News/Updates at Kodivaro Siberians!
April 2, 2023 - We might have done it on April 1st, but this is no joke! As of today my pack all officially have their DMWYD Easter Bunny Run 3k titles (BR3K-23) and are the first 3 Siberian Huskies worldwide to do so.
There are still a few slots open for signups - come hop into Easter with your dogs too! (As always, thank you to Cheryl Strelbicki-Cieslinski for doing the evaluation/verification.)
There are still a few slots open for signups - come hop into Easter with your dogs too! (As always, thank you to Cheryl Strelbicki-Cieslinski for doing the evaluation/verification.)
March 9, 2023 - A bit of sad news today. After giving everyone 2 weeks to settle in, Zira is proving not to be a good fit with the rest of the pack, so I unfortunately had to make the decision to return her to her breeder/co-owner this Saturday. She is so sweet and friendly, and I hate that it didn't work out, but it is always harder to integrate an adult dog into the pack than a young puppy and she just didn't mesh with the other three.
I'll miss her, but some things just aren't meant to be. I'll stay on as her co-owner, and she'll keep her name, but she'll go back to live with Alicia at Rys N Hy.
This also unfortunately means that for the time being, I have no future breeding plans. I'll continue showing and titling Zorro (and Kodi and Shiva on occasion) but for now my first priority is going to be looking at getting a bigger house and property large enough for a hybrid house/kennel setup for the dogs. After that I'll look at adding another female show/breeding prospect.
Goodbye, Zira! I wish you all the best, and I know you'll be excited to see your mom again this weekend.
I'll miss her, but some things just aren't meant to be. I'll stay on as her co-owner, and she'll keep her name, but she'll go back to live with Alicia at Rys N Hy.
This also unfortunately means that for the time being, I have no future breeding plans. I'll continue showing and titling Zorro (and Kodi and Shiva on occasion) but for now my first priority is going to be looking at getting a bigger house and property large enough for a hybrid house/kennel setup for the dogs. After that I'll look at adding another female show/breeding prospect.
Goodbye, Zira! I wish you all the best, and I know you'll be excited to see your mom again this weekend.
February 25, 2023 - The dogs and I had a great time at the APRI show in Harrisonville, MO, and now I've finally got time to sit down and post the weekend recap!
It was a very emotional weekend for me for many reasons, and I won't lie, I had a lot of anxiety roiling just under the surface the whole time. In spite of this, the weekend was full of several personal victories that I feel are worth mentioning.
To start with, Zorro is not a huge fan of shows; he was my "COVID puppy" who didn't get as much socialization and showing as Kodi and Shiva. He enjoyed baby puppy shows, but when he started entering a shy/fearful period around strangers at about 9 months old, I unfortunately didn't notice or act as fast as I should've, so we've been playing catch-up ever since. He is so sweet, trainable, and willing to please, and at home he thinks he's the biggest stud muffin around. But after that early teenage fear period he's been very much a one-person dog and wary of strangers, so shows are understandably not his favorite place to be. The morning of the show, his coat also decided to go from nice and tight to loosening up all at once as soon as he hit the bathtub, which almost derailed my resolve completely. But I knew he needed the experience, and so I decided regardless of how his coat looked we were going to go in the ring.
Everything ended up working out better than I could have asked for. Zorro did wonderfully; he was definitely still nervous about being gone over, but he stood and allowed it, which even a few months ago would not have happened at all. He got more confident and less clingy with every time we stepped into the ring. He wasn't as relaxed in the crate as some of the others in our setup, but he didn't scream for me when I was out of sight and even laid down and slept, which again, a few months ago he would never have been at ease enough to do. By the end of the day he even approached a couple of strangers for a short scratch on the head and a treat, which was HUGE for him. He ended up looking very handsome in spite of a few stray tufts that I couldn't quite hide, and we got some great pictures that I absolutely love.
