The World of The Alaskan Klee Kai
Linda S. Spurlin, Developer of the Klee Kai
A Comprehensive Review of the Origin of the
Alaskan Klee Kai
In the mid 1970's my husband and I had come
down from Alaska to visit his relatives in Oklahoma. Of their various farm
dogs, one of them was a 17 pound gray and white female husky. They called her
'Curious' because she was a curiosity to them. I thought this little creature
was so cute that I asked if I could take her back to Alaska with us. They
seemed quite pleased to be rid of an extra dog, and thus I acquired my first
little husky. It seemed as though everywhere we went, people flocked around
the vehicle to exclaim and marvel about this little dog. We went into a
restaurant and discovered it empty because the patrons were over at the window
looking out at our little dog! I knew I had to find a way to duplicate this
little wonder.
Unbeknownst to me, my brother-in-law and his
wife in Fairbanks, Alaska had an accidental mating between a small dog and an
Alaskan Husky, who were the ancestors of the dog I now had possession of. They
too knew they had a good thing started. However, with all due respect, they
had much softer hearts than I, and their breeding program suffered for it. I,
by then, had by trial and error successfully bred a few more 'curiousities'.
Then in the early 1980's my brother-in-law chose to stop breeding his little
dogs and sold them to me with advice his family would not allow him to follow.
His words had been my silent belief all along, but now I followed them openly
and religiously. He said, "Breed the best, and cull the rest." With my now
larger gene pool I began to see results of this hard core approach quickly and
this served as encouragement to be even stricter with my breeding program.
For those of you who are not familiar with
the Alaskan Husky, you should know that this sled dog is an important part of
the history and legend of Alaska. Their endurance, speed, and heart make them
some of the best racing sled dogs in the world. They are not the fictional
husky of the famous Jack London books, and they are not the beautiful Siberian
Huskies which the Russians imported from the Kamchatka Peninsula in the 18th
century to haul their sled loads of fur. Neither is the Alaskan Husky related
to the Malemute whose ancestors were the Eskimo dogs used by the people of
coastal Alaska. Instead, the ancestors of the Alaskan Husky were a scruffy
little Indian dog used by the people of interior Alaska. It is suspected that
the whalebone dog sleds discovered in Savoonga, which anthropologists
"guesstimate" to be nearly 5000 years old, were pulled by the great ancestors
of today's Alaskan Husky. However, this little Indian dog did not gain much
respect in the dog world until the last fifty years or so. During the first
half of the century the Siberian Husky, for the most part, reigned supreme as
leaders in the racing world. Then in the late 1940's, when dog sled racing
began to become a profitable occupation, the tides turned and Alaskan mushers
began in earnest to develop the little village Indian dog into the Alaskan
Husky as we know it today. These are the ancestors of the Alaskan Klee Kai.
The Alaskan Husky is a mixture of the best, and so was the creation of the
Alaskan Klee Kai. I also added a small dose of Siberian Husky, and just the
right amount of smaller dogs of similar conformation for developing my
original stock.
One day a good friend brought her mother to
meet me. This woman changed my life as I knew it. I allowed her to take a few
pictures of my dogs to take back to Colorado with her. Then she began a full
scale assault to convince me that the world needed these dogs and that it
should begin with her! I firmly believed that the gene pool was too small, and
that my breeding program was not ready for the rest of the world. However,
with 30 dogs to feed and provide veterinary care for, I was eventually tempted
into selling the first miniature husky to my friends as a Christmas gift for
Eileen Gregory in 1987. Then began the flood of letters, telephone calls, and
newspaper reporters. The paperwork grew. We had to think up a name for the
little huskies. We finally derived the name Klee Kai from the Eskimo words
meaning 'little dog'. My kennel records became so extensive that Mrs. Gregory
offered to store the information on her computer. Our long distance telephone
bills became enormous as we charted information on each dog. Every puppy from
every litter was carefully inspected for conformation, medical soundness and
personality. The puppies were weighed, measured, and re-evaluated regularly.
Fortunately, the majority of buyers respected our dreams of a genetically
sound dog and were extremely helpful by following our guidelines. They sent
pictures, called us to update information, brought their dogs to visit, and
spayed or neutered at our recommendation. The Wasilla Veterinary Clinic, in
Wasilla, Alaska, patiently answered my countless questions over the years and
thus aided us in loading even more information into our bulging computer
program.
And always, always came the tourists. My
guest book had signatures, addresses and requests from nearly every state. And
when each person came to visit, whether or not they realized it, they were
being interviewed for the possibility of being judged fit parents for one of
my babies. First and foremost in my heart was to match the perfect dog with
the perfect master. I feel it is important to include that my idea of the
perfect master is more than just one who loves his or her animal. Owning any
animal is a big responsibility. When people have asked me about the
temperament of my dogs, I usually tell them that whether a dog turns out to be
a good dog or a bad dog pretty much depends on the intelligence of the owner.
