Leading the way to Chinook magic!
CALISTA
It’s been really difficult, for a number of complicated reasons, to work through my desolation and heartbreak to celebrate the life of Calista (2x NBOB U-WP GRCH Bashaba Linto Calista CGC HIC) one of the most accomplished and impactful Chinook dogs of this century. I know this is (extraordinarily) long - so grab a cup up coffee or tea and bear with me- she was a dog well worth the time of knowing.
One day, if you are very, very good, and exceptionally lucky, you may find yourself with a dog like her. A dog so deeply good, so utterly devoted to you that she often “flew under the radar” - overshadowed by her flashier, more obnoxiously outgoing, or more troublesome relatives. A dog remembered fondly by many she met, for her polite manner and beauty, but mostly for how much she was “my dog” - staying by my side, watching me, so in tune with me she seamlessly adjusted herself to my often unconscious cues.
Calista chose me early on- calmly pushing the puppy crate to one side of the whelping box, jumping on top of it, and from there over the side to freedom….so she could make her way to my side. Her puppy name was Boudicca and she was, like her namesake, fierce in her convictions. I still can’t comprehend how somehow I lucked into her conviction being to be mine.
She was one of those take-anywhere, do-anything dogs - as long as she was with me nothing bothered her. Puppy classes were a breeze, first dog show at days past 6 months old? No problem, she beat Champions all weekend long, placed in Groups, and got good looks in the Best in Show ring her first show weekend ever. And earned her Championship that weekend, one of if not the youngest Chinook to do so. In similar, unbothered and easy manners she earned a Canine Good Citizen Award and Herding Instinct Certification and Novice Sled Dog Certification, although to be truthful she was always conflicted about the “running away from me” part of mushing.
Not stopping there, she went on to win National Best of Breed two times, back to back, placing in the Top Ten Chinooks multiple times. Because why not, I entered her in weight pulling event during her second National Specialty win, and she earned her United Weight Puller Championship and UKC Total Dog. When I was asked by a friend of a friend to bring Chinooks to the National Dog Show the year they were AKC recognized, Calista was one of the two dogs I brought to press events and the madness of tens of thousands of public spectators at the event. She placed Best of Opposite to her brother in the ring, and then was interviewed by Mary Carillo, who was fascinated by Calista’s mismatched ears.
Publicity notwithstanding, Calista’s biggest accomplishments for the Chinook breed are in the lab and whelping box. One day on a whim I sampled her DNA for a test…and lo and behold it came back a few weeks later noting Calista had one copy of a recessive genetic variant that caused dwarfism in Norwegian Elkhounds and Karelian Bear Dogs. I knew Calista had a half-brother that was a dwarf- so we worked with the scientists and were able to confirm that genetic variant was indeed relevant for Chinooks, and now we could both identify carriers and have a bulletproof way of ensuring we didn’t breed two carriers together and produce affected puppies. BOOM we had the first validated genetic test for Chinooks. Calista had her photo included in the PLOS One research paper.
And in the whelping box, Calista produced two litters of wonderful puppies. Her first litter was with a stud with an uncommon pedigree, and the puppies are truly magnificent active family companions. They exemplified Chinook type - but more importantly inherited their mother’s gigantic, devoted heart. Her second litter broke new ground as the first cross litter with a non-Chinook stud, part of the newly launched Chinook Breed Conservation program to ensure health and longevity for the breed through genetic diversity.
This second litter also produced some amazing puppies, half-Chinook, half-Tamaskan Dog, who immediately set out to show the world good things. From canine athletes to farm buddies to human-caretaker-nurses to family companions, these puppies have also done amazing things. Descendants from both of her litters continue forward in the gene pool, and I can only hope they continue to share her beauty and love with future generations.
One day, if you are very, very good, and exceptionally lucky, you may find yourself with a dog like her. A dog so deeply good, so utterly devoted to you that she often “flew under the radar” - overshadowed by her flashier, more obnoxiously outgoing, or more troublesome relatives. A dog remembered fondly by many she met, for her polite manner and beauty, but mostly for how much she was “my dog” - staying by my side, watching me, so in tune with me she seamlessly adjusted herself to my often unconscious cues.
Calista chose me early on- calmly pushing the puppy crate to one side of the whelping box, jumping on top of it, and from there over the side to freedom….so she could make her way to my side. Her puppy name was Boudicca and she was, like her namesake, fierce in her convictions. I still can’t comprehend how somehow I lucked into her conviction being to be mine.
She was one of those take-anywhere, do-anything dogs - as long as she was with me nothing bothered her. Puppy classes were a breeze, first dog show at days past 6 months old? No problem, she beat Champions all weekend long, placed in Groups, and got good looks in the Best in Show ring her first show weekend ever. And earned her Championship that weekend, one of if not the youngest Chinook to do so. In similar, unbothered and easy manners she earned a Canine Good Citizen Award and Herding Instinct Certification and Novice Sled Dog Certification, although to be truthful she was always conflicted about the “running away from me” part of mushing.
Not stopping there, she went on to win National Best of Breed two times, back to back, placing in the Top Ten Chinooks multiple times. Because why not, I entered her in weight pulling event during her second National Specialty win, and she earned her United Weight Puller Championship and UKC Total Dog. When I was asked by a friend of a friend to bring Chinooks to the National Dog Show the year they were AKC recognized, Calista was one of the two dogs I brought to press events and the madness of tens of thousands of public spectators at the event. She placed Best of Opposite to her brother in the ring, and then was interviewed by Mary Carillo, who was fascinated by Calista’s mismatched ears.
Publicity notwithstanding, Calista’s biggest accomplishments for the Chinook breed are in the lab and whelping box. One day on a whim I sampled her DNA for a test…and lo and behold it came back a few weeks later noting Calista had one copy of a recessive genetic variant that caused dwarfism in Norwegian Elkhounds and Karelian Bear Dogs. I knew Calista had a half-brother that was a dwarf- so we worked with the scientists and were able to confirm that genetic variant was indeed relevant for Chinooks, and now we could both identify carriers and have a bulletproof way of ensuring we didn’t breed two carriers together and produce affected puppies. BOOM we had the first validated genetic test for Chinooks. Calista had her photo included in the PLOS One research paper.
And in the whelping box, Calista produced two litters of wonderful puppies. Her first litter was with a stud with an uncommon pedigree, and the puppies are truly magnificent active family companions. They exemplified Chinook type - but more importantly inherited their mother’s gigantic, devoted heart. Her second litter broke new ground as the first cross litter with a non-Chinook stud, part of the newly launched Chinook Breed Conservation program to ensure health and longevity for the breed through genetic diversity.
This second litter also produced some amazing puppies, half-Chinook, half-Tamaskan Dog, who immediately set out to show the world good things. From canine athletes to farm buddies to human-caretaker-nurses to family companions, these puppies have also done amazing things. Descendants from both of her litters continue forward in the gene pool, and I can only hope they continue to share