About Us
Northern breeds have always been my passion. When I was 16, I got my first low content wolfdog, Tala. He was from poor breeding, bred as a designer breed with no health testing, no temperament testing and all around irresponsible practices. As a teenager without guidance or understanding of responsible dogdom, this was a huge error, and in an instant, I was thrust into the world of genetics and canine behavior. Although I truly loved Tala, he was a difficult dog, with difficult behaviors and attributes that I wasnt prepared for, even when it came to wolfdogs, he was difficult. We learned together and grew together and I learned skills that are invaluable to me today. Although spontaneous and not under the best circumstances, I value what he taught me. Unfortunately, he still had more to teach, and that came with his early passing from an autoimmune disorder that went undiagnosed. His death left me broken and angry. Never again would I support a breeder who didnt put effort into breeding healthy animals.
Taking a quick step back, in 2010, shortly after getting Tala, I met the owner of Sylvaen Tamaskans on an online forum shortly after and learned of the Tamaskan breed through her. I regret not finding them sooner, as they had the traits I was searching for previously, with stricter, more ethical breeding practices. I vowed one day to get a Tamaskan as I loved the lengths the breeders were going to to ensure healthy, sound dogs!
That vow arrived sooner than planned in 2014 when Tala passed unexpectedly. Pregnant with my son and first child, his death hit me hard. Thanks to Sylvaen's kind heart, I got Kaito, who helped me when I needed it the most. I had already liked what I had seen in terms of the overall breed development and commitment to creating a healthy and sound breed, but having the opportunity to own one, and seeing just how magnificent the breed is, solidified my desire to be a part of not just the community, but a part of the development of the breed!
Unfortunately, Kaito had a fault that made him not a candidate for breeding (I was set in stone on him from the time he was born, there was no changing my mind regardless!), so my plans were pushed aside for the time being. In 2019, I had the opportunity to get Erza, a Shikoku Ken mix, from a fabulous breeder in New Mexico and jumped on it, for unrelated reasons at the time. However, as she grew, I began thinking what a valuable asset she could be for the Tamaskan breed, offering Genetic Diversity, biddability and handler focus while keeping many of the primitive features that make up the physical Tamaskan Standard. I set out to make this a possibility, focusing on the one thing I find most important, health testing! Once all the health tests were completed, we submitted her for approval to be an outcross dog, as well as our foundation female. In 2021, with the acceptance of Erza as a Foundation Dog, Kaiza Tamaskans was born!
We are a small scale breeder with a primary goal of producing healthy, temperamentally stable, friendly dogs! All of our breeding dogs have proper health testing, including Embark DNA testing, OFA and PennHip prior to breeding. Puppies are raised with Puppy Culture in home and also will have age appropriate health testing/checks done, including Embark DNA testing, parentage, rear dew claw removal (if necessary), testicular check (males), microchip and general health certificates prior to leaving to their new homes.
We are a small scale breeder with a primary goal of producing healthy, temperamentally stable, friendly dogs! All of our breeding dogs have proper health testing, including Embark DNA testing, OFA and PennHip prior to breeding. Puppies are raised with Puppy Culture in home and also will have age appropriate health testing/checks done, including Embark DNA testing, parentage, rear dew claw removal (if necessary), testicular check (males), microchip and general health certificates prior to leaving to their new homes.
Puppies are raised indoors in a family setting, with myself, my husband and our two young children. They have socialization opportunities outside the home in safe settings with a focus on health and safety. They are also introduced to several different animals, including cats, ferrets, rats and poultry as they grow, though suitable, consistent training will still be necessary as the puppies grow to assist in teaching respectful interaction with other animals as your puppy matures, with an understanding that the Tamaskan is still a primitive breed that have higher than average prey drives and should not be left unattended with small animals as a general rule of thumb.
The long-term health and happiness of the puppies we produce and their owners is important to us, and we hope to always be a resource for our buyers and their dogs. We are available any time for questions or support for the life of the dogs we produce here at Kaiza Tamaskans!
The long-term health and happiness of the puppies we produce and their owners is important to us, and we hope to always be a resource for our buyers and their dogs. We are available any time for questions or support for the life of the dogs we produce here at Kaiza Tamaskans!
Fun Fact:
Our kennel name is derived from Kaito and Erza's names. "Kai" and "za" as homage to the dogs that started it all!
Our kennel name is derived from Kaito and Erza's names. "Kai" and "za" as homage to the dogs that started it all!