Kaviak Alaskan Malamutes

USA, Since 1995

Owned by:
Joyce DeLay
Copyright 2014, Alaskan Malamute Heritage
Reproduction without permission is prohibited
Background & Early Dogs
Q. How & when did you get started in Malamutes?
A. Growing up, my family always had dogs, usually whatever
stray mutt ended up on our doorstep needing a home. We
never had a purebred dog but was always fascinated by them,
especially large breeds that resembled wolves. ac!uired my
first malamute, a male, in "##$ from an ad out of the paper. %he
second, a bitch named &illy, !uickly followed. Both were altered
and were strictly companions.
'. What was it about you, your background or lifestyle that
made you choose this breed?
A. love all dogs, but (ve always been a )big dog* person.
chose malamutes for the wrong reason+ liked the way they
looked. ,ortunately, it was a good match. stuck with the breed
because en-oy the fact that a malamute is an independent,
)thinking* breed. %hey are as stubborn as am.
Q. Who were your first dogs and what activities did you do with them conformation, obedience,
working, etc!?
A. took both of my first dogs to a basic obedience course taught by /risty %aylor 0at the time, her surname
was 1chraad2 some will know her as !rairie "now malamutes3. /risty suggested that &illy might be a good
candidate for competitive obedience. 1he became my start in dog sporting events. 4er strength was
heeling. 1he was precise, which allowed her to earn high scores. &illy finished her 5D in three straight
trials, with all scores in the "#6s. %his was back in the days when you only had 76 days to continue showing
a dog in novice once the title was finished, so only got to show her si8 times at 9/5 shows. 4er average
score was "#$. 1he won high in trial at the "### national specialty in :ortland with a score of "#7.$ and was
the 9;59(s Blackhawk 9ward winner that year.
%he only reason didn(t pursue advanced obedience titles with &illy was she tore her 95<s, one right after
the other. %hese in-uries were surgically repaired, but the -umping proved to be too much for her when we
returned to training and had to retire her from competition. n
spite of this, was able to bring her back out at the age of "6 to
finish her =ally >ovice title with two perfect 0"663 scores. ?@5D
&illy 5D => 5G5 was a wonderful companion and passed -ust
one month shy of her "$
th
birthday.
would also like to mention my first champion, Ch #RA$%ind&s
'a(iak )ree*e )rame, a beautiful male ac!uired from Gary and
=onda 9llen in A666 0Ch Mobear&s +o More Mr +ice #uy 8 Ch
"nowy ,leu&s -sis o. #RA$%ind3. ,lash was a big dog with a lot of
attitude. 4e took his first points as a si8@month@old puppy his
very first time in the ring, and was hooked. n spite of my
novice handling he finished easily at the age of two, and began
placing in the group at three years old. %he rest is historyB in
addition to being my first champion, he was also a group winner
and had many group placements, all but one of which was
earned with me on the end of the lead. was very lucky to be
able to buy this lovely dog right out of the gate. Ch. GRA-Winds Kaviak Freeze Frame, "Flash"
winning the grou at age !
Flash "right# at age $% with his &eauti'ul daughter
(ndi, Ch. Kaviak )n *otem)s +ahire +k, , also a
grou la-er
9lthough ,lash was an incredible start for me, he was also a
challenge. 4e thought he was the king of the world and had a real
sense of humor. lost ,lash at the age of "C. loved him dearly and
will never forget him.
Q.What dogs do you consider the foundation dogs"bitches of your
breeding #rogram?
A. ;y foundation bitch was ac!uired from %e8 & :atty :eel and Gail
5astonguay in A66C. 5leo, Misty !ak&s Moonlit 'iss 0Ch Mushateer&s
/ewis Moon 0 Ch "no'lassic !iece o. my Heart3 was bred by the :eels
and 1andy D(9ndrea, but as Gail(s stud fee puppy she wore the
Misty !ak kennel name.
