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Our Dogs

Our dogs are the beloved stars of the show! Our dog family includes 80 working dogs, 12 retirees, and Tam the Australian cattle dog/sled dog imposter. The majority of our dogs have been born right here in the kennel, with a few joining the family from other kennels or rescue situations.  Wherever they come from they seldom leave our kennel unless to be adopted into suitable retirement homes. Yes, of course, they all have names!! (and even nicknames)  as well as very distinct personalities, likes and dislikes. By spending all day every day with them we know each dog intimately and they are all treated as the individuals they are.  Our lives revolve around their care and well being and it is immensely rewarding and a wonderful blessing to live amongst such honesty, exuberance and great generosity of spirit. They are known as “Alaskan Huskies”, the champion athletes of the canine world. An Alaskan Husky is technically a mutt, as they are not recognized by any kennel club as an established breed of dog. However!… they are a meticulously bred mutt, with breedings conducted solely on the merits of their athletic abilities. Their origins can be traced back to the early working dogs of the Alaskan villages. Their tasks involved mail delivery, freight delivery, working traplines and transporting doctors to patients in need.   Over time, some speedy dogs were added to the mix, and from this, the Alaskan Husky has evolved. Their desire to run and pull is genetically hard-wired into them.  While a border collie loves to herd sheep, or a bird dog naturally points, an Alaskan husky loves to run and pull. Learn more about the Alaskan Husky.

OUR DOGS

a brown dog with a frisbee in its mouth

ANNA  (2018)

WHEEE!!! Anna Banana is a class 5 zoomer. A bouncy little pocket rocket who is happiest in harness no matter what trail she’s on. She is one of the esteemed squirrels in our “Squirrel!! Club” Anna came from Alaska with her brother Sigmund.

a close up of a dog

SIGMUND  (2018)

The Town Crier. Sigmund is the very first guy to announce things that need announcing and even things that don’t. Super happy guy, with an excitable nature. He’s always up for anything that’s happening and loves to hug. Brother to WHEE! Anna.

a dog standing on grass

BENTLEY  (2020)

Bentley picked a fight with a porcupine and lost. Consequently he is now a one eyed pirate, but it bothers him not a bit. He is brimming over with enthusiasm just about everything. His energy level matches do-it so they spend a lot of time zooming around together. He also like to imitate a mouse by squeezing through spaces that would accomodate not much more than a chihuahua. He’s a hard driving boy in hardness and runs anywhere in team, including lead.

a dog looking at the camera
PEKOE (2020)

Pekoe AKA 007 gentleman spy. This guy would be Pierce Brosnan if he were a two legged sort. Handsome, debonair, and self contained. In harness he is an enormous powerhouse. His sisters are Yerba and Chaga

a screen shot of a dog

DO-IT (2018)

Oh Do-it, our loveable little weirdo. Do-it wants SO badly to be loved by everyone and wants SO badly to do the right thing but her wild little brain is moving at rocket speed, as her body and it’s a bit unnerving for the other dogs. They stand back and watch her ricochet. In harness she is a crazy power house and a huge asset to the team. We’re working on getting her to take slow deep breaths.

a dog looking at the camera
PEARY (2021)

Peary is a lunatic. Peary is the son of Do-it and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. While named after Robert Peary, the famous arctic explorer and I’m not sure if he would do well on an arctic expedition. Wild, scattered, friendly, crazy, wild, intense, happy, weird … We love him. Scary Peary we call him. “Deep breaths Peary, deep breaths” he’s a powerhouse of a sleddog.

a dog playing with a frisbee

BAZZ (2021)

A little boy with a big heart! When it’s time to head down the trail, Bazz’s scream will carry the length of the Bow Valley all the way to Calgary. This kid is LOUD! His enthusiasm is unshakable and he’s evolving into a top notch leader. When he’s not pulling harness, Bazz likes to play with the young dogs.

