Who, What, When, Where, & Why

I am one of those lucky people who has the job of my dreams.  After completing six years of college studying animal sciences and the animal business, I spent three years running a horse and dog rescue in Florida.  Missing the climate of the north, I moved to the Pacific Northwest the summer of 2003 where I underwent a rigorous apprenticeship as a trainer and behaviorist with renowned expert Colleen McDaniel at the Academy of Canine Behavior where I'm now a full-time trainer.  This means that the Moonsong Pack can come to work with me and enjoy all the benefits of my job.  Living with a pack of dogs also gives me an added advantage as a trainer.

I was first attracted to Chinooks while researching different sled dogs to pair up with my Husky/Shepherd cross.  I didn't want to deal with the aggressive tendencies of the Malamutes or the disobedience of  the Siberians.  A Google search pointed me towards Chinooks and the rest is history.  I first met Chinooks just prior to my move to Florida.  UConn was the first, joining my family when he was five months old.  After moving to Florida, I began helping other Chinook owners show their dogs and just helping out in general.  Hooked by the Chinook bug, I began searching for my next Chinook, determined that it would be a good show prospect.  Tay joined the family in 2002 but in the meantime I had also adopted Pharaoh, a "Chinook-alike."  Pharaoh looks like a gorgeous example of the breed, however, his mom was a oversized Malamute stray that showed up at the rescue I managed and his dad was the canine equivalent of a traveling salesman.

By the time I moved to the Northwest, the floodgates had opened and within a few short years my pack has expanded.  Ch. PR Frontier Rain Dancer Hyak Song was the first Northwest addition from the breeding of Grand Ch. PR Frontier Akeena and PR Rain Mountain Yakama Pride.  Adding Hyak meant my first winter in the Northwest was with a full team for sledding and the weather cooperated with a great year for snow.   Grand Ch. PR Hurricane Katsuk Rainsong was added to the family in 2003 and has become Moonsong Chinooks' foundation bitch.

Though the first Moonsong litter did not join the world until 2005, my boy PR Alpine Trefenwyd Of Moonsong, Tay, began to attract attention as a stud.  His first litter was whelped on September 11, 2004 out of Ch. PR Springcreek's Stormrunner, known as Mocha.  One of those puppies is Brett, formally known as Ch. PR Springcreek's Lambeau Leap (can you tell I am a Green Bay Packers fan?), now a member of the Moonsong pack.  Tay has continued his stud career and was bred again spring of 2005 to Ch. PR Frontier Dandelion Sky of Seven Lakes Chinooks.  Sadly, though Seven Lakes Loma came home with Carie when she was eight weeks old, she was passed away at a young age.  Her littermate PR Seven Lakes Goodwin is looking very promising and hopefully will go on to produce nice litters like his sire.

A trip to the 2004 Chinook National Specialty in Michigan added a passenger for the ride home and life will never be the same.  Chili is the Moonsong wild child, with enough energy for five Chinooks. Chili is planning on producing wild children of her own in fall 2006. Moonsong Onondaga Lawman and Moonsong Mukilteo Bluejay joined the roster of pack members in late 2005 from Katsuk's 2005 Premier Litter.

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Christmas in Seattle 2004.
Left to Right:  Pharaoh, Chili, Tay, Hyak and UConn; Carie holding baby Brett

Now a convert to the laid back lifestyle of the Northwest and flexible climate, I intend to stay and am looking for a long term location to settle the Moonsong pack.  Chili has just presented us with her first litter sired by our own Brett.  Brett has also been bred to a Laughing Mountain Chinook and hopefully he'll have even more pups out there in the future.

Our favorite rigging trail in the
Griffin Creek Wilderness Area which runs through the Snoqualmie Valley.