Mad Dogs & Englishmen
Mad Dogs & Englishmen
5
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Full view
About
We are a small family-owned and operated Sled Dog Touring company running dogsled tours out of Canmore, AB in the Kananaskis Provincial Park adjacent to Banff National Park. We have been in operation for 25 years. We worked with the British Army for 18 years of those years guiding their winter adventure training. We now run 1.5 hour, 2-hour, Half-Day, and Full-Day tours on trails at Boundary Ranch and up on the Spray Lakes. We specialize in smaller group sizes and encourage hand-on involvement so you can experience dogsledding like a real musher.
Canmore, Alberta, Canada
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingSimilar Experiences
Mad Dogs & Englishmen
Booking unavailable on Tripadvisor
Want other options you can book now?
Show optionsTravellers talk about
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
149 reviews
Excellent
132
Very good
11
Average
4
Poor
0
Terrible
2
Lizzie C
3 contributions
Dec 2021 • Solo
I first came to Canada to do a ski instructor course but it got pushed back a month so I thought what else can I do to fill the time. On a whim I researched emailed dog sledding companies near Banff. I was lucky enough to get in touch with Dawn and Russell and they took me in as a volunteer for three weeks. I got to stay with them and their family and work alongside Russell and his daughters. I was amazed at the amount of love, time and effort the whole family puts into the dogs.
Russell and his family take so much pride in the kennel and how the dogs perform and how sweet they all are. Their family loves every single one of the dogs and by the end of the three weeks so did I! This was by far one of the most tiring but rewarding experience I have ever had the pleasure to do, and I owe it all to them.
My parents even ended up coming out and riding with the mad dog crew and they loved it and said it was one of the best experiences they have ever had.
(Ps. The food in the café is amazing too, check it out)
Thank you so much Russel and Dawn, and thank you to all the doggos that I fell in love with.
Russell and his family take so much pride in the kennel and how the dogs perform and how sweet they all are. Their family loves every single one of the dogs and by the end of the three weeks so did I! This was by far one of the most tiring but rewarding experience I have ever had the pleasure to do, and I owe it all to them.
My parents even ended up coming out and riding with the mad dog crew and they loved it and said it was one of the best experiences they have ever had.
(Ps. The food in the café is amazing too, check it out)
Thank you so much Russel and Dawn, and thank you to all the doggos that I fell in love with.
Written March 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeff Z
4 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
I cannot express enough my level of satisfaction with the staff and treatment while on the Mountain Musher tour.
This is now my 3rd stay in the Canmore area and I am so glad we found you guys. The staff were attentive and truly went above and beyond to help make our experience memorable.
This was most definitely the biggest highlight of our trip to the Canadian Rockies. I’ve traveled to over 35 different countries through my filming with Discovery Channel, and this Dog Sled experience is most definitely a world class travel experience.
I will be highly recommending your company to all of my fans and followers for their next vacation.
I have already recommended this tour to our Discovery Channel executives and we are very interested in making this an official “must do activity” while filming in the Banff/Lake Louise area.
Once again I thank you for such an incredible experience. Please pass along our heartfelt thanks to all of the employees who helped make our stay memorable.
I will surely be posting some incredible photos and videos to all of my verified social media channels, and recommending this tour to all of my fans and followers.
Warm regards,
Jeffrey J. Zausch
Producer/Celebrity Television Host
Discovery Channel
This is now my 3rd stay in the Canmore area and I am so glad we found you guys. The staff were attentive and truly went above and beyond to help make our experience memorable.
This was most definitely the biggest highlight of our trip to the Canadian Rockies. I’ve traveled to over 35 different countries through my filming with Discovery Channel, and this Dog Sled experience is most definitely a world class travel experience.
I will be highly recommending your company to all of my fans and followers for their next vacation.
I have already recommended this tour to our Discovery Channel executives and we are very interested in making this an official “must do activity” while filming in the Banff/Lake Louise area.
Once again I thank you for such an incredible experience. Please pass along our heartfelt thanks to all of the employees who helped make our stay memorable.
I will surely be posting some incredible photos and videos to all of my verified social media channels, and recommending this tour to all of my fans and followers.
Warm regards,
Jeffrey J. Zausch
Producer/Celebrity Television Host
Discovery Channel
Written January 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Jeff! Such a pleasure to have you out on our tour! I am happy you enjoyed your experience and time in Canada.
Written January 11, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
chetters2013
Bristol, UK13 contributions
Feb 2022 • Couples
Dawn was quick to inform us that unexpected high winds would prevent us from going on the longer Spray Lakes tour. She rearranged our tour to the shorter Boundaries Ranch venue. The dogs were excited to be working and all were friendly and in high spirits.
