Adahy - Sire~ILookJustLikeMyDaddy2 

Adahy is a wonderful, beautiful puppy and we love him to death!!  He is so smart!  At 3 months, he's learned to shake hands, sit, lay down and stay for about 5 minutes when I walk out of site.  He was introduced to the yard chickens about a week after I brought him home.... so about 10 weeks old.  After a few stern "NO" didn't work, it only took two smacks on the butt in a two day span for him to learn to leave the chickens alone.  As you can see from the pictures, he just walks right by them now and has not offered to chase them, even if they take off flying or running.  I don't even have to be in sight anymore, he knows they belong here and doesn't mess with them.    

I haven't even had to discipline him with my Blue and Gold parrot and two cockatiels, one "NO" was all it took.  He seems to know since they are in the house and my other two dogs stay away from them, they also belong here and are off limits.  I'm sure my Blue and Gold is a little intimidating anyway as large of a bird as he is and he also talks in my and my husband’s voice.  His latest saying is, "It's okay, it's a puppy.  Hey puppy!"  He hasn't learned to say Adahy yet. 

You were definitely right about these dogs not liking crates.  I bought a huge crate (for a Great Dane or Mastiff) to use just while he was a puppy at night until he can hold his potty longer.  He's not scared to go in there, goes right in and lays down on his blanket, but as soon as I head toward the bedroom he'll whine and howl for 10 or 15 minutes or so before getting quiet for the night.  The first week or so, he would cry and howl most of the night.  My other two dogs each have a dog bed where they sleep at night and both are in the same room with him (the living room).  I would of thought by them being close by he wouldn't of minded going right to sleep..... boy was I wrong on that one!  I don't plan to keep the crate after he is old enough to stay either in the house at night unsupervised with my other two dogs or outside by himself if he prefers.  He seems to like to go outside after it gets dark and sleep on the porch next to the door or in one of the two dog houses.  We figure he enjoys the cooler temperatures outside than in the house at night.   We have coyotes and a few bears in this area and I wasn't going to chance letting him sleep outside until he gets older and bigger so he's going to have to endure the crate at night for a few more months.   

Amuhyia - Sire~Sala Toloko

Chindi - Sire~Satum

“Hi Karen, 

. . .the first is the most recent - Chindi at 12 weeks.  We were doing landscaping and kept scooting him out of the way.  He got tired of dodging us, so went into the flowers to chill out.  So cute… 

The next is Chindi at 8 weeks.  We got him a big boy bed for outside and he likes to keep his toys in there.   

. . . at the airport, right after we opened the crate,  he walked right past me and gave Brian a huge kiss.  No need for tranquilizers there!  Such a beautiful boy! 

We finally have the potty training down.  It took a little longer, as we have a tri-level house.  He didn't always make it to the door!!  lol  We are working on him ringing a bell.  Thought the German's idea was great.  Since we landscaped, we gave him a designated area and he goes right to it.  He even taught our older dog to go there.   

He is such a joy.  So sweet and friendly.  Wherever we go people stop and ask what kind of dog he is.  I feel like I should be giving out your business cards.  Have you gotten a lot of inquiries from California?  He is so smart, my daughter says you should have a bumper sticker that says, "My NAID is smarter than your honor student"!!  Isn't that funny?  We have been working with a trainer and Chindi now knows: go to your bed, sit, down, stay (even with food in my hands!), heel, shake and waves!!   

Our little dachsie X is still queen of the house, but Chindi ADORES her.  He is so good with her, as he is now double her size.  We were a little concerned that he would hurt her back, but when they play he's very gentle with her.   

t was so worth the wait, Karen.  He's everything you said and more.  After his first bath, Brian said, "look at my white shirt - not a hair on me!"  That has been the biggest bonus.  No shedding!! 

Anyway, didn't mean to write a book, but wanted to let you know he is the best.

Thanks Lee Ann”

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"Hi Karen, 

Thought I would drop a quick "hi" and tell you that you picked the best dog in the world for our family.  Chindi is now just past 6 months and about 65 pds.  We are still waiting for his "neuterees" to descend, but I have to tell you, I'm very torn.  If it weren't for the fact that I have a full time job and not quite enough land, I would be talking to you about breeding this wonderful dog.  Chindi is the sweetest and smartest dog I've ever shared my life with.  I find that when I'm away, I miss him as much as my kids     Thanks Again!!   Lee Ann"
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“Hi Karen,

Thought you would get a kick out of our Christmas pictures with the dogs.  Petco decided to have Santa AND a vaccination day all in one, so the dogs were just gonzo.  This Santa was even better than the one at the mall.  Managed to get both of the dogs calmed down and (sort of) facing the camera.  All of our friends think we are crazy.  Took the new grandson on a Saturday and the pooches on Sunday.  