All of these things by themselves made the trip worth it. Zorro is a fantastic dog, and although I unintentionally dropped the ball on part of his socialization, he is proving over and over again that he can absolutely still learn and grow more comfortable with enough time and patience. I am so proud of him, and in time I'd like to work back up to UKC and, hopefully, even AKC shows with him.
Not to be forgotten, of course, a huge highlight of the weekend was meeting my sweet new baby Zira! She acted like the silly, happy-go-lucky teenage puppy she still is, but still showed well. She got plenty of pets from all of us, and although I haven't gotten much one-on-one with her yet because of all the work I was putting in with Zorro, I can already tell she is as sweet as sugar. We're going to have so much fun together!
To cap it all off, both dogs finished their APRI Championships, so we have a new title each to show for the weekend. I'm so proud of these guys, and I'm proud of myself too. We got some lovely new photos of both dogs thanks to their awesome breeder/co-owner Alicia Renea Rys, and I proved to myself I can push through my anxiety and have fun at shows again. Now we're going to be getting back to the show and performance events all of us love so much, and I know we'll be having a ton of fun as we go along.
Here's to a year of fun with my new "Z Team" (and of course Kodi and Shiva too!) Good boy, Zorro, and welcome to the family, Zira! 💛💜
It was a very emotional weekend for me for many reasons, and I won't lie, I had a lot of anxiety roiling just under the surface the whole time. In spite of this, the weekend was full of several personal victories that I feel are worth mentioning.
To start with, Zorro is not a huge fan of shows; he was my "COVID puppy" who didn't get as much socialization and showing as Kodi and Shiva. He enjoyed baby puppy shows, but when he started entering a shy/fearful period around strangers at about 9 months old, I unfortunately didn't notice or act as fast as I should've, so we've been playing catch-up ever since. He is so sweet, trainable, and willing to please, and at home he thinks he's the biggest stud muffin around. But after that early teenage fear period he's been very much a one-person dog and wary of strangers, so shows are understandably not his favorite place to be. The morning of the show, his coat also decided to go from nice and tight to loosening up all at once as soon as he hit the bathtub, which almost derailed my resolve completely. But I knew he needed the experience, and so I decided regardless of how his coat looked we were going to go in the ring.
Everything ended up working out better than I could have asked for. Zorro did wonderfully; he was definitely still nervous about being gone over, but he stood and allowed it, which even a few months ago would not have happened at all. He got more confident and less clingy with every time we stepped into the ring. He wasn't as relaxed in the crate as some of the others in our setup, but he didn't scream for me when I was out of sight and even laid down and slept, which again, a few months ago he would never have been at ease enough to do. By the end of the day he even approached a couple of strangers for a short scratch on the head and a treat, which was HUGE for him. He ended up looking very handsome in spite of a few stray tufts that I couldn't quite hide, and we got some great pictures that I absolutely love.
All of these things by themselves made the trip worth it. Zorro is a fantastic dog, and although I unintentionally dropped the ball on part of his socialization, he is proving over and over again that he can absolutely still learn and grow more comfortable with enough time and patience. I am so proud of him, and in time I'd like to work back up to UKC and, hopefully, even AKC shows with him.
Not to be forgotten, of course, a huge highlight of the weekend was meeting my sweet new baby Zira! She acted like the silly, happy-go-lucky teenage puppy she still is, but still showed well. She got plenty of pets from all of us, and although I haven't gotten much one-on-one with her yet because of all the work I was putting in with Zorro, I can already tell she is as sweet as sugar. We're going to have so much fun together!
To cap it all off, both dogs finished their APRI Championships, so we have a new title each to show for the weekend. I'm so proud of these guys, and I'm proud of myself too. We got some lovely new photos of both dogs thanks to their awesome breeder/co-owner Alicia Renea Rys, and I proved to myself I can push through my anxiety and have fun at shows again. Now we're going to be getting back to the show and performance events all of us love so much, and I know we'll be having a ton of fun as we go along.
