Tsar's Strictly a Ruler
July 2010 to September 2023
Tsar came to live with Amelia in September of her first semester of grad school. They hiked, biked, and skied many miles along Lake Superior during their time in Marquette. Tsar was always food obsessed. It made training him easier while also bringing out his worst traits. He did all the naughty things a husky does by nature (digging holes, killing animals, pulling like a brute, shedding, running away, etc. etc.), but he was also very biddable and smart and forgiving. He was one of the best command leaders Amelia ever had and was also the only husky she would ever trust off a leash (so long as there was food present!).
Tsar started slowing down drastically in the spring of 2023. His back end started failing him and soon he wasn’t always able to make it outside to go potty. To his last day, Tsar loved a deep head massage and chest scratches. And of course he still shouted about dinner and came plodding over to see what snacks might be available when Amelia wrinkled plastic. It became clear as fall drew closer that despite his appetite, the rest of his body was failing him and most day were more miserable that enjoyable, so the time came to let him rest peacefully.
Tsar started slowing down drastically in the spring of 2023. His back end started failing him and soon he wasn’t always able to make it outside to go potty. To his last day, Tsar loved a deep head massage and chest scratches. And of course he still shouted about dinner and came plodding over to see what snacks might be available when Amelia wrinkled plastic. It became clear as fall drew closer that despite his appetite, the rest of his body was failing him and most day were more miserable that enjoyable, so the time came to let him rest peacefully.
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Canes Boreae Uno
May 2009 to March 2023
Uno was one of the last set of dogs that we picked up from St. Ignace in 2017. He was one of Ellyn’s favorite leaders and had the silliest moan/whine/howl that he did for dinner or when he was eager for a run. Uno was as stubborn as they come. Diane tried many late nights to keep him in the house when it was below -30° out, and he would have no part in it. He loved his large kennel and was always up and running early. He truly was my most active dog up until the day of his passing. He was running tours less than a week prior to his unexpected journey across the Rainbow Bridge. Age meant nothing to him. Uno had incredible work ethic, pedigree, and his brain was truly that of a leader. He was always happy in harness and affectionate to those that put him in it. We loved having him in our kennel and on our teams and will miss his voice and never-ending desire to run.
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Chouts Grundy of Velikaya
April 2009 to November 2022
Grundy was a dog that we got from Howling Spirits back in November 2013. He was one of the G litter bred by Bob Chlupach and Rick Outwin. Grundy was a friendly dog who worked hard all the time. He couldn’t lead to save his life, but he’d run anywhere else and with anyone else. There are a ton of stories with Grundy, from AKC papers to Amelia's broken ankle to glaucoma to battles with Pepe to his family in Iditarod… but at the end of the day Grundy was just a plain old good dog. He was easy to keep, happy-go-lucky, and eager to please. Between him and his brother Grizzly, the influence has been huge here. Even though neither brothers were leaders, they produced leaders over and over again. Grundy really started struggling summer 2022 with his rear end and as the temperatures dropped, so did his attitude and it was quite clear he was in a great amount of pain. After a really tough day, Amelja decided to let him go peacefully and be pain free across the rainbow bridge. Rest well, Grundy. You will be greatly missed and we will forever be grateful for your influence here.
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Dove of Celtic Moon
December 2009 to October 2022
Dove came to us from Celtic Moon Siberians in Florence, Wisconsin. She was one of the first trained sled dogs we introduced to our kennel. She was a dopey, friendly girl and a great momma to her babies. She was big and strong female that we trusted to get our juniors down the trail. Dove was happy-go-lucky and a little bit aloof, but she had the greatest personality. Ellyn received Dove and her sister Faith for Christmas 2015 and raced both sisters for many years. Dove joined her sister Faith across the Rainbow Bridge very unexpectedly on a fall training run in 2022. She left the world doing her favorite thing, and we will miss her presence forever.
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Tagalder's Nemadji at Top of the Hill
November 2019 to October 2022
We were so honored to bring home Madji and her brother Monty from our dear friend Ruth. Madji was one of three females in the Tagalder's Wild Rivers litter. Madji was an absolutely beautiful female that had the sweetest personality towards humans and one of the tougher attitudes towards other females. She was a wonderfully strong girl who ran great next to her partner in crime, Siren. Madji had a brief but mighty battle with IMHA in the late summer and early fall of 2022 before succombing to the disease. We will miss her determination, smile, and sass greatly and are so saddened that we weren't able to spend more time working with miss Madji-lou.
