My Life with Siberians
Hello, my name is Brenda Potter and I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Nova Scotia and the peninsula of Halifax are almost completely surrounded by the ocean which is why I decided to use a picture I took at Peggy's Cove as the background for my website.
I obtained my first Siberian, "Chimo", Ch. Zappatas Amarok Simmiktartok Am/Can CD, CDX in 1977. I bought Chimo strictly as a pet with some interest in doing obedience. However her breeders, Greg and Susan Shepherd, felt Chimo turned out nice enough that they asked if they could show her. The first match we went to Chimo won and off course that got me hooked. I quickly became involved in not just obedience but also the conformation part of dog shows and eventually decided to breed.

Although getting Chimo opened up the "world of dogs" to me with all its activities, including breeding, I have never wanted so many dogs that they couldn't all live out their entire lives with me as my house pets. Even during a difficult few years when I couldn't find a job and ended up moving back home where I could just have one dog stay at a time, the idea of placing any of my three dogs - Chimo, Jason and Poppy - never occurred to me. Instead I boarded them with friends and switched them around so that they each had a couple days per week being with me. It wasn't ideal for sure but I made it work and even still managed to give the dogs enough individual time to put conformation and obedience titles on them during this time. I do understand that some activities require keeping a larger number of dogs and that the placement of retired dogs from these larger kennels into pet homes is in the best interest of the dogs. I have just chosen a different path where I never have so many dogs that rehoming is necessary.

There have been two decisions I have made that have had a significant impact on my current breeding program. The first was in 1993 when I decided for the first time to go outside of the Atlantic Canada area to try to find the best quality foundation bitch I could find. After careful searching I contacted Tommy O and Marlene DePalma (Kontoki Kennels). Tom and Marlene had a very good reputation both as far as the quality of their dogs and for good health. I also liked the fact that they appreciated a more refine "moderate" Siberian that was slow maturing (something the working people also like). I ended up purchasing a little black/white girl from them. This little girl grew up to become BIS Can/Am Ch. Kontoki's Wish Upon A Star WD, CGN, AOM (Yankie Specialty) and Saint John Ambulance Therapy Dog.
Then in 2003, I decided I wanted to combine my pure show line Siberians with working line Siberians. This was a huge step for me. It was the first time I broke away from basically breeding other breeder's lines and following their advice. For the first time I made my own choice in what direction I wanted my breeding program to go. I felt that the working line Siberians had some traits that dogs from show lines just could not offer my breeding program. These dogs had proven workability which means they had the structure AND the head to do the job even when going down the trail was no longer fun. This is something that just can not be proven or judged by trotting around a dog show ring! Again, I tried to seek out the very best I would find. Since the breed was originally best known as a long distance sled dog I focused on kennels that completed distance races. I had admired Karen Ramstead, Iditarod veteran with her Siberians of NorthWapiti Kennels, for several years for her openness and her dedication to the working Siberian and I really liked the fact that she was a proud Canadian. :) So I decided to contact Karen. She patiently listened to what I was looking for and after discussing a few possibilities kindly offered me Freya, Ch. NorthWapiti's Freya WLD, CGN (Therapy Dog), who had just come off her Iditarod Ceremonial Start team.
Then in 2003, I decided I wanted to combine my pure show line Siberians with working line Siberians. This was a huge step for me. It was the first time I broke away from basically breeding other breeder's lines and following their advice. For the first time I made my own choice in what direction I wanted my breeding program to go. I felt that the working line Siberians had some traits that dogs from show lines just could not offer my breeding program. These dogs had proven workability which means they had the structure AND the head to do the job even when going down the trail was no longer fun. This is something that just can not be proven or judged by trotting around a dog show ring! Again, I tried to seek out the very best I would find. Since the breed was originally best known as a long distance sled dog I focused on kennels that completed distance races. I had admired Karen Ramstead, Iditarod veteran with her Siberians of NorthWapiti Kennels, for several years for her openness and her dedication to the working Siberian and I really liked the fact that she was a proud Canadian. :) So I decided to contact Karen. She patiently listened to what I was looking for and after discussing a few possibilities kindly offered me Freya, Ch. NorthWapiti's Freya WLD, CGN (Therapy Dog), who had just come off her Iditarod Ceremonial Start team.
I bred Freya to Siri's son, Levi, BIS Am/Can Ch. Chimini's Living Like A Legend WD, CGN, RN, CL1, AGN, AGJN (Therapy Dog). Freya, and Siri via Levi, became the foundation bitches for my current breeding program. I do not think I could have picked two sounder representatives of their lines to base my breeding program on. I owe a lot to these two incredible girls and their breeders for allowing me to have them. Please go to Siri's and Freya's individual pages to read more about them.
As you can see from the slideshow on the home page, I do enjoy doing a variety of activities with my dogs including conformation (dog shows), sledding, obedience, rally-o, agility, pet therapy work and freestyle dancing. I sometimes think I got involved in all these activities because early on I was told not to expect a lot from a Siberian when it comes to training. Being as stubborn as my dogs, I became determine to show everyone just how intelligent this incredible breed really is if you just have the patience to work with them.
I have been fortunate enough to be able to put conformation, obedience, agility and sledding titles on my dogs. This includes being the proud breeder / owner of multi Best In Show, Best in Show and Reserve Best In Show winners, as well as National and Regional Specialty Award of Merit winners and High in Class obedience trial winners. Multi BIS, Nat. AOM, Am/Can/CFC Ch. Chimini's Peregrin Took WLD, CGN, RA "Pippin" was the #3 Siberian in Canada in 2012 and RBIS, BBIS Can/CFC Elite Ch. Chimini's Shall We Dance WLD, CGN, RE, Jive, was the #2 Siberian in Rally Obedience in 2014. I'm also extremely proud of the fact that I'm now working with my 5th generation of registered Therapy Dogs who visit seniors and Pippin also works with children. It brings me a lot of joy to visit the seniors and children with my dogs. However, at the end of the day or when they are no longer able to participate in any of these activities, they will always have a couch or a bed in my house to curl up on.
I have been fortunate enough to be able to put conformation, obedience, agility and sledding titles on my dogs. This includes being the proud breeder / owner of multi Best In Show, Best in Show and Reserve Best In Show winners, as well as National and Regional Specialty Award of Merit winners and High in Class obedience trial winners. Multi BIS, Nat. AOM, Am/Can/CFC Ch. Chimini's Peregrin Took WLD, CGN, RA "Pippin" was the #3 Siberian in Canada in 2012 and RBIS, BBIS Can/CFC Elite Ch. Chimini's Shall We Dance WLD, CGN, RE, Jive, was the #2 Siberian in Rally Obedience in 2014. I'm also extremely proud of the fact that I'm now working with my 5th generation of registered Therapy Dogs who visit seniors and Pippin also works with children. It brings me a lot of joy to visit the seniors and children with my dogs. However, at the end of the day or when they are no longer able to participate in any of these activities, they will always have a couch or a bed in my house to curl up on.