The route was picturesque and at times challenging, which added to the authentic feel of the experience. Delicious hot chocolate and homemade cookies were a lovely added bonus.
The whole team were kind and super helpful and clearly work with the dogs because they love them. Surprisingly exhilarating and a lot harder than I had imagined, dog sledding is a thrilling and awe inspiring experience.
I just wish I could have spent more time immersed in the magic that is created by the team and the scenery.
Thank you for a once in a lifetime thrill.
The route was picturesque and at times challenging, which added to the authentic feel of the experience. Delicious hot chocolate and homemade cookies were a lovely added bonus.
The whole team were kind and super helpful and clearly work with the dogs because they love them. Surprisingly exhilarating and a lot harder than I had imagined, dog sledding is a thrilling and awe inspiring experience.
I just wish I could have spent more time immersed in the magic that is created by the team and the scenery.
Thank you for a once in a lifetime thrill.
Written February 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cmouse92
Edmonton, Canada88 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We had a really good time! The weather was bad in the morning so my boyfriend and I ended up being the only people who went out to go on a tour, which was great! The weather got nice and it was a great time. The dogs seemed happy, some of them a bit shy but warmed up to us eventually. We learned a lot about them and got to take our time on the very neat stops. 👍🏻
Written July 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JamieMarieB
Canada143 contributions
Oct 2020 • Family
We were hoping to see the dogs in the summer but most places in Banff and Canmore were still closed due to COVID-19.
So we were thrilled that we were able to go for a fall tour, my 9 year old daughter could hardly wait to see the sled dogs. The Kennel Tour was so informative, I knew a bit about Working dogs and Alaskan Husky but we learned some new information. Husky’s are typically very vocal (Google youtube of Husky’s “singing”) but they settled down once we started walking around.
It was great to be able to pet some of them, but we wish we could have been there all day to pet them all! We look forward to returning for a winter sled dog tour.
So we were thrilled that we were able to go for a fall tour, my 9 year old daughter could hardly wait to see the sled dogs. The Kennel Tour was so informative, I knew a bit about Working dogs and Alaskan Husky but we learned some new information. Husky’s are typically very vocal (Google youtube of Husky’s “singing”) but they settled down once we started walking around.
It was great to be able to pet some of them, but we wish we could have been there all day to pet them all! We look forward to returning for a winter sled dog tour.
Written October 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Loewenlifestyle
10 contributions
Jan 2022 • Family
Fantastic tour! My husband and six month old went on this tour on January 31. We were led by six amazing Alaskan Huskies across the frozen Spray Lake. We got to stop and take pictures with the dogs and mountains. I sat in the sled with the baby in my lap. My husband and the guide rode on the back of the sled. This was such a unique experience, about two hours in length. The dogs are well taken care of, kindly treated and happy! They've been featured in Jumanji 2 and Snow Dogs! I would highly recommend this experience for couples and families!
Written January 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SJayP
Winnipeg, Canada2 contributions
Got us back over 3 hrs late. Was snowing so hard the road we went up and down to the trailhead was closed for avalanche risk (!) was snowing so hard we had 0 visibility the entire tour. I believe it is entirely based off greed that our tour and ones in similar conditions were not canceled. $400 to sit in a sled for 2 hrs and see nothing is ridiculous. Never mind the fact that the rest of our day was completely shot. Nice (albeit unorganized) people but if you don't have an entire day and $400 to throw away then this is a definite SKIP!
Written February 17, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am very sorry that you didn't enjoy your experience with us! It is unfortunate that the storm blew in for the afternoon tour as the morning and noon tours were lovely. We of course don't have control over the weather. It can be very different up at the trail than down here in Canmore. I know the other groups out with you enjoyed the tour as they said it was what they imagined it would be like in the artic. A "real experience" I heard one say. The Parks Office did not close the road due to avalanche risk but rather from an accident on the road which they had to clear and then re-grate and sand before letting anyone back on the road. We got back to you as soon as we could, which was 1 hour past the normal pick up time. I do understand though that when waiting at the other end it could have seemed alot longer, especially when you hoped to do other activites. We are sorry that you feel that your day was shot and that the tour was not as you expected. We would have like an opportunity to discuss this with you and perhaps offer to take you out on the trail again on a day that the weather was clear.