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Max
September 2007 to September 2021
Max was our second husky. He came from the Lincoln County Humane Society in Merrill, Wisconsin, very abused and malnourished. He met our husky, Akeelah, though, and the two of them soon became best friends. He had some lasting issues from his previous home, but he loved his rescuer, Diane, very much. Max was a very big boy, so we sometimes wondered if he might be part malamute, though he had many qualities of a Siberian. He was a bit of a chicken and was very shy, but was a GREAT and tolerant puppy-sitter. We called him "Uncle Max." We would put Max on a small team occasionally, but his size and stamina (or lack thereof) made it a bit awkward for both him and the other dogs. Max was primarily a companion animal and, as such, was spoiled rotten.
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Canes Boreae Euchre
May 2009 to September 2021
We got Euchre late fall 2017. After Amelia Gagliano’s friend Adrienne told us about some very nice Siberian’s in Upper Michigan. We kept coming home with more and more. First Royal in 2015, then Brick, then Bob, Roughy, Twister, Sugar, and Maple. As we kept going back for more of the dogs our heart strings were being pulled for the remaining. Their owner had no time for them and they just sat as age crept up. Finally he offered us the last 4 he was willing to part with giving us Euchre, Uno, Bruin, and RedWing.
He was the most bred sire in the kennel but bad luck kept us from getting a puppy out of him, though we had his daughter and two grandsons. We had one last shot with a singleton female pup out of Euchre and Milly, but unfortunately the vet assistant let her get killed by mama despite our warnings. While we had many disappointments with trying to continue his legacy through his progeny, we hope his grandsons will continue to carry on some of his best traits.
Euchre was the sweetest dog; very shy but very happy. He loved to run, loved to exercise, loved Ellyn, loved toys, loved playtime and loved to eat! He was absolutely sweet to every other dog. Watching him train was incredible. He was the most efficient dog we’ve ever watched and we sorely miss him on our teams.
He was the most bred sire in the kennel but bad luck kept us from getting a puppy out of him, though we had his daughter and two grandsons. We had one last shot with a singleton female pup out of Euchre and Milly, but unfortunately the vet assistant let her get killed by mama despite our warnings. While we had many disappointments with trying to continue his legacy through his progeny, we hope his grandsons will continue to carry on some of his best traits.
Euchre was the sweetest dog; very shy but very happy. He loved to run, loved to exercise, loved Ellyn, loved toys, loved playtime and loved to eat! He was absolutely sweet to every other dog. Watching him train was incredible. He was the most efficient dog we’ve ever watched and we sorely miss him on our teams.
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Go for Wand of Stari Nite
April 2013 to December 2018
What is there to say about Wanda? She was Amelia's best female, and a girl we didn't have nearly enough time with. Wanda was the best leader we had, and she came to us from Adrienne Hagen-Hill of Stari Nite because Amelia was in desperate need of a strong leader. Amelia was absolutely blessed and honored to bring Wanda home. What a dream she was to have! Wanda was a quiet, somewhat shy dog that took a little while to warm up to. She loved her job and was absolutely amazing at it. Wanda was always a pick as a female for breeding because they say to breed your best, and though the first try for a little failed, Amelia tried again in the fall of 2018 with our young male Neptune. Wanda gave birth to two big, beautiful boys via c-section at about 8PM on December 15th, and just four hours later she passed away while nursing them most likely from Pulmonary Embolism. It was absolutely one of the worst experiences to go through, and we will forever and always miss this beautiful, special dog who left us way too soon.
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Canes Boreae Bruin
March 2010 to June 2018
Bruin was a a super sweet dog that we did not have all that long, but he sure made his way into our hearts. This boy came from Eastern UP with his sisters, Maple and Red Wing, and half siblings Uno Euchre, Bob, Royal, and Sugar in the fall of 2017. Diane wanted to give him the chance to do what these dogs love to do: mush! He was a very sweet, nice boy, and we were able to use him as a team dog for one season. In the summer of 2018, he started showing some interesting and concerning symptoms that led to his health deteriorating very quickly. We ultimate put this poor boy to rest, and are very sad that we were unable to have more time with him.
