Alaskan Klee Kai
The Alaskan Klee Kai was developed in Alaska from the 1970s by Linda Spurlin, who set out to produce a companion-sized dog with the appearance of an Alaskan Husky.
The name comes from Inuit words meaning small dog.
It stands 33 to 43 centimetres, weighs 4.5 to 10 kilograms and lives thirteen to sixteen years, in three size varieties. The crucial point is that it is not a miniature husky in temperament: where Siberian Huskies are famously outgoing with everyone, Klee Kai are naturally reserved and often genuinely shy with strangers, and buyers expecting a small friendly husky are frequently surprised.
- Origin
- Alaska, United States, from the 1970s
- Size
- 33–43 cm; 4.5–10 kg, in three varieties
- Lifespan
- 13–16 years
- Coat
- Thick double coat; heavy seasonal moult
- Temperament
- Reserved and often shy with strangers — unlike a Husky
- Health
- Factor VII deficiency and luxating patella — factor VII is testable
Related: Alaskan malamute · Kai ken
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Living with a alaskan klee kai
Socialise early and heavily. The natural reserve becomes fearfulness without careful, positive exposure in the first months, and a shy Klee Kai is difficult to live with in a busy household.
Ask for the factor VII deficiency DNA test — a clotting disorder that usually causes only mild bleeding but matters enormously before any surgery.
They are vocal. Klee Kai talk, howl and complain, which delights some households and infuriates neighbours in others.
The double coat blows twice a year and the volume is startling for the dog's size. Brush daily through it.
They have a high prey drive and are excellent escape artists. Secure fencing and no off-lead freedom in open ground.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual dogs vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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