Spend Your Winter in Steamboat Springs Guiding Unforgettable Dog Sled Adventures

Grizzle-T Dog & Sled Works | Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Grizzle-T Dog & Sled Works is looking for hardworking, energetic, and dependable individuals to join our team as Dog Sledding Tour Guides for the 2026–27 winter season.

We offer a unique, hands-on dogsledding experience where our guests typically learn to drive their own dog team and sled. Guides teach guests how to safely operate their sleds and accompany tours primarily by snowmobile, monitoring the teams, managing the pace of the tour, assisting when needed, taking photos, and ensuring the safety and well-being of both our guests and dogs. Guides also drive dog sleds when needed.

This job is about much more than guiding tours. Our guides are an important part of the daily care of our sled dogs and the operation of our kennel. You'll feed and care for dogs, harness and hook up teams, prepare sleds and equipment, operate snowmobiles, maintain kennel and work areas, and pitch in wherever needed to keep our dogs cared for and tours running safely and smoothly.

Start Date: November 1, 2026 — applicants available to start in mid-to-late October are welcome and encouraged.

Season Commitment: You must be able to commit to the entire winter season. Our season runs through the end of March and sometimes into the first couple weeks of April, depending on snow conditions.

Location: Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Seasonal Guide Housing: Available

NO SMOKING / NO VAPING

What You'll Do

Train to Handle & Drive Dog Teams

No previous dogsledding experience is required, although previous guiding experience is preferred. We provide extensive hands-on training before you begin guiding guests.

You'll learn dog handling, feeding and care, harnessing, hooking up teams, sled operation, snowmobile operation, trail procedures, guest instruction, and winter safety.

Although our guests typically drive their own sleds, guides also drive dog teams when needed. You must become confident and competent operating a sled and understand how a dog team responds in different situations so you can properly teach guests, recognize potential problems, and safely assist or take over when necessary.

Guide Our Guest-Driven Dog Sledding Tours

One of the things that makes the Grizzle-T experience unique is that our guests typically don't simply ride in a sled—they get the opportunity to drive their own dog team with their partner as a passenger, switching drivers halfway around the trail.

Before heading onto the trail, guides teach guests how to safely operate and control their sleds. During tours, guides primarily travel by snowmobile, moving throughout the group to monitor and assist guests and dog teams while maintaining a safe pace of travel.

As a guide, you'll:

• Teach guests how to safely drive and control their dog sled.

• Prepare, harness, and hook up dog teams for tours.

• Accompany tours by snowmobile and move throughout the group as needed.

• Monitor the dogs, guests, spacing, trail conditions, and overall pace of the tour.

• Assist guests and dog teams when needed, including taking over or driving a sled when appropriate.

• Respond appropriately to changing snow, weather, and trail conditions.

• Take photos of guests and their dog teams throughout the experience.

• Help ensure the safety and well-being of both guests and dogs from the beginning of the experience until everyone returns.

Guides need to be comfortable managing multiple responsibilities at once. You may be monitoring multiple dog teams, watching trail conditions, communicating with another guide, assisting a guest, taking photos, and making decisions about the pace of the tour—all while safely operating a snowmobile.

Care for Our Dogs

Our dogs are at the heart of everything we do, and their care is a major part of this position.

Guides participate in the daily care and handling of our kennel of working sled dogs, including feeding, harnessing, hooking up teams, monitoring their health and well-being, and keeping kennel areas clean and organized—yes, that includes picking up poop!

You'll learn the individual dogs—their names, personalities, abilities, strengths, and how they work together as a team. Knowing the dogs and developing relationships with them is an important part of becoming a successful guide.

Provide Outstanding Guest Service

For many of our guests, dogsledding is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. A large part of your job is making sure it is a great one.

We're looking for people who are friendly, outgoing, patient, confident, and comfortable interacting with people of different ages, backgrounds, personalities, and outdoor experience levels.

You'll introduce guests to the dogs, answer questions, provide encouragement and assistance throughout the tour, take photos, and help make their dogsledding adventure one of the highlights of their visit to Steamboat Springs. The more fun they have, the better the tips!

Be Part of the Team

Running dogsledding tours takes teamwork.

