OAK HILL FARM, South Hiram, Maine

A very special destination halfway between the White Mountains and the Maine Coast

Meet The Dogs of Washington Kennel at Oak Hill Farm Washington Kennel was established in Washington, Maine in 1988. There were other dogs who passed through the kennel there. Listed here are the dogs who lived with us in South Hiram, Maine from 1995 forward. "Anna" Anastasia 1985 to 2001 Anastasia "Anna" was a sweet brown and gray Alaskan husky with one blue eye and one brown. She was the grand dam of the kennel and lived to be 15 1/2 years old. She and Attla were purchased from John Trottier in Essex Junction, VT in 1988 as the basis for the first sled dog team. She was a great lead dog, a great breeder and, as a bonus, she taught her "kids" to be lead dogs too. She hated to have her toenails cut and often the hair between her toes grew into Dr. Seuss feet. Anna lived a long and fun-filled life. She was born (we estimate) in June, 1985 and passed over on January 8, 2001. Attla 1985 to 1996 Attla was one of our founding lead dogs. He was a pure white Alaskan and passed his genetic markings to his offspring, Hood and Sheila. He and Anna trained the younger Alaskans how to lead. "Buck" Wasington's Buck Stops Here 1988 to 2001 Buck was born at Washington Kennel and sold to his first owner who confined him to an 8'x8' cage for the first 3 1/2 years of his life. He then came back to Washington Kennel and we made certain he had all the room he needed to explore, lounge, dig and play. He loved to play hide and seek around the dog house, would fetch (if he was in the mood), and was gentle enough to take treat bones from our lips. His long copper fur had the aspect of a lion's mane and he had an air of royalty about him. He was a wonderful sled dog and ran wheel. On August 30, 2001 his immune system was overcome by a chronic upper respiratory ailment. He was 13. Cujo 1988 to 2000 Cujo was a lanky black and white Alaskan husky. In the sled dog profession, Cujo was true royalty since his parents were Iditerod dogs. He came to us from a previous owner who had kept him as a housedog. He was used to sleeping in front of the clothes dryer vent. When he arrived he smelled of "Bounce" clothes conditioner. This was soon replaced by the sweet smell of hay in his oversized doghouse. "Czar" Czar Nicholas of Washington 1987 to 2001 Czar was the founding Siberian stud of Washington Kennel. He came to the kennel as a fluffy ball of yellow fur from Essex Junction, VT. He had one blue eye and one amber eye. (Art would tell unsuspecting children that one saw in the dark and the other saw in the day.) He was strong, stubborn and independent. He loved to race. He loved to defend his food, whether he wanted it himself or not. He loved sauntering up and down the exercise run just to annoy the other dogs, and took every opportunity to scoot by us whenever we entered his pen. He had a passion for treat bones, which are like the jelly donuts of kennel life. A couple of years before he died his winter coat did not come in as we hoped and Art started putting some magic dust (Udo's Choice Supplement) on his food and he suddenly became handsome again. He didn't like to be groomed and his coat would become so dirty that he had an annual appointment with the local groomer for a bath. He would return to the kennel smelling like aloe and cucumber, fluffy and blond and thoroughly mortified at what he considered to be a non-husky appearance. His will to live never left him, but his body began to fail as soon as Tasha died. He was 14 when he crossed over the afternoon of the Blue Full Moon on November 30, 2001. Dottie 1988 to 2000 Dottie was a brown and white Alaskan who loved being a sled dog. She was named after the Pee Wee Herman movie in which his love interest is named Dottie. She lived and raced at lead with her brother, Jack. In her later life she developed a palsy associated with a brain tumor. "Handsome" Czarnick's Handsome Red Baron May 28, 1993 - December 6, 2005 Handsome was a bi-eyed (one amber, one blue eye), copper and white Siberian husky, the son of Lupus and Misty Rose. His littermates were Princess and Toby. When Handy was 3 years old, we sold him to a couple from Waterboro who were going to train him and ease him into their sled dog team. They picked him up on a Friday and harnessed him into a team at the Bridgton races the very next day. Handsome was terrified and laid down and would not move. They brought him back on Monday telling us he would not work out in their team. They had ruined him for life as a sled dog. Nevertheless, he loved to run and play and would rather leap, bound and play hide-n-seek than eat. He would dig a massive hole each summer in which we believe he intended to ambush wayward tree frogs. Hood March 30, 1988 to November 12, 2002 "Hood" was our pure white Alaskan Husky