AKC Reg'd Dirty Bert
Born 3/24/2002
Achievements: From the 125 - 150 pound class
2008
#1 of ALL dogs, Apsley Weight Pull (gold)
2007
#3 of ALL dogs, Pack and Pull Weight Pull
#1 (125 - 150 pound) Pack and Pull (gold)
#2 of ALL dogs, Marmora Snowfest Pull (silver)
#1 all dogs, IWPA fun pull (gold)
2008
#2 Marmora Snowfest 2006 (silver)
The reason he is named Dirty Bert is because the AKC, unlike the CKC, allows new puppy buyers the chance to name their own dog. Since no kennel name was involved, I registered him as Dirty Bert! This picture is of him at maybe two years of age out in what I call the 'Dog Shack' in my back yard.
Bert isn't related to my Yukonjak Alaskan Malamutes although there would certainly be pieces from a long time ago that are related (remember that all Alaskan Malamutes came from the same dogs regardless of what they look like now).
Bert is at least seven solid generations of Wakon Alaskan Malamute and he's fairly large, fairly quiet, fairly ill and a tremendous amount of fun. Bert has a thyroid deficiency, and while it's cheap to medicate, and easy to diagnose, it can kill or harm the dog if left untreated.
Bert's symptoms were that he was just too good, too quiet and ultimately too cold (he crawled onto my chest, and under a blanket with me last December -- no easy feat for a 145 pound Alaskan Malamute). That was the last straw, I figured he had a thyroid problem even though he was 'too young' and wasn't going to take chances with him. Off to the vet.
After we began treatment, he dropped in weight to between 130 and 135 pounds. He is still a big dog, maybe 29 or 30" but he is also neutered. Bertie was a bilateral cryptorchid (testicles never descended). Leaving them IN would have led to cancer. But you have to wait until the dog grows up to do the neutering so Bert was intact until he was about 15 months old.
The big reason I ended up with Bert was I knew his pedigree, and from a pet home point of view, it was pretty damn good. Every Wakon dog and Wakon-related dog I've know, and many that I've been told about are same-sex friendly. Cross-bred Wakon dogs (i.e. has a piece of Wakon in it are NOT the same).
I wanted a male to go with a male. TRY finding that at a regular commercial / showing kennel. Yukonjak quit breeding for a few years or I would have had another of theirs, instead. So, when I came across Bert's breeders Web page and looked at his pedigree, all of the parents health clearances and the very, very 'pet-oriented' way they were raising their dogs (four intact females and one neutered male), I knew I'd found the 'male' for my other male, Ernie.
Both of Bert's parents were tested for thyroid disorders and cleared. Something I learned, which I know a lot of people are not aware of, is that if the female has been in season, two months previous to the thyroid test, you will likely end up with a false good reading, IF there is actually a problem. You should always test the female outside of the two months time OR before she comes into season. One can never learn too much about health problems. Either way, I couldn't be happier with Bert. He is one of a kind.