Bootstrap is bred, owned, trained, shown, worked and loved by Raissa Hinman of Arcticdawn Alaskan Malamutes in Michigan. He is a very accomplished performance and working dog; in fact, he is the top performance dog in the history of the Alaskan Malamute breed, with accomplishments and accolades we predict will stand as records for our breed for quite some time. Bootstrap is half brother to our dogs Penny, Sassy and Huck, all solid working dogs. Take a look at his pedigree. With our past successes from previous breedings with similar pedigrees, we predict good things from the "Scoobies" (Scorch x Boots puppies)!
We have seen Bootstrap in action many times over the years; he has visited us for extended stays for dog sledding and weight pulling at our CrowDitarod events. We've also seen him compete at the Alaskan Malamute National shows multiple years, and have admired his structure, athleticism, movement and intelligence for some time. Bootstrap is a long coat so has not been shown in conformation, but he is a nicely structured dog with effortless movement combined with power and drive. He's a sound dog, who at age 9 is actively competing in agility (see video), weight pull (see video) and happily working on a team in harness on cart or sled. Bootstrap is a standard sized male at 24.5" tall and weight 70#; Raissa keeps him lean due to all the jumping he does. Although Bootstrap is a long coat, the puppies from this breeding will all have normal coats, because Scorch does not carry the long coat gene - she cannot produce a long coat puppy.
Need a translation for Bootstrap's many titles? Here you go: U-UD = Utility Dog obedience title awarded by the United Kennel Club MACH7 = Master Agility Champion - Level 7 (see video) UDX7 = Utility Dog Excellent - Level 7 (see video) OM9 = Obedience Master - Level 9 (see video) RE = Rally Excellent (see video) MXB3 = Master Agility Excellent Bronze - Level 3 (see video) MJB3 = Master Agility Bronze Jumpers with Weaves- Level 3 (see video) MFB = Master Fast - Bronze Level Agility title TQX = Triple Qualifier Excellent
T2B = Time to Beat, Agility
WTD = Working Team Dog (see video) WLD = Working Lead Dog (see video) WWPDX - Working Weight Pull Dog Excellent To learn more about what it takes to achieve these titles, see the AKC descriptions.
Of Bootstrap, Raissa says, "Working with Bootstrap has been a lifelong dream come true. What a journey we have had! He is wild and willing. His favorite things are snuggling and weight pull, but he has gone further than any other malamute in both agility and obedience because he loves to play with me. I love to play with him. He has multiple High in Trials, High Percentage weight pulls, one Most Weight Pulled (he is not a big guy) and is the second malamute in breed history to earn Obedience Trial Championship (OTCH) points (the first malamute in breed history to earn OTCH points is Bootstrap's good mother Aura).
"Though we will never get an OTCH, we are very proud of those 50+ points we have earned. Those points have taken us to the National Obedience Championships (NOC) four of the five years we have qualified to be invited to compete. The 2017 NOC was the most incredible of all. In a field of the top obedience dogs in the country, including dozens of Goldens and Border Collies, Bootstrap made the Top 50 and placed 2nd in the Working Group. It will be one of my most cherished memories. As they announced the awards, it went: Golden, Golden, Golden, Golden, Golden, Golden, Golden, Golden and more; Border Collie, Golden and more; Border Collie, Sheltie - and then #33 was Alaskan Malamute. It was a first. Bootstrap is whacky, intense, humble, and always ready for 'game on.' I'm crazy about my dog. He's crazy about me. It works most of the time."
"Tamuli" - Istari's Tayles From Th' Tamuli, WWPDX
Tamuli was leased and bred to Wes in November 2017. See the Puppies page for more details.
Tamuli is bred, owned, worked and loved by Helen and John Schultz of Tol Istari Alaskan Malamutes in Wisconsin. Our good friends and mentors, Helen and John sold us our foundation dog Procyon, who is the the great-grandsire of the Tamuli x Wes puppies. We were excited when they offered us the chance to lease Tamuli and try for puppies with our wonderful lead dog Wes.
Helen says: "Tamuli was John's pick, while Thick't was mine, from a a litter of eight pups. The breeding that produced Tamuli was out of one of our best working and show dogs of the past, "Ahnaka" - CH Istari's Ahnaka of the Anduril WWPDX, in combination with our best ever show dog, and also a solid working dog, "Trilo" - GCH Istari's Epic Trilogee WTD, WWPDX, RA. Trilo was in the Top 20 Alaskan Malamutes for conformation in the USA in 2011; she was the #2 bitch, and #8 overall.
