INUVIK - Jo Jo Arey has spent much of his life training dogs for racing. Now he is teaching youth about the sport in preparation for a regional Arctic Winter Games tryout.

Arey was born in Aklavik, where he got his start in dog mushing from his father.

Tessie Chinna is racing in the upcoming Arctic Winter Games regional trials in Aklavik. She has been working with Jo Jo Arey and his team for the past two years, but this will be her first race. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

"I always watched the elders with their dogs and admired the control they had over the dogs," said Arey.

"My dad got our first team, but we only used them for travelling to our camp."

When he was a young adult, Arey entered his first races in Inuvik and Aklavik, but let the sport drop for a few years.

"When I moved to Inuvik, I got back into the sport," said Arey.

"I bought a lot from the town and started my new team."

Now, Arey has 16 dogs in his stable and eight pups that are being bred for racing as well.

There are two local races in town that Arey competes in.

Both are during the Muskrat Jamboree. The first is a 20-mile run that uses 10 dogs. The other is a 13-mile race for eight dogs.

Training begins in late fall, when the ice is thick enough for fishing.

"I set my nets on the Mackenzie River for a few weeks, until I have enough fish for the season," said Arey.

During the winter months, the dogs eat cooked fish and dry dog food.

Arey has a makeshift cook pot in his dog yard. It was constructed using oil drums and a wood fire.

"I used to use fuel, but that got expensive," said Arey.

Now Arey is preparing his team for a race in Aklavik.

The Arctic Winter Games regional trials are happening in the final weekend of February.

"My nephew Fraser Arey is racing my dogs and so is Tessie Chinna," said Arey.

Arey said he wants the youth to be involved so the sport can grow in the region.

"I'm teaching the youth about running dogs to expand the sport in the North," he said.

Chinna started interacting with the dogs last year and will race for the first time in February.

"Last year was her first time on a sled. She's been helping me in the yard for a few years now," said Arey.

Chinna said she has always had an interest in the dogs.

"I spend time playing with the dogs every day," said Chinna.

"I'm involved because I think keeping the tradition is important for people here."

Arey said that being a dog musher is a full-time hobby.

"It is a lot of work, you have to be committed to the dogs," said Arey.

"Yeah, it does get expensive and it is time-consuming, but it's worth it to keep the tradition going."