Photos: Dogs of Summer

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Leighan Seybert, from Brawley, CA, cuddles a puppy at Happy Trails Kennel. Four time Iditarod champion Martin Buser and his son Rohn Buser conduct a tour and give a sled dog demonstration to tourists at their Happy Trails Kennel in Big Lake, AK on August 28, 2014.

Racing dogs spend their summers hanging out in the dog yard in preparation for the coming season, either lounging on or in their houses or going for short runs to stretch their legs. Working dogs earn their keep driving tourists on short runs along wooded trails or on top of pristine glaciers. It's big business for mushers in Alaska, with at least a half-dozen tour operations across the state. For Raymie Redington, the 69-year-old son of Joe "Father of the Iditarod" Redington, summer is about keeping visitors happy. This is his 20th season of entertaining visitors at Iditarod headquarters just outside Wasilla. The dogs take visitors on a short run among the wooded trees near Wasilla's Lake Lucille. It's nice and shady, according to Redington, and perfect for visitors looking for a true Iditarod experience with racing dogs.