Hi Kim, I just wanted to let you know about the two dogs we got from you about 5 years ago. You
sent us a brother and sister from the same litter, even though you didn't recommend getting two
pups at a time it has worked out very well for us. The male we named Seti and female we
named Nita, which is Choctaw for bear. These are truly amazing dogs and everything that you
said about them was true.

From the very beginning they have just been great. We keep them in at night and they
are out during the day and with the exception of one accident when they were pups
they have been house broken from about 5 days here.

Everything you told me about them in terms of their behavior has been absolutely true.
They don't roam and are territorial. We live on 20 acres and they do not leave the area
around the house and do not like strange dogs on the place. The neighbor dogs are fine but,
no strange dogs. Also, they love cats, we raised a kitten with them and since then they
just love to play with our 12 cats.

They are incredibly smart and easy to train once you establish who is in charge,then they
are looking to do what you want them to do. I raise stocker calves and have trained them
to help me with the herding. I wouldn't call them herders in the classical; only herding
obsessive sense, but they do exactly what I need around the ranch and can travel anywhere
with us, without herding everything in sight, no problem.

For example, if I ask them to move the calves up then they will do so and then stop and
look at me to see if that is enough. Also, if I need them to block calves from leaving an
area I can have them sit and if the calves start to move out I can get them to bring them
back. Most importantly, when the calves have moved to where I want them I can just say
"load up" they will leave the pasture and go get in the truck.

Once they learn a command, you generally only have to say it once and they will do as asked.
For us, I think that it was a great idea to get two at the same time, even though I can
understand why you usually don’t recommend it with most owners. They are companions and
can play and get rid of some nervous energy but, more importantly they learn from each
other. If one learns something quicker than the other one then the other one seems to
follow the lead of the trained one and in short order they both have it down pat.

Another interesting thing about them is they always work as a team. From the time they
were pups they have done so. They never bark or anything they just went on the attack in
tandem. I don't care for them to kill the animals around here but, this day it happened
so fast and without a sound it really surprised me with how well honed their hunting
instinct is in them, but it can be trained out of them and curbed if necessary, witch
is very important also.

One of the best examples of them working as a team is how they catch squirrels. When
they see a squirrel away from a tree, one takes off for the squirrel and one takes off
for the closest tree. By the time the squirrel gets to the tree the other one has it caught.
This is their own system that they came up with and what is amazing to me is that they
switch roles. Whichever one heads out for the squirrel, the other one heads out for the tree.
The squirrels learned fast and if I return home with the dogs or let them out in the morning,
you see about a dozen squirrels in a mad dash for a tree, where they scold the dogs but, don't
dare come down.

On a less serious note, they are also incredibly playful and we have this game in which they
try to catch the end of a short stock whip. When you play with them this way they do back flips
and combination back flips and barrel rolls at the same time. They also do the tandem thing
where one tries to distract you while the other one sneaks up from behind to get the whip.

Kim, my wife and I have had several different breeds of dogs in our lifetime and these dogs
truly stand out. There breeding reflects their abilities and I can just imagine how they would
have been a true asset to American Indians either in a nomadic lifestyle or if their village
remained at one location. These dogs are truly functional companions and one can just imagine
that they would have to have a purpose to be a part of tribal life that lived from the land.

From my experience, these dogs want to be a part of what you are doing, in other words they
want a job to do. From their abilities I would say that you have done an excellent job with
the selective breeding it takes to carry forward the lineage and personalities from their early
beginnings with the American Indians.

I am a biologist and my wife is a physician with a background in genetics and we both believe
that the qualities these dogs possess are bred into them, and could be easily lost if allowed
to go un-controlled and bred by just anyone.

Lastly, we have a website for our horses, www.chevalcailleranch.com and if you check out the page
tabbed ranch hands you will see a recent picture of Seti and Nita. Thank you for all your efforts
to maintain this wonderful breed of dogs.

Take care,
Bob & Mary LeBoeuf, OK.

