Avatea Northern Inuit Dogs
About
Sniff
the den
Pagans litter 2011
Shailah litter 2009
About
Avatea Northern Inuits
Small breeder based in Newark
Information on NI dogs
Dog breed in Game of Thrones
excellent health
excellent temperament
family dogs
History of the Northern Inuits
Occasional litters of puppies
contact us
Northern Inuit Society
registered breeders
ethical breeding for health
health temperament and type
find out more
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Welcome
Recent News:18.11.11The puppies from Rosa's recent litter have now found their loving forever homes. Check back for details of upcoming litters for 2012.01.11.11Rosa's pups are due to arrive on the 13th of November 2011. Daddy is Champion Stud dog Mahlek Olakhota Innukatuk (Nukki). We are still taking registrations of interest in these puppies at the moment, so please feel free to contact us using our 'speak' form for more details. 31.08.11Congratulations to Wild Northern Inuits who now have confirmed pregnancy for Taryn (Avatea Red Sky at Night Wild's Delight) who is expecting her first litter over the next few weeks!16.08.11Happy birthday Heath! Heath is two years old today and daddy to a beautiful litter of 7 puppies. We still have two pure white bitch puppies available. Please contact us for more details!04.08.11Puppies have arrived! 7 stunning pups were delivered on the 1st of August. It was a really lengthy whelp for poor Pagan and she's recovering well. Pictures will be added soon into the 'Sniff' section and by 'entering the den...' 15.07.11Avatea are looking forward to the arrival of puppies from Pagan and Heath both of whom are new to the breeding lines. Watch this space for details of puppies when they arrive. Expected delivery date is the 30th of July 2011.25.06.11Avatea Autumn Promise (Hero) has placed 1st in her class and Best Puppy in Show the Northern Inuit Society shows at Essex and Bakewell this year. This means she now has two silver stars added to her pedigree title as a sign of a rising star. The NIS still has 3 more shows that Hero is itching to get to so watch this space for more news from the show ring.The Avatea offspring have been doing exceptionally well in the show ring with Avatea bred puppies and dogs taking away 1st, 3rd and 4th in Puppy 6-12months, 3rd in Special Yearling, 1st and 3rd in Open Bitch, 1st in White NI, 3rd in Spayed and Neutered, as well as the BEST PUP IN SHOW for Hero at Bakewell.
Avatea Northern Inuits is based in Newark, Nottinghamshire. We currently have 6 beautiful Northern Inuit dogs and produce occasional litters of puppies in line with the strict breeders code of ethics for the Northern Inuit Society (the only registering body of the true Northern Inuit Dog)Please take a look around our site and Sniff (meet the dogs), Dig (find out about the breed history and questions and answers), Speak (contact us) and Shake (meet some friends of Avatea). Finally 'heel' if you need to come back to the home page for recent news from the Avatea kennels.
Sniff
ABOUT
About
Sniff
the den
Pagans litter 2011
Shailah litter 2009
Shailahs litter
Our journey with these fabulous dogs began around 5 years ago when I moved in next door to Julie Kelham the founder breeder of the Northern Inuit Dog and the Northern Inuit Society. I had never intended to have dogs in my life and it was only when James and Julie conspired to bring Raven (Hero and Loki's sire) over to meet me than I fell instantly and utterly in love. It wasn't his incredible stature or hansome good looks but something about the air of these dogs that made me realise that they were like no other breed and something to be treasured and cared for.It seems odd to think that 5 years have passed since that day and despite some very steep learning curves to adapt to the uniqueness of these dogs we have never looked back and our kennels continue to go from strength to strength...Click on the photos opposite to meet our pack and fall in love with them as much as we have.
or enter the den...
the den
Welcome to the den
Rosa's puppies 2011 photos coming soon...
