Part of the fun of owning a purebred dog is sharing in its history. Here are some fun and interesting facts for Alaskan Klee Kai owners to share.
The Alaskan Klee Kai did not exist as a breed prior to the 1970's
Linda Spurlin developed the Alaskan Klee Kai breed after gaining possession of a small Alaskan Husky which was descended from an accidental mating of a full-sized Alaskan Husky and a smaller, unidentified dog
Alaskan Klee Kais are touted as "miniature Alaskan Huskies"
The Alaskan Klee Kai was developed to be a companion-sized version of the Alaskan Husky
Klee Kai means "little dog"
The dog who inspired the Alaskan Klee Kai breed was named "Curious" because her original owners found her to be a curiosity
Alaskan Klee Kais are bred in three different varieties—standard, miniature, and toy
The success of the breed is directly attributed to Linda Spurlin's stringent culling and reproduction program; inferior animals are rendered incapable of reproducing so as to only pass on the best of traits in health, temperament, and composition
The Alaskan Klee Kai Association of America started with Linda Spurlin and Eileen Gregory; it was the first Alaskan Klee Kai club
The Alaskan Klee Kai Association of America is now headquartered in Colorado
Eileen Gregory was the first woman Spurlin sold an Alaskan Klee Kai to; she was instrumental in the record-keeping for the breed from very early on
The meticulous breed records kept by Spurlin and Gregory have resulted in a stable breed that was readily accepted by kennel clubs
The Alaskan Klee Kai is recognized by the American Rare Breed Association and the United Kennel Club (the second largest registering body in the U.S.)
The Alaskan Klee Kai was accepted to the UKC in 1997 on its first application, which is rarely the case with a new breed
The UKC granted the Alaskan Klee Kai full recognition in that first application
Alaskan Klee Kais are used as therapy dogs in nursing homes
Alaskan Klee Kais have proven successful in agility trials
Alaskan Klee Kais have been shipped to new homes in nearly every U.S. state
Alaskan Klee Kais started being publicly promoted around 1996
Due to the young age of the breed, some statistics are difficult to find, including longevity; Alaskan Klee Kais have been known to live for as long as 17 years or more
Alaskan Klee Kais can be hard to obtain because the breed is young and still very rare; also, litters normally only consist of 1-3 pups, so the population does not grow as quickly as some larger breeds
As the Alaskan Klee Kai breed continues to grow and improve on its very strong beginnings, more will surely be heard about this compact, intelligent, fun loving and agile animal. The Alaskan Klee Kai is capturing more and more hearts every day.
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