Working Lines?  Show Lines?  The perpetual argument that we've all but been beaten into submission to accept.  We've heard it and seen it so often.  "Working lines" used as a catch all for seemingly all lean, lanky, fine boned, poorly coated, awkwardly proportioned Siberians posted in a multitude of groups....where anything with a denser coat, heavy, short legged beast is labeled as a 'show line' Siberian.  Leading to a massive split in the breed.  Neither of these dogs fit what the Siberian husky should be.

What happened to the Correct Siberian?  The one who meets his breed standard in form AND function?  When we think of the Siberian Husky the image that comes to mind should be that of a capable working dog.  A lean athlete.  Nordic features to suggest him a survivalist in even the most extreme of temperatures.  Balanced and efficient.  Bred to haul light loads, at a moderate pace, over great distances.  Never so fine as to suggest him incapable of doing his job, nor so coarse as to suggest a freighting animal.  A dog that fits these ideals should be capable of his job as well as do well in the ring.  After all we are supposed to be presenting the best of breeding stock- how can one justify producing a dog only capable of meeting half of the breeds potential?

I'm choosing for example 4 dogs from different lines- All 4 have had special places in their respective kennels.  Meeting both form and function-  Though from different breeding programs, overall, not that drastically dissimilar.

One of the most striking features of the breed is of course their eyes.  Many people, however, still believe the Siberian can only have blue eyes.  Or that brown eyes indicate the dog is a mixed breed.  This information is incorrect.  We are blessed to have a breed that hosts a wide variety of eye colors and combinations.  None are particularly rare, and none have any weight on the purity of the lines.  All of the following are correct- Per the written standard, Eyes may be brown or blue in color; one of each or parti-colored are acceptable.

Where eye color is immaterial, what is less so is the shape and set of the eye.  The Siberian should have an almond shaped eye with a slightly oblique set.  This helps protect the eye in severe weather.  A round buggy eye will freeze faster than an almond shaped eye will.  As a northern breed, this is an important feature and lends to the overall appearance and expression.

While color is immaterial, what is less so is the importance of health testing the eyes.  With the number of heritable eye health disorders within the breed, it is recommended that all Siberians considered for or in breeding programs be annually tested for heritable eye disease.  Testing must be done by an ACVO licensed veterinarian and preferably submitted to OFA's CAER program or the SHCA's SHOR program.

July 2004, in a most impulsive moment, my (then) boyfriend and I walked into a pet store in Arizona....and walked out with a bat eared, blue eyed, black and white, scared Siberian Husky puppy.  He curled up on the floor board of my car for the short ride home, and curled up into our hearts from the moment he came home.  Though we had no idea what it was we were getting into, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect introduction to the breed.

He made the move from Phoenix AZ to the Spokane WA area in late 2004 and quickly acclimated to his new environment.   

He was with us through many milestones, new jobs, new house, marriage.  He was the first of our Siberians to earn a performance title.  Though he wasn't cut out to be a sled dog, though he had the heart and the drive, he excelled at weight pull.  Despite not having the most ethical breeding background or dazzling pedigree he didn't let that or his critics slow him down.

It wasn't easy saying goodbye to you, though we're glad to have been there for you in those last hours.  I already miss hearing your soft woos coming from downstairs in the morning and your sass in the dog yard as you kept everyone else in check.  Our house is a little quieter without you here and the hole in our hearts is a lot bigger.  Thank you for being the one to start it all.

Another year in the books for Team Keahi!  Our first race of the 2016/17 season in West Yellowstone was a rough one.  Starting with the dog truck not starting the morning of the race.  At -43F overnight, it was just too much for the truck to overcome with a bad block heater.  Thankfully our friends in the dog community rallied to get us and all of our equipment to the race site.  The trails from the lot looked beautiful. There was so much fresh dry snow, even though it had been groomed the night before, was soft and dry.  It had been comparable to running in sand.  The runners I chose weren't up for the challenge of the cold dry snow.  I knew from the moment I released from the rig that it was going to be a challenge.  2 miles from the finish line I decided to do the only thing I could think to do with how much work the dogs put into the run and that was to scratch from the race.  They were tired, but no worse for the wear to be honest.  Though it was disappointing, I know it was the best decision to make for the team's moral.

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We spent the next few days after the race recharging in Bozeman.  The above zero temps were a welcome change for all.  Getting to spend some much needed time with the family was also very needed.  It would have been nice to stay a bit longer, but we were all missing home and our 'handler' who had to stay home this year.  On to the next adventure!  See you all in 2017!

Length of leg. A topic that frequents multiple Siberian groups across Facebook, only to discover the dog that inspired the question is a juvenile...I always try to caution people from looking at a juvenile with too much of a critical eye. As juveniles go through a wide array of development, and not all of it is pretty. What you may be looking at now might not be a true reflection of how the overall dog will end up.