Well, it took a while, but we did it!!  You can tell the Germans that we taught Chindi to ring a bell by the patio door to go potty.  The only thing wrong is that I gave him a treat to go out each time.  Now, he goes over to the bell and sits there expecting his treat!  Brian laughs and says that the dog has trained ME!  I might not be smart enough to have two of these dogs - lol...  Thanks Again and Happy Holidays..........LeeAnn”  
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“Hi Karen, 

…I have to tell you (again) Chindi is my best friend.  He couldn't be more gentle or loving with our grandson.  I don't know why I was so worried.  When we finally introduced him to his new pack member, he circled the baby in one direction, circled the other direction and lay down with his head in the small of the baby's back.  It's like he was saying, "This is mine and I will take care of it"..!  Where's a camera when you need one?!  Anyway, the baby adores Chindi, as well.  It's so cute to watch them together.  Little JT is a little wobbly on his feet still and Chindi will follow him around, looking very worried.  He'll look at me like I should be contolling the little one better.  Our plan of having the two of them growing up together couldn't have gone more smoothly.  I know I've said it in the past, but thank you for my friend.  He's very special and very loyal.  Even though Brian calls him a mama's boy, Chindi is very close to Brian, too.   Thank you again so much for my best friend......Lee Ann”  
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“Hi Karen,

I hope this email finds you well. I'd like to wish you a belated Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. I've been meaning to update you with pictures, but always seem too busy.  So, hopefully, I got these small enough to come through.   

The grey dog is Chindi, son of Satum & Ukiahya.  He is now 5 and still my best friend, as you can see from the pictures. 

The white one is Taima, formerly Timberland.  She is the daughter of MV Sala Toloko and Darlene Good's Taku's Waste Wakan.  Essentially, they are linked genetically, as Satum is Taima's grandfather and Satum is the sire to Chindi, and their mothers came from the same sire and dam (M.V.'s Otongo and M.V.'s Fantastic Fred).  We got her from an ad on craigslist.org.  The owners knew nothing of northern breed dogs and had managed to turn her into a quivering mess.  After 3 years of working with her, she has blossomed into a friendly, happy, beautiful companion for Chindi & us.    

Nothing has changed for us, other than we love this breed more than ever before!!!.  We have a 22 acre dog park, that we visit every weekend and cannot go more than 25 feet without being stopped and asked about the dogs.  As you can see from the pictures, Chindi adores children.  I can't see us ever having another breed of dog.  They are loyal to their very core.  I've been sick in bed and both dogs would come up and sleep beside me (they usually sleep in their own beds) for hours on end.  Brian & I love them both dearly. 

Anyway, thought it was about time to send some fresh pictures.  Give Ukiahya & Satum hugs and tell them that they did good. 

Dingo - Sire~Sala Toloko

Duke - Sire~Sakata Jerry

“Hi Karen,

Elu- Sire~Sakata Jerry

Max - Sire~Sakata Jerry

“Hi Karen,

Micco Askuwhteau - Sire~Sala Toloko

“Dear Karen,

I would like to thank you for our dog.  Enclosed are pictures of him as a pup and then again at 9 months of age.

We have four children and Micco is absolutely wonderful with them.  If anyone ever has any doubts how good this breed of dog is with children, they can ask us.

Thank you for our big baby boy.  He still thinks he is a puppy and weighs only 10 lbs. He still sits on my lap and weighs around 85 to 90 lbs. at 8 months of age.  And he is still growing!!!

Take care…  Sincerely, Dusty”
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“Hi Karen, 

It's been a while since I've written,(7 yrs.) but wanted to send you an updated picture of Micco.  He is now 7 1/2.  As you can see he is a big part of our family!!   

An additional note to the picture I sent...Micco changes colors with the seasons.  In the new picture I sent you, he looks red, but when he loses his winter coat, he looks blue/grey.  I always love it when his winter coat comes in with the fluffy red/orange color.  He's a beautiful dog either way!   

Oh yes, we have a Cock-a-poo too (Ozzy).  (We got them two weeks a part) He's not as big of a "ham" as Micco is, he wouldn't get in the Christmas picture.  Trust me, they are buddies.  Micco can't be without his Ozzy for very long.  Ozzy suffers from regular seizures and Micco will alert us of this, before it happens, by barking.  Micco doesn't bark unless something is wrong or if a stranger/coyote/animal is in our yard, etc.  He howls, yes, but barking not so much.  So when Micco barks, we go see what is happening.  On the other hand, Ozzy barks at a leaf blowing by, so we pretty much ignore all of his barking.