power-dog. He was one of our best lead sled dogs and was totally disgusted when the lead dog in "Iron Will" was called Gus. He was sure the character was patterned after him! Art and Hood engaged in a battle of wills when Hood started racing. Each time Art would load the dog truck for a training run, Hood would jump the fence to try to be loaded ahead of anybody else. Art then would add a board to his fence to contain him. This went on for a week until Hood's fence was about 8 foot high. Finally Art won the competition by embellishing the top board with an electrified wire. Hood stayed in his pen after that, but retained a regal stance that told the world that he has put up a pretty crafty battle. During the heavy snows of the winter of 2000 Hood simply walked over the top of his pen (the fence was 4' high and the snow became 3 ½ feet deep). Hood wandered down the road to visit Scott Murray's Rottweiler. Hood's littermate, running mate and pen mate, Sheila, passed away several years before he did. He never quite got over her loss. We feared that Hood was developing hip dysplasia, but discovered that he was instead loosing muscle mass in his hind legs and his lameness was becoming chronic and painful. He and his littermate Jack were born on the same day and passed over together. They were 14. "Jack" Jumpin' Jack Flash March 30, 1988 to November 12, 2002 Jack was a large brown, gray and white Alaskan Husky with blue eyes. He was a great lead sled dog and wanted to be buried in his harness and he was. He loved attention, and as large and powerful as he was, he was very sensitive to even the tone of one's voice. He was as smart and gentle and loyal as they come. Jack was truly a regal dog. Like Hood, we feared that Jack was developing hip dysplasia, but discovered that he was instead loosing muscle mass in his hind legs and his lameness was becoming chronic and painful. He and his littermate Hood were born on the same day and passed over together. "Jude" Washington's Judas Priest May 15, 1990 to December 6, 2005 Jude was born at Washington Kennel, the son of Kodiak and Misty Rose. He was a strong black and white Siberian husky with clear blue eyes. A Classic! He loved to run in sled teams at left wheel. If we tried running him on the right he would jump the lines and snarl everyone up. At the races Jude would get shy around crowds and hide under the truck, but the minute the starting gun went off he leapt to action and ran faster than any dog in the kennel. Jude was also an escape artist and took advantage to depressions under fences between pens and would visit his kennel mates at will if we weren't vigilant. He lived to be 15 ½ years old, which in human years is 105. We attribute his longevity to the fact that he was a strong athlete from good stock. Kino May 7, 1989 to April 27, 2005 "Kino" was the kennel keeper of time and let everyone (especially us) know when feeding time was due. He was a gray and white Alaskan husky with markings that give him the look of the pooch from "Spanky and Our Gang". Kino was almost 16 years old and deaf, but he had a keen eye and never missed a speck of kibble at mealtime. He was the son of Attla and Anna. Our Kira 1998 - 9 weeks old Our new puppy, Our Kira, was full of mischief and loved to subdue her siblings who often out weighed her. She was a pretty little girl with perfect black and white markings. The pups played hard and then, as a team, would collapse under the wood stove for a nap. We lost her too soon! Her namesake lives with Susie Wells in Massachusetts. "Kodiak" Char-Mist's Kodiak 1986 to 1997 Kodiak was a powerful black and white, broad-chested AKC registered Siberian Husky. He was originally from the Char-Mist kennel and sired several litters over his lifetime thus passing his impressive pedigree on to his heirs. Kodie ran at wheel and was one of our strongest sled dogs. While exercising the kennel we have observed that most of the other dogs, especially the males, seem to pay homage to Kodie whenever they go by his gate. "Lucy" Washington's Lucy In The Sky 1991 to 2004 Lucy was a classic long-haired, black and white AKC Siberian husky with blue eyes and the distinctive cloverleaf face. Lucy was our wild woman. She goaded her pen-mates into playing and, if she is unsuccesful, she would pick a fight. Lucy liked action! She had one litter of pups, but motherhood was not her forte and we never did that again. She was a hunter and Art watched her napping one afternoon as a fly buzzed by her nose. She opened one eye and in a snap that fly became a doggie hors d'oeurve. "Lupus" Carmerent's Long's Tank September 12, 1989 to October 10, 2003 Lupus came to Washington Kennel from a young man who had not anticipated the special care, temperament and space a Siberian Husky needs. Lupus was 2 1/2 years old when he came to Art. Lupie was one of the only