5leo was produced by semen froDen in the EF6s from :appy, a
linebred Ch 1oyageur&s Cougar son. ;any pedigrees trace back to the
various members of the Goyageur litter 05ougar, brother :hantom
and sisters Gicky and Elke, born in "#77, were the ones who
contributed to the gene pool3, although my dogs are the only place in the breed today where you(ll find
5ougar within C or H generations. %here is more :appy semen out there, including some that own with
:enny Devaney, so we(ll likely see more dogs from this background when it is used.
5leo was never finished. 1he was shown -ust one weekend as a puppy and won two singles, but she hated
the show ring and dragged as only a malamute can. 4owever, she contributed much to my breeding
program 0see ne8t !uestion.3.
Q. What did each of your foundation dogs contribute?
A. think the best way to answer this !uestion is to describe
the thinking behind the first couple of breedings did, both
with 5leo to the same stud dog, Dan 0Ch !rairie "now&s
/ieutenant 2an3. 5leo brought many good things to my
breeding program, including great bone and substance2 large
snowshoe feet2 proper tail, coat and mouth2 a correct front
assembly2 and ground@covering, efficient movement with no
wasted motion. 4er failings were primarily cosmetic + she
was plain, with large ears. chose Dan for her for several
reasons. ,irst, he was a typey dog who produced his beauty
consistently. 1econd, wanted to use a dog whose immediate
background included an outstanding ancestor common to
both the stud dog and my bitch. Dan(s pedigree worked, as
Dan@5leo was a linebreeding to Ch +anuke&s Re(olutionary, a
top@producing dog saw and admired as a veteran. %hird, Dan
had a tendency to allow the bitch(s strengths to come through,
if bred to a bitch of compatible pedigree that also complemented him phenotypically. felt reasonably
confident the puppies might be the right blend of their sire(s beauty and their dam(s soundness.
%he first breeding produced several nice champions, sweepstakes winners and a multiple group@placing
dog 09stro, Ch 'a(iak&s ,ig ,ang 3heory3. 4owever, the real bonanDa for my own breeding program was a
seal bitch out of the repeat breeding, Ch 'a(iak&s %hoa ,lack ,etty, who co@own with /at 5opley@4olland
0'atabatic /ennels3 in the ?/. Betty has produced what consider to be some of the best animals out of my
breeding, including her young daughter who bred and own, 'a(iak&s Make Mine a 2ouble.
Cleo, .ist, /aks .oonlit Kiss "Ch.
.ushateers 0ewis .oon 1 Ch. +noKlassi-
/ie-e o' m, 2eart#, at a&out ! months old. .,
'oundation &it-h.
Astro, Ch. Kaviaks 3ig 3ang *heor, "4an 1 Cleo#
Ither notable Betty offspring include Ch 'a(iak + "pectre "tart a Riot,
owned and handled by his owner, &ulia 5ole DG;2 and ,-" Ch 'a(iak&s
3he Colonel at %ol.mountain, who has won multiple groups and Bests in
1how in =ussia, owned by Gladimir Goncharov and :at &enkins. Betty also
has a lovely daughter in the ?/ owned and bred by /at, 'atabatic 'ansas
1oyageur, among a few others here in the ?.1. that are working on their
championships.
Q. What would you have changed?
A. would have liked to have bred 5leo one more time, to a different stud
dog. t would have been nice to see how she might have produced when
bred in another direction. f had it to do all over again, think (d have
e8plored taking her to 5alvin 0Ch 3aolan 3races o. the Cat3.
Breeding E8perience
Q. $n your breeding #rogram, did you find certain combinations of dogs
or bloodlines were successful? $f so, which ones?
A. (ve bred -ust seven litters to date, but
most of my better animals have doubled on Ben 0Ch +anuke&s
Re(olutionary3 or his son, Dan. (ve been happy with the type produced
in two of my recent litters out of a lovely Dan son named Ch "il(er
"hadow&s !olar 2ri.t, owned and bred by my friends 5hris and <inda
,rank.