a close up of a dog

SCOTT (2021)

Named after Robert Scott, the South pole explorer. Scott is that wild and crazy guy driving his pickup truck down a back road WAY too fast … windows wide open and stereo blaring! Along with his brother Peary and his momma Do-it, he’s a power house in harness.

a dog looking at the camera

STUART (2017)

Stuart, named after our beloved Canadian storyteller Stuart McLean, is a gentleman. Stu loves to meet new people and entertain them with his antics … nibbling clothing, stealing mitts … He’s a work horse in harness and with his largeness, a huge asset to the team. Brother to Steph and McLean.

a dog looking at the camera
VELO (2015)

Velo, another female “enforcer” to put the young cheeky boys in place. No cheeking this girl! Velo can switch from waggy tailed sweetheart to the Mean Nanny in a heartbeat. Velo is not large in stature but owns her allotted space with pride.

a dog with a frisbee
SASSY (2023)

Sassy made the long drive down to us from the Yukon in the spring of 2024. She took a bit of time to settle in with us but she now has lots of friends and is outgoing and boisterous and very very smart! We’re going to have to work very hard at keeping this girl challenged.

a dog looking at the camera
SNEECHES (2016)

One of the toughest females in the kennel, but also the sweetest. Known as Sweet Sneetch or Sweetches, she is an enormous snuggler who literally falls into a trance with affection. Sneetches is also a serious sleddog, who
doles out discipline to young partners if needed. This benevolent disciplinarian is a great teacher of the young hot heads.

a dog standing on grass
DIGGER (2019)

Diggidy Do Dah… This guy is an exuberant extrovert. Happy all the time, he’s game for anything and everything with anyone. He’s boisterous and energetic and almost knocks a person down with glee. A top notch guest greeter! Digs runs in team and is an easy
going guy who is happy to run with anyone.

a dog looking at the camera
STEPHANIE (2017)

The cheerleader of the team, Steph’s excitement to go down the trail flows like a wave through the rest of the dogs. Someone once observed that “Steph barks with her teeth” and it is so true! She looks ferocious! She’s a lunatic! But a friendly and sweet one. Sister to Stuart and McLean.

a dog looking at the camera
RICK (2017)

Happy go lucky Rick. Rick loves his brother Didsbury and spends a good deal of time pestering him. He’s a strong, steady guy in harness, and loves the action and social aspect of being a tour dog.

a screen shot of a dog
DIDSBURY (2017)

Big Daddy Diddy is our very own pony! He’s a giant. Dids runs a solid lead.He’s a soft hearted boy with a big baritone voice that matches his giant body. Like his siblings (Rousy and Rick) he loves some attention but
only if delivered on his terms.

a dog looking at the camera
ROUSEY (2017)

Little sister to Rick and Didsbury, this girl is everything you’d imagine in a little sister. She roars enthusiastically in her brother’s ears, and they just take it.

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REMI (2017)

Remi is a confident, loud, boisterous great big girl who is happy all the time. She is hard working in harness and is stepping up to running a nice lead. She loves all people, which makes her a perfect Kingmik ambassador.

a dog looking at the camera
FLINT (2015)

Flint is the cheeky class clown. Flint has long black eyelashes and an unbearably cute droopy lower lip that makes him irresistible. Which is unfortunate for him because we want to kiss him all the time and he hates kisses “Ewwww… get away from me” Flint loves to
swim and chase sticks and wrestle with his brothers.

a dog looking at the camera
TANNER (2019)

Tanner was born in Alaska, and found his way to us in the spring of 2024. He is very gentle, very sweet, quite sensitive, and gets along with everyone. He’s a wee bit cross eyed which makes him all the cuter.

a dog looking at the camera
BONDI (2022)

The party boy of the family! Bondi is a happy extrovert that loves to charge around visiting all the other dogs in the kennel. His “baby blues” make him a favorite of the guests, which works perfectly for this outgoing guy.

