Plettner Kennels

Lynda Plettner, who is an twelve time Iditarod finisher and recipient of the coveted Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award, is owner and operator of the Plettner Kennels in Big Lake, AK. It can be found off the Parks Highway north of Wasilla, Home of the Iditarod. While working under her tutelage for two summers, I learned about the raising and training of the Iditarod Sled Dogs and the incredible amount of dedication it takes to manage a kennel and prepare for the Iditarod race.

The first summer I learned about the daily jobs involving the care of the dogs and the tasks that are required to maintain a topnotch kennel. I was constantly reminded of the importance of keeping the dog areas clean and the dogs watered. Eventually I was given the joyful, but a bit stressful job, of gaining the pregnant moms' trust, feeding them and cleaning under their cages, and then making certain the babies were kept on a healthy track. These puppies would hopefully become super stars of the kennel, so the proper care was of utmost importance. Keeping the areas clean and germ free was a constant task. The pure joy came when the babies began to recognize me! As I approached their kennels, I would sing or speak to them, and I could hear them scampering around in their cages. As a result of my commitment to my tasks and to the kennel, Lynda “paid” me by giving me one of the puppies that I had fallen in love with!She was worth more than any amount of money.



Plettner Kennels is a training ground for future Iditarod mushers. Lynda leases teams and provides the training, because her trails could actually take you all the way to Nome. She has had a number of rookie mushers cross under the burled arch in Nome. Lynda is a tough instructor but she knows her stuff when it comes to dog training, and she has high expectations of her “students”. She is a hard worker and expects that out of her volunteers, employees and mushers.



The kennel offers sled rides in the winter, and tours of the kennel and rides on a wheeled cart in the summer. Folks can play with babies and puppies, see her future stars, mingle with her A-team, receive explanations about her sled, gear and equipment and hear wonderful, funny and exciting tales from the trail. Lynda even lets you try to bootie or harness the dogs. It is a fun visit for everyone!