Q. What were"are your to# considerations when breeding
tem#erament, working drive, ty#e, movement, etc.!?
A. ;y goal is to produce a typey animal per the breed standard that can
be successful as a family pet and a show dog. ;ost malamutes today are
kept as companions. t goes without saying that temperament and health
are a priority. %o satisfy me, the dogs keep must also have classic type,
using the 9/5 standard as my blueprint. t(s easy to produce a beautiful
animal that(s amply blessed with good cosmetics. t(s not so easy to
consistently produce beautiful dogs that also move as efficiently as this
breed should. ;y mentor and friend :enny Devaney 01oyageur /ennels3 has helped me better understand
the structure underneath the cosmetics. When it comes to choosing a stud dog for one(s bitch, compromise
is inevitable, but work to improve one trait at a time while keeping the whole dog in mind. have tried to
select and keep structurally sound animals in my breeding program.
don(t do any sledding work with them, so can(t speak to working
drive. am using the standard to attempt to create an animal built for
the -ob, though. Ithers are working my dogs in harness successfully.
Q. What advice would you give to new breeders today?
A. can speak from a showing standpointJ have a lot to say on this
one.
DonKt be in a hurry. 9ttend at least one national specialty
before buying a show dog. went to three nationals before
purchasing the dog who eventually became my first
champion. %his helped me hone my eye for type while giving
me an opportunity to see dogs from different bloodlines and
3(+ Ch. Kaviaks *he Colonel at
Wol'mountain "Chester 1 3ett,#. A
multile 3est in +how winner. 5wned &,
6ladimir Gon-harov and /at 7enkins
3rand,, Kaviak)s .ake .ine a 4ou&le,
a&out a ,ear old. 0ittle 4an 1 3ett,
daughter
Kod,, Kaviak Kodiaks +on o' 4enali "4an 1
Cleo#, owned &, Katharina .ei1ner in
Austria. 3ett,s litter &rother.
meet breeders from all over the world.
Ine of the best things ever did for myself was to start with a !uality male. Generally speaking, it(s
much easier to convince a breeder to part with a good male than a good female. By purchasing a
top !uality male and learning to show with him, you(re ma8imiDing your chances at e8periencing
some success early. %his will give you an opportunity to
have some fun and learn what is involved before you dive in
with both feet. t(ll also give you a chance to prove you are
committed, so when you are ready to start breeding,
someone will be more likely to trust you with a good bitch.
,inding a mentor in the breed is a smart move, but don(t
become too dependent on one person. Lou can learn from
everyone you meet. <isten and ask !uestions. ;ake friends
and find mentors outside of malamutes, too.
<earn everything you can about this breed, its functional
purpose, its history and what it was meant to be. =ead the
standard and make a sincere effort to really understand
what the words actually mean. Why does the standard call
for specific traitsM ?se the different parts of the standard to
evaluate each aspect your dog(s conformation, and ask your
mentors both inside and outside of malamutes to do the
same. %his will help you determine where he e8cels and
where he could use improvement. /eep records of the
results of these evaluations.
&oin the national club, your local malamute club andNor all@breed kennel club, and volunteer to help
with a show or on a committee. %his will help you meet people and will enrich your overall
e8perience immensely.
When evaluating other people(s dogs, don(t fault -udge 0dismissing a dog based on his faults rather
than looking first for his virtues3. 9lways look for the positive2 every dog has strengths, -ust as every
dog has faults. Lour mind will remain open if you view your competitors( dogs with a realistic but
kind eye, while being e8tremely critical of your own.
Lour Lears in the Breed
Q. What was the breed like when you started?
A. began attending dog shows in the mid@#6s. Entries at
shows were bigger, and generally speaking, the dogs were of
better !uality 0or maybe (ve -ust gotten pickier.3.
Q. What is the breed like today?
A. think we(re doing okay compared to some other breeds,
but don(t see as many dogs e8hibiting great breed type as
saw in the #6s, and even fewer dogs that move as feel this
breed should. %here(s an emphasis on cosmetics and
)showiness* over structure, and the dogs have suffered for it.