Guides work together to care for dogs, prepare teams, harness and hook up dogs, launch and return sleds, operate snowmobiles, maintain equipment, keep the kennel and work areas organized, and handle the many other tasks required to keep daily operations running smoothly.

Everyone pitches in. Some of the most important parts of the job happen before the first guest arrives and after the last tour returns.

What We're Looking For

Full-Season Commitment
Applicants must be available by November 1 and commit through at least the end of March. Applicants who can begin in mid-to-late October are encouraged to do so. Our season may continue into the first couple weeks of April depending on snow conditions.

Strong Work Ethic & Reliability
Our dogs depend on us every day, regardless of weather or tour schedules. We need people who are dependable, punctual, willing to work hard, take initiative, and contribute as part of a team.

Love of Dogs
You don't need previous sled-dog experience, but you do need to genuinely enjoy working with dogs and be comfortable handling strong, energetic animals.

Physical Fitness
This is a physically demanding job. You must be able to run, lift, bend, shovel snow, handle strong dogs, carry food and equipment, maneuver sleds, and remain active throughout the workday.

Comfort Working Outdoors
This is an outdoor winter job in the Colorado mountains. You'll work in snow, cold temperatures, wind, sunshine, and changing winter conditions. You need to be prepared and willing to work outside regardless of the day's weather.

Good Judgment & Situational Awareness
Guides are responsible for monitoring multiple guests and dog teams in a changing outdoor environment. You need to stay aware of what is happening around you, remain calm when something doesn't go as planned, follow safety procedures, and make good decisions.

Excellent Customer Service Skills
We want guides who enjoy people as much as they enjoy dogs. A positive attitude, patience, professionalism, confidence, and strong communication skills are essential.

Team Player
We work together, help each other, and do what needs to be done to care for the dogs and provide great tours. No job is "someone else's job."

Flexible Availability
Our schedule varies based on tour demand, weather, and snow conditions and may change from week to week. You must be available to work weekends, holidays, and peak travel periods, including Christmas and New Year's.

Reliable Transportation
You must have reliable transportation to and from our dogsledding facility.

First Aid / CPR or Wilderness First Aid Certification
Current certification is preferred. Applicants must be willing to obtain any required certification before guiding guests.

NO SMOKING / NO VAPING
This is a non-smoking position. Smoking and vaping are not permitted on our property, in employee housing, in company vehicles, or while working. Applicants must be able to work and live in a smoke-free environment.

Helpful, But Not Required

Previous dogsledding experience is not required—we will teach you what you need to know. Previous guiding experience is preferred.

Experience with any of the following is helpful:

• Outdoor guiding or recreation

• Customer service or hospitality

• Dogs, horses, livestock, or other animals

• Snowmobiles or other recreational vehicles

• Skiing, snowboarding, or other winter activities

• Ranch, farm, construction, landscaping, or other physically demanding work

More important than previous dogsledding experience is your willingness to learn, work hard, take direction, stay positive, and be part of a team.

What We Offer

Hourly Pay + Tips
Guides receive hourly pay, plus the opportunity to earn generous guest tips once tours begin.

Seasonal Housing Available
Seasonal guide housing is available for qualified employees coming from outside the Steamboat Springs area.

Extensive Training
We provide hands-on training in dog handling and care, sled operation, snowmobile operation, guest instruction, trail procedures, safety, and daily kennel operations.

A Winter You Won't Forget
Spend your winter outside in Steamboat Springs, working with an amazing team of sled dogs and meeting guests from around the world. This isn't a typical seasonal job, and no two days are exactly the same.

Before You Apply

Dogsledding is an incredible winter adventure, but working as a dogsled guide is also hard physical work—and the work begins before the tours do.

Our dogs depend on us every day. The job involves cold temperatures, snow, lifting, running, bending, shoveling, handling strong dogs, repetitive physical work, cleaning, and busy days during peak periods.

You'll be expected to work outside when it's cold and snowy, pitch in with whatever needs to be done, and maintain a positive and professional attitude with guests even after a long day.

Please carefully consider the physical demands, winter conditions, full-season commitment, and realities of caring for and working with a large kennel of sled dogs before applying.

If you love dogs, enjoy working with people, aren't afraid of hard work, and want to spend your winter doing something completely different, we'd love to hear from you.