Sincerely,

Nacona - Sire~Sala Toloko

Naiche

“HI Karen, sorry just now getting a chance to write and let you know how much fun we are having with Naiche. He is something else and keeps us all very entertained and busy. He already has the potty training down to going to the door and ringing the bell we have hanging there to let us know. Our trip home was real good but the first few days he moped around and howled if he was left alone.  His first trip to Petsmart was an experience. Everyone fell in love with him he is very sociable and loves to meet new people. Especially little ones. He also likes to ride in the car. I take him with me everywhere I can. My kitchen floor becomes a lake at times he does not like water in his bowl, he'd rather play in it. Can't wait to see what he will do when our pool is ready for the summer. He loves to sit in the rain and watch the cars go by too he is very easily entertained. We always know when he has done something he shouldn't He slinks by with a guilty look and gets right in his cage. Well that's all for now pictures will follow as soon as I get them back. Thanks so much for our boy he is awesome just like all of your dogs I fell in love with them all.  Take care Ric and Debbie German and family”
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“Dear  Karen  

Pacante - Sire~Sala Toloko
(Heart on Head~Lakota Sioux)

Shiloh - Sire~ILookJustLikeMyDaddy2 

Tala Piscotti - Sire~ILookJustLikeMyDaddy2

Tala (left)

…Tala - Daughter of Ukiahya & Looker 

Tala is doing great.  Her face looks just like Looker! She chipped a tooth and then had a urinary track infection a couple of weeks ago and now she is much better, both didn't really seem to phase her much.  At 14 weeks she is 31lbs!  Growing fast.  We love her to pieces, and can’t give her enough love.  She is incredibly vocal, it’s so funny.  She barks only when we taunt her during play, but moans a lot at us when we rub her belly or when she is going to sleep.  Potty training is coming along, she still goes sometimes in the house, we just need to catch her better!  She is the best in her training class, she knows sit, stay, down, come and getting better at walking next to us on the leash.  She loves to play with other dogs.  An amazing thing we have noticed about her is that when she encounters a dog that is shy or much smaller than her, she will instinctively know to leave them alone or be very submissive and get on the ground. And kids she just loves to give kisses too.  All she wants to do is be outside.  She has taken over a small couch we have near a window, we leave the window open a crack for her when she is inside.  We play with Darwin (son of Yada's Amen) every weekend.  They love each other, they are real buds!!  More updates to come as we venture out more to the Dog Beach !

Tala Weiss - Sire~Satum

Thunder - Sire~ILookJustLikeMyDaddy2

“Hi Karen, just thought I'd drop you a short note and a picture of Thunder & Lightning.  

Thunder (Ultimate Ukiahya & I Look Just Like My Daddy's pup) is the dark faced guy on the left & he is already 17 pounds. Lightning (Berachah & Saranac Sam's pup) is on the right & he tips the scale at 25 pounds. They had their vet check on Tuesday & are doing very well. House training is progressing nicely too, even if there is still some cleanup. They both will sit, lay down and stand on command. For 9 & 11 weeks old I am very pleased. I sometimes put a leash on them in the house just so they can start getting used to it, but Lightning has a tendency to pull Thunder around like a kids pull toy.  

They spend much of the time wrestling, playing and sometimes fighting, but nobody seems to get hurt. I'm so pleased that I got 2 at the same time. It is a lot of work having 2 puppies, but they are the best of buddies and are inseparable. We have plenty of good chew toys and they are not chewing anything they shouldn't - with the exception of my hands and feet, but we're working on that too.  

I broke my toe a week ago walking down the hall with them to let them out first thing in the morning. One of them got under foot as puppies will do as they scamper along excitedly. I sidestepped so as not to step on him & slammed my toe into the wall. I let out a holler & they both went scrambling for cover. I guess I scared them. I'm not hobbling around as much now, but I do look down more when I walk, even first thing in the morning when I'm not quite awake. 

Everybody loves them & think they are so cute. I have a friend who would take Thunder home in a heartbeat, so I have to watch her when she visits. LOL 

Well, gotta go now. Just wanted to say thanks. I'll send more picture as they grow and keep you up to date. 

Ed Farwell”
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I guess it's time I sent you an update on Thunder (born Nov 23/2004) & Lightning (born Nov 11/2004) for you web site. 

The boys are growing like little weeds. At 5 months old Thunder is now 58 pounds and Lightning, only 2 weeks older, is a whopping 80 pounds now. They are ploughing through a 40 pound bag of puppy food every 2 weeks. I swear they will put me in the poor house. LOL. But what the heck, I am enjoying them so much & I just can't get over the comments we get. Everyone loves them. They have the softest fir I have ever seen and I am pleased that it is indeed true that they don't shed. Thunder's fur feels like the finest silk, when he is clean that is. They are constantly wrestling, rolling around on the ground and getting dirty. They get a bath every 2 or 3 weeks just to keep them presentable & to give me at least a shot at keeping the house clean.  