a dog that is lying down and looking at the camera
RHIANNA (2022)

Just like her mother Tricky, she is an absolute goer! She’s also as sweet as a beaver tail. What she doesn’t have in size she makes up for in confidence.

a dog looking at the camera
CHAGA (2020)

We’re asked all the time if we know all their names! We DO!..along with all their nicknames. Chaga Chaga Choo Choo Train is a demure and gentle girl out of harness, and a wild child in harness. She’s a bit reserved until she gets to know you. Once she knows and trusts you she is the very best cuddler. She’s proving to be a pretty solid leader and along with her
sister, loves to be upfront in the team.

a dog looking at the camera
BRONCO (2018)

Bronco came to us as a shy and nervous boy, but soon came around as a sweet, loving and playful guy. He performs superbly in lead for his favorite human (Rob) but completely goofs off when someone else is on the runners.

a dog standing on top of a grass covered field
RANGER (2018)

No stranger to danger. Whether he’s walking with his friends or single leading on a long distance race, Ranger has a quiet, calm and collected demeanor. An old soul, he’s often mistaken for an old man!

a dog looking at the camera
TRACTOR (2019)

Aptly named, “Tractor” has as much pulling power as a John Deere 580 hp Quadtrac. This guy can dead pull a round bale! When not in harness, he’s the Brad Pitt of sleddogs. Cool, contained and the ladies love him.

a dog looking at the camera
CHONKERS (2022)

Chonkers has a mane of hair that would make any Hollywood star swoon! His side gig could be shampoo commercials. As a young man, Chonky was often a bit reactive, but as he matures, he’s learning to relax and play which is a really nice change! We spend a lot of time grooming him so he doesn’t go rasta on us.

a dog looking at the camera
TRICKY (2021)

An absolute go’er in harness! Tiny but mighty! Mother to 8 youngsters, some of them 3x the size of her! Tricky can be somewhat pensive, reserved and intense, but gently paws you when it’s time to connect. A sweet little introvert.

a dog looking at the camera
WOBBLES (2022)

Sturdy on her feet and has all fences beat. No fence is too large for this girl. Whether there is a team rolling out, or dogs going walking… Wobbles enthusiasm to join them has created the most brilliant of escape artists we have ever had in the kennel. She is intense and driven and is showing great promise in harness.

a dog looking at the camera
BLOCKA (2022)

Blocka is the silent achiever of his litter, while also being a bit of a dork! All his sisters like to tease him mercilessly, so he tries to hide behind his momma Tricky. Which is difficult because he towers above her! He’s sweet and earnest and is developing beautifully in
harness.

a dog looking at the camera

BANKSY (2022)

Sister to Wobbles, Rhianna, Chonk, Blocka and Bondi all born in the Kingmik kennel. A serious girl, Banksy prefers to assess a situation before running into it head first like most of her littermates. She’s an eager sleddog with a lot of promise as a leader.

a dog looking at the camera
GRANITE (2015)

Granite is a bit of a crazed maniac. Exuberant, loud, slobbery… voted most likely to knock your teeth out during hook up. Incredibly enthusiastic about absolutely everything and the full meal deal in harness. This guy gives it his 100% at everything he does. There is no fence Granite cannot clear.

a dog looking at the camera
EVANS (2021)

Evans came to the kennel as a 2 year old, with a significant degree of “unsure” With a lot of patience, and a lot of love, and many runs in harness, he’s responding well to his new life with us and is starting to light up with smiles when it’s “go time” He’s a favorite amongst the ladies, and they pester him relentlessly with their flirtations.

a dog looking at the camera
YERBA (2020)

Yerba, (sister to Chaga and Pekoe) is a serious gal that loves her job as a sleddog. Not a cuddly girl, she’s happy with a quick pat and that’s plenty, thanks. A wee bit cross eyed, Yerba has a bit of a comical look to her.
Together with her sister Chaga, they make a great leader pair.

