Song Dog Kennels : The Founder Kennels for the American Indian Dog

MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER/TRUSTEE

Don Gardener with Skarro of the Federal K-9 Security Agency, Arkansas

The name "American Indian Dog" originated 50 to 100 years ago when we Elders were still children. The term "Native Americans” or "First Nations People" was not yet the 'politically correct' term for referring to ourselves or our dogs; hence the name "American Indian Dogs" or "A.I. Dogs" remains today. Through the years our American Indian Dog Breed has been on several educational TV programs throughout the world…"Living With Animals", "The Today Show", "Western Lifestyles", National Geographic’s "Search for the First Dog”, “ The Bruce” and several local TV news channels and news papers. Plus we do many educational seminars at schools, gatherings and Pow-Wows …… with a documentary in the works.

Sandy Mays and Hawk, of the Canine Angels service dogs, with family and unnamed Dolphin.

The A.I. Dog name is a term used to describe a breed that encompasses the selectively bred old working Indian Dog types from all of there perspective areas of original development. All these found types from Alaska to south American, combined together in a selective breeding program spanning many years now, is a recreation of just what the plains Indians did thousands of years ago. Over the last 50 years, learning from the Elders, all about these dogs and where they could be found, maintaining of the 'old ways' of selective breeding with no close heavy inbreeding is still maintained and in practice today. Thus the 'balance' and versatility needed for an all around healthy (body and mind) ultimate dog, is still within them. The American Indian Dog displays all the desirable qualities of a loyal family companion, yet has been bred to retain the natural look, instincts and qualities that allow it to adjust to modern living and training. Keeping that eclectic ability we marvel at in the old primitive aboriginal dogs of thousands of years ago, the all-around perfect companion farm dog that our modern breeds have lost.

Recently some confusion has arrived from wolf hybrid breeder / marketers using names like, "Native American Indian Dogs", "North American Indian Dogs" and "Native American Shepherds”. These are NOT American Indian Dogs but an attempt by unethical breeders to deceive and confuse the public. The "A.I. Dog" should not be confused with wolf or coyote hybrids ; 500 years ago before the European infusions of dogs and breeding, none of the Native dogs (even the largest of northern Malamutes) where never over 70 lbs. All true registered A.I.Dogs can be verified through our IIDOBA breed club, founder kennels and registry. We want to share, educate and repopulate this genetically healthy and mentally sound special American Indian Dog breed, ……. but popularity, politics, and the big name registries, destroy each breed as they become popular and marketed. We want the American Indian Dog breed to stay, as they were and are … "The Ultimate Mutt".

J. Padbury's amazing champion agility dog, Pepsi

If you are not willing to accept them for what they are, or are intent on just making them more "popular" or making money from them, PLEASE don’t consider this breed. The American Indian Dog was never intended to be "little carbon copies" prancing around in a show ring. If you want to breed, or supposedly, "improve" a breed …. you might be more interested in one of the more "politically correct" and "popular" A.K.C.- U.K.C. type of breeds …. they are the ones that could use "improving" if that is your goal as a breeder or owner. Again (and again) I would like to state; THIS BREED IS NOT for everyone …..and certainly not for back yard breeders. Our breed founder/trustee’s, I.I.D.O.B.A. club member/owners have learned from our past. We do not allow anyone to breed our special breed, (that is why they remain special … healthy and wise) and we are very adamant about all owners spaying and neutering, just as their creators did thousands of years ago with their American Indian Dogs.

