunch here under their canopy type amphitheater. They showed us how they dress the dogs for conditions on the iditarod. Very interesting. Next we got to see the dogs. What a treat. They were so friendly. Prepare to get muddy if you want to pet them. If they are working they can burn up to 11,000 calories a day. Wow!! They even did a demonstration of the dogs pulling in a training session in the summer here. The fogs could not wait to get hooked up. They show you a movie by Martin about the race. For us non Alaskans very informative. They do have flushing toilets & a gift shop. We bought a shirt & a sled ornament. The best part was getting to hold the new puppies.

We visited Martin's Kennel on our way up to Denali. What we thought would just be a stop to break up a long trip to the Park turned out to be memorable. I am neither a dog nor Iditarod fan, but what Martin has put together here is much bigger than dogs or a dog race. He explains his approach to life and how to be successful in what he does; he explains how he approaches racing and what it takes to be a winner. Meshing his philosophy with a detailed explanation of the Iditarod and his dogs makes this visit nothing short of amazing. This should be a "must see" on your visit to Alaska.

I am very much a dog lover and the morning spent at the kennel was wonderful. Would love to go back, besides the t shirt I bought is about worn out. Would love to have another.

I was certain I was going to be bored prior to arriving at Happy Trails. Not being a dog person, I knew that this was going to be a horrible morning. Good thing that sometimes I am wrong. I was happily surprised with Martin and his family. I learned about sled dogs and found that fascinating. The family is warm and inviting and made us feel so very welcome. They are just finishing up the new small theater where Martin talked to us and then showed a short video. After that we went out to the kennel area where he told us about what he does and about the dogs. A decent box lunch was provided and while we ate his son Rohn gave another demonstration. The outdoor eating area has a cover that protects you from rain but you are still outdoors. After lunch they hooked up some dogs to a sled and Rohn mushed them around the kennel area. We left with some little dog booties with trading cards, which Martin and Rohn were kind enough to sign for me. I would love to return sometime.

We stopped at the Kennels and were greeted by both Martin Buser and his wife. We were treated to a talk and demonstration of sled dog gear by Rohn Buser, Martin's son and up-and-coming musher himself. He answered our multitude of questions, then treated us to a demonstration of the dogs in action, which is amazing! I have always enjoyed following the Iditarod, but now have a personal interest in rooting for one of the mushers. I suggest this as a "must see" when visiting Alaska.

We stopped at the Buser's kennel on the way to our cruise ship. We had seen so much in the past few days - I honestly wasn't expecting much from the kennel visit. I am a "dog person" but though it would be a commercialized rendition of a kennel. The whole Buser family was out there talking to us, letting us pet the dogs - and the puppies! Oh my - so adorable. The dog sled run was so neat - these dogs are literally born to run. Martin Buser is a very decorated musher. I would highly recommend a visit to this kennel.

One of the most pleasant memories of our recent travels in Alaska is the enjoyable time spent at Happy Trails Kennel with Martin Buser and his son Rohn, and their good friend Deedee Jonrowe. It was a distinct pleasure conversing with these Iditarod experts as they recounted their various experiences on the grueling 1000+ mile Iditarod Trail race from Willow to Nome, Alaska. Both Martin and Deedee have competed in many races, while Rohn will be competing in his third race next year. It was also enjoyable to view all the trophies won over the years and to imagine the harsh winter conditions that faced the dogs and their musher during this exhausting race. The discussions of the strategies, the tactical calculations, the evaluation of the most important factors at any given moment, and the assessment of each dog’s physical condition at the end of each day were an intriguing mixture as we were challenged to imagine the musher’s balancing act. Happy Trails Kennel (HTK) has a large dog lot, home to around ninety-five dogs, each with his or her own dog-house. During our tour we saw a large number of dogs, all friendly, happy and eager to please their owners. We were given the opportunity to hold snuggling puppies who were destined to become future competitors. We learned that a number of the dogs were temporarily assigned elsewhere to provide simulated dog-sled runs on glacier tops for the benefit of tourists who chose helicopter tours. A demonstration of the dogs at work pulling the demonstration sleigh was most interesting. Each animal was matched with a colleague and was assigned a particular spot in the complex harnessing scheme. The dogs loved it. They jumped with joy and enthusiasm, each one eager to do his or her part in pulling the sled around the demonstration track, perhaps a mile or so in length. It was as though they lived to enjoy the competition! As a memento of our visit each of us was given an Iditarod dog bootie, the foot covering so essential to the well being of every musher dog.