My name is Dave and I have owned 3 American Indian dogs thanks to Kim LaFlamme. My first dog was Sinjo; he was a silver fawn male. Sinjo was very independent, and very loving. He was a dog that would look forward to playing with children and he was a certified canine companion at 8 months old, a rarity for dogs under a year old.

Whakiza is my second A.I. dog and he is almost 3 years old and lives and breaths to play fetch or Frisbee. I have seen this dog drop a ball through a hole in the fence 100's times...and he does it just so the people walking by are enticed to throw it back to him. At 3 years old he has 11 commands using hand and verbal commands and has received his obedience certificate and participated in agility, dock dogs, and Frisbee events...
Wahkiza has energy like no other, this dog can play all day and has out played numerous kids on my block.

Tola is my third American Indian dog, He is simply the most people friendly, dog friendly,and cat friendly dog I have ever met...this dog truly smiles as he is playing and he loves to lick..He is truly a happy pup. This pup can put a smile on anyone's bad day...he seems to just know when someone needs some love. I will be taking him for his therapy dog training soon.

Kim, I write this to you because I want you to know how I feel about my dogs and the breed you spent so much time researching, and the dedication, loyalty, respect, love, tough-love and effort you put forth in the recovery of this breed. I am lucky enough to be able to take my dogs anywhere and put smiles on some people's faces, and for that I thank your hard work. These dogs want and need a job to do, and my dog's jobs are to just go to a park and play with anyone willing to play....I have seen kids scared of dogs walk away from playing with mine, with smiles as big as the sun,...I have been lucky enough to have kids who are allergic to dogs play with mine, and they just keep coming back for more. I have come home from work and seen groups of adults and kids alike at my gate petting and playing fetch with them. I have seen Wahkiza block a 3 year old from walking downstairs, because he knew the baby shouldn't be there. .I have seen Sinjo take someone's worse day, and help them forget it....and I have seen Tola baugh and roll over onto his back, just because this little girl was scared to death of dogs.

Also Kim, I have been lucky enough to have gotten together with several other owners around the New York Tri-State area, at least once a month several owners will get together with anywhere from 5 to 9 A.I. dogs. and let me just tell you , that it's simply awesome watching these dogs play amongst themselves, and other breeds.What's even better is we all understand tough-love....we all agree its vital in raising an A.I. dog...its the only way. When we get together, we allow and want the dogs to set their own pack pecking order. It's important for the dogs to learn respect and learn the limits of the other pack members, and if you don't understand that pack mentality, you would never appreciate what potential these dogs have for being a true member of your family. We can be in the middle of a 100 acres and if you call one dog and they all come...awesome....love it...its an amazing sight to see....I have allways grown up with German shepards, and I thought those were smart, the American Indian dogs are the smartest breed I have ever seen. If you give them an inch they will take a mile....if you are lazy...you won't be....they keep you thinking and on your toes and they demand respect and tough-love, and they need to be an active part of your family pack. If you don't understand this or can not give your dog a job or responsibility, then look elsewhere....this breed is not for you......I remember being told that....and I remember being reminded as time went on.....and everything you told me about tough-love and respect has paid off, I couldn't be any happier that I found this breed.
The effort you put into making the American Indian dog come back as a strong breed should be commended and noticed. I, for one, admire your tight leash on this breed, and I, for one, don't want to see it end up like other breeds with all those health problems......keep up the good work and thank you for the many laughs and memories your A.I.Dog breed has given me.

