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Dear Viewer: We are a small family kennel located in northwest central Illinois. We own 40 acres of Illinois farm ground that we have left in the natural form of pasture, trees, creeks, and lake that our dogs love to roam. We started raising Malamutes in 2001 after falling in love with the breed when we purchased our big boy, Samson. Our entire family is involved with raising our dogs in various capacities. We have three boys: Nate, age 19; Eric, age 15; and Andrew, age 9. We have changed our philosophy, understanding of the breed, goals, and pedigrees so much since the very beginning. We now are working to title each of our dogs. Titan was the first to earn a title and in December of 2009 received his working dog title after his first four weight pulls. Kohl will hopefully earn her working dog title in the next year. Liberty has begun training with our handler and will be shown to her eventual championship in the next year. The plan is to also show Raven to her conformation championship this year also. So many things are changing in our kennel so stay tuned and watch the updates! We have decreased the size of our kennel in the last year in order to concentrate on titling each of the dogs we have decided would become our foundation dogs. As our dogs aged and were evaluated, we spayed/neutered those we determined not to have the pedigree, personality, or did not meet the breed standard the way we wanted them to. These were placed in loving family homes and we are most thankful to the wonderful people who gave them a forever home. This was a difficult year as we made these evaluations and choices, but we truly desire every dog we breed to have a title, all certifications done, and to meet the breed standard in order to only be producing offspring that will enhance the breed. So this restructuring will have a very positive outcome in the future. Our vision for our kennel can be defined with one word: QUALITY. We have learned so much in the last eight years through trial and error, reading up on health and genetic issues, studying pedigrees, talking with other breeders, and in general gathering information wherever we can get it. We want to be known for having titled dogs rather than being a breeder who has a "champion pedigree". Our dogs will be champions. We will not be resting on the laurels of their distant relatives. We want our dogs to be more than just a beloved pet. We are hoping our new owners discover the passion for putting the breed to do the work they were bred to do. We breed to standards for coat type, coloring, conformation, head and tail set, and scissor bite. We have a variation in size in order to achieve the big bone structure, standoff coat, small ears, big head piece, proper proportion to conformation, and lovely floating tail that we love. Genetic testing is also being done on foundation dogs when they reach proper age. We will continue to spend time educating ourselves on the breed so that our dogs and our adoptive families benefit from this knowledge. We feed our dogs a high quality dog food along with a variety of raw meats, fresh vegetables, and fresh fruits. This combination of diet mixed with daily exercise has resulted in our dogs being extremely fit and healthy both mentally and physically. The dogs are included in all aspects of family life from pulling the kids in sleds, to biking and running with us, to taking a swim in the lake, to socialization at the park and school. Even our pups are put on a healthy exercise program and started with leash, show, and harness training at a young age. All dogs are given vet care as needed, treated monthly for heart worms, up to date on wormings and shots, and groomed as needed. We hope to start a dog club and weight pulling club that will feature training classes, exhibitions, and competitions in this next year. We have a 60' x 40' garage almost completed that will be heated and have a carpet chute for weight pulling practices and competition. Anyone interested in joining or competing, please e-mail us and let us know. Our breeding philosophy also reflects our emphasis on good health. We will only have one or two litters from very selective breedings each year. These breedings will be for the purpose of growing our kennel for the future. However, we will also have some pups for sale to working dog/show homes and pet homes. Females are not bred until after they are OFA'd. They are bred once a year. Males we either breed to or our own males will be OFA'd and titled. Pups are handled from birth so socialization is started as soon as they are born. Pups are born in our home, so they are accustomed to normal family activity and noise. By the time they are ready for their new home we try to have them used to crates, started on potty training, and very loved. Malamutes are not for everyone. Please research the breed carefully prior to inquiring about the purchase of one. Require breeders to provide references of previous owners of pups and their veterinary to protect you from purchasing poor quality. Be committed to lots of companionship, fenced yard, daily exercise, and top notch diet. If you are willing to make this commitment, please contact us at lpcp99@frontiernet.net or 309-335-2951 for further information on upcoming or available litters. We look forward to having you join our Malamute family. Luke, Connie, Nate, Eric, and Andrew Lakeview Malamutes
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