Beauty of a Wolf, Trainability of a Collie!
We, here at DeMille Arctic Shepherds, have been breeding dogs for over 30 years. During that time, we have experienced many different breeds and have learned what we like and don't like in a dog. Thus, over time, we scientifically and selectively bred to produce what, for us, is the perfect dog - which we coined "The Arctic Shepherd"! They can be alo
of with strangers. This means that they don't run up and jump on visitors, but instead stay by our side and observe them from a distance. I love this trait, personally. They will bark to alert us of something strange on the property, but don't often bark just to "hear their own voice". They generally have a good reason to vocalize. They respond very well to bark collars, if you need to them be silent. They have soft, luxurious, extremely cuddle-able coats! I love to hug them like a big teddy bear! They are seasonal shedders, which means that they blow their coats in the spring and fall, during which time they shed profusely for a few weeks - HOWEVER, the rest of the year they don't shed much, meaning we can pet and cuddle them without getting hair all over our clothes all the time! Their coats are also thick, which helps them tolerate cold winter days very well.
While they are fully domesticated dogs (no wolf or coyote blood in them), they have a really cool "wild" wolf-like aura about them. It's in the way they carry themselves with a low head and long stride, how they move, the shape of their heads, the intensity of their stare, their beautiful coats and eyes, and how they athletically bound through the forest. For example, when we take Balto on trail rides with friends, folks often exclaim multiple times within the hour, how cool he is -
"It's like we're riding with a wolf!", they say. It's really fun to watch, and cool to be around!
I really don't like hyper, wiggly dogs that get all up in my space without permission. However, I also need dogs with enough endurance to keep up with us on long, fast horse rides. (We ride high-speed gaited horses, called Singlefooters.. check them out at www.SmoothestRide.com)
Thus, the Arctic Shepherd balances the desire and athleticism to cover ground with a respectful presence and calm demeanor.
This leads to another important trait! Trainability. The Arctic Shepherd is intelligent, trainable & stays with us off leash with very little training. They make wonderful hiking, camping, 4-Wheeling, jogging and horse-riding companions! They can even excel in dog sports with their exceptional athleticism! They have a great instinct to pull, so do well with bike-joring and similar sports.
We have 10 kids (4 of which are still at home) and 10 grand kids with more on the way! Thus, we needed the Arctic Shepherd to be wonderful with kids! They are kind, loving and patient. They are cat-like in how some are very cuddly and others more independent, but all are kind to everyone in their family, including kids!
They are a manageable medium/large size, averaging around 45-50 lbs. Big enough to be impressive and magnificent, but small enough to easily take with us places!
One of my very favorite traits is how much love they have in their eyes when they look up at me... it's enough to warm my heart on the coldest days! It's hard to put into words, but they look at me like I'm their whole world. They put their ears back so adorably and stare right into my eyes, so sweet!
If you want the coolest hiking, jogging, camping, horse riding companions who are wonderful family dogs and great to have around the house - The Arctic Shepherd is for you!
The breeds used to develop the Arctic Shepherd were Siberian Husky, Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, Malamute, Kelpie, McNab Collie, Heelers and the like. The Arctic Shepherd is our special blend, and we are excited to share them with you!
It is important to us to produce healthy pups. By including multiple robust breeds, we take advantage of hybrid vigor and an increase in genetic diversity in order to produce the healthiest, longest-lived pups we can! We also EMBARK DNA test our parent dogs and they are free of over 200+ genetic health problems they test for!
Essentially, we are producing dogs with a wild, majestic beauty and an obedient, family friendly, off-leash friendly temperament!
