Welcome to Aatuk!
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This page is designed to help fellow dog fanciers learn more about the breeds that I love and to provide a showcase for dogs I have bred, owned or shown. Siberian Huskies were my main breed years ago, but I am currently more active in breeding and showing Chihuahuas. I have also owned or bred Pekingese, English Springer Spaniels, English Cocker Spaniels, Pomeranians and Irish Setters.
About Aatuk:
I got my first show dog 36 years ago from my science grade school teacher—he was a Sheltie, but grew up too tall to show and my parents said, “No” to another dog. I got my first Siberian Husky in 1983, a definite show dog who had several points from the puppy classes before he was diagnosed with blinding inherited cataracts. That caused untold heartache. Despite my research into respected breeders, my next couple show Siberians also had them, solidifying my determination to take on breeding for myself, so I could make the hard choices that would truly make genetic health risks almost non-existent, refusing to accept them as inevitable. This, in my opinion, was an all too common approach t o dog breeding whether it is out of ignorance, greed for profits or show wins, I personally experienced the emotional losses of inherited health problems and became doggedly determined to breed dogs differently. There are others who do likewise for sure. I have many friends in dogs that breed honestly and carefully, but the back yard breeder and the show dog breeder more concerned about winning or making a profit, have no place in my circle of animal lovers. I believe my medical training assists me in understanding the genetics of breeding and has increased my success, though nothing counts for more than just loving dogs and people who love dogs and wanting to minimize the risk of harm to either.
I got into toy dogs by chance. My partner loved Chihuahuas and by the time one made all the arrangements and time commitments to show big dogs, usually Siberians, it seemed an easy step to take a toy dog along. I got my first Chihuahua from Kathy Smith, BK Chihuahuas , who has bred 100’s of top Chihuahuas and who was willing to sell me some good ones and to help me get started with true quality. I started showing dogs for her, along with my own, and toy dogs g ot launched in my heart and took over a huge part of my life. I soon was showing top Pekingese and a Pomeranian here and there. In just several years the Chihuahuas and Pekingese finished one after another and it became clear that my skills showing toy dogs far exceeds my skill showing larger breeds. Increasingly the toy dogs won me over as easier to live with and care fir, though A LOT more difficult to breed. Toy puppies take a lot more time and are far more likely to need around the clock care, far more likely to be delivered by C-section with the inherent costs, and harder to predict which ones would grow up to be really great examples of their breeds, meaning I was keeping a lot more puppies that didn’t turn out, than in Siberians where at 8-12 weeks I knew who my winners were.
Also, toy dogs need and deserve one on one time that Siberians don’t. Siberians enjoy human time but their history over the years has not made that a necessity in their lives—other Siberian companionship suits many of them just fine. So with toy dogs, I keep my numbers to a level that permits me to give them the companionship they are bred for. In my opinion, if they don’t have wonderful, companion temperaments, they aren’t good toys, no matter how pretty or how much winning they can do. To be good companions, they have to be healthy and sound too. In my experience, if I, generation after generation, insist on health and temperament first, they become easy to achieve, and then the refinement for beauty and what will win in the show ring, becomes a goal that can be reached, without compromising on the essentials of healthy, loving companion dogs. Even the “pets” from these litters, for something cosmetic, make wonderful companions that to the untrained eye, are still beautiful representatives of their breeds.
For 1995, I had the honor of being recognized as Breeder of the Year by the Siberian Husky Club of America. In addition, by bitch, Am/Can/Int Ch. Aatukwoods Kutaar of Noatuk, "Kutaar", was Top Producing Brood Bitch of the Year AND my bitch Multiple BIS. BISS. Ch. Aatuk's Anastasia, "Annie", was Top Winning Bitch of the Year for both 1995 & 1996. 74 Champions bred and/or owned.
For information on Siberians in general, please read the Siberian faq. This is a summary of frequently asked questions about the breed and other general breed information. This page also has some good "links" to other interesting sites on Siberian Huskies and sledding. For a Referral Directory of Siberian Husky Breeders, please visit the Siberian Husky Club of America's website. For more information on my other breeds, please visit the pages above for links to the breed standard and national clubs for each breed.
Click here to see current events or to find out about upcoming litters. (page last modified 8/7/08)
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Aatuk Siberians