The Alaskan Klee Kai was developed in Alaska by Linda Spurlin and her family to be a companion-sized version of the Alaskan Husky. Klee Kai is an Eskimo term for "little dog."
They are not known as a "people dog," though, so if you're looking for a dog that is super social this isn't the breed for you.
Fun facts about the Alaskan Klee Kai breed:
- Klee Kai need a moderate amount of exercise. Because of their intelligence, they can become escape artists.
- They excel in the sport of dog agility.
- The owner should be careful around pet rodents, birds and reptiles, as their husky prey drive is strong. Not a great dog if you have chickens!
Overall breed facts
This is an intelligent and active breed.
Hill's walk us through some important breed details that should be part of your research.
- Weight: Male: 12-20 pounds, female: 10-18 pounds
- Height: Male: 17 inches, female: 13 inches
- Exercise: 20-40 minutes per day
- Life span: 15-20 years
- Coat characteristics: Medium, double coat
A little history for all the Klee Kai fans!
According to Hill's:
"The Alaskan klee kai (pronounced KLEE-ki) means "small dog" in an Eskimo dialect. This breed is a recent one, developed in the early 1970s by Linda Spurlin in Wasilla, Alaska. She discovered an undersized Alaskan husky and fell in love with it, deciding it would be the ideal companion. Starting with this dog, Spurlin bred Alaskan huskies and Siberian huskies to create the klee kai, perhaps adding a schipperke and American Eskimo to obtain a smaller size."
What sizes are available?
Can you imagine a toy Klee Kai? Adorable!
The American Kennel Club tells us there are three sizes of Klee Kai ranging from toy to the standard variety:
- Toy Variety: Up to and including 13 inches.
- Miniature Variety: Over 13 inches and up to and including 15 inches.
- Standard Variety: Over 15 inches up to and including 17 inches.
Coat and grooming
They have a thick double coat.
The coat can come in any color other than being all white and they should have a distinct facial mask. They tend to blow their coat twice a year.
This dog breed is very popular with agility clubs. It is not a recognized American Kennel Club (AKC) breed, but both the AKC and United Kennel Club are good resources for questions. It's also a miniature husky, so if you're looking for a husky without the big-time exercise requirements the Alaskan Klee Kai dog is a great companion dog for you!
You'll need to meet the breed's exercise needs and this is a very active dog! They are highly trainable and make good watchdogs. This breed may not be an ideal dog for apartment living. They don't do well left alone for long periods of time. Daily exercise is really important.
They do have low-maintenance grooming needs, but combing once a week should suffice.
If you're looking for small breeds and a potential companion dog, you should consider the Alaskan Klee Kai dog breed.
Do you know anyone that lives with an Alaskan Klee Lai? Let us know what characteristics you love about this breed!