Here's to a year of fun with my new "Z Team" (and of course Kodi and Shiva too!) Good boy, Zorro, and welcome to the family, Zira! 💛💜
February 22, 2023 - There has been a big new breakthrough in health testing for the Siberian Husky breed! Thanks to the tireless efforts of breeders and researchers, the genes for both Shaking Puppy Syndrome (SPS1) and Siberian Husky Polyneuropathy (SHPN1) have been isolated and are now available for testing through the University of Minnesota.
Both of these conditions are lethal (SPS more quickly than SHPN) and while they are currently found more often in working-line Siberians they are not isolated to these populations and should be tested for in all breeding dogs. I will be adding the SPS1 and SHPN1 tests to my list of pre-breeding health clearances for all of my dogs moving forward.
Tests can be purchased through the UMN Genetics Lab here.
Any single test is available for $65 each for 1-3 dogs, or $58 each for 4+ dogs. Both tests together as a "combo" are $100 each for 1-3 dogs, or $85 each for 4+ dogs.
Both of these conditions are lethal (SPS more quickly than SHPN) and while they are currently found more often in working-line Siberians they are not isolated to these populations and should be tested for in all breeding dogs. I will be adding the SPS1 and SHPN1 tests to my list of pre-breeding health clearances for all of my dogs moving forward.
Tests can be purchased through the UMN Genetics Lab here.
Any single test is available for $65 each for 1-3 dogs, or $58 each for 4+ dogs. Both tests together as a "combo" are $100 each for 1-3 dogs, or $85 each for 4+ dogs.
February 10, 2023 - Happy 7th birthday to the boy who started it all:
OHBIG BPBIG AKC Ptd/ BIS RBIS MABIS MARBIS UKC CH ALCH/ IABCA IntCH/ ICE IntCH NatCH/ MRBJIS ICKC JrCH IC-CHSP IC-CHC/ APRI CH/ BIS-1 MBIS-3 ACA Ptd
Echoing Wind's Kruizin Kodiak Moment "Kodi"
CAA VHMA ATT CGCA CGCU FDC RN TKA SPOT 2K9 T3 PKD-T ICN IMN ICECC-CH1 DPUK-EXFL1 OD-WD3
AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, AKC Achiever Dog, AKC PupPal
He goes by many names: The Kodi-Man, Kodester, Kodi-Rodi, Roaders, and (for me and my mom) The Great Prince. He has been my rock through 7 years of ups and downs, successes and failures, lessons learned, and friendships gained and lost. He's been by my side through some of the best and worst times of my life and always seems to know exactly what I need, whether that be a goofy roo-rooing clown, a gentle and calm pup-sitter, or a fluffy shoulder to cry on. (Sometimes all three.)
Now that he's officially a Veteran, I plan to finish his UKC Altered GCH this year and then let him enjoy his retirement except for the occasional Veteran class match or Lure Coursing weekend.
No matter what, we'll continue enjoying the journey together wherever it takes us. He is my heart dog, and to quote a line from Old Yeller (one of Kodi's favorite movies as well as mine):
"You won't never see another one like 'im."
OHBIG BPBIG AKC Ptd/ BIS RBIS MABIS MARBIS UKC CH ALCH/ IABCA IntCH/ ICE IntCH NatCH/ MRBJIS ICKC JrCH IC-CHSP IC-CHC/ APRI CH/ BIS-1 MBIS-3 ACA Ptd
Echoing Wind's Kruizin Kodiak Moment "Kodi"
CAA VHMA ATT CGCA CGCU FDC RN TKA SPOT 2K9 T3 PKD-T ICN IMN ICECC-CH1 DPUK-EXFL1 OD-WD3
AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, AKC Achiever Dog, AKC PupPal
He goes by many names: The Kodi-Man, Kodester, Kodi-Rodi, Roaders, and (for me and my mom) The Great Prince. He has been my rock through 7 years of ups and downs, successes and failures, lessons learned, and friendships gained and lost. He's been by my side through some of the best and worst times of my life and always seems to know exactly what I need, whether that be a goofy roo-rooing clown, a gentle and calm pup-sitter, or a fluffy shoulder to cry on. (Sometimes all three.)