Q. What would you say has changed from then to now?
A. (ve seen a drastic drop in the number of people interested in breeding and showing purebred dogs, and
malamutes in particular. Dog show entries overall are declining. >ow it(s become )fashionable* to own a
Riot, Ch. Kaviak 8 +e-tre +tart a Riot, a Chester 1 3ett,
son owned &, 7ulia Cole 46..
3rand,, Kaviaks .ake .ine a 4ou&le "3ett,
daughter#, taking &est o' oosite over a se-ial
at 9 months old
mongrel. %hat hasn(t helped attract new people to the sport, or to the malamute. :eople who are involved
in shows aren(t as interested in making a lifetime investment in producing good dogs.
t seems like many of the newer people (ve met in recent years mostly want to win right away, and they
don(t take the time to learn about this breed(s history and what it
was meant to be, which is so crucial. Lou can(t breed truly good
dogs if you don(t understand what makes a good malamute.
:eople aren(t making a study of the breed anymore. don(t mean
to sound negative, (ve met some new people who do want to
know more about the breed beyond a few dog show ribbons, but
the emphasis is no longer on producing !uality dogs+it(s on
winning dog shows.
Q. What were some of the #roblems facing Malamutes and
Malamute breeders when you first started?
A. f we(re talking health issues, generally the same as affect the
breed now. f we(re talking other things, see above. think one of
the biggest threats we face today is a lack of interest in the sport,
and the fact that )breeder* has become a bad word among many
in the general public thanks to the animal rights radicals.
Q. Would you say we have overcome those #roblems? $f not,
what are your suggestions to overcome them?
A. think that all of us as breeders should be promoting purebred dog ownership in any way we can. We
need to take our dogs into the community and show people -ust how wonderful they are, as well as
showing them how much knowledge we have to offer and why buying a purebred puppy from a breeder
is a good thing. We should be encouraging our puppy people to get involved beyond pet ownership,
whether that(s showing, working, performance events, or whatever might pi!ue their interest. We need to
be actively looking for good people to bring into our doggy community. 9nd when they do show interest,
we need to do everything we can to support them and start them out right. n addition to selling them the
best possible dogs we can, this means encouraging them to spread their wings and learn from all different
avenues+not simply adopting our own ideas but seeking out the opinions of others, as well. 9s a breeder,
(m not looking to sell my best puppies to )satellites* or to
people who simply want to play follow@the@leader J (m
looking for smart, motivated people with their own ideas
and a desire to learn. %hese are the folks who will become
positive, long@term contributors to the breed.
,rom a health standpoint, we need to learn how to trust
each other. n some cases, we need to stop using
information we have as a weapon to in-ure our
competition or as a distraction from the health issues our
own dogs have produced. 9n open database for health@
related issues would be a tremendous help to all malamute
breeders, but it will take a paradigm shift in the current
culture for this to happen. do believe we are moving
slowly but surely in that direction. =ecent health advances,
such as the discovery of the gene that causes
polyneuropathy, have been encouraging.
5ne o' Flashs man, grou la-ements, this one under 3ev
3onnadonna-6i-s, a &reeder :udge.
/hoe&e, Ch. Kaviaks +tarlight +tar&right "4an 1
Cleo#, a &eauti'ul &it-h out o' m, 'irst litter.
Q. Who was your %favorite& Malamute of all time that was not from your
own kennel? What did you like about this dog?
A. %his is a tough one. (m not sure can narrow it down to one dogJ but
some who made a real impression on me aren(t necessarily )famous,* -ust
animals that had outstanding type. ,or e8ample, one that will always be
at the forefront of my mind is a gorgeous bitch bred by /athy 1chmidt
named Gemma, Ch ##M&s "treet "mart >o dog is flawless, but she is the
whole package and is pretty close to my idea of perfect breed type. 9 dog
never saw in person but who will always represent proper type to me is
,loyd, Ch -nuit&s %ooly ,ully. (d give my left arm to own a dog like ,loyd.