​Below you can see how the dog in photo one is all leg, awkward, gawky...a summer juvenile coat didn't help the overall picture. Yet he developed into a nice dog upon maturity. (all be it not everyone's cup of tea). You can see here how a developed chest, mature full adult coat, and how things have balanced themselves out in the development process of maturing have really changed the overall picture of the dog. This dog is my "why I don't critically evaluate juveniles" reminder! Things change, and can change a lot over the course of 2-3 years.

October started off in the air, quite literally.  We were on the plane to Boston headed to the SHCA National Specialty in Sturbridge MA.  A long trip would be an understatement.  Worth it? Absolutely!

Thanks to Impact Crate and Kennel, Keegan road safely in style.  We had lots of huge complements on the crate from many of the airline crews.  Nothing compares though to the peace of mind that our boy was completely safe and secure for his big trip!  We were able to check on him after the first leg between Spokane and Seattle to make sure he was adjusting well to the commotion of travel.  Should have guessed he was a total ham and was loving all the attention.

We made it to Boston early Monday morning.  Priority one, walk the dog (and the humans) after a 5.5hr flight we ALL needed to stretch our legs!

We made our way over to Paul Revere Park and ended up taking a walk along the old naval pier.  Keegan got to see lots of things he's never seen before.  Not to mention be the center of attention to dozens of tourists coming to see the USS Constitution restoration taking place!  It was by mere chance we ended up getting to see a part of the earliest history of our Nation.

From there we took a drive out to Hull.  Where my mom, who flew with us to Boston, was staying.  We got to see the Ocean!  It was absolutely mesmerizing.  Watching the tide come in, the waves crash against the beach.  Keegan was not at all too sure about the water that chased him up the sand.  He helped us find sea shells and played on the beach for the first time.  This stop really made the trip worth mileage.  Nowhere else could we have had this opportunity to share these firsts.  By the time we were through with lunch, the beach we had just been walking on was completely gone.  Hidden by the water coming in.

Once mom got settled in Hull we made the drive to Sturbridge for the week.  Fall colors were just starting to make their appearance.  What a show the leaves put on for us while we were there!  Providing the perfect backdrop for our beautiful dogs!  An incredible week of Siberians competing in a wide variety of events.  Keegan, once again, made the cut in initial BOB Dog judging.  A huge accomplishment for us!

Overall it was a fantastic week of dogs, friends, fall colors, and new experiences.  The trip was more than worth it and hope to be able to do it again next year!

Perhaps you have noticed that dark mark on the tail of your Siberian.  Perhaps not a mark, but a spot of coarser hair.  Have you wondered what that spot is?  That spot marks the spot of the violet or supracaudal gland.  This mark is common in all breeds of dog, though not all marks indicate a functional gland.

In some breeds of dog this gland is non-functioning or completely absent.  In others, the gland may still prove active, though significantly reduced in size.  The reason for some dogs having the gland, while others do not, is not entirely understood.  It has been speculated that dogs who live their lives outdoors, for example in a large working kennel, often more frequently have functioning scent glands.  Whereas dogs who have lived their lives primarily as indoor pets often do not.  Though not a proven hypothesis it is an interesting theory as to why some dogs may still have an active scent gland, while others do not.

Though one of the hottest weekends of the summer, one of our last shows of the summer was a great one for us all!  Madison really blossomed and showed well.  She won her class in 6-9 Puppy Sweepstakes and received a lot of really nice comments from numerous people ringside.   Right now the little girl is a whole lot of leg and awkwardness, but she's really developing nicely!  Excited to see what next show season will bring for her!

The highlight of the weekend was Miss Gypsy being awarded Best Opposite Sex In Puppy Sweeps under judge Louise Cooke of Shaytaan Siberians.  It was such a nice affirmation for us, as advocates of functional Siberians, that Gypsy shows a lot of potential!  Though the win itself comes without any points awarded, it was more than enough for us for the weekend!  Later that evening we attended a fantastic seminar by Rob Cooke, who was gracious enough to give us his time to discuss structure, diet, training, and of course Yukon Quest.

The end of August has been showing some signs of fall's arrival.  Optimistically we'll have dogs on the trails soon!  We're very excited to get to training and hopefully be headed toward a stronger Mid-Distance to Distance team this season!

I think a good place to start any discussion on structure is with balance.  Balance is the fundamental foundation of the total dog. Without balance you have a lack of efficiency, without efficiency you will have a dog that tires easier even in the most basic tasks.  Be it on a hike in the woods, chasing their pals at the dog park, or performing in harness.  A dog who lacks balance will tire faster than a dog who is balanced.  A dog who's rear angulation is greater than its front angulation will have a wide movement in the rear and poor tracking gait. Swinging the rear wide is wasted movement, wasted movement is wasted energy. Eventually we would likely see arthritis develop in the hips and a general breaking down in the rear over time.  In turn, if you have a dog who's front is better angulated than it's rear you have a dog who's not putting efficient energy to the ground to propel them forward.  Basically any offset of balance results in a less efficient use of energy.
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