The A.I.Dog breed club, International Indian Dog Owners and Breeders Association (IIDOBA) with over 700 member owners, and A.I.Dog registry (with over 850 dogs at this date; 2008) can now make the claim that we are the only true American breed (or world wide breed for that matter) to have successfully saved our breed of dog, while keeping it healthy, without the ''help'' of the big brother registries, CKC, UKC, AKC, …etc. We fortunately aren’t required to deal with their breeding rules, such as not allowing new bloodlines for genetic variability. Nor their 'pure blue blood' inbreeding, favorite show champions, breeder practices that have created terrible mental and physical conformational genetic disorders within all these modern breeds, all within just a few years of being “pulled” into these registry’s. Unlike the other registries, our stud book remains open, so if and when new blood lines are found they can be health tested and used at our discretion. We have achieved this with out “big brothers” so called help in spite of political threats. Including those unethical breeder’s falsely marketing wolf hybrids as NAID’s and ex-breeders removed from the certified A.I.Dog breeding program with their hoax sites trying to slander the founders and the dogs.

The A.I.Dog breed will remain one of the last healthy versatile breeds left on our planet, and on into the future, as long as we can remain in control of our own breeding program and registry. Research of the breed and its history indicates that the American Indian Dog was the first dog “breed” domesticated on the North American continent, perhaps even starting back 30,000 years ago and related too many of the primitive aboriginal dogs throughout the world, brought with migrating groups from the north, west, east and south. The American Indian Dog is a familiar figure in many old drawings, portraying life in the Indian villages, as seen on our web sites, “old dog gallery” pages. You see them pulling travois, sleds and toboggans when traveling with their nomadic partners, herding, hunting, and baby sitting the children as well as sharing a meal. They were also used as heaters for illnesses, muscle pains or to keep their owners warm on cold winter nights; thus the term “three dog night'' was created. The Native Americans and First Nations People’s were very naturally adapted at selectively breeding their canines into becoming the perfect symbiotic partners to help each other survive.

Not only from all the Elders accounts, but even by early explorers and naturalists, the American Indian Dog was best described as a medium size dog with a coyote 'like' appearance. In 1877 the explorer, Packard told about how he was, ''stricken by the coyote appearance of the dogs among the Crow Indians near Ft. Claggett in upper Missouri”. In another account, it was commented on, "about the resemblance of the Indian dogs to the coyote", while traveling through Mexico in 1885. The American Indian Dog has been bred for centuries for the same purpose of trustingly serving man, so that versatile nature could facilitate our lives, and now that this spiritually magnificent animal has been placed in our care once again, we feel that the commitment you make when taking an American Indian Dog into your home is not unlike the one you make when adopting another member of your family.

Although the A.I.Dogs are rare and in great demand, that’s what creates that “on the edge - catch 22” effect ; becoming over popular and promoted and “marketed” … and again we feel that they are not the type of dog for everyone. We are looking for dog owners that can fully appreciate a healthy smart ultimate true DOG. A breed that has unlimited possibilities as long as you, the owner, have the time and knowledge to give it that calm, respectful, assertive training necessary. It's limitless, the close bond that can be attained if you understand and practice the type of training and patients that is required to accomplish this bond, with a smart dog that can learn from observation and out smart most people.

The American Indian Dog founder/kennel, “Song Dog Kennels” requires all prospective owners to be interviewed and approved. Signing a sales agreement, with a deposit to get on the waiting list for a pup ….. promising to spay and neuter, to ensure that all puppies go to the right home where they will grow to share a mutual enriching and happy life with their owners. The price of adoption is determined by what it costs to maintain them as a breed; there for saving themselves, as we are just their selective breeder trustee’s. If you are an animal lover who feels an affinity for nature and animals, who can appreciate the genetic selective type breeding it takes to save and maintain the loyal personality of a healthy thinking companion dog, and understands the time and respectful training you must put into bonding with a breed that "wants to respect and please you”, you will get back 100 times the amount you put into them.

We would be happy to provide you with more information or an interview. Please read all through our web site “owner opinions”, forum and all related web sites to first learn all you can about the history of A.I.Dogs and from the founders and the owners, as it’s the owners that can advise you on any breed. You are welcome to e-mail or call us to find out if this is the right breed for you and you right for them and answer your questions about possibly owning an American Indian Dog. We can also give you A.I.Dog owners near you to talk to about their A.I.Dogs or possibly see them in person, if you haven’t met one in person yet … maybe it’s time.