a dog looking at the camera
WALKER (2020)

Walker is a young man whose body moves faster than his brain. He’s completely unselfconscious, and a bit of a dork. He’s super social and loves to interact with dogs and people alike. His favorite trick to drive the
two legged’s mad, is to constantly flip his water bucket upside down. A hard working boy and a very happy boy in harness.

a close up of a dog

GAZELLE (2017)

Gazelle the fast runner! Gaz came from Alaska and is another member of the esteemed “Squirrel!! Club” She just might be the president. On a summer walk a few years back Gazelle went walk-about and was picked up by a good samaritan, 60 km away after only 1 hour. And she was still running! Gazelle is ALWAYS happy, loves to tap dance, and along with her sister Impala, they make a dynamite leader pair.

a dog jumping in the air
IMPALA (2017)

Impala, sister to Gazelle, is another member of our “Squirrel!! Club” Small but mighty, all fast twitch and enthusiasm, she is the true leader in the Gaz/Imp leader pair and 100% lovely angel. Her favorite summertime activity is chasing squirrels and chipmunks in the log piles. Another happy little soul, she’s brought a lot of joy to us since arriving from Alaska.

a dog looking at the camera
HERBIE (2021)

Herb Derb is sweet but cautious, wild but thoughtful, and very tightly wound. She’s a tomboy who wrestles hard with her sisters Arnica and June.

a dog looking at the camera
JUNIPER

Sister to Herbie and Arnica, another tightly wound girl. The smallest of the three sisters, Juney Bird sings “I’m short but I’m healthy, I’m high but I’m grounded” and shows us that she can run as fast, jump as high and dig as deep as anyone in her pack. She’s proving to
be an excellent little leader.

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CAPONE (2023)

Capone has big lungs and he uses them! He’d make a great sax player. He’s smart but loud like his two brothers Capone and Chavez. Young enthusiastic and wild. Affectionate as much as a young boy can be.

a dog standing on top of a field

BRIANNA (2019)

Brianna is mother to Arnica, Herbie and Juniper and her serious and focused nature has been passed down to her daughters. Loving but dedicated to being a working girl. Brianna is super smart, loving and self
contained. A great leader.

a dog looking at the camera
BUGSY (2023)

Bugsy Malone is young, wild and loud! Just like his brothers. His eyes do not quite track straight so he’s our big loud cross eyed exuberant goofball.

a dog looking at the camera
BIG RIG (2019)

Big Rig is the stud muffin of the kennel. His good looks make him a favorite of the gals and his kind and patient nature make him a favorite of the young dogs. He’s often warding off the girls and the young boys who are shamelessly nipping and lipping at his chops.

a dog looking at the camera
LORAX (2016)

Lorax is one of 5 lovely brothers. He’s quiet and gentle and reserved out of harness, but a bit of a slobbering wild guy in harness. He loves his human and is a steady eddy guy.

a dog standing on a beach
HOLLY (2019)

Holly the big boned girl! We make jokes about Holly doing push ups in the kennel at night after a day of work on the trail. A happy and affectionate big girl. Gets along with everyone and holds no grudges.

a dog looking at the camera
MC MONKEY (2016)

One of the Five Brothers. Monkey Man has acquired the intensity that his brother Lorax gave up. He’s a super high energy guy and the youngsters have to go hard to keep up with him. Extremely affectionate when he’s finally standing still.

a close up of a dog
MC FUZZ (2016)

Fuzznuts is a sweet guy who loves people and his brothers but only tolerates the other dogs. As a young fellow he dropped the gloves often and we had to manage this closely, but thankfully he’s mellowed out in his older years. Fuzz is incredibly light on his feet and bounces around like a kangaroo.