While Tamuli has a few AKC championship points, after her ear cartilage was broken in a dog fight, we gave up on that career for her. Tamuli prefers weight pulling and dog sledding anyway, where she has excelled from an early age.
Tamuli had one litter of three puppies in 2013, all of them show quality dogs. Her son Imriel - CH Istari's Imriel: Illustrated by Hobbit CD, BN, RN, WWPDX, is the most accomplished of her offspring so far. Besides having earned three obedience titles, excelling in weight pull and sledding, running agility trials, and being a show Champion, Imriel received an Award of Merit from the Working Dog class at the 2017 Alaskan Malamute National Specialty, and was one of the few dogs in our breed invited to compete in the Crufts Dog Show in England. Like his mother, Imriel is an affectionate dog.
Tamuli's daughter "Akira" - Istari's Absi Kire has six points including one major win toward her AKC Championship. She has also taken several major reserve wins. Tamuli's son "Grizz" - Istari Hobbit's Beorn of Grizzly Mtn, CGC, was shown and worked a few times but is primarily a family pet. He has one AKC Championship point."
In the photo slideshow above, in the four-dog team photos, Tamuli is in wheel on the right of the photos. The end of the slideshow has several photos of Tamuli's offspring. The two-dog sled team is Tamuli with her son Imriel. Imriel is shown with several show wins and competing in agility. Next is Grizz as a puppy, trying out sledding for the first time at our CrowDitarod in 2014. Finally, there is one photo of Akira gaiting in the show ring.
"Raider" - CH Northpaw's Power Plays, CGCA, RA, WWPDX, SAM
Scorch was bred to Raider in May 2016. See the Puppies page for more details.
Bred by Barbara Lichota of Northpaw kennel in Pennsylvania, and owned, shown and loved by Valarie Thawley in Delaware, Raider is an excellent quality dog who demonstrates the best qualities and versatility of the Alaskan Malamute breed on a regular basis. We are delighted to welcome him to our breeding program and were very pleased when our girl Scorch grew up and was a good match for him.
Raider has accomplished a lot in his lifetime and excels in several disciplines. Working is something we value highly and Raider has been at the top of our breed for weight pull, winning the super-competitive pulls at the Regional and National shows in back to back years. Through the International Weight Pull Association (IWPA), Raider earned his Working Dog Superior title, won the Bronze medal on snow at the IWPA Championships, and after years of incredible pulls was inducted into the IWPA Regional Hall of Fame, in 2014. Descended from lines with many excellent workers, (take a look at Raider's pedigree) we also have been very pleased with Raider's nephew Ruckus (offspring of Raider's sister Mirka and our boy Major). These pedigrees have combined well for us in the past and we welcome more pups of similar breeding from this mating with Scorch.
Raider has also achieved incredible honors in the conformation ring. His outstanding structure, power, movement and breed type earned him Winner's Dog at the 2011 Alaskan Malamute National Specialty show in Ann Arbor, Michigan, awarded by breeder judge Nancy Russell. He also placed second in the prestigious Working Dog Showcase twice, in 2012 and 2013. Since then he finished his Championship and lately his quality has been recognized several times from the Veteran's class.
Raider is an intelligent and trainable dog who earned his Rally Advanced title in 2016. He has a lovely temperament and has earned his Canine Good Citizen Advanced. Raider is the 19th dog to be awarded the Serviceable Alaskan Malamute title from the Alaskan Malamute Club of America, an honor presented at the 2015 National Specialty banquet.
Raider's owner Val Thawley says, "Do you know how Raider got his call name? It's not after the Oakland Raiders, not from Raiders of the Lost Ark, nor the SUV Raider. He used to raid things, stealing gloves out of pockets and hiding them. There is still one pair of gloves I can't find! So, he's known as 'the Raider!'
If you say "Dinner time," Raider goes 10,000 miles a minute; picking up toys and throwing them around, and running back and forth at a high rate of speed through the doggie door. His house mate malamute Darla just gets out of his way and watches him. While I dish up his food, he patiently waits in the perfect sit. Before I put his bowl down, he jumps three times almost over my head. We actually see eye to eye.