Dave Williams,
A.I.Dog northeast Tri State area rep.,
516-581-3320

Well it all started about 14 years ago when my husband to be said no pets and no kids!! Of course I agreed, until about 6 months later when I saw an add that read " Coyote look alike for sale" and somehow I convinced him to just go LOOK at the dog, well when we got there I knew that I wanted her, but convincing my husband was a different matter!! She was about 5 months old at the time. The owner had gotten her from Kim, but because of an illness in her family was unable to keep her. After many long day's of talking till I was blue, guess who joined our family, Kodie!! At the time we got her, boy did she have a mind of her own!! Along with her already being 5 months old, she had been raised outdoors with basically NO training. The following couple of years were a challenge, a lot of training classes, a lot of showing her who's the boss {tough love} and finally sending her off to boot camp!! Her instructor recommended she go home with her for a couple of weeks, she thought that Kodie needed someone more hard headed than her to take over. That was the best thing we ever did and Kodie came back a new dog!! Many years have passed and we can now laugh at some of the things we went through. Kodie turned out to be the best friend and member of the family you could ask for!! She was so smart and very loyal, once she learned to trust us and feel safe. She became a different dog. Kodie passed on a few months back and left our home so empty, we miss her very much. It was no question that we had to find Kim, we knew there was know other dog for us!! A few months have passed and a trip to Oregon and here we are with the perfect gift!! "Kodie" When I say perfect I do mean that, we are in awe at how smart and well behaved this puppy is!! We got her at 7 weeks and I can not tell you what a difference that has made. From day one she has been with my husband and I just about 24-7 which I believe is very important for this breed, as they need to bond with you immediately. I think they need to learn that trust very early on. You still have to show them who's Boss and they will continually challenge you, but they get it a whole lot quicker. I have been around a lot of puppies, (different breeds) and hands down these dogs are far more intelligent. Kodie was house-broken in know time, she starts her training classes soon, but I must say she already knows almost everything they are going to teach her. Sits, downs, comes and walks on a leash, all of this with little effort. We are as much in love with our new puppy as she is with us!! Working with Kim has been a great experience and the breed is not only beautiful, but a wonderful addition to the family!! So much so, that we are considering getting another one!! Imagine that.
Thanks,
Tamara Burk, KY

Hi, Kim!

I did go to the AID get-together yesterday.

Dave came to my home with his two dogs first. And my little Lakhota behaved
as if she was being visited by long-lost relatives. Which she was. (At this
point, I've come to read her pretty well. And the way she behaves with dogs
of other breeds and with other humans, I could tell there was a difference
with how she was with her "cousins".)

I was very glad for her. (I didn't know that there are many dogs named
"Lakhota". But I guess I should have known. Next pup I get, I'll check with you first before naming him/her.)

All the AI dogs are special and beautiful. But it did occur to me that my
little Lakhota is really a very happy, psychologically-balanced little pup.
She has no issues. And, as a first-time dog owner, I have got to THANK YOU from the deepest part of my soul for that. Lakhota and I are in-sync as far as how we both go about dealing with life.It's remarkable. (Do I sound like a bragging mom?)

I'll try to get those photos of Lakhota processed this week, and emailed to
you this week as well.

Best to you,

Teresa Zaccabno, NY

Greetings from Arkansas

Hope this note finds you both doing well. We are doing very well here. Luna is growing very fast and has become Mr. Social as if he wasn't already. We will be sending in our registration tomorrow as I have finally gotten some pretty good pictures of which I have enclosed one. He is the pet at the vets and rides around Benton as if he owns it. He is constantly at my side and crawls up in my lap during the evening to take a nap. He has gone to doggy spa (a doggy day care) and wears himself out playing. He is very social with the other dogs. We have had some bad news here. My Father has been diagnosed with cancer of the kidney stage 4 which is terminal. His favorite "Grand Dog" really helps in boosting his spirits. Yet Looney (nickname) is so gentle and careful with Daddy. He goes over and puts his head on my Father's lap and looks up into his eyes. He will just stand there and let my Father pet his head and rub his ears. He doesn't do this with anyone else but my Father which thrills my Father.

Anyway, just wanted to touch base with you and let you know we are doing great. Dr. Alex has scheduled Looney's operation for March as he wanted to get him a little further out in growth before having to operate on him. He will at that time be tattooed to ensure safe return should he ever wander away which I am seriously doubting. Take care and you should receive registration this coming next week.