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HAZEL (2017)

Hazel makes us laugh every day without knowing she’s being funny. A loving and funny and affectionate girl. She tries VERY hard to understand our words, with a head titled almost upside down when listening. She has a great sense of humor and bounces around laughing when we blow on her big long snoot.

a dog looking at the camera
ARNICA (2021)

Arnica is one forward oriented girl. After her first puppy run, anytime she saw a harness she would go wild for more. She’s affectionate with those she loves but reserved with those she does not know. Arnica is sensitive but tough and wonders why Hazel laughs so much.

a dog looking at the camera
DOCTOR (2016)

Doctor Seuss, aka Dr. McDreamy. This guy is a total dreamboat. Lovely thru and thru, he’s calm and assertive and is one of the main leaders in the kennel.

a dog looking at the camera
HORTON (2016)

Another of the 5 Brothers, Horton is one biggooey lump of love. He will stand like a statue for hours during grooming sessions. He will gaze, unwavering, into the eyes of those he loves. A big strong boy in harness who takes no guff from other overly excitable
partners. Horton has been known to lope for a full 100 mile run.

a dog looking at the camera
PARIS (2021)

Paris landed at the Kingmik kennel as a 2 year old and settled right in. She’s a wonderful athlete who is beautiful to watch. Her demeanor is friendly, calm, sweet, easy going and just plain lovely. She has the raw
stuff to be a leader and we’re hoping she will develop into the role.

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MUSKRAT (2022)

Our little Musky. That guy in school who so badly wants to be in the popular crowd. Spends much time licking the lips of Big Rig, hoping for his blessing. He’s a talented athlete who loves to chase sticks.

a dog looking at the camera
CHAVEZ (2023)

Chavez is easily the most handsome of the three gangster brothers. Happy, enthusiastic, wild and loud. Loves to lay flat out in mud puddles. Loves to wrestle.

a dog looking at the camera
MCLEAN (2017)

Lovely, gentle, affectionate and beautiful. Excellent leader. Great couch surfer.

RETIREES

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GRAVEL (2015)

Gravel is a big boned, seemingly heavy footed fella. But like his brother Granite, he can fly over any fence like a steeplechaser. Gravel retired a few years ago after tearing a knee ligament while on an unsupervised New Year’s day party. Early retirement for you my friend.
Now he is the gate sentry of the summer kennel, sitting on a high knoll where he can keep tabs on the neighbor dogs. Just watching… for he is a lover not a fighter. He
gets along with everyone.

a dog lying on a sofa
DOBBY

Dobs came to the kennel just recently with no clear history. “ How old are you Dobby” “I’m not answering that question” he huffed. Well he moves like a young man and it was clear he wanted to run in harness, so into harness he went and he’s an absolute superstar. So we’ll just take it as it goes with this good fellow. As
demoed in this picture, he loves a good couch.

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PODOLSKI (2013)

Gentle giant, soft hearted boy, loves patrolling the property line with his bff Kunitz. Podolski came to us well into middle age, and has become sweeter and friendlier with the passing years. He is an exceptionally mellow guy, who avoids any sort of confrontation and prefers to spend his days just putzing about with Kunitz. Pod could still run in harness but his friend Kunitz needed to retire and we retired them together so as to not split them up.

a close up of a dog looking at the camera

KUNITZ (2012)

Kunitz is a true gentleman, a beautiful athlete and an all around lovely guy. Because of his calm, steadfast demeanor, Kunitz is a great mentor to the young dogs. Kunitz’s bff is Podolski, and they are never apart. Their bond is phenomenal and we take care to honor this.
Kunitz is super affectionate to one and all. He is now retired and will be receiving a full Kingmik pension for his remaining years.

a dog looking at the camera

ENGLISH (2014)

If English were a human he’d be an old bachelor in a smoking jacket with a very particular daily routine. He’d read a lot of books and spend a lot of time on his own. He loves people but is not so keen on the other unruly members of the pack “Heathens!’ he proclaims.
English was a top notch leader in his working days.

a dog standing on grass
ZEEK (2013)