Pagans litter 2011
Mahlek Avatea Stormborn
Mahlek Avatea Khaleesi
Mahlek Avatea Lady of the Vale
Mahlek Avatea Lord Commander
Mahlek Avatea Kings Justice
Mahlek Avatea Prince of Sunspe
Mahlek Avatea Wilding
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Pagan's puppies 2011 at 4 weeks old
Born 1st of August 2011
Mahlek Avatea Stormborn, Mahlek Avatea Khalessi, Mahlek Avatea Lord Commander of the Kingsguard (Jaime), Mahlek Avatea Kings Justice (Mako), Mahlek Avatea Lady of the Vale (Dova), Mahlek Avatea Prince of Sunspear
Shailah litter 2009
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5th of January 2009
Avatea Snow Patrol (Takoda), Avatea Crystal Rain (Gem), Avatea Russian Princess (Willow), Avatea First Snow (Spirit), Avatea Artic Explorer (Shadow), Avatea Black Ice (Rocky) and Avatea Aurora (Luna)
Shailahs litter
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22nd of September 2010
Avatea Autumn Promise (Hero), Avaeta Second Spring (Tala), Avatea Harvest Moon (Moon), Avatea Thor's Applause (Thor), Avatea Equinox (Echo) and Avaeta Haymaker (Koda)
Rosas litter
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28th of June 2009
On the 28th of June 2009 I was woken early by Rosa calling me gently at the bottom of the stairs. She had taken over the past week or so, to calling me downstairs for some company and whilst she snoozed by the sofa i'd wrap myself up in a blanket and attempt to gain the last of my forty winks before carrying on with the day. But not today. No sooner had I settled myself down with my blanket when Rosa gently got hold of one corner and pulled it onto the floor, looking at me intently. She then led me into the den and thirty minutes later eased out our first Rosie puppy, Avatea Dawn Chorus (Sakura). Avatea Red Sky at Night Wild's Delight (Taryn), Avatea Kiss from a Rose (Kaiser), Avatea Calypso (Kaylo) and Avatea Hunter of the Snark (Wilf) all followed in a timely fashion before she decided to take a 9 hour rest, leading us to believe that she had finished up for the day. But lo and behold just before tucking in time Avatea Lady in Red (Susi) graced us with her presence. The biggest puppy of them all and eager to get her share of the milk despite her siblings having such a headstart on her!
Shailah
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Shailah Olakhota Sacred Spirit of Avatea
Born on 5th of January 2007Height: 23 inchesWeight: 27kgColour: Silver greyEye Colour: YellowBVA Hip Score: 6:5Shailah is the original Avatea dog. She came to us 5 years ago as a youngester and she has been in charge of the pack that has grown around her ever since.She is highly intelligent and very eager to please. She is also a bit of a warrior when it comes to play fighting due to her petiteness, speed and energy!Shailah has had two stunning litters to date, the most recent of which produced our stunning girl Hero.
Pagan
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Pagan Olakhota Requiem for a Dream
Born on 5th of January 2007Height: 27 inchesWeight: 35kgColour: Pure WhiteEye Colour: YellowBVA Hip Score: 5:6Pagan is a gentle soul and is a heartwarming girl to be around. She loves her pack and will happily loll in the sunshine with Heath or spend the day sparring with her litter sister Shailah or niece Hero.As a pure white Northern Inuit Pagan is rare and a stunning example of how white Northern Inuit's should look. Pagan is currently owned in breeding partnership with the Mahlek kennels and we are hoping that she will have a litter this year- definately puppies to watch out for!
Rosa
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Rosa Olakhota Ayasha of Avatea
Born on 28th of October 2005Height: 24 inchesWeight: 33kgColour: RedEye Colour: Dark Amber/ BrownBVA Hip Score: 24Rosa is the rarest colour of all of our dogs as there are not many true red Northern Inuits around. She is also the oldest of our very young pack but by no means in charge! She is definately her own best friend and is always happy especially when her people are around. We have often wondered whether Rosa is indeed part kangaroo as her enthusiasm bubbles over when we arrive home.Rosa has had one litter of stunning reds and very dark grey puppies and made an extremely natural mother during birth and raising her puppies. Two of her puppies have been health tested with excellent results. Kaylo (Avatea Calypso) returned an excellent hipscore result total of 10 and Taryn (Avatea Red Sky at Night Wild's Delight) has a total hipscore of 11 and 0 for elbows, with clear eye test results as well. Taryn has now had a litter of 9 beautiful puppies and proved to be just as natural a mum as Rosa with some of our very special reds continued in the lines!
Meet Rosa's puppies all grown up...
