Buyer Warning

Two disturbing trends are becoming increasingly prolific that you need to be aware of: AKK Scams and AKK mutt breeding.

The first is a series of scams that are being run on the internet. So-called breeders are looking for homes for their Klee Kai puppies. The problem is it is nothing more than a scam to cheat you out of your hard earned money. They usually have pictures but not always. In one case a picture of my friend's puppy was used. In another a dog that was deceased was offered as for sale. A dog named Kika, whom I have a picture of on this website, has been shown as being for sale countless times by individuals who are not her owner. Here's some examples of AKK Scams:

This ad has been running for about a year now. The Scammer uses the same pictures and information then lists a different location each time.

Alaskan Klee kai wants to relocate now to a great home, male and female of the same liter very playful among children and keep companies alot, upto date on all shots willbe coming with all document to great owner .

This one, when contacted, actually sent pictures of puppies from CoCal kennels including one showing the real breeder in the picture!

AKC reg. Giant puppies available. Champion Bloodlines. Shots/Wormed. Two year Health Guarantee. Raised with lots of attention and socialization

Here's another, very similar:

Home raised puppy ready to go to a lovely and caring family.Our puppies are akc/ckc and ukc registered, vet checked and up to date in all vacinations and shots. Our puppies loved been playing among kids and adult and they are all socialised. Get back to us for more details.

Here is some suggestions for finding out if the breeding your talking to is the real thing or a scam:

1. Do they have a website? If so, how many breeds of dogs do they offer. A good breeder works with no more than 2 breeds.
   
   
2. Can they show you a copy of the parents UKC pedigree?
   
   
3. Are the parents registered with UKC? Any ad claiming they have AKC registered puppies is a sham. AKK can not be registered with AKC at this time.
   
   
4. Are they a member of an official Alaskan Klee Kai breed club like AKKAOA?
   
   
5. Are they actively showing their dogs? Not all breeders are involved in showing, but it does show an active involvement in their dogs and that the parents of your puppy meets the breed standard.
   
   
6. Can they give you references from other breeders?Contact the breed club or another breeder and ask about them. We're a small community and pretty much all know each other; if not in person than by reputation.
   
   
7. Do they screen potential buyers with a phone interview or questionnaire? A good breeder is greatly concerned about the home that their puppies may go into. They want to know as much about the family as possible.
   
   
8. Are they willing to send you a copy of their sale contract? The contract should give you at least a one year health guarentee and request the dog be returned to the breeder if you can no longer keep it.

Issue Two: AKK Crosses

You will often hear people say that mutts are healthier than purebred dogs. To some extent this is true because of bad breeding (also known as inbreeding); the result is purebred dog breeds have become plagued by genetic defects.

Hip dysplasia in German Shepards is a good example. Good breeders of German Shepards are working towards eliminating that defect from their bloodlines. The problem is most people who just want a German Shepard for a pet don't want to spent 2k or more on one. So it's the backyard breeders who either don't know any better or don't care that sell most people their pet German Shepards.

Alaskan Klee kai are no different. By health screening and continuing to health screen our breedings dogs, we are trying to much sure each generation is healthier than the last. In the past few month it has come to light that there are several operations that are breeding AKK Mutts. The reason I call them mutts and not a klee kai cross is this: the people breeding these dogs are not trying to produce a better AKK. They are not health screening the AKK to make sure it doesn't carry a genetic defect and then breed it to another dog that hasn't been screened for genetic defects. Some of these people are saying they have has their dogs health tested. Very well, what's their OFA numbers showing they have no issues with their heart, thyroid, knees, or hips? Have they checked to make sure the dog is affected by factor VII? Do they even know what factor VII is? Have they run liver panels and full cbc? I have yet to meet one who has.

Our breed was created by crossing other breeds to create something in particular; a small sized husky. What are these people trying to create? Are they trying to improve the health of the AKK? or improve their temperament so they will be more outgoing? No. If they were health testing their dogs and had a goal in mind, I would be a hypocrite to condemn them. But that isn't what is being done.

These are the most popular mixes and the issues with them besides the above stated lack of health testing:

Alaskamo - Alaskan Klee Kai and American Eskimo mix. The biggest issue with this is temperament. The American Eskimo dog or Eskie was one of the breeds used to create the Alaskan Klee Kai. It is also where the Klee Kai inherited its temperament issues. Eskies require a great deal of socialization. In the past 5 years we've made such a huge step in improving the temperament of our Klee Kai to be more social and less reserved. To breed an AKK back to an Eskie only undermines all the work that has been done.

AKK/Shiba Mix - Alaskan Klee Kai and Shiba Inu mix. There was a reason this breed was not used in creating the Alaskan Klee Kai and that was temperament. Shiba Inu's are very reserved with strangers, have a very strong prey drive, and tend to be aggressive towards other dogs. It is like an AKK temperament at its worst. My god, why would anyone in their right mind breed these dogs together?

AKK/Wolf - Aa lap-sized husky was a great concept, so why not a lap-sized wolf? Again temperament. Wolf hybrids are usually created by breeding a wolf to a Siberian Husky or a Malamute. The nicest hybrids I have been around were the Sibe mixes which were more husky than wolf. A Sibe is very out-going by nature where the wolf is anything but. By breeding a Wolf to a Sibe they can produce a hybrid with a better temperament. To breed down the size of the wolf they are breeding it to an Alaskan klee Kai.

Sadly, I'm sure we will see more such crosses as time goes by. If you really want to own an akk but don't want to spend 1000+ that akk puppies go for, why not adopt a rescue or retired breeder. Either one would be happy to find its forever home with you and you won't be encouraging these irresponsible breeders.