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Faith of Celtic Moon
December 2009 to January 2018
Top of the Hill Huskies said goodbye to beautiful and sweet Faith of Celtic Moon on January 9th. Faith was an amazing sled dog, a quiet and gentle female, and a fantastic dog to have in our kennel. We loved her build, her personality, her silly awuah-awuah-awuah howl... Faith was a little on the shy side, but she was a tough dog, a great eater, healthy, strong, big, and all-around amazing. She was the first real leader we had experience with, and she taught us a lot about what a headstrong, intelligent, strong sled dog is like. Faith and her sister Dove were mainstays here at our kennel, and we were blessed to have some amazing litters out of these girls. Our Triple Crown litter out of Faith and Nox has been an absolute joy, and we are so thankful to have gotten 100% leaders with that litter. In harness, Faith was a hard-core lefty with a beautiful gait and extremely pleasing personality. She was also one of the most stubborn dogs we’ve worked with; trying to convince her that what she thought was correct was indeed wrong was an epic struggle. When we were on the same page, though, she was a dream. As our junior Ellyn got more hands-on, Diane decided to give Dove and Faith to Ellyn as her very own two dog team. Ellyn’s girls were the perfect team for scootering and 2 dog junior, and we trusted them to give Ellyn’s safe trip around the course. We were extremely saddened to lose Faith after a brief albeit severe sickness that she battled. She had many symptoms, and we followed many medical leads and tried multiple treatments before she started to lose the battle, and we made the decision to end her suffering. While we weren’t able to get a clear answer, we’re sure she had some sort of cancer that made it's way to her lungs and sadly was too quick for us to do much about.
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Trailbound's Brick
July 2007 to February 2017
Brick is one of the many dogs we found up in St. Ignace at Chuck Cullip's kennel. We brought Brick home along with three of his children. He was an older gentleman when we picked him up, but he was a proven race dog and could lead for us which was something we greatly needed at the time. Brick ran in all positions, with all of our mushers, and with just about every dog here at the kennel. He was a friendly, silly, happy-go-lucky dude. He was also very tall and lean. We really enjoyed having him here at our kennel.
Right around Christmas 2016, Brick experienced a severe episode of pancreatitis that ultimately led to his death. He became diabetic and appeared to have many organ issues after overcoming the pancreatitis, but we could not get him to eat regularly, maintain his insulin levels, or gain any weight. He fought a good fight and so did we, but ultimately we knew that the best choice for him and his quality of life was to put him to rest.
Brick has been incredibly influential here. We were fortunate to have one of his best runs ever shortly before his pancreatitis and were so happy that we could get him back out on the trails doing what he absolutely loved for at least a little while. This will always break our hearts, but we are blessed to have known this great dog.
Right around Christmas 2016, Brick experienced a severe episode of pancreatitis that ultimately led to his death. He became diabetic and appeared to have many organ issues after overcoming the pancreatitis, but we could not get him to eat regularly, maintain his insulin levels, or gain any weight. He fought a good fight and so did we, but ultimately we knew that the best choice for him and his quality of life was to put him to rest.
Brick has been incredibly influential here. We were fortunate to have one of his best runs ever shortly before his pancreatitis and were so happy that we could get him back out on the trails doing what he absolutely loved for at least a little while. This will always break our hearts, but we are blessed to have known this great dog.
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Howling Spirits Dizzy Miss Lizzy
November 2009 to May 2014
Lizzy came to us from Howling Spirit Racing Siberian Huskies, owned Phil and Kim Ruhl in Bryant, WI. Lizzy was our first "racing dog" and taught us a thing or two about what real working dogs are like. She was a goofy girl who loved to run and play. The saying that "a kennel is an IQ test to a husky" was definitely true for her. She would go under or through fences, and, if those hadn't have worked out for her, she probably would have tried over the top too. She had a silly, happy personality and loved to hold her ears sideways and pretend we couldn't see her. When we got close enough, she'd hop around as if saying "Surprise!" The funny ear set earned her the nickname "Yoda-Dog." As a working dog, Lizzy had fantastic drive. She started on a skijor team and competed in two races, but Amelia found that she did best as a wheel or team dog with others leading her. She really pulled well next to her half brother, Pepé, who she used to run next to at her original kennel as a yearling.