Heath
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Heath Mahlek Unchained Melody of Avatea
Born 16th of August 2009Height: 27 inchesWeight: 38kgColour: Tawny/Silver GreyEye Colour: Light AmberBVA Hip Score: 5:4BVA Elbow Score: 0:0We knew that Heath was a special born and destined to join us as Avatea from the day that he was born.Heath is incredibly loving, loyal and playful. As you can see from his photos he loves swimming and especially loves ducks, swans, geese... anything flapping away in his own personal swimming pool!
Loki
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Loki Mahlek Dark Lord of Avatea
Born on 23rd of September 2008Height: 29 inchesWeight: 36kgColour: Dark greyEye colour: Deep AmberLoki was the first boy to join us at Avatea and frankly we'd have a entire house full of dogs just like him if we could. Our gentle giant, Loki loves nothing better than to lay on the living room floor as a pillow for our six year old whilst she watches tv. Loki is an absolute gentleman in every respect and rarely has a cross word to say to his sometimes boisterous pack.At a cool 29 inches tall, Loki long legs is one of the largest Northern Inuit dogs you'll meet and he certainly turns heads on the street during walk time!
Hero
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Hero Avatea Autumn Promise
Born on 22nd of September 2010Height: 27 inchesWeight: 32kgColour: Dark wolf greyEye Colour: AmberHero is the latest addition to the Avatea pack and she has been exactly that, a Hero. She is incredibly intelligent (proven by her current trick of undoing the two latches and the dog run and manoevring the spring loaded gate open to let herself out!) she is very focussed and trains very easily having leapfrogged through her Bronze KC obedience classes after only 4 weeks. Hero has been enjoying her early career in the show ring taking home Best Puppy in Show at two Northern Inuit Society shows despite strong competion. Hero now has two 'Silver Stars' after her pedigree name in recognition of her rising star status.
Dig
Breed StandardGENERAL APPEARANCE:A dog of medium build, athletic but never racy.HEAD:Not too broad, skull slightly domed. Muzzle equal in length to skull, strong and gently tapering. Cheeks flat. Nose preferably black but a snow nose is permitted. Nostrils large. Slight stop. Lips close fitting and black. Perfect scissor bite.EARS:Fairly wide apart but not low set. Not too large, carried erect. EYES:Oval and set at a slightly oblique angle. any Colour permitted. NECK:Strong and muscular with a well defined nape.FOREQUARTERS:Shoulders flat. Moderately angulated upper arm but shoulder blades well laid back. Elbows fitting close to the chest which must not be too broad ( approx 4 finger width between front legs ) or drop below the elbow. Distance from ground to elbow slightly greater than that from elbow to withers. Oval bone, neither too heavy or too light, pasterns upright but flexible. Feet oval and toes open and well knuckled. Pads black and well cushioned with hair. BODY:Topline level, Ribs long to give overall proportions of height to length as 10 9, well sprung from the spine but flattening on the sides to allow the elbows to move freely. Loin short and deep with no exaggerated tuck up. Croup broad and fairly short but not steep. The tail is a smooth continuation of the croup and must reach no further than the point of the hock. May be lifted when excited and carried upright or sickle in movement. HINDQUARTERS:Well angulated with broad, muscular thighs, the strength being carried through to the second thigh. Hocks short and perpendicular to the ground. Upright when viewed from the rear. Feet oval, can have five rear toes. Removal of dewclaws optional. COAT:Dense, waterproof double coat, slightly coarse in texture. Body coat 3 5 cm. Longer on ruff and breechings. Tail bushy.GAIT:Far reaching, covering the ground with an easy stride.SIZE:Height: Bitches-Minimum 23 (59 cm) Maximum -28 (71 cm) Dogs- Minimum 25 (64 cm.) Maximum 30 (76 cm)Overall balance more important than size.COLOUR:Pure white or any Colour Sable from Grey or Apricot through to pure black. White faces permitted on any Colour. Masklike or cap like markings permitted on the faces of any Colour other than whites. Where white appears on the legs and feet the Colour change must be gradual.TEMPERAMENT:Friendly, placid and out goingNote. Males should have two apparently normal testicles descended into the scrotum. FAULTS: Curly tails, long or single coats, Ink Marked, black and tan colours. Cow or sickle hocks. Any departure from the standard should be considered a fault; the seriousness with which the fault is regarded should be in proportion to its degree.
