WoodsRunner Crossing Alyeska CGC TT U-CDX was whelped June 28, 1994. She is one quarter Siberian Husky; her dad, Boryeal's Tok O' the Town Sinook, I chose when he was six months old as the sire of my next dog. WoodsRunner Lucille, the first Chinook to win Best of Breed, made a wonderful mother, and Connie and Bob Jones let me help raise the litter.

The six offspring included some variety in appearance and coat length. I chose WoodsRunner Crossing Alyeska, one of the two females. She turned out to have a long coat (not a typical Chinook OR Siberian coat) but otherwise had Chinook coloring, markings, temperament and conformation. In 1993 at the Chinook National Specialty, Alyeska won Best Cross Female.

She also did therapy work; she passed the Fidos For Freedom temperament test when she was six months old and began regular visits to a nursing home. She learned many of the tasks of a service (wheelchair) dog, qualifying for the title of Wheelchair Demonstration Dog. She and I co-lead the Fidos For Freedom disAbility Awareness Program in Howard County; we go into the local schools and show the students what dogs do for people. At Fidos annual "fun" competition in 2001 she earned the title of "most photogenic."

Once the Director of Security at my college watched her show her wheelchair tasks at a local elementary school, he gave me permission to bring her to work, provided she wore identification that displayed her credentials. She has attended classes with me for many years and lots of people at my college say it is a nicer place to work because there's a dog to pet.

She continued with her obedience training, earning her U.K.C. Companion Dog title in March of 1997 and her Companion Dog Excellent in June of 1998. She is fully trained for Utility, but has made clear she does not want to show at that level.

Alyeska has also acted: she played the partof "Sandy", the dog inthe musical ANNIE twice in 1998, once at Centennial High School and once for September Song in Westminster MD. Her acting career includes an automobile commercial: she jumped into the back of a Mercury Mountaineer!

Alyeska has whelped two beautiful, healthy litters of puppies, fifteen in all. We remain in touch with the owners and consider them part of our extended family. One offspring from her first litter, Cloudburst Crossing Starblaze (Songo) was bred to Boryeal's Patent Pending (Chaska) in November of 2000 to produce the first U.K.C. registered fourth generation crosses and our ThunderCloud Crossing Karelia. One offspring from her second litter, Cloudburst Crossing Snowy River was bred to WoodsRunner Duncan in March of 2001 to produce the second fourth generation litter.

While she is an obedience title holder, a wheelchair demo dog, a therapy dog, an actress, a sometime musher, and a mother, in our house she is the princess. She is head of the pack, gets the "best" dog bed and "owns" the rear seat in the Caravan. She is the love of my dog life and has spent her years with me teaching me to be humble.

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