During the spring of 2014, Lizzy started losing weight, stopped eating, and began struggling with her breathing. After a couple trips to the vet, she was diagnosed with idiopathic chylothorax, which is basically when the lung and heart cavity fills with a fatty, protein-rich liquid that is being displaced by the thorax. Our vet wasn't positive what was causing this to happen, but he was 90% certain that she had a mass in her chest. Surgery and treatment procedures weren't very successful for her diagnosis, and after about a week and a half and quickly returning symptoms, we had to make the hardest decision a pet owner and animal lover has to make. Lizzy joined Akeelah over the rainbow bridge just a few months after Akeelah's passing, both far too early. We will miss this happy and goofy girl forever!
During the spring of 2014, Lizzy started losing weight, stopped eating, and began struggling with her breathing. After a couple trips to the vet, she was diagnosed with idiopathic chylothorax, which is basically when the lung and heart cavity fills with a fatty, protein-rich liquid that is being displaced by the thorax. Our vet wasn't positive what was causing this to happen, but he was 90% certain that she had a mass in her chest. Surgery and treatment procedures weren't very successful for her diagnosis, and after about a week and a half and quickly returning symptoms, we had to make the hardest decision a pet owner and animal lover has to make. Lizzy joined Akeelah over the rainbow bridge just a few months after Akeelah's passing, both far too early. We will miss this happy and goofy girl forever!
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Akeelah
Spring/Summer 2005 to November 2013
Akeelah was the one who started the love of huskies in our family. We got her from the Vilas County Humane Society in Eagle River, Wisconsin, in December 2006. She was around a year and a half and had been a runaway, living on her own for who knows how long. Those tendencies stuck with her to her last day with us. She was a husky through and through (ran away, dug holes, loved everyone, howled, had a high prey drive, etc.). The first time we introduced her to a harness, she started to step into it, which leads us to believe that she may have had some mushing training in her background. After getting more dogs hooked up with Akeelah, she started to shy away from the whole experience, earning her pet and companion status. We brought her on many trips all over; her favorite place was the stream leading to a lagoon on Madeline Island. She loved to swim across the current to the other side. Akeelah greeted everyone, hated being brushed, refused to be in a kennel, always had a lot to say (in her woo-woo-woo voice that we will miss forever), loved treats (a little too much), and we absolutely adored her. She loved her master, Mike, most of all. She was very aloof about puppies and gave us "the glare" whenever we brought a new dog home. Her best pal was Max, and her favorite game was King of the Hill in the winter.
On November 11, 2013, Akeelah was being a typical husky on the loose after running through our wireless containment system and disrupting the neighbor's chickens. A different neighbor, new to the area and unfamiliar with our dogs, mistook her for a coyote and shot her. It was such a tragic event, and time will never heal that wound to our hearts. We will miss this girl every single day. She was so special and an awesome family member. This is one of those dogs that will never be replaced. We are so sorry that she left us so soon, but we're extremely thankful for the years we had with her.
On November 11, 2013, Akeelah was being a typical husky on the loose after running through our wireless containment system and disrupting the neighbor's chickens. A different neighbor, new to the area and unfamiliar with our dogs, mistook her for a coyote and shot her. It was such a tragic event, and time will never heal that wound to our hearts. We will miss this girl every single day. She was so special and an awesome family member. This is one of those dogs that will never be replaced. We are so sorry that she left us so soon, but we're extremely thankful for the years we had with her.
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Troika
December 2009 - February 2010
Our first husky puppy was Troika. She was a little spitfire, born in December 2009. We were in love with her dark blue eyes and dark red coat. Diane had begged and begged for a husky puppy after falling deeply for our two resuce huskies, Max and Laika. She finally got her wish for Christmas in 2009 with the little bundle, Troika.
We had her for only two weeks, and then one night--the first night we left her alone--we had a house fire. She survived the fire itself, but after a difficult struggle with smoke inhalation, we had to put this precious baby to sleep. She is missed every day. We so sorely regret not being able to watch her grow up.
We had her for only two weeks, and then one night--the first night we left her alone--we had a house fire. She survived the fire itself, but after a difficult struggle with smoke inhalation, we had to put this precious baby to sleep. She is missed every day. We so sorely regret not being able to watch her grow up.
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