History of the Northern Inuit DogThe Northern Inuit dog began back in the 1980s during the time where you could buy a tiger in Harrods. Being different was everything a wild was 'in'. Two inuit type dogs were imported into the UK as 'wolf hybrids' though no one can be fully as sure as to how much wolf, if any, was present in these dogs. The original founder breeders then began outcrossing these dogs to established 'Northern' breeds such as the Husky and Malamute to maintain the wolfy looks and to German Shepherds for trainability.In the 1990s there was an increase in the amount of advertisements offering ‘wolf hybrid’ pups for sale. As the recent ‘Pit Bull’ horror stories from an over zealous tabloid press emerged, the RSPCA and other authorities grabbed the chance to try and have many people prosecuted and their dogs confiscated under the Dangerous Wild Animal Act. Because of all the controversy surrounding any wolfy looking dogs, a group of people got together to try and safeguard the future of their dogs that had been long established and had proven placid temperaments. These dogs were given the name ‘the Northern Inuit dog’ due to the Northern breeds and Inuit type dogs that were used to create the breed. At the time of the N.I being established, one of the founders of the breed, Julie Kelham, had the local authorities hammering at her door, trying to seize her dogs as dangerous wild animals. Although they went away empty handed, it resulted in a court case being brought against her at the local magistrates court on the 20th of june 1998. At this time, the N.I was well established as a breed of dog and not as a wolf hybrid. The end result of the court case was a not guilty verdict due to the fact that it could not be proven that there was any wolf content in the breed depsite genetic testing.Following the turbulent times in the 1990s the Northrn Inuit Dog has flourished under the guidance and support of the Northern Inuit Society. Through scrupulous policing from the NIS, the Northern Inuit Dog has gone on to become one of the healthiest breed of dog with an average BVA hipscore for registered Northern Inuit Dogs of 15 and now 3 registered NIs with 0:0 perfect hipscores.Unfortunately offshoot breeders have attempted to cross NI dogs with various other breeds and some stories remain (usually via unreliable sources) the the NI inuit dogs still retain some hereditary diseases. Thorough investigation will almost always reveal that these dogs are not registered NIs. Many owners have learnt the hard way that if their Inuit is not NIS registered they have no guarantees of the health, temperament and general wellbeing of their beloved petOther 'breeders' have attempted to recreate the look and lines of the Northern Inuit Dog by attempting to cross with dogs such a Czech Wolf Dogs (a police dog bred to bite!) with terrible effects.So, the question still remains "Is there any wolf content in the N.I.?" this is a question many people ask, and the truthful answer is, it really is impossible to say; If there is, it is so far back that it would have been diluted to almost 0 percent. Although some people would prefer that we steer well away from the wolf question, we are proud that our breed resemble the wolf in looks and of the unanswered question- ‘IS THERE OR ISN’T THERE ?????????????’
Living with a Northern Inuit DogNorthern Inuits are inherently pack animals and thrive with being in company. It is rare for the owner of a Northern Inuit to stop at just one dog (many claim that they are an addictive breed) and although a Northern Inuit, if given the training and assurance of a happy home, will with time adjust to being a single dog in a home, leaving your dog for long periods of time whilst you are away at work is neither safe nor comfortable for your dog. However, given company (either in the form of another dog, cats or humans popping backwards and forwards for comfort breaks and excercise) your dog will eventually settle. Some Northern Inuits are prone to Seperation Anxiety and bearing this in mind we begin seperation training with all of our puppies before their fear instinct kicks in (at around 4-5 weeks) so that they learn that being alone is ok and that their humans will return. We feel that this early training (rather than 24:7 attention until the day they leave us) has helped greatly with this common problem and sets the puppies up for expecting that at times they will need to entertain themselves- preferably not at the expense of your furniture.Many owners choose to kennel their dogs outside (including ourselves) whilst out at work, for safety and for comfort and there are many affordable options available for kennel and run combinations which when used with well excercised dogs can produce a better alternative for adult dogs than crating during the day. This is however not adviseable for dogs living alone or for young puppies. Our puppies all undergo preliminary crate training to keep them out of harms way when left alone at night, and if pups learn that the crate is their den and not a prison they soon learn to settle with little trouble.Whilst two Northern Inuits together have a tendency of playing rough and really putting on a show (all teeth and fur!) they usually temper themselves well to playing with other dogs too with guidance and training if needed. Coming along to one of the Northern Inuit Society's shows and witnessing upwards of 50 dogs off lead playing with one another is the only way to really understand for yourself the ability of these