Written February 25, 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lauren C
1 contribution
Feb 2020 • Friends
My trip to Banff was absolutely amazing EXCEPT for my experience at Mad Dogs. As a huge dog lover, I was so excited to go dog sledding & take photos & pet the sled dogs. Please don’t make the same mistake I did - please research this company & how these dogs are treated before booking and losing $600 and entire day of vacation.
When my friends and I arrived at the site, it was immediately clear that these dogs were not happy and that these dogs were not being treated well. I am shocked by the amount of five star reviews this company has.
As we pulled up to the ranch 20 minutes before our tour was scheduled to start, we saw one of the staff pulling a dog out of the crate by his neck and dragging him to his spot on the sled. I personally, would never drag my adult dog by his neck. After seeing this we had a bad feeling, but were still hopeful for a fun day.
After signing waivers, we went to pet the dogs who were already chained to their spot on the sled. Of the 30 dogs that were there for the tour, I can confidently say that at least 24 of the dogs had their tails tightly all of the way between their legs. The staff had told me that the dogs are simply “shy.” Dogs that are happy and feel loved DO NOT have their tails between their legs.
Again, we witnessed staff dragging other dogs by their neck to their spots. The dogs were not walked with leashes nor were they carried comfortably. Staff either dragged them or tossed them over their shoulder and threw them to the ground.
After petting these sad and depressed dogs and witnessing the staff interact with them, it was extremely obvious that these were not dogs that were loved or were happy to have a “job.” Although we had already paid in full for the tour, we knew there was no way we could go on the tour and support this horrible business.
When I told the staff that we would NOT be going on the tour because we felt uncomfortable watching the dogs be dragged by their neck and standing in complete fear, the staff had ZERO response. The staff did NOT reassure us that these dogs were well-treated or loved in any way, rather the staff made fun of the jacket I was wearing.. great customer service alright.
I wish I had done more research before booking because at first I had only found five star reviews. I also found on the company’s website that these dogs live there entire lives outside on a five foot chain. The pictures of these dogs living conditions make me so sad. I think of my own dog and how scared and sad his life would be if he had to live outside in negative 10 degree weather on a chain with no love, no warmth, no toys, no bed.
Two weeks later, my friend talked to the owner in an effort to try to get our money back. Although I was not surprised, they did not refund us even though we did not go on the tour. The owner actually accused my friends and I of being part of a vegan activist group in Calgary - nope.. we are just dog loving girls from NY. If we were vegan activists would we pay for a tour and for an entire day of our vacation to be ruined? Nope.
Please don’t make the same mistake I did - please research this company & how these dogs are treated before booking and losing $600 and entire day of vacation
When my friends and I arrived at the site, it was immediately clear that these dogs were not happy and that these dogs were not being treated well. I am shocked by the amount of five star reviews this company has.
As we pulled up to the ranch 20 minutes before our tour was scheduled to start, we saw one of the staff pulling a dog out of the crate by his neck and dragging him to his spot on the sled. I personally, would never drag my adult dog by his neck. After seeing this we had a bad feeling, but were still hopeful for a fun day.
After signing waivers, we went to pet the dogs who were already chained to their spot on the sled. Of the 30 dogs that were there for the tour, I can confidently say that at least 24 of the dogs had their tails tightly all of the way between their legs. The staff had told me that the dogs are simply “shy.” Dogs that are happy and feel loved DO NOT have their tails between their legs.
Again, we witnessed staff dragging other dogs by their neck to their spots. The dogs were not walked with leashes nor were they carried comfortably. Staff either dragged them or tossed them over their shoulder and threw them to the ground.
After petting these sad and depressed dogs and witnessing the staff interact with them, it was extremely obvious that these were not dogs that were loved or were happy to have a “job.” Although we had already paid in full for the tour, we knew there was no way we could go on the tour and support this horrible business.
When I told the staff that we would NOT be going on the tour because we felt uncomfortable watching the dogs be dragged by their neck and standing in complete fear, the staff had ZERO response. The staff did NOT reassure us that these dogs were well-treated or loved in any way, rather the staff made fun of the jacket I was wearing.. great customer service alright.
I wish I had done more research before booking because at first I had only found five star reviews. I also found on the company’s website that these dogs live there entire lives outside on a five foot chain. The pictures of these dogs living conditions make me so sad. I think of my own dog and how scared and sad his life would be if he had to live outside in negative 10 degree weather on a chain with no love, no warmth, no toys, no bed.
Two weeks later, my friend talked to the owner in an effort to try to get our money back. Although I was not surprised, they did not refund us even though we did not go on the tour. The owner actually accused my friends and I of being part of a vegan activist group in Calgary - nope.. we are just dog loving girls from NY. If we were vegan activists would we pay for a tour and for an entire day of our vacation to be ruined? Nope.