While it is true that certain breeds can be difficult to live with if forced
to live in an environment not suited to them, it is the responsibility of the
responsible pet owner to channel a dog's energies. If a person does not have
the time, patience, or location to deal with the personality of a particular
animal, then perhaps that person would be better off with either a different
breed of dog or perhaps even a different animal altogether. Just because a
person may love a particular breed does not necessarily mean that it is
suitable for them. Some people may be better off with a gerbil, bird, or even
a goldfish for a pet. No one should own any animal, whether it be a dog, a
horse, or a mouse, unless they are capable of making that animal a respected,
valued and well behaved member of their household. I would encourage every dog
owner to go with their dogs to a good obedience class whether or not they
intend to show that animal in the obedience ring. Any dog that cannot be
trained to be a trust worthy member of society has, in my opinion, a very
serious problem, that most likely begins with the owner. A good obedience
instructor can help the inexperienced deal with these situations. Even the
experienced can usually benefit from new ideas and techniques. I dearly love
going to classes under different instructors and usually come home bursting
with new ideas on the same old things! Follow the old suggestion of "Don't
send your children to church. Take them!" I feel the same about dog classes.
Don't send your dog, take him with you!
I knew eventually, that even though my goal
for my little dogs was just to have them be a beloved little companion dog,
that there would be those who would purchase them who would be interested in
showing them. This would require recognition by a major kennel club. Although
my heart was not in it, my files show that my first contact was with AKC in
1988. Since that time, the Alaskan Klee Kai has received full recognition by
the Federation of International Canines, the American Rare Breed Association,
Canine Rarity Shows and of course the Alaskan Klee Kai Association of America.
Our most recent recognition has been by the United Kennel Club. The United
Kennel Club has agreed that for the first several years they will only
acknowledge Alaskan Klee Kai whose pedigrees can be traced through the Alaskan
Klee Kai Association of America because of our strict rules regarding each
Alaskan Klee Kai being granted breeding privileges only after being inspected
to be sure they are entitled to that privilege. All those who do not meet with
breeding approval must then either be spayed or neutered. The Alaskan Klee Kai
Association of America's Board of Directors has always respected my concerns
to encourage better breeding habits among responsible owners and thus continue
to better the breed. I firmly believed, and still do, that only the best
should be allowed to breed, and my own sales contract reflected this with a
strict spay/neuter clause. However, as the world of the Alaskan Klee Kai
changed, I found I did not bend as easily. I longed for the days when my
friends and I created the Breed Standards over pots and pots of coffee. What I
really wanted was to see a wet nose pressed against an elderly cheek, instead
of someone telling me that I was playing God if I did not allow their inferior
dog to breed.
The time finally came when I re-evaluated my
priorities and decided I would rather stop breeding the Alaskan Klee Kai than
compromise my beliefs any more. In January of 1995 I flew with nine of my
remaining Klee Kai to Mrs. Gregory's kennels in Colorado and left eighteen
years of my efforts in her hands along with a few tears, much advice, and many
blessings. Looking back, I must say I have met a lot of wonderful people along
the way, and an equal number of good dogs. I took many dogs to the airport to
go 'Delta Dash' to begin new homes in other states. I sent dogs coast to
coast, from Los Angeles to Maryland, and many points in between, including the
Yukon. People still continue to send me pictures and updates on their dogs. I
am grateful to the people who carry on my dream as I intended it. By breeding
only the best, the Alaskan Klee Kai can continue to become a breed to be proud
of. A breed as genetically sound and free from defects as possible can only be
accomplished through the dedication of responsible breeders who follow their
conscience instead of their hearts or their wallets.
Although I no longer breed the Alaskan Klee
Kai, I still closely monitor their progress and offer my services in an
advisory capacity to the Board of Directors for the Alaskan Klee Kai
Association of America. The Alaskan Klee Kai was first incorporated in Alaska
in 1990 under the name 'Klee Kai of Alaska' which was later changed to
'Alaskan Klee Kai'. The Parent Club and offices were moved to Colorado after
my retirement. I am proud of the support of the Board of Directors who, thanks
to the wonderful world of e-mail, are in constant contact from various
locations including Alaska, New York and several points in between.
I am pleased that you took the time to read
the information on this newly developed breed. I encourage you to search for
more information about the Alaskan Klee Kai on the world wide web. Although I
will not personally endorse any one specific breeder, all breeders listed here
on the AKK Web are members of the Alaskan Klee Kai Association of America, and
therefore will hopefully follow my original Breed Standards and rules which I
wrote for the sole purpose of encouraging better development of an ideal
little companion dog. Please remember that purchasing an animal is just like
any other investment. You should always research the product you are
interested in purchasing. You should inquire as to guarantees and expect them
in writing. You should personally inspect the product before a decision is
reached, and above all else, you should read the contract first and be sure it
includes the things you think you agreed upon before you sign it. You should
also ask to see the parents of the animal you are interested in. It is very
important to see the environment in which your prospective pet has been
raised. Puppies, like children, can be affected their entire lives by how they
were treated at a young age. Any respectable breeder should allow you to visit
their facility, as their schedule allows. They should also understand the
importance of matching the right pup with the right family. I believe if a
breeder does not have time for you, you do not have time for that breeder. You
may also want to consider asking for advice from a veterinarian. These
recommendations may help help ward off potential problems from the very
beginning.
In closing, I would like to offer this pearl
of wisdom. May you have the good fortune of becoming even half as wonderful as
your dog already thinks you are.
Thank you for your interest,
Linda S. Spurlin, Developer of the Alaskan
Klee Kai
