The Alaskan Klee Kai is a very young breed that has only entered the ranks of the dog world within the last 30 years. Although this dog has been very stable and reliable thanks to careful and controlled breeding practices, there is still work to be done to maintain the integrity of the Alaskan Klee Kai breed. The Qualification Examination for the Alaskan Klee Kai is a necessary tool to accomplish the goals of the breed.
Care In Alaskan Klee Kai Breeding
The developers of the Alaskan Klee Kai breed have done everything painstakingly and conscientiously. They have been very careful to cull inferior dogs through spaying and neutering to ensure weak physical and temperament characteristics do not proliferate in the Alaskan Klee Kai. The original breeder, Linda Spurlin, was cautious not to release the dogs for public ownership until she new the breed was stable. But all of her work and the work of reputable breeders since would be for naught if the stability of the breed is not maintained as the Alaskan Klee Kai population grows.
Detailed standards have been set for the Alaskan Klee Kai breed. Reputable breeders have committed to following them and so far the integrity of the breed has been maintained. In large part, this is because there is simply not wide enough population for widespread breeding abuse and the inevitable breed distortion that would follow.
Tools For Ensuring Alaskan Klee Kai Quality
One tool that has been used by breeders and kennel clubs to track dogs after they leave the breeder's care is the Qualification Examination. This exam serves as record of breed success by detailing the physical and health characteristics of the adult dog.
Qualification examinations are often required in Breeder contracts at the point of sale; they also are standard when transfer of ownership papers are signed with a kennel club. If you sign a contract agreeing to have a Qualification Exam performed, you are obligated by that contract to go through with the examination when the dog is of age. The Qualification Examination must be completed by a Veterinarian and can usually be done at any regular veterinary checkup.
Of course, some dogs do not fit the breed standard and are required to be spayed or neutered, and often will be before they are sold; other dogs are bought strictly for companionship as pets and were never intended by their owners to be bred, and so will be spayed and neutered. Owners of these dogs often question the usefulness of having the Qualification Exam done. However, regardless of the breeding potential of a specific dog, the Qualification Examination is still an important record for the benefit of the breed as a whole.
Qualification Exams tell breeders how the pup grew to develop as an adult. This gives them valuable insight as to the appropriateness and benefit of the parental pairing. If pups from a matched bitch and dog prove to be weak or unhealthy, the breeder will know that that pairing should be reevaluated and possibly culled as breeding stock, at least with each other.
Records such as Qualification Examinations are important for stability of dog breeds. This is especially true for rare breeds with limited breeding stock. The purpose of the Qualification Examination is as much to prove the heritage of the parenting dogs as it is to prove the potential of their offspring. For young breeds like the Alaskan Klee Kai, Qualification Exams will only serve to better the breed.
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