%he Gabriels of 'aila fame bred numerous malamutes who appeal to me a
great deal as well2 their dogs had really classic type.
Q. $n your o#inion, what has been the most influential malamute during
your years in the breed? Why?
A. 9gain, can(t narrow this down to -ust one. ;y favorite dogs have in
general been bitches, but the males are the ones who influence the overall gene pool the most. 1ome of the
stud dogs can think of off the top of my head who made a discernible impact in the last A6 years include
Ch +anuke&s Re(olutionary, Ch "no Ridge&s 3y %on 4n, Ch 3aolan 3races o. the Cat, Ch +anuke&s /ockport
/ouie.
Q. Who was your favorite Malamute from your own kennel? What did you
like about this dog?
A. Betty 0Ch 'a(iak&s %hoa ,lack ,etty3. 1he isn(t the most classically
)beautiful* dog (ve bred, nor is she the most successful in the show ring, but
she is correct and balanced, and is built to do the -ob. n addition to having
good type, she moves like a well@oiled machine with no wasted motion, and
value that very highly. %he proof is in the pudding+she also has produced
some of my best dogs.
Q. Who is the most influential malamute from your kennel? Why?
A. don(t know that (ve yet bred a dog (d categoriDe as truly influential on
the breed as a whole. %he biggest influence on the future direction of my
breeding program would be Betty.
Q. What do you think are the best things about Malamutes today?
A. ,or the most part, breeders
have done a good -ob
producing an animal that can
function well as a family
companion, which is the
malamute(s most important
role in today(s society.
Q. What do you think are the
biggest #roblems?
9. %here(s too much emphasis on cosmetics and pretty
trappings, and not enough emphasis on the dog
underneath. see too many out of balance, unsound dogs,
considering the malamute is a breed for which structural
soundness is central to good type.
*,i-al Kaviak uies;in this -ase, two
&it-hes, ! weeks old.
3ett,, Ch. Kaviaks Whoa 3la-k
3ett, "4an 1 Cleo#, three ,ears old.
Ri-ki, Kaviaks Clairvo,ant, a Chester 1 3ett, daughter.
:arting %houghts
Q. $s there a memorable story or #arting thought you would like to
share?
A. %he memories are many, but (ll list -ust a few. (ve been fortunate
that other breeders have shared their wonderful dogs with me, and
they(ve given me many memorable moments.
&illy(s many successes in the obedience ring, the culmination
of which was 4igh in %rial at the "### national specialty.
9s an owner@handler, the many group placements and my
first group win with ,lash, then placing in the group with
three of his beautiful champion children bred by &eanne
BeroDa 0%otem3 in later years.
%he phone call from ;arilyn =ichards telling me ;ichael 0,-"
#Ch 'a(iak&s /ord o. the 2ance3 had -ust won a Best in 1how.
was at an anti!ue mall and burst into happy tears right
there, which was sort of embarrassing, <I<.
%he many wonderful friends (ve made in malamutes over
the years. Ine of the first people met in the breed was
:enny Devaney. picked up the phone back in "##$ when
first got into the breed and called her up out of the blue to
volunteer for rescue 0at the time, she led the 9laskan
;alamute :rotection <eague, a national rescue group she founded that served as the forerunner of
today(s 9;9<3. :enny about fell out of her chair2 apparently, phone calls like mine were unusual.
served as the coordinator for the state of /ansas for about 7 years and made a new friend. We have
been close ever since.
Joyce DeLay
KaviakAlaskan Malamutes
Copyright 2014, Alaskan Malamute Heritage
Reproduction without permission is prohibited
*wo u, &it-hes, 3rand, and Fo1, "Fo1,
&red &, Ron /ohl and 0aurie 8ew&urn#,
en:o,ing a sring da, in the ,ard.
Ch. GRA-Winds Kaviak Freeze Frame, m,
'irst -hamion. +hown here at age $%.