Raider came into my life because I asked his breeder Barb Lichota to bring him to a show so I could see if he would be a good weight puller. I was already working with his sister Mirka, and she was doing great, so why not try her brother? I found him a harness and the first day we tried to pull. Now remember, I knew of Raider but had never been really introduced to him. Our first weight pull together wasn't so good. He pulled the empty cart, but that was it. The second day, I spent a lot of time with him. He went everywhere with me. We started bonding. That day, Raider ended up taking 1st place and Most Weight Pulled. He trusted me so much and knew I wouldn't hurt him. From that day on, he was mine. Our bond keeps getting stronger and stronger. I learned to show him in conformation and together we won Winners Dog at the National Specialty - an award you rarely see given to a dog shown by a novice handler. Our bond and teamwork is tough to beat. I love living with Raider. He always keeps his eye on me. My friends call him 'stalker,' because he has to know where I am at all times. If I'm on the couch, he is either trying to sit on my lap or laying in front of me. When we go outside, he loves to play fetch, but only a couple of times. He then takes the toy and hides it under the deck, or if it has a squeaker in it, he'll try to get it out. Raider is so amazing. He's not afraid to try new things. Whatever we get into, he always gives it 100% plus. That's how we've been so successful in everything we've done."
"Mauya" - CH Poker Flat's Pure Mauya of Qumukti
Mauya was bred to Major in June 2011. See the Puppies page for more details.
The Plan: Tent
camp in Robin Haggard and Jim Kuehl�s front yard for a weekend of showing and to meet our
male show puppy from the newest Poker Flat litter, that we would be getting in a
few weeks.
Reality: Upon entering a dark back yard, I was instantly swarmed by a mad stampede of malamute puppies
running every which way - away from Jim who was unsuccessfully trying to herd
them inside.As the usual
monochromatic gray and white mass blurred by for the umpteenth time and
scattered, one ghost white aura was trying to blend and hide in the moonlight.
At that instant, all our lives were to change forever; there was history
to be made, and a new wave to begin. Those best made plans and common sense
logic to bring home a grey male pup all fell to the wayside. I had lost my mind, but I
didn�t care, the decision had already been made for me and I was
powerless.Robin and Jim had
experience in showing white mals and knew how impossible and disheartening the
task can be. A pet home was in line for the �white girl-Dale.� Being as stubborn
as my mals, and after the continual
prompting and harassing from myself and with the help of our friends Noel and Bonnie - MUCH to Jim�s
dismay, Mauya came home to us a few short weeks later.
Mauya made her show ring debut
at six months old and did �ok� in limited showing - but I only gained 1 point
towards her AKC championship. Fast forward 3 years, a recession and no showing,
and Mauya was ready to make her debut as an adult. Paul and I knew the beauty
she had grown into, but were well prepared for disappointment by all of Robin and
Jim�s ring horror stories of showing white mals. They were right - as handler Amanda Volkomener arrived ringside with Mauya, other handlers
would question her breed; as they entered the ring, the judge looks at my dog,
pages through the standard and gives them reserve or the last possible
placement. Amanda was up for the challenge and determined to be the best
possible handler she could beYes, Amanda can be as foolish and
blindsided by love as much as we are, and she made Mauya shine! Our first points win was a tough class major in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin - and the crowd roared and cheered us
on with each cut. Amanda, myself, friends and bystanders cried tears of
happiness at the win.
Fast
forward six months to the 2010 Regional/National show in October in Denver, Colorado.The intensity of the crowd's support crackled through the
room. Silence fell when she made her first move and the show was on. Mauya
took Reserve winners bitch at the regional specialty. The crowd cheered her
placement and support overflowed.With her majors finished and only needing 2 points to become a Champion, the National was our
last chance. Mauya and Amanda made the first cut and the room erupted. The
judge�s best of the best were lined up for the points. On their final move,
Mauya and Amanda floated on the energy of the room. Dead silence, tension and
anticipation put everyone in the room on edge. Judge Shilon Bedford lined up Mauya and
Amanda first for the final go around - and the crowd roared. Winners Bitch and Best
of Winners - she finished just the way she started. Hugs, tears, well wishes, and
the intensity overwhelmed all of us. Our supporters were amazing and a huge
part of our celebration.History
was made! Mauya is the 3rd white bitch ever to finish her championship in AKC history, and
the ONLY one to ever finish at the National. She earned the AMCA #1 class bitch
2010 in the IL/WI region and also the #1overall class bitch for 2010, for the USA.