All winter I kept them out of the back yard because of the Koi pond. I didn't want them going through the ice. Once the ice melted and they had access to the yard they seemed to think of the pond as a big water dish, but now that it is warmer and the fish are active they will sit and watch the fish swim around. So far they have not gone on a fishing expedition & that's good.  

A couple of weeks ago we had a thunder storm with lots of lightning. They played in the rain without the slightest fear of the noise and flashing lightning. Good thing too. It would have been a bit embarrassing, considering their names. 

I am taking them to obedience school and Thunder is in week 4 doing very well. He is a very smart puppy. Lightning started school a week earlier and is doing fairly well. Each week his agility improves, but at his size he is a bit of a putts and either gets tired or bored and tends to sit down. When an 80 pound puppy decides he has had enough training for one day there isn't a lot you can do about it. It's kind of comical. 

Well time for me to go, but before I do I just want to say thanks again for my beautiful boys. Keep up the good work. 

Ed
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“Just a quick update on Lightning. He gets lots of healthy treats like carrots and turnips, all the love and affection he can handle and the occasional walk to the park where he plays with the children. Even the teenagers stop and play with him. He is a real attention getter and is so big, about 120 pounds now, but so gentle. He could easily knock a child down (or an adult for that matter), but he just sits there letting them pet and hug him and of course he loves all the attention. Last time I took Thunder & Lightning to the park there was a woman there with a child who was obviously handicapped. I was absolutely amazed by how extra gently they were with this little girl. They sought her out amongst the other kids almost like they could sense she was special. At first she was afraid of them and the mother seemed nervous but they laid down on their backs so she could touch their bellies. Her face lit up and she squealed with delight when she finally got the nerve to gingerly touch them. I think her mother was close to tears. What a wonderful breed you have created.

 I look forward to seeing you and all of your dogs again very soon. Until then - have a great Thanksgiving.   

Ed” 
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“PS: I gotta tell you about Thunder. He is so smart. I stuff treats (carrots, celery, that sort of thing) into Kong's for the boys to occupy them. Thunder has learned that if he throws the Kong into the air the treats fall out a lot faster, so he runs around the house repeatedly throwing his Kong into the air until he has everything out of it. Lightning figured this out today too, but he's a bit more sedate. He sits on the sofa, tosses the Kong to the floor then chases whatever falls out. Thunder has also figured out how to open the sliding patio door. I don't normally lock this door, but after finding a cold breeze wiping through my living room a couple of times I started to lock it with the cheep little lock on the handle. He can even unlock it. Now that surprised me. He has also mastered the gate between their run and the back yard. It has a sturdy latch and a string, about 5 feet above the ground, that comes through the fence to undo the latch. I can't shake the gate enough to open the latch without pulling the string, so I figure he has it figured out to pull the string. I just can't believe how smart he is. What great dogs.”
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“Hi Karen, it's hard to believe that it's been 8 weeks since I picked up Storm (Hantaiwee & I Look Just Like My Daddy). She will be 4 months old in a week & she is already 45 pounds.  

Lightning has been gone since early January. I'm sending a couple of his last photos - he was such a beautiful  and gentle animal. Thunder and even Storm wished him a fond farewell with soulful howls for the first 2 nights after he was gone. Not too sure what the neighbours thought of that, but oddly enough I found it somehow comforting. 

Storm has the most friendly outgoing personality I have ever seen on a dog. Everyone seems to agree. She is also very smart and a big hit at the park where we go for walks. There are sometimes 15 or 20 dogs, and owners, running free in the park. I let Thunder run free, but  at the end of a 50 foot rope, so I stand a chance of catching him again. He still hasn't gotten the idea of come when he is called. Storm doesn't need a leash at all because she sticks to Thunder's side like glue, at least that is her intention as she races - her 2 or 3 paces to his 1 - to keep up. Thunder is her protector and her pal and comes back to get her if she gets too far behind. He is twice her size (for now - she is looking like she will eventually tower over him) but extremely gentle with her. Right from the moment they met I'm sure he thought I had gotten HIM a new puppy. He guards over her and rushes to her rescue at the slightest whimper. He is teaching her all of the important things that a dog needs to know, like where I keep the garbage & how to open the door to get at it, how to surf the counter to see if any tasty bits have been left behind and of course how to disembowel a teddy bear all over the living room floor in 60 seconds flat. 

I can't say enough about how wonderful your dogs are and I can't believe you still have a couple of pups from last fall not picked up yet. If I lived out in the county and had an acre or 2 I'd be there in a flash to pick them up. If anyone is reading this letter & is considering a large breed dog all I can say is, WHAT ARE YOU WATING FOR? If you have some space for one to run, you can't go wrong with one of these dogs. They are personality plus. 

Bye for now 

Uki - Sire~Sala Toloko

"HI Karen,