Alaskan Klee Kai

Description:

The Alaskan Klee Kai was developed in the 1970s in Alaska, to create a companion sized dog resembling the Alaskan Husky. This breed is relatively new and was officially recognized in 1997. The Klee Kai is a spitz type breed of dog and he comes in three sizes: Toy, Miniature, and Standard.

Characteristics:

The Alaskan Klee Kai is incredibly energetic and deeply affectionate breed, as these dogs were bred as companion dogs. They look similar to Siberian Huskies but Alaskan Klee Kais have some differences in personality, including their obedience to new people. While they don’t care for new people, they are loving family dogs, and their consistent makes them great guard dogs.

Character:

The Alaskan Klee Kai is a smart, loyal and clever dog. This breed loves attention and communication. Sometimes these dogs are called “talkers” because they when they want attention, can mimic the sounds of the human voice. The Klee Kai gets along well with children and pets, but he tends to be shy, skittish and wary around strangers.

Coat / Care:

Since Klee Kai is originally from Alaska, he has a double coat; an undercoat that is short and soft and an outer coat that is made of longer guard hairs. This double coat allows them to have thermal protection from extreme hot and cold weather. Especially beautiful is the heavy fur on the neck (in the form of a collar) and tail. The coat requires relatively easy care since this is extremely clean breed. Klee Kai seldom needs a bath, dry cleaning is enough.

Health Problems:

The Alaskan Klee Kai is generally healthy dog breed, but like all breeds, they can be prone to Certain Conditions (that they should keep an eye out for), Cataracts, Thyroid Disease,  Luxating Patella (LP), Heart Conditions, Factor VII Deficiency, and Liver Shunts. The Alaskan Klee Kai has a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years.

Weight / Height:

The Toy Alaskan Klee Kai dog breed’s height is under 13 inches and weight is under 10 pounds. The Miniature Klee Kai dogs can reach a size from 13 – 15 inches and weighs between 10 and 15 pounds. The Standard Klee Kai dogs can reach a size from 15 – 17 inches and weighs between 15 and 23 pounds.

Training:

The Alaskan Klee Kai is playful, very docile and learns with ease. The socialization throughout a Klee Kai’s life is highly encouraged, because of their inherently reserved disposition in the presence of strangers. Because of their intelligence, they do well in obedience classes.

Activity:

The Alaskan Klee Kai is moderately active and has a strong prey drive, so make sure you incorporate long walks in your daily routine, but keep him on a leash as he will pursue any distraction that comes his way. Ideal ambiance for this breed is securely fenced yard, and since this dog breed is well developed, he can jump high, so the fence should be high enough.

Photo Credit: trpnblies7/Flickr; Andrea Arden/Flickr