The Best Family Dog Sledding Movies Of All Time

Posted On May 18, 2021

If you and your kids are fans of dog sledding and canicross, or love the idea of going dog-sledding one day then make sure to check out our top family orientated dog sledding movies. Grab a bucket of popcorn and the kids for a great movie night!

Dog Sledding Movie 1- Eight Below (2006)

Starring the late Paul Walker, this classic family movie about a dog sledding team in the Antarctic is sure to be a new family favourite if you haven’t seen it already. 

The story follows Jerry Shepard an Antarctic guide and his charge, Dr Davis McClaren who are rescued from a deadly storm by Shepards team of eight sled dogs.

 This deadly storm meant everyone had to be temporarily evacuated and the dogs left behind tied to their ganglines to stop them breaking free and getting lost. 

This evacuation turns to a permanent evacuation through the winter season. Shepard becomes obsessed with returning to the dogs, not knowing if they have survived.

Over a period of six months we see the story from the perspective of the dog team and Shepard, as they fight to become reunited. Full of highs and lows, it’s a great family movie about dog sledding and the bond between a handler and their pack.

Check out the trailer for this great sled dog movie below. You can also find more about the the dog sledding movie on it’s IMDB page. It is available to watch on Disney+ or rented on Youtube and Amazon Prime.

Dog Sledding Movie 2 – Balto (1998)

We couldn’t make a list without including everyone’s favourite Husky, Balto! When you think about dog sledding movies, Balto is always the first to come to mind. 

Released in 1998, Balto is loosely based on the dog of the same name who in 1933 helped transport crucial diphtheria treatment to a remote village in Nome, Alaska.

The movie Balto however, follows the story of a half-wolf, half-husky named Balto and his opportunity to become a hero after an outbreak of diphtheria causes the children in Nome, Alaska to become ill in the winter of 1925. 

Balto leads a dog team across the Alaskan wilderness on a 600-mile trip to get medical supplies to the children in this remote location, with his Snowgoose and Polar Bear friends to help them along the way.

The 1925 serum run this sled dog movie is based on was actually completed as a relay. With multiple sled dog teams helping to get the diphtheria treatment to Nome. This serum run is the inspiration behind the most famous dog sledding race, the Iditarod.

Check out the dog sled movie trailer below. You can also find more about the movie on it’s IMDB page. It is available to rent on Youtube and Google Play.

Dog Sledding Movie 3 – The Call of the Wild (2018)

This movie was only released a couple of years ago so compared to the others in this list it may not be as well known. But, it is definitely one to add to your must watch list. 

The Call Of The Wild is a dog sledding movie based on the classic novel of the same name by  Jack London.

John Thornton (played by the amazing Harrison Ford) and big-hearted dog Buck must learn to trust each other. After being torn away from his spoilt lifestyle in California, Buck ends up in the icy tundra of the Alaskan Yukon. 

He becomes the newest dog on the mail delivery sled team during the wild days of the Gold Rush of the 1890s. From a comfortable and cushy lifestyle, it is now about survival and hardship.

After Buck meets Thornton, a once loner but now adventurer, it’s clear destiny had a hand in their connection and the pair are about to experience the adventure of a lifetime.

As they navigate through the spectacular and unforgiving Alaska, they are both transformed through their journey.

Check out the trailer for this movie about sled dogs below. You can also find more about the movie on it’s IMDB page. It is available to watch on Disney+ and Foxtel or rented on Youtube and Amazon Prime.

Dog Sledding Move 4 – Iron Will (1994)

Released in 1994, Iron Will is a classic movie about Dog Sledding!

Set in 1917 and based on the true story of 17 year old Will Stoneman, Iron Will follows a young mans journey in the Red River-St. Paul Sports Carnival Derby. A tough dog sledding race that stretches 522 miles long from Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada to Saint Paul Minnesota, United States.

Through tough family circumstances Will is compelled to enter the the cross-country dog race for its big cash prize at the end. Struggling against the odds, through wild weather, hostile competitors and some mischief from his dogs along the way he overcomes the battles and uses his “Iron Will” to power on.=

Check out the trailer for this movie about sled dogs below. You can also find more about the movie on it’s IMDB page. It is available to watch on Disney+. Check out the trailer on Youtube.

Dog Sledding Movie 5 – White Fang (1991)

This one is a sled dog movie for the older kids, another oldie but a goodie! White Fang was released in 1991 and shows the story of friendship and family between a wolfdog named White Fang and Jack Conroy (played by a young Ethan Hawke), a young Klondike gold prospector trying to find fortune and fulfil his fathers dream in the dangerous Yukon Valley.

Check out the trailer for this movie about sled dogs below. You can also find more about the movie on it’s IMDB page. It is available to watch on Disney+. Check out the trailer on Youtube.