Our kennel Philosophy...
St. Hugh's Mountain Kennel dogs are working dogs. We do not raise dogs for companionship, or as a status symbol to prop up a human ego. We simply want a dog to fulfill a working purpose, for a working dog is a happy dog. Unlike many breeders, being members of a purebred registry or winning show titles is not our goal. It is performance of a dog in real life practical tasks that determines how we choose our dams and sires. We at present are offering four breeds, Siberian Liakas, American Akitas, Central Asian Shepherds, and our own unique breed of Alaskan freight huskies.
We began here in Alaska as homestead mushers. In rural Alaska many people use sled dogs for a multitude of essential tasks, usually hauling something with a sled, but also as a means of travel in the remote bush. After 15 years we developed our own distinctive freight dog genetics and hope to continue the line for many more years.
In the past few years we have come to appreciate the need for good northern hunting breeds for our remote Alaskan outdoor lifestyle. So we added some Siberian Liakas to our kennel for hunting purposes. The Siberian Liaka is probably one of the most unspoiled primitive hunting breeds still used for hunting today.
In rural Alaska one is one's own defense against crime and other dangers, for the nearest law enforcement is often at least an hour away. For this reason, we also added American Akitas and Central Asian Shepherds to our kennel. Our Akitas are very good at guarding the homestead from bears and other large animals that occasionally intrude into our living space. Having a large protective dog with active senses makes traveling the remote bush and mountain trails much safer. We are less likely to have a surprise encounter with bears or wolves.
Prepper Dog... A New Idea Or One Rediscovered?
Prepper culture has gone mainstream lately. The prepper dog has become a theory as yet to be defined. In the Far North dogs have always been, "prepper dogs," or survival dogs. Yet the idea is worthy of updating to our present situation. We plan to create a hybrid breed of prepper dog in the future...
What traits are needed for a prepper dog? Many preppers are writing about it, and it seems that whatever they already have is their prepper dog. But if we begin to plan and build a distinctive prepper breed from scratch, adapted to our circumstances, then certain traits are to be isolated and encouraged in the breeding program.
Our plan is for a rural northern prepper dog, since we live in Alaska. Such a dog would be appropriate for states that have cold winters and ample wilderness. The primary traits should be 1.)Guardian instinct 2.)Physically powerful 3.)Winter hardy coat 4.)Hunting ability 5.)fuel efficient 6.)a tag along dog 7.)able to form a united pack and get along with each other.
In a long term, and short term survival situation, a dog must help provide security, food, and transportation. A hybrid of Akita, Central Asian shepherd, husky, and various hunting breeds would provide all these traits. The resulting fusion of breeds would result in a dog that is alert to intruders, help you hold prey at bay, and could transport gear in a dog pack or sled. This would be the Northern Prepper Dog...
...All of these breeds at one time were basically the prepper dog of their respective places of origin. But over time they were bred for specialization, usually focusing on one task rather than diversity. For example the Akita once was both an excellent hunting dog while at the same time a vigilant guardian, and could be trained to wear a pack and pull a cart. But the modern American Akita is primarily a guardian dog and companion, having lost it's original hunting alertness. The Malamute used to be used as a hunting dog also, but over time most have lost that primal hunting drive, and many are not even fit to pull a sled, for many breeders have only bred for appearance and companionship.
A new prepper dog would come from selectively breeding dogs of all the needed traits over several generations until these traits become standard and predictable. Fortunately the breed choices are all very similar in appearance and hold many traits already in common. To read more about this plan visit our blog.