pups his dam, Troyka, ever had. From what we hear, his temperament reflected hers. He was a large, long-haired copper Sibe with incredible blue eyes. He was as gentle and loving as one could expect. He loved the snow and he loved living out doors. He, like most of our dogs, was a creature of habit and watched carefully to be sure you gave his water dish a good cleaning before replenishing the water. If he felt you were leaving his pen too abruptly he would walk on your heels until he received his just due cuddles. During his life he sired two litters of pups and when we were advertising the pups from Tasha's litter, the woman who had owned Carmerent Kennel and had loved his mother so very much, came to Washington Kennel quite by accident. She was thrilled to be reacquainted with Lupus. "Magic" Magic Johnson May 7, 1989 to March 25, 2004 Magic was a lean, high-energy black and white Alaskan husky with long speedy legs and remarkable blue eyes. He was also our literary canine and wrote the kennel Christmas newsletter for years. He's been known to write a short story or two, which is difficult since he has the handicap of lack of opposing thumbs. Thank heavens we have a word processor! Magic was born at Washington Kennel in May 1989. Attla and Anna were his parents and their pups provided the core of the sled dog teams. When Krissie was in the hospital having her tonsils removed, Magic wrote her a story. [Click here to read Magic's Story.] "Misty Rose" Washington's Misty Rose 1988 to 1999 Misty Rose was our petite copper & white AKC Siberian. We had hoped she could be shown and possibly earn a Champion status next to her name, but the trainer discovered a kink in her tail and that was the end of that career. She did, however, prove to be a wonderful mother and presented us with some outstanding pups. Just after we moved to South Hiram, the lure of a wayward porcupine chomping on an apple on the lawn was too much for her. She had to have at him! Afterwards she sat bravely in the driveway waiting for someone to come home and notice her plight. Even after a trip to the vet, we were pulling out quills for weeks. While she was recuperating from the quill incident we allowed her to sleep in the kitchen. Sue came down to breakfast one morning and Misty was gone. A search of the house discovered her in bed with 14-year-old Kristen. "Nakita" Nakita Marie of Washington 1992 - ???? Nakita was a beautiful black and white Siberian with big brown eyes. She and her sister, Zenoah, came back to Washington Kennel after being deemed unworthy of another musher's team. They were, in fact, forced into a team at too young an age and he ruined them both as sled dogs. Art had a dream of training them and entering a contest against that musher and winning with Nakita and Zen on his team. That never transpired since the other kennel disbanded. Nakita wanted to live in the house. Since we did not have housedogs we promised to find her a family. The family who chose her took her home on a snowy November day. The next day we got a call that she had broken away. We searched for her for days, but we never saw her again. We figure she created her own fate and found a home SHE wanted. "Princess" Czarnick's Princess Kristen May 28, 1993 to November 27, 2006 Princess was a petite copper and white Siberian with fur like mink. We think she had "Betty Davis Eyes". She is the daughter of Lupus and Misty Rose. She was a runner, creating a figure eight track in any pen she was ever in. Most of her life she lived with her littermate, Handsome, and they played hard, often in the early morning hours, which upset everyone else in the kennel. She was also a scrapper and would guard her food with a threatening "Mine!" bark. If she had a chance to get in on a fight, she'd take it…no matter who it was that was fighting, or why. Once she chased a mouse under her doghouse and caught her muzzle on a nail, resulting in a nasty tear that required sutures. She saw no reason to go to the vet, but it was unsightly to have half her face hanging loose. We bred her once with Jude and she had three pups, but the delivery was long and difficult and we decided we would not put her (or us) through that again. The morning of the day she died she was still trying to run the figure eight track even though she was very weak, and was defending a treat-bone that she was unable to eat. She was a feisty little lady with a regal demeanor that indeed warranted the name Princess. Sheila 1988 to 1999 Sheila, our pure white Alaskan lead dog, always lived with, raced with and played with her brother and pen-mate, Hood. She loved to race and whenever she saw the dog box on top of the pickup truck she'd be at the gate barking "Pick me! Pick me!" She and Hood would hop on their hind legs like tall white rabbits, waiting to be harnessed. Sheila was named after the first "Crocodile Dundee" movie in which women are referred to as shielas. "Tasha" Glendon's Mariah Tasha 1987 to 2001 Tasha was a regal cooper and white Siberian with crystal blue eyes. She loved attention, especially having her tummy rubbed. She came to Washington Kennel at 12 weeks old from Glendon Kennel where she was born in 1987. She was the daughter of Winter Wind's Mariah II and Lesdale's Junar. Tasha was never happy in harness so we never pushed her to become a sled dog, but she was a wonderful mother and one of our best breeders. With the willing cooperation of Czar (twice), Kodiak and Lupus, Tasha presented us with four outstanding litters. Tasha's signature "whoo-whoo-ing" was a far cry from the usual husky howl, but it was her own unique contribution to the sounds of our kennel. She was a picky eater and often buried her food to return to later as a snack. We fully expected to find a year's supply of neatly stashed kibble in the back corner of her doghouse or in the crevice between the roots of the giant pine tree that shaded her pen. She was 14 years old when she passed over on November 7, 2001. "Ted" Czarnick's Gray Ghost October 1994 to the present "Toby" Czarnick's Toby McTeigue May 28, 1993 to November 12, 2002 Toby was born into our kennel as an example of the ideal configuration of the Siberian Husky standard. He was bi-eyed with a blondish copper and white coat, broad chested and powerful. He could run like the wind, jump like the famous Frisbee dog on TV and he would rather sleep outside in a blizzard than cuddled in the sweet smelling hay in his doghouse. He loved the feel of the snow on his coat! His name came from the sled dog movie "Toby McTeigue". All the dogs born in the kennel after May 1993 carry the name Czarnick after Czar, the founding stud of Washington Kennel. Toby was bothered by teeth problems all his life. This may have contributed to the stomach ulceration that caused him to move on to the other side. He was tired. He was ready. We buried him with a Frisbee. "Zachary" Washington's Zachary Brown 1989 to 1998 Zachary was a big, beautiful, longhaired copper and white AKC Siberian Husky. He was an escape artist but he always won us over after each of his romps by slathering us with affection. He was terrified of thunder and we always worried that he might become so distraught that he'd forget to go in his doghouse during midnight storms. Come morning, however, he'd be at the gate wagging his tail and asking "What storm?" One year we took him to the Union Fair where he was expected to represent Washington Kennel on stage. He was totally disinterested in the audience and turned his back to the crowd to watch the Ferris Wheel behind the stage. "Zenoah" Zenoah Anne of Washington 1992 to 2001 Zenoah was one of our "boomerang" dogs. She was born in our kennel, sold to a musher who tried to force her into harness when she was too young, after which he returned her to Washington Kennel where she lived out her life. She was a small, short-haired, black and white Siberian with classic blue eyes. She loved to run and she loved to scrap with the other dogs. But as fiesty as she was with our canine population, often teasing her pen-mate into a 5AM romp around the pen, she loved to be groomed and handled and cuddled. In 1999 she was diagnosed with a cancerous mammary tumor that the vet did not want to remove because it was evident that the cancer had also gone into her lungs. Zen was unwilling to go down without a fight and Sue began an aggressive herbal regimen supplimented with various types of energy work and shamanic healing. In October, 2000 the tumor, which had grown in size but did not spread, was surgically removed and declared "a benign mass". There was no lung involvement. Zen came home from that surgery, lounged in our kitchen while she healed, and was back in the kennel running and playing as soon as we would let her. June 23, 2001 she succumbed to diabetes. She was 9 years old, cancer-free and had well earned the title of Our Miracle Dog. "Zina" Washington's Zina Katrina 1991 to 2000 Zina was Lucy's twin, both being classic black and white, blue-eyed Siberian huskies. Once Art hitched Zina up instead of Lucy, took the dogs for a run and didn't discover until afterwards that he had Zina. She was a gentle love of a dog. Her passing was very unexpected and this photo was taken the day she died. Huskies are reknowned diggers and chewers and mischief makers. Zina gnawed on a piece of the fenching in her pen and swallowed some parts she should not have. "Zoey" Washington's Miss Zoey 1990 to 2000 Miss Zoey was the most prim and proper of all the girls in the kennel. She never gobbled her food, but sat beside her dish with her front legs crossed daring her pen-mate, Handsome, to go for it. She was a tiny yellow and white Siberian husky. © Susan Chapman Melanson 2008