Now that he's officially a Veteran, I plan to finish his UKC Altered GCH this year and then let him enjoy his retirement except for the occasional Veteran class match or Lure Coursing weekend.
No matter what, we'll continue enjoying the journey together wherever it takes us. He is my heart dog, and to quote a line from Old Yeller (one of Kodi's favorite movies as well as mine):
"You won't never see another one like 'im."
February 9, 2023 - Alright, that's it, I'm too excited to keep the cat in the bag any longer!
Introducing my new baby (although I guess at 11 months she's not really a baby anymore!) who will be coming to live with me in a little over 2 weeks:
Rys N Hy A New Beginning At Kodivaro, aka "Zira!"
Sire: UKC Ptd Ninaktay Zavodnoy Apelsin "OJ"
Dam: UKC CH/ IABCA IntCH NatCH Rys N Hy Lunar Star VHMP CGC TKN "Lyra"
Zira is the older half-sister of my dearly departed "Zara" (UKC BPIS Rys N Hy New Horizons At Kodivaro SSH SOR A+ OD-JP3) through their sire OJ, and has many physical and behavioral similarities to her little sister. They even share the same bi-colored eyes, with the blue and brown eye mirrored between them. I chose her registered and call names in honor of this resemblance, and as a way to enable Zara's memory to live on with her. Zara meant "radiant" or "a flower, to bloom" in Arabic and "princess" in Hebrew, and so I always associated her with the sun and bright colors. In contrast, "Zira" means "moonlight" in Swahili and "the path" or "messenger" in Hebrew. So in addition to the similar sound, the names mean that while little Zara was the sun, her big sister can be her reflection, the moon.
I am so very grateful to Alicia Renea Rys for entrusting me with another sweet, beautiful girl. I can't wait to meet her and get into the show and performance rings together later this year. I know we're going to have a ton of fun in whatever venues we try out together. See you soon, Zira! 💜🌝
Introducing my new baby (although I guess at 11 months she's not really a baby anymore!) who will be coming to live with me in a little over 2 weeks:
Rys N Hy A New Beginning At Kodivaro, aka "Zira!"
Sire: UKC Ptd Ninaktay Zavodnoy Apelsin "OJ"
Dam: UKC CH/ IABCA IntCH NatCH Rys N Hy Lunar Star VHMP CGC TKN "Lyra"
Zira is the older half-sister of my dearly departed "Zara" (UKC BPIS Rys N Hy New Horizons At Kodivaro SSH SOR A+ OD-JP3) through their sire OJ, and has many physical and behavioral similarities to her little sister. They even share the same bi-colored eyes, with the blue and brown eye mirrored between them. I chose her registered and call names in honor of this resemblance, and as a way to enable Zara's memory to live on with her. Zara meant "radiant" or "a flower, to bloom" in Arabic and "princess" in Hebrew, and so I always associated her with the sun and bright colors. In contrast, "Zira" means "moonlight" in Swahili and "the path" or "messenger" in Hebrew. So in addition to the similar sound, the names mean that while little Zara was the sun, her big sister can be her reflection, the moon.
I am so very grateful to Alicia Renea Rys for entrusting me with another sweet, beautiful girl. I can't wait to meet her and get into the show and performance rings together later this year. I know we're going to have a ton of fun in whatever venues we try out together. See you soon, Zira! 💜🌝
January 15, 2023 - The time has finally come. We will be adding another member to the Kodivaro pack very soon. Stay tuned...
January 9, 2023 - Today was a big day for Shiva the Diva. She visited the vet and got spayed this morning, and arrived home this evening. The incision is nice and clean, and she is groggy but has some good pain meds and a soft bed waiting for her. (The spay was a personal choice on my end, not due to any health or behavioral issues.) Once she's recovered, we can get back to doing all the performance events we want together - no more being barred from competition due to being in heat, and no more howling from the boys because she's off-limits!
