Bacon’s Acres is looking forward to a fun, team-building 2025-2026 season. We are seeking a dog-lover(s) to help out with the team and property starting ASAP. Details negotiable depending on the person / people / situation / experience.

  • Minimal requirements:
    Dog-loving. Our dogs are social & affectionate. They will bring joy to your day … every day.

  • Willing to help provide high quality care for our dogs. No experience necessary; however, must be willing to learn and follow instructions. You will need to know &/or learn about feeding, nutrition, caring for injuries, safety, etc. Must be able to ask important questions.

  • Safety first. We always try to avoid emergencies; however, you must be able to handle emergency situations, which could include reaching out to emergency contacts for support, fire evacuation and vet visits.

  • A good fit for the property / environment - 38 acres of rural, un-zoned land that is open to many possibilities. In addition to a remodeled dog yard, fall and winter trails directly from the property, there are raised beds for vegetables, perennial/rock garden, compost bin, pond with a dock, kayaks, paddle boards and hanging pod tent, etc.

  • Good communicator. Honest. Reliable. Respectful of other’s personal space and things.

  • Helpful. Some work may be labor-intensive.

  • Current driver’s license, vehicle insurance and vehicle required. Vehicle not provided.

  • Self-motivated & self-entertaining

  • Can tolerate working in inclement weather: cold, snow, rain, wind, etc

  • Is good at problem-solving and can make decisions based on common sense… or are at least willing to ask questions.

** This is an excellent opportunity to learn and train with an experienced, manageable team. As well as be part of building a race team through leader training and harness breaking puppies. **

—> OPTIONS <—

FULL-TIME HANDLER

—> live in dry handler cabin with loft, stipend of $800-$1000/mo depending on your experience

—> Wood and some propane provided for heating your cabin

—> Electricity is paid

—> Electricity and reliable Wi-Fi are available in your cabin

—> There is a propane Rinnai heater and propane cooking stove/oven in your cabin

—>You have access to the dog room for projects, food prep, washer/dryer, shower, toilet, hot/cold water, tools, etc (<100’ from your door)

—> You have a water hydrant (pump) to get water year-round for your cabin about 40’ from your cabin door

—> Responsible for helping care for dogs (with mentoring and instruction provided) as much as needed

—> Responsible for typical handler duties (see list on www)

—> This is a 24/7 job, but you are able to have days and/or weeks off when I am scheduled to be home

—> Responsibilities could include:

  • helping with general property maintenance and safety (checking on things in my absence)

  • shoveling/snow blowing (if necessary when Kristin is away)

  • dog errands, dog laundry

  • watering the garden in the summer

  • taking trash to the dumpster (on-site)

  • helping clean and organize shared spaces

—> Currently, we do not plan to be training for major races (i.e. Iditarod) this winter, but we will run dogs, train puppies, camp, explore old and new trails, teach friends & junior mushers to run dogs, incorporate adapted mushing, participate in fun runs, go on adventures, potentially do a few tours, etc.

—> Running short (<50 miles), local races is an option for the right handler

—> We are involved with the Aurora Dog Mushers Club. We hope to help plan several races this season. We organize races for adults, juniors and beginners. There are typically dryland races (canicross, bikejoring, carting, scootering) in the fall & snow-based races in the winter (skijor, kicksled, dog sled).

—> We will be training young leaders together

—> We have a 10-puppy team (currently 9 months old)

—> We will be training the adult dogs that are willing and able

—> This is an excellent opportunity to live the mushing lifestyle without the pressure of training for major races; however, racing is a possibility if our new handler is proficient at training dogs.

—> I travel for work commitments 2-6 days at time. I travel for fun, as well as visiting friends and family. I am typically not gone longer than 7 days. You must feel confident and competent being home alone with the dogs with local contacts for support, as well as being in regular contact with me. We have multiple team members that are able to help when I am out of town.

—> MUST be home overnight when I am out of town. Advanced notice of my absences will be provided and documented on a calendar.

2. PART-TIME HANDLER —- a possibility for the right person; perhaps an ambitious, part-time remote worker that is able to multi-task efficiently.

—> live in handler cabin rent-free

—> electricity and Wi-Fi available in your cabin

—> Propane and wood available for heating your cabin

—> able to have another part-time job &/or needs to travel intermittently

—> responsible for helping to care for dogs (with mentoring and instruction provided)

—> MUST be home overnight when Kristin is out of town. Advanced notice will be provided and documented on a shared calendar.

—> responsible for typical handler duties on a part-time basis, and as required to properly care for the dogs while I am out of town (at least 20 hours per week).

—> responsible for helping with general property maintenance, as needed (for example: checking on main cabin in my absence, shoveling/snow blowing, possible dog errands, watering plants, trimming trees, taking trash to dumpster, assisting with minor property improvements, etc)

—> We will not be training for distance races, so running dogs as a part-time handler is for fun, not a requirement. We will be training dogs regularly and your help and participation is welcome, and sometimes necessary for safety and/or efficiency.

—> This is an excellent opportunity to experience the mushing lifestyle without the pressure of training for races. You can have the flexibility to take classes, volunteer for distance races, work a part-time job or travel when I’m home.

Handler Cabin Details:

Dry cabin (no running water) with an outhouse

Access to a toilet/shower/sink/w&d in the dog room

Starlink Wi-Fi access in your cabin

Cold water hydrant available outside your cabin

Propane and/or wood heated

Has a propane oven/stove, microwave and small fridge/freezer. There is a chest freezer on your cabin porch.

There are shelves, a mattress, futon, table, lights, clothing rod, hangers, crate for dog care when needed, etc

There is basic cookware (pots, pans, plates, silverware, etc)

Nearby, there is a 3 Bears grocery store, post office, ~4 places to eat or pick up food, library, large lake, fire station, etc in Big Lake. Wasilla is 20-30 minutes away, which has most necessary stores, restaurants, hospitals and other services. Anchorage is 90 minutes away with an international airport and Costco.

** Please contact Kristin at Kristin.Bacon@proton.me, private FB message or call/text: 907-230-0402, if either of these options sound like a good fit for the next chapter of your life.

Also, check out our Bacon’s Acres’ Facebook page to see more photos of our daily life.