Zeek was a guest favorite because of his blue eyes. But like Paul Newman, he asked us “What would my life have been like if I had been born with brown eyes? “ Being an introvert, Zeek was happy to retire. He spends his days patrolling the property with his brown eyed brother Podloski, and Pod’s bestie Kunitz.

a dog looking at the camera
LOKI (2012)

Loki, brother to Wallace, Shazam (passed) and Gromt. Interestingly, Loki had less all around confidence than his siblings, but put a harness on him and he was the star of the group. He was one of the best leaders the kennel had ever seen and he LOVED his work. Now, as a retiree, he is a bit timid and cautious, and he follows his brother Wallace everywhere .

a dog looking at the camera
WALLACE (2012)

A Kingmik favorite! Wallace is now collecting his pension and continuing to be a shiftless scofflaw around the kennel. Uber calm, uber confident, this guy makes us laugh every day. He has never understood why his sisters and brothers worked so hard to be the best they could be. And Gromit!… continuing to work as Union Rep even in her retirement years!? Why?! …she could be sleeping in and doing nothing all day, just like me!

a dog looking at the camera
GROMIT (2012)

Gromit, is the Kennel Union Rep. She’s been running the summer kennel for many years now, which requires a lot of patrolling, directing, delegating and other responsibilities.Little Miss Busy Body, she spends her time barking orders and announcements. During the winter when we all go to work, It’s her time to rest, hibernating inside by the wood stove and
planning kennel improvement for the spring. Gromit cracks us up daily and she doesn’t even know she’s funny.

a dog standing on grass looking toward the camera
LACEY (2018)

Nicknamed Spacey Lacey, this gal can be standoffish at times but this is her way of showing her independence, “What are you doing humans, I don’t need your attention. I’m a strong independent girl.” Despite Lacey’s smaller stature she shows her big sled dog
personality on the line and is very confident in her leadership skills. If left behind, she lets us know her displeasure by yelling her head off. With a calm and confident demeanor, she is well suited to training young leaders.

a dog looking at the camera
FUNKY (2016)

Funky is a big strong boy who unfortunately had to retire because he suffers from petit mal seizures. He’s super laid back but is the first to charge hard anytime he hears a gate rattle, which means it’s walk time. He loves his food and as a wee wee pup, he often splayed out on his belly like a starfish, right in the middle of
the food tray.

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COPPER (2012)

Chef Copper! Our blind little retiree. Pound for pound, Copper was one of the strongest sleddogs in the kennel. Now she naps the days away on her cushion, but comes alive at dinner prep to add her culinary expertise to the proceedings.

a dog looking at the camera

WHOOPIE (2010)

Whoop- Whoop spends most of her day hunting for food in between naps. She wanted retiree, so she has taken on the responsibilities of Sanitation Engineer
and ensures that all the feed buckets are squeaky clean at the end of the day. In her working days, she was a great leader and ran many races along with sharing the world of sleddogs with guests.

a dog looking at the camera
SKOKI (2013)

Skoki is a reserved miss who picks her human and isn’t interested in many others. Those that do get to pet her, discover that her fur is as soft as a rabbit. She’s a bit of a sneaky miss, preferring to beg forgiveness than ask
permission.

a dog looking at the camera
CHAOS (2013)

Chaos aka Fruit Bat. A wee little girl with a big heart, gentle enough to befriend a lamb. Chaos has some breathing problems so when she barks, it sounds like she smokes two packs of DuMaurier cigarettes every day. It shocks everyone! Sister to, and best friends with Skoki.

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TAM – NOT A SLED DOG (2014)

Tam is the resident cattle dog. Often described as half wolverine and half barbwire, this girl is grumpy and bossy and dominant. She’s in the top IQ percentile and thinks the sleddogs are dumb. Her favorite thing in the world to do is to chase a ball. Because she knows best, she basically runs the kennel and orders the humans about.