Miniature Siberian Huskies
The Alaskan Klee Klai are a breed of dog better known as Miniature Siberian Huskies. They look almost identical to normal sized Siberian Huskies, only miniaturized, as the name suggests. In fact, Alaska Klee Klai translates literally from Alaskan Athabaskan to mean ‘small dog.’ The breed came into existence in order to provide people with a companion sized version of the full-sized husky. Many people wished to have ownership of the majestic and much sought after Siberian Husky, but had limited space or other pet-related restrictions that simply did not allow for them to own the large dogs.
Origins
Miniature Siberian Huskies actually came into existence purely by accident. A woman by the name of Linda S. Spurlin, of Wassilla, Alaska, first noticed the possibilities of miniature huskies when her full-sized husky became pregnant by a small dog of unknown breed. It was at this time that Spurlin began purposefully breeding the smaller breed of dog in secret. She used Siberian and Alaskan Huskies, breeding them with Schippereke and American Eskimo Dogs. This ensured that the new breed of dog would be small, but without any dwarfish deformities. When Spurlin finally did release her new breed to the public, the result was an adorably small sized husky with proportions akin to the full sized breed, but with a few small differences. These differences include a shorter muzzle, ears that are proportionately larger, and a higher tail set. These differences did not make a huge difference in the overall appearance of the Miniature Siberian Husky, however.
Sizes
Alaskan Klee Klai come in a variety of colors and sizes. There are three different color variations recognized as standard for the breed. These include: black and white, gray and white, or red and white. There are also three size variations which are recognized as a standard for the breed. These include toy-sized (anything up to 33 cm), miniature sized (between 33 and 38 cm high), and standard sized (between 38 and 43 cm).
Getting a Mini
Today the Alaskan Klee Klai are a more widespread breed than they were when the breed was first released to the public. They are still a fairly rare breed, however, and are one of the breeds recognized by the American Rare Breed Association (ARBA). Availability of Miniature Siberian Huskies varies entirely by location. If you were serious about making an Alaskan Klee Klai a member of your family, however, you would be available to find a breeder within a somewhat reasonable proximity of where you live. An average litter size, however, is only between one and three pups, which causes these Miniature Siberian Huskies to be a rather expensive breed to purchase. Offsetting the expensive purchase price, however, is the fact that the Alaskan Klee Klai are an inexpensive breed to maintain.