dan mckuchen is terrible. but it doesn't define the whole sledding community as a whole. >> reporter: what's different today? >> the love. you know, really, we love these dogs. these are every minute, every waking minute with these dogs is just love. they needed us and we needed them. >> reporter: in the off-season the dogs are allowed to run free for an hour a day. they admit they're tethered for the other 23, but insist they're happy. what do you tell people who see these dogs going back on the tethers for 23 hours a day and say it's cruel? >> it's not cruel. there's so much more going on than just running. >> there's always something going on, they're cleaning them or petting them or brushing them or feeding them. just a different thought than what you're used to seeing when you see the dog in the backyard. here it's a different environment. they're always getting contact. >> come on, guys. >> reporter: after an hour of running, it's snack time. why are they howling? >> after every amount of care that we do