History & FAQ

History & Origin of Alaskan Klee Kai

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Common Questions

Here are some common questions that have been asked directly or we see popping up regularly. Please note that a fully comprehensive list of useful information and questions answered that you generally won't find from some other breeders or in the AKK social media groups is provided along with all the other goodies in our Puppy Pack for anyone adopting from us. Those are more relevant to once you have one or are about to adopt so here are some generic ones for now:

I heard there are some breeders breeding unhealthy dogs?

Unfortunately, certainly in the UK, yes this is the case. Sometimes it can be justified if the dog has a particular trait or benefit to the breed and the risk is calculated, however mostly it is completely unnecessary and only of financial gain to that breeder. If you have any concerns or doubts, feel free to ask and we will give you an honest opinion. Many owners do not understand breeding ethics and are quick to assume the worst so we are happy to explain why in some cases, what would normally be seen as wrong turns out to be justified, but in other cases turns out to be simply wrong.

Nope. Next. There are very rare cases of AKK being trained by professionals to be good off leash. In general though, the majority of AKK cannot be 100% trusted off leash. Remember, the majority of their genetics are from Alaskan Huskies who have been bred for centuries specifically to run and pull. Given any opportunity, AKK will run, and they are stubborn, have selective hearing and if they want to chase a squirrel, they will do it no matter how many times you shout their name. They have no concept of traffic or road sense, do not risk it.

Can AKK be off leash?

Adoption of an AKK is based on suitability of you, your lifestyle and circumstances. Some people with a few weeks, others months or years. It is not first come first served so being on a waiting list is not an assumption that you will remain on a chronological list and when you reach the top it's your turn, it is based on when you are ready, what your situation is, what research you have done into the breed, effort you have made to meet the breed to ensure they are suitable to your lifestyle and vice versa, how you are with animals, etc. It also depends on whether you have a specific 'wish list' for a specific combination of coat colour, size, eye colour, etc you may have to wait longer than others. e.g. double blu-eyed black & white coats with full 4-point masks are not often seen in the UK so expect a long wait for those.

How long will I have to wait?

I heard there are some breeders breeding untested dogs?

Again, unfortunately, yes this is the case and it happens more than is acceptable. For this, there is no excuse and it is purely for financial gain of that breeder, something we wholeheartedly disagree with. While there are elements that can be assumed as good by descent of healthy parents based on the parent's test results, this is only true of specific things (such as coat length or colour based on the phenotype of both parents as we would know through knowledge of genetic DNA workings of such) or whether they carry a specific genetic DNA allele, again based on the parents' test results. That said, a breeder making an assumption of health based on parents being healthy is bad practice, especially in a very young breed such as AKK that is still being developed carefully. Health of the animals is one of, if not the main importance in breeding. If you are worried about the health of your dog or prospective puppy from another breeder, feel free to ask us for an impartial view.

Why do your puppies cost what they do?

Factor in the following:

Cost of a potential breed standard Alaskan Klee Kai female (anywhere from £1500-5000 depending on breeder and import fees if obtained from overseas - a common necessity in this breed), same for a male AKK, cost of health testing, breed quality/soundness examinations and registration of results fees, veterinary fees, genetic diversity study costs, DNA test laboratory fees, ongoing monitoring or retests (e.g joints, eyes), pedigree registration fees, cost of food, whelping disposables and welfare of the parents and puppies for the duration of lead up to mating to adoption to aftercare, cost of potential complications such as follow up emergency vet fees if there are still born or complications, c-section, etc. So the first litter of any two AKK parents can easily cost a reputable breeder anywhere from around £4500-11,500 if there are no complications. A breeder also has to factor in the average litter size of 1-3, the minimum and maximum age they should breed (short window) in their fairly short average lifespan. A breeder doing all testing as they should is essentially charging a fee to recoup or contribute to the costs involved in the outlay they have paid out to bring your puppy into the world in doing things properly and ensuring the health of the parents and puppies. You are helping pay for the health of the parents, and what it took to bring your little miracle into your life. This is also why we mention to beware of those not testing because they will charge the "going rate" for an AKK puppy without having done all the effort and procedures properly so your money wouldn't be going towards ensuring the health of the parents and your new companion but more than likely their holidays, luxuries or retirement fund. Bringing a life into the world should never be an income source to anyone.

As above, there are breeders that will choose not to test or register or go to the necessary lengths and therefore focus on the money rather than the proper practices. Some will line breed deliberately to save having to pay the high fees for imported dogs. While line breeding is sometimes necessary in certain circumstances, it should not be the main focus and we are aware that there are a few in the UK that do it purely for financial reasons which we feel is poor. Unfortunately the ones we know of are generally nice too making it harder to spot by new owners so feel free to ask us for impartial informational the breed is our most important focus.

Can I have a specific colour?

For those of you with specific colour preferences, we obtain full genetic colour panel testing results of all our breeding dogs and understand the genetic colour and coat results (i.e. which genotype can produce which phenotype based on the Locus results) and how to achieve them so we are able to understand the chances of specific coat colour and length. With careful selection of matings, we can increase the chances of specific colours occurring providing that the chosen dogs have specific genes to be able to do so. Be advised though, while we do understand colour genetics and have our own personal preferences, our main focus is Temperament, Health & Structure, not colour. Ethically we will not sacrifice any of those to achieve a specific colour combination.

While at present there does not seem to be any link between colour and health in Alaskan Klee Kai, there is significant link in other breeds (for example breeding two Australian Shepherd dogs together that both have the blue merle (M Locus) gene and blue eyes will almost always produce blind and/or deaf puppies showing a direct link between a mutation on colour genes and health/defect. This is something we are monitoring and one of the reasons we show a significant interest in colour genetics. There are AKK breeders that will deny any link but there is significant evidence and scientific results that prove otherwise and many breeders, including those who have been breeding for a long time who do not carry out full colour DNA profile testing or monitor it and settle for only testing for avoidance of white AKK which makes monitoring it in AKK difficult so for now we are monitoring with the limited information we currently.

Rest assured, the gene that allows blue eyes in AKK is believed to be a separate gene originating from the Husky genetics, and in Husky there do not appear to be any health concerns with blue eye occurrence, unlike in many other breeds.

Do they pull, like huskies?

Does a bear shit in the woods? Next.

Also see previous question above, they are just like a smaller version essentially albeit with American Eskimo and Schipperke in the foundation of the breed originally. Put it this way, one can definitely pull your grandma over or pull you down the road if you're on a skateboard or roller skates (that's not a suggestion). With 3 or 4 on a leash you will definitely feel their power. Unless they are all wanting to go in the opposite direction to each other (quite common), in which case welcome to Twister - Dog Edition.

Do they need a lot of exercise?

AKK require a lot of exercise or they may become destructive or develop behaviour issues through lack of mental and physical stimulation so don't expect them to just be a tiny lazy house husky. A common thing we hear when people ask is that they wanted a husky but they or their partner didn't want the power and size or exercise level required. We can understand this, husky are not for everyone, but equally neither are AKK. They still need and crave a lot of exercise daily so if it is not something you can provide from day one and for their lifetime, then AKK are not the right breed for you.