dogs to 'just get along' with no hassle or need to dominate each other. The KC judges who come to the shows usually gawp for the first 30 minutes in amazement before commenting that the have never seen a breed of that many dogs running free without issues.FeedingNorthern Inuit dogs thrive well on good quality foods and are likely to reward you with mess if fed high sugar leading supermarket brands. We would stress however that good quality does not necessarily mean high in price. Several NI owners swear by the BARF (bone and raw feeding) diets,, however we feel that attempting to nutritionally balance these diets can be an absolute minefield leading to vitamin deficiencies and unhealthy dogs if care if not given and expert advice taken. Our dogs are fed raw bones and meat around 3 times per week as a complementary feed to a good quality complete dog food. and they absolutely love it! We would not advise that young puppies are fed raw meat however until at least 6-7 months of age as the risk of contracting serious illnesses such as Compilabacta are extrememly high with their undeveloped immune systems and if you do feed raw it MUST be very fresh!HealthThe Northern Inuit dog are a very healthy breed. A simple google search is likely to flag up people who claim that the NI dog carry various different kinds of hereditary diseases, but further investigation usually reveals that these sources are uncreditable ex-NIS breeders who have been removed from the society for bad breeding practice (although I am certain they would claim otherwise!) More often than not the cases that are claimed as evidence of these problems are usually unregistered Northern Inuit crosses and not NIS registered dogs. WARNING: if your dog or puppy is not registered with the NIS you cannot be sure of what kind of dogs have been used in the breeding of your dog and cannot be sure of their temperament or health! We do very occasionally see cases of epilepsy or hip dysplacia within the breed but more often than not there is a trauma (such as a car accident) which has preceeded this development and considering the NID is a relatively recent breed to have a KC hipscore average of 15 is outstanding! The one fairly common problem that the NI dog does still carry is retained testicles in males. This does not happen in the majority of cases but is one of the more commonly reported issues. If this occurs you MUST have your male dog castrated to prevent any health issues developing. The average life span of a registered Northern Inuit dog is around 13-16 years another sign of the incredible health of the breed.ExcerciseUnlike the Husky and Malamute breeds that were previously used in the early breeding programme the NID is quite a laid back dog and does not need to run for miles and miles per day or risk destruction. The general rule of thumb for a puppy is 5 minutes gentle excercise for every month of it's life up until 12 months. Being such an intelligent breed early training with reputable methods will soon tire your dog or puppy without the need for lengthy trudges through the wind and rain and consistency is everything so make sure your whole family is onboard with your training Our personal experience is that NIs thrive on a relationship based on respect and anyone attempting a heavyhanded approach rarely gets far with this breed. Compared to other breeds they do need stimulation from their training and classes focussed purely on sit-down-stay will usually result in them losing interest and turning into a menace in the class, so looking out for good well varied training will pay off. Agility, flyball, heelwork to music and Rally-O are a few of the classes which may be available in your area but bear in mind that large breed pups will not be able to take part in some of these until they have finished growing at around 12-18 months old.Dogs with a job?Although Northern Inuit dogs were not developed for any particular job, they do retain several of the inbuilt skills seen in some of their ancesters and many owners have been training their NIs to pull rigs and bicycles using special harnesses. There are now a few registered Pets as Therapy (PAT) dogs dues to the placid and loving nature and one of the Avatea puppies is currently training with her Dog Behaviourist owner as a demonstration dog for Disabled Assistance dog training and she is learning extrememly quickly despite only being 8 months old! Other NI jobs include search and resuce and sniffer dog but these dogs will never been coaxed into an aggressive guard dog job as they are more likely to greet a burgular as an old friend than a threat.Children and dogsNorthern Inuit dogs are the perfect companion dog. Our dogs live with two cats and a 6 year old child and we have never had any issues with their temperament. However, common sense will tell you that children should always be supervised with animals. Children form an enviable bond with dogs and you only need to see Maeve and Loki long legs wandering up the street together lead in hand to realise just how gentle these dogs are, despite their size and strength. The Northern Inuit Society shows also have special classes for Junior Handling which the children have great joy in taking part in and the dogs usually behave impecably for their little owners and even if they don't, there's usually extra points to be had for being able to handle a naughty pooch in the show ring!
Speak
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Shake
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