Whiteout Working Dogs is owned and run by dog trainer and photographer Christina Gibson. Located in the Methow Valley, in Washington state, it is home to her competitive sled dog team, and offers professional dog obedience and training suited for pet and working dogs alike.
Age twenty-three, she’s been training and racing sled dogs for ten years and has competed in a multitude of races across the US and Canada. At the age of four, after watching Universal Pictures' cartoon movie ‘Balto’, she decided she was going to race sled dogs. Her mother understandably assumed it was a passing fantasy, but when she ran a dog for the first time at the age of twelve, Christina was immediately hooked. From that day her drive to compete with the best athletes in the world has grown, and her and her dogs have raced in numerous mid-distance and stage events, often finishing at the top of the field. Christina’s kennel now has it’s own breeding program, aiming to produce dogs that compete at a high level, and also transition into other sports and lifestyles with ease. The team currently has it's sights set on the Yukon Quest 300.
Christina offers her clients a wealth of knowledge from a unique background of experience, and specializes in relationship-based dog training. She also offers canine photography services.
Whiteout Racing Kennel strives to stand for honest and quality dog care and racing.
Here at Whiteout Racing Kennel, everything is run based on what is best for the dogs, and we take great pride in our athletes and their care!
What creates an environment our dogs can thrive in? That's the question that our system is built around. From how the dogs are trained, to how the kennel is set up, to how we feed, and how we interact with the dogs. A large portion of our program is based off the benefits we see in our team from free running. This is a time that our dogs can run loose and interact with each other and the world around them. As a result we see happier dogs overall who have a strong bond with not only their musher, but also their fellow teammates. We also believe that this positively effects work ethic and morale in the team while training, and not only that, but it has a significant impact on the bodies physical capabilities because it allows them to stretch properly between training runs.
Our dogs also spend a fair amount of time in the house, and we follow the philosophy that its our job to ensure our dogs have the best life from start to finish. This means that when our dogs retire, they often go on to join families as active pets and hiking buddies! While we miss them dearly, this allows them to live out their (very active) golden years as the center of attention which they more than deserve.
We strive to be a forward thinking kennel, and are always evolving our training program and kennel to best suit our dogs and their individual needs to create the best environment for them as possible.
“Dogs first. Always."
2023 Race to the Sky Best Kept Team Award
2023 Pedigree Stage Stop Sportsmanship Award
2022 CopperDog150 Sportsmanship Award
2018 Jr. Iditarod Sportsmanship Award
2018 SDSM Best Kept 8-dog Team
2018 Northwest Sled Dog Association Best Kept Team
Dog care is first and foremost. During a distance race the team undergoes multiple close inspections by a proffesional vet team. These Inspections, or 'Vet Checks', occur before, during, and after each race.
Learn more about the incredible canine athletes of Team Whiteout and their unique individual personalities here.
Have questions or are interested in becoming a sponsor? Feel free to contact us!
We would love to hear from you! You will hear back directly from Christina.
Cover photo by Julia Redington