Mauya�s lineages on
all sides go back far in working and showing venues.Poker Flat kennels have always been very active in sledding,
weight pulling, and obedience. Most recently, they have tried their hand in
agility and rally and frequently earn multiple titles "on both ends" of all of
their dog�s names. With outstanding temperaments and conformation as a base
requirement, Robin and Jim realize that the versatile, whole dog is most
important.Very active in their
kennel club and the AMCA, they truly enjoy working their dogs in all avenues available.
Mauya�s temperament
is true to the Poker Flat style. She is a people pleaser, adores her family and
most she meets, is a VERY easy keeper, quiet, and very well mannered.She has drive and power and is amicable
to most four-legged creatures she meets.She is too smart, and a little stubborn; but will melt in your arms for hugs
and snuggling. She is our once in a lifetime dog and we are honored to have her
in our lives.
Mirka was bred to Major in 2010. See the Puppies page for more details.
"Charger" - BISS CH Black Ice's High Voltage, AOM, WTD, WPD
Aurie was bred to Charger in 2008 and 2010. See the Puppies page for more details.
Charger is the dog we picked to breed Aurie to in 2008 and again in May of 2010; we welcomed our second Charger x Aurie litter, of seven puppies, on August 1, 2010. He is the sire of our dogs Penny, Sassy, and Huck and also of Winterstarz show dogs Kenai, Mahuk and Eir and pets Kosmo, Rocket, Nora, Juno, Aurora, Yukon, Lizzie, Carly and Kavik. He has sired four other litters, two in the USA, one in Denmark and one in Norway.
Charger was bred by David and Shilon Bedford of Black Ice Kennel and born in 2003, in a litter of 13! On Thanksgiving Day at age 16 weeks, he went to live "temporarily" with his current owner Karen Taylor. Karen has had many opportunities to be thankful since then, saying "he
was one of the sweetest puppies I had ever experienced" and "I soon
realized he was the show puppy I had tried to breed for 20 years!"
Charger's show career began when he was 6 months old, competing at several shows
in Colorado including a Malamute Specialty Show. He won his class at
each show and received many compliments from other Malamute breeders.
Then it was home to Minnesota where he has been shown the most. He
completed his conformation Championship with two 3-point major wins and
two 4-point major wins.
Showing
as a Champion in 2007, Charger earned enough Best Of Breed wins to be
ranked in the Top 25 Alaskan Malamutes in the country. This qualified
him to compete in the Eukanuba National Championship in Long Beach,
California in December 2007, where he received his Award of Merit (AOM) title and an invitation to compete at the Crufts Dog Show in England,
the largest dog show in the world!
Due
to the complicated requirements to take a dog into England, Charger
could not be entered in the Crufts show until 2009 - where he took 2nd
place of the 135 Malamutes shown and earned the title Reserve to Best
Dog!
In January 2011, Charger achieved another milestone in his show ring career, taking Best In Specialty Show (BISS) at an Alaskan Malamute Club of America show in St Paul, Minnesota.
Charger's
accomplishments were not limited to the show ring, as Karen also used
him for recreational dogsledding and carting. We enjoyed hosting Karen and her team of
Charger and his niece Freya for dogsledding here at WinterStar Farm,
and Karen said Charger "found his inner sled dog" during a long mushing
weekend in Northern Wisconsin in 2009. In 2010, Charger earned his Working Team Dog title for dogsledding, completing the first 12+ mile leg at the 2010 CrowDitarod here at WinterStar Farm. He then completed his four required 10 mile pack hikes in the spring to earn his Working Pack Dog title.
Karen
described Charger's temperament as "he travels very well, is very calm,
and always wants to please us. He is never aggressive with other dogs,
not even other male Malamutes! He is still the sweet boy who came to
live with me for a couple of weeks, but our bond has grown so much
stronger. I am so glad this wonderful dog came into my life!" Sadly, Charger died of unknown causes in early 2011. His legacy lives on through his many beautiful offspring.
"Mahuk" - Winterstarz Mahuk of Kataum BISS CH Black Ice's High Voltage, AOM, WTD, WPD X WInterstarz Flaming AE Aurigae, WTD, WPD, WLD
Mahuk (pronounced My-yook, which means "roots" in Inuit) is a black and white male born on Winterstar Farm January 1, 2009. He is the brother to our dogs Penny, Sassy and Huck, and is owned by Cees and Erna Hartveld of Kataum Inua Alaskan Malamutes in The Netherlands. Cees and Erna are Malamute breeders and dogsledders; in addition, Cees is a veterinarian and Erna is an international judge for dog shows. We were pleased to have such a beautiful puppy for them and always look forward to news from Holland!
