Alaskan
Klee Kai History
The
World of The Alaskan Klee Kai
A Comprehensive Review of the Origin of the
Alaskan Klee Kai
by Linda S. Spurlin
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 Malamute
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
"The World of the Alaskan Klee Kai" is an original
work by Linda S. Spurlin © Copyright 1997, 1998, 1999.
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