Peak Season Is Coming: How Reindeer Farms and Sled Dog Families Can Welcome Volunteers

What Volunteers Can and Can’t Do

Volunteers on Roamhelp are travelers who want to spend time living and working alongside a host family, not just visiting. They usually stay for a few weeks or longer and help for a set number of hours each day.

For a sled dog family, that might mean:

• Cleaning kennels and feeding the dogs
• Daily care and exercise
• Helping with training, if they are comfortable teaching it
• Light maintenance and outdoor work

For a reindeer family, it might mean:

• Practical outdoor work and general maintenance
• Household help, such as cooking and cleaning
• Seasonal preparations and other jobs around the property
• Learning about the herd and helping when the timing allows

Volunteers are not a replacement for your expertise, and not every task is right for a newcomer. You decide what is suitable, what needs training first, and what stays with you or your family.

Be Honest About How Unpredictable the Work Is

Animal work depends on weather, season, and the animals themselves. That’s normal, and good volunteers understand it.

The Sámi reindeer family listed on Roamhelp in Jokkmokk, Sweden, is a good example. Their profile explains that plans change with the weather and the movement of the herd, so they can’t guarantee hands-on reindeer work during every stay. They ask for open-minded, reliable people who are flexible and happy to help where needed.

Saying this up front doesn’t put travelers off. It attracts the right ones: people who want to learn about a way of life and aren’t expecting a scheduled activity.

Real Examples from Roamhelp

Join Our Sámi Reindeer Family in Jokkmokk, Sweden

A Sámi family practicing traditional reindeer herding in Swedish Lapland. Volunteers learn about Sámi culture and daily life and help with outdoor work, household tasks, and seasonal preparations. Minimum stay: one month. Maximum: two travelers.

View the Jokkmokk reindeer family profile →

Experience Sled Dogs, Wildlife and Northern Sweden

A family in Gäddede, Sweden, with about 15 Alaskan huskies. Volunteers help with kennel cleaning, feeding, daily care, and training for around four hours a day, with their own apartment and one day off a week on longer stays. The kennel is approved by the Swedish animal welfare authority.

View the Gäddede sled dog profile →

The two listings are quite different. One offers a home stay with a longer minimum. The other offers a self-contained apartment and a clear daily schedule. Both work because they tell travelers exactly what to expect.

How Roamhelp Works for Hosts

1. Create your host profile. Describe your home or farm, the animals, the work, and the environment. Host listings are free.
2. Choose how the exchange works. Many hosts offer a standard exchange: a few hours of help in return for accommodation and meals. Others ask travelers for a small contribution toward food and accommodation. You decide.
3. Set your own terms. Choose your minimum stay, how many travelers you can host, and the months you’re available.
4. Talk to travelers before anyone arrives. You can read their profiles and message them directly, so you can decide whether it feels like a good fit.

What Makes a Good Listing

Travelers choose hosts who are clear. A strong profile covers:

• A typical day: what the work involves and roughly how many hours it takes.
• Time off: how many days off and how much free time there is to explore.
• Where they’ll stay: your home, a separate apartment, or simple accommodation, and what’s included.
• The season: what life is like in winter versus summer, and what clothing and footwear travelers will need.
• What you can’t promise: weather, animals, and plans can all change.
• Who you’re looking for: experience needed, languages, and the attitude you value most.
• Animal welfare: if your kennel or farm is inspected or approved, mention it. Travelers care a great deal about how animals are treated.

Setting Things Up Well

• Agree on hours and days off before arrival.
• Start new volunteers with simple tasks and add more as trust grows.
• Explain house rules and safety around the animals on day one.
• Consider a longer minimum stay if you’d rather spend your time teaching one person well than repeating introductions.
• Treat it as a two-way exchange. Volunteers often bring good questions, fresh energy, and stories from other places, and many hosts say the cultural exchange is the best part.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do volunteers need experience with reindeer or dogs?

Not necessarily. Many hosts ask for willingness to learn and a genuine love of animals. You decide what experience you need and can say so in your profile.

What if the weather or the herd changes our plans?

Say so in your profile, as the Jokkmokk family does. Travelers who read it will know to be flexible.

Can I host more than one volunteer?

Yes. You set the maximum number of travelers at one time.

Can I decline a traveler?

Yes. You choose whom to host, and you can talk with travelers before agreeing to anything.

Ready to Share the Season?

If you run a reindeer farm, sled dog kennel, or tour business and would welcome the right helper, creating a host profile takes only a few minutes. Tell travelers about your home, your animals, and the kind of person you’d enjoy working with, and see who gets in touch.

Create your host profile on Roamhelp →