Erna made the long trip to the USA in March 2009 to pick up Mahuk and fly home with him and says it was worth the trip! When Mahuk was 7 months old, Erna emailed us that "he is still the sweet boy, and loves to play with our other dogs in the yard. I take him biking, he thinks it is fun to trot alongside - but sometimes he likes to speed up and I have to be careful! He has the most wonderful coat and is doing very well."
Update December 2009: Erna writes, "Mahuk is doing great. Cees started to use him on the team, and boy does he likes that. When they are moving at a good speed, Mahuk's movement is excellent. Long strides with ease. His temperament is so far still wonderful. Very easy. He did grow in a huge boy, with long legs. His attitude, and his conformation + the rich sturdy good coat, makes him a good example of the breed. He just needs to mature before I will take him to shows, which of course is normal when you are not 1 year old yet." Thanks for the update Erna and Cees! Here are some photos:
Update May 2010: Erna writes that Mahuk is growing well and they plan to show him later this year. Here are some photos of Mahuk at age 17 months.
"Kenai" - Winterstarz Cute as a Daisy, CD BISS CH Black Ice's High Voltage, AOM, WTD, WPD X WInterstarz Flaming AE Aurigae, WTD, WPD, WLD
Kenai is a Winterstarz puppy born January 1, 2009; she is the sister of our dogs Penny and Sassy, and also of Mahuk and Eir. She is owned by Tom and Kiki Batina and their family who live in Minnesota. Tom contacted us looking for a puppy with Black Ice bloodlines, and was excited that we had just the litter he was looking for! He was especially looking for a puppy to train for Obedience, as he has competed very successfully with his older Malamute "Kodiak" - Tiaga's My Son's Best Friend, UD, earning a Utility Dog obedience title with him.
Tom and his family visited us several times while the puppies were small,
and were impressed that we
were breeding to promote excellent temperaments and strongworking
qualities in our dogs.At seven
weeks of age, Tom along with Dan Rode from Water's Edge Dog Center where we train our dogs, evaluated our litter to see which pups might be best suited for
obedience, conformation, and families with children.We were delighted to find the temperaments of all the pups were very stable and accepting of human direction. Based on the puppy temperament/aptitude test results, we thought Kenai best matched the puppy that would team well with Tom in obedience competition and make a great family pet. As a bonus, Kenai also looked to be a good conformation show prospect! With this news, Tom decided to expand his showing repertoire and is training Kenai (and himself) for the conformation show ring, in addition to obedience! We often see Tom and Kenai at training class and have enjoyed being able to watch Kenai grow. Tom says "We are delighted with Kenai. The temperament test was a great predictor of the pup we now have. Our children love her and she is extremely affectionate with all. She has displayed an exceptional aptitude for obedience work and has a strong desire to please." We look forward to more news about Kenai and her family!
Update January 2010: Tom and Kenai
entered the obedience ring for the first time and
Kenai earned her CD (Companion Dog) title in style! On day 1 she scored 190 out of 200; on day 2 she
placed 3rd with 193.5; and on day 3 she WON with a 196! Kenai is also working well as a sled dog, she has run with our team and pulls
a dogsled Tom built around the golf course by their home.
Congratulations Tom and Kenai!
"Eir" - Winterstarz Eir of Greystone Shadow
BISS CH Black Ice's High Voltage, AOM, WTD, WPD X WInterstarz Flaming AE Aurigae, WTD, WPD, WLD
Eir was born on WinterStar Farm January 1, 2009 and is owned by Malamute breeders and dogsledders Christine and Xavier Michel of Greystone Shadow Kennel in south-eastern France. She is the sister of Penny, Sassy, Huck, Mahuk and Kenai. Eir is a really beautiful puppy with the potential for showing and breeding, and so we were excited to hear from Christine that she had been looking for a female with Black Ice bloodlines to add to her kennel.
Since Eir arrived in France in March 2009, Christine has emailed us to say "Thank you for all the work you have done with my little girl. I am very proud to have a puppy from YOUR litter, Eir has an excellent pedigree, the best breeding I have seen in a long time! Within three minutes of arriving here from her long trip, she was playing with my other dogs. I am very happy with her temperament and impressed by her bravery, she is a lovely girl. Continue to pursue such good bloodlines!"