Please don’t make the same mistake I did - please research this company & how these dogs are treated before booking and losing $600 and entire day of vacation
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This review is posted by an animal activist who on the same day as other protests across the country, booked onto a tour with the single intent to cause a scene and commotion, then refuse to do the tour while taking photos and video footage. We do have proof of this affiliation which has been given to the police. This harassment is an ongoing investigation.
We do not mistreat our dogs and the dogs love the work they do. What they don’t love is people screaming and yelling around them and scaring them half to death. We had other clients on the same tour who have written blogs and reviews about how wonderful their experience was (after these 4 left of course). Their reviews can be seen on Facebook.com/urdumom and urdumom.com. It is amazing that these people were on the same tour? This is the truth of it. What they are saying is completely untrue. We have not refunded due to the fact that we could have had other clients on this tour who actually did want to go dogsledding. After all, we do still have to pay the guides for their hard work and feed and care for the dogs. You would think they would think of this.
Written March 13, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Crispy R
Noosa, Australia23 contributions
Dec 2015
We did the 2 hour dogsledding trip and it was super fun. We got to guide the sled which was epic. The dogs are well looked after and loved and super friendly.
Written December 27, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BuffaloTraveler
1 contribution
Feb 2020
When I arrived for the tour, my friends and I saw the staff dragging the dogs by their neck out of a van.
The dogs had their tails tightly between their legs and were visibly scared. It made me very sad to see that these dogs clearly were not happy. If these dogs loved their lives & loved pulling sleds, they would all be wagging their tails. After seeing how sad these dogs were, my friends and I decided to not go on the tour.
For some reason, the owner thinks my friends & are part of an organized activist group... this is very false. In fact, the employee himself even pointed out that my friend was a "hypocrite" for wearing a fur jacket while she was questioning if these dogs were being treated well. I am not an activist, I was a tourist who felt uncomfortable and sad when seeing these dogs be dragged and tremble with their tails between their legs.
Before booking please research this company fully and ask yourself if you are okay with supporting a company whose dogs live their entire lives on a chain outside through freezing temperatures.
The dogs had their tails tightly between their legs and were visibly scared. It made me very sad to see that these dogs clearly were not happy. If these dogs loved their lives & loved pulling sleds, they would all be wagging their tails. After seeing how sad these dogs were, my friends and I decided to not go on the tour.
For some reason, the owner thinks my friends & are part of an organized activist group... this is very false. In fact, the employee himself even pointed out that my friend was a "hypocrite" for wearing a fur jacket while she was questioning if these dogs were being treated well. I am not an activist, I was a tourist who felt uncomfortable and sad when seeing these dogs be dragged and tremble with their tails between their legs.
Before booking please research this company fully and ask yourself if you are okay with supporting a company whose dogs live their entire lives on a chain outside through freezing temperatures.
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This review is posted by an animal activist who on the same day as other protests across the country, booked onto a tour with the single intent to cause a scene and commotion, then refuse to do the tour while taking photos and video footage. We do not mistreat our dogs and the dogs love the work they do. What they don’t love is people screaming and yelling around them and scaring them half to death. We had other clients on the same tour who have written blogs and reviews about how wonderful their experience was (after these 4 left of course) We have been in contact with police in regards to this matter. What they are saying is completely untrue. We have not refunded due to the fact that we could have had other clients on this tour who actually did want to go dogsledding. After all, we do still have to pay the guides and feed the dogs. They should have thought of that.
Written March 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi there - I am planning a trip for a group of 10 at the end of April. Are we able to book dog sledding at that time of year? Or would it be too warm (with no snow) at that time? Thanks!
Written March 3, 2020
Hello! Unfortunately our season is usually finished by the first week of April. Occasionally we can make it through to mid-April but the end is very questionable. You could contact us closer to the date to see how the trails are keeping.
Dawn
Written March 4, 2020
Wandalee C
Oshawa, Canada
Hi there. We are traveling to BC in February and looking to do some adventures as a family. Dog sledding is on our list :-)
My question is this, are we allowed to bring our small dog in the trip with us? She will be in a small soft carrier if needed.
Thanks!
Written November 3, 2018
Hello, I wish we could say yes but we can't have other dogs at the site or on the tours. The dogs are very friendly with people but as a breed they can be very territorial and we prefer not to have any issues. I hope you understand. The vets in town do have space usually to care for pets when leaving them is an issue. You might try them.
Dawn
Written November 5, 2018
Showing results 1-2 of 2