Kiska (aka Kizzy)

Mulawa Kylea Nikiska WPD

5/9/94 - 17/12/07

Bred by Erich & Olive Singer, Mulawa Kennels VIC

We were fortunate to be given our second Malamute, Kiska, in November 1996, when he was two years old.  Kiska originally lived in a "show" home but, as he was not suitable for the show ring, he was offered to us so that he could get involved in some outdoor activity and harness work.

Kiska took a while to shake off his show training, but quickly learnt that harness work was good fun. He took to backpacking immediately and gained his Working Pack Dog title in 1998 - one of the first Malamutes in Australia to do so. This was no mean feat as the requirement of carrying 30% of the dog's body weight meant that Kiska had to lug around somewhere between 15 and 16 kilogram in his pack over a total of 48 kilometres (over 3 trips) to qualify for his title.

He was extremely enthusiastic (and noisy) when he saw his harness and, after an initial burst of speed, enjoyed trotting around the tracks at a leisurely speed - with his huge reach and drive he could trot along at 15 kph while the other dogs were running to keep up!

Kiska was the kennel clown and gatherer of goods. He loved to collect an array of items (preferably ones that we thought we'd put safely away out of reach), bring them to the back verandah and just sit with them looking very pleased with himself.

Kiska was also reknowned for gathering items on his training runs and proudly trotting home with them in his mouth. Unfortunately one such "find", which he emerged with in his mouth after a quick lunge off to the side of the trail, was a large, dead and gassy wombat. Kiska was finally persuaded by his musher to part with the bloated wombat, but not before having punctured the skin thus releasing some rather noxious gasses for all to "enjoy"! 

A more beneficial find was a Swiss Army knife in a leather pouch, that he scooped up on a training run and carried all the way back with him. Unfortunately this habit would occasionally get him into trouble as his liking for animal products led to the demise of several of Ralph's fur snow hats that were foolishly left within Kiska's reach!

Kiska was a dog who just loved to please and his head would quiver with excitement when he was about to be involved in some activity. He did very well at obedience and was very happy to be involved in just about anything we were doing.

Being a long-coat, Kiska required extra grooming to keep his fur in good condition and free of knots and bits of foliage. Grass seeds were a problem, so trimming his belly and legs helped reduce the problem, but he was a very lovable, handsome fellow and always attracted the attention whenever we took him out in public.

Kiska even had the distinction of being a pin-up boy, being on the December page of the 1999 Polapaws Alaskan Malamute Calendar (left ).

Click here for More photos of Kiska