Sakari was the very first puppy born here at Vanguard Chinooks. Her name means ‘sweet’ in Inuit, and the Dawn part honors the Abenaki people of New Hampshire whose name means “People of the Dawnland’. She embodies everything I hoped for in her litter- a sweet, sometimes goofy, loving, outgoing personality paired with Chinook beauty. Sakari is extremely athletic, with a mixture of her mother’s beautiful, smooth movement and her sire’s plush coat, heavier bone, and historic size.
Sakari is a party girl- happy to see you, happy to play. She invites you to share the simple joys of a hug or a bone with her. She can be high-energy yet she is also extremely intuitive and empathetic, knowing when to temper her joie de vivre with gentleness and calmness.
Sakari’s innate, outgoing gentleness is a perfect match for a Therapy Dog. She proved this by skipping introductory lessons, and moving straight to certification by the Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dog organization, along with easily earning her Canine Good Citizen award.
Sakari also has proven that she has a keen brain behind that beautiful face -mastering pet training and working in both K9 Nosework and Rally Obedience. I’m proudest of Sakari’s working ability - she is a natural leader in harness. She prefers to run in lead, and has added necessary focus to the team. She quickly earned her Weight Puller title in UKC Weight Pull, as well. I rely on her to get things started and keep the team going.
Sakari has had three litters, and was a very serious and attentive mother. Her second litter in January 2014 was the first third generation crossbred Chinook litter in almost a decade- bringing needed health and diversity to the gene pool. Her third litter brought some West Coast genes back east for the breed. Sakari is looking forward to seeing some of her joie de vivre and stable sweetness carry on her in grand puppies this summer.