The goal of the 2006 Moonsong Football Litter is to produce superb Chinook sled dogs. I knew they had to have a litter together after seeing them run in harness. From her very first time in harness, Chili has been a fantastic sled dog.  She has the speed, endurance, and sheer athleticism that is required.  Likewise Brett has excelled from his very first time in harness.  He has the high level enthusiasm to keep the whole team going, leaping and howling from the moment he sees the sled come down from the roof of the van, and is also a good lead dog.  Brett is actually a true "working" sled dog, or at least a working scooter/sulky dog; he lives with Daphne Lewis, owner of www.dogscooter.com, and is her demo dog on a daily basis for the scooters and sulkies she sells.

In addition to having the genes for pulling, pups will hopefully have the excellent conformation and movement of their sire and dam.  Both Brett and Chili were able to earn their conformation championships at a young age.  Chili quickly finished her Grand Championship as well though Brett Has been on hiatus from the show ring until he finally reaches his mature physique (Chinook males can be very slow to fill out fully and are typically about four years old before they reach their peak height and bulk).

This breeding incorporates several bloodlines in an attempt to produce a litter of beautiful, sound, healthy, and friendly working dogs. Chili brings the Cloudburst and Hurricane lines together from her dam, Thunder Cloud Karelia, and her sire Hurricane Tobruk. Brett brings in the Alpine genes from his sire and Springcreek from his dam. The great grandparents include even more Chinook bloodlines, making this a genetic outcross though physically they share similarities that allow us to build on their common phenotypes.

Chili brought 10 wonderful pups into the world in just four hours on December 9^th. The pups are named after current NFL quarterbacks in honor of their sire Brett Favre. The pups have done well, growing like weeds, with a slight detour when a stomach flu bug ran through the household. First the adults were affected, then the pups, but Chili was such a good mother that they pulled through with no side effects.

The pups will soon be heading to new homes across the country. Temperament tests have been done and all of them tested nearly identically good. Two conformation evaluations have also been done so we have detailed information to work with now that we're identifying which pup will go to which home.

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The Boys Three of the boys at 3 days old
Roethlisberger, above on Christmas morning and at right, 5 weeks old
McNab resting above and showing his Chinook tongue at right, 5 weeks old
	Hasselbeck above and at left was born almost all black, he'll be very dark tawny when he matures
Palmer above on Day 12 and right at 5 weeks is silver tawny

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The Girls
	Girls dominate this litter.  At left and above on Day 12
Brady above and right at 5 weeks	t
	Brees at 5 weeks above and on Day 12 at left, is a very social girl
Kitna at Day 12 and right at 5 weeks
	Vick above and left at 5 weeks
Above, Manning on Day 12 and right at 5 weeks

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Daily Life in the Whelping Box
Above, the Quarterbacks try food for the first time. At right, meals were more like food fights once they got the hang of it.
Chili is still willing to nurse the team even after they are eating on their own. At right, Chili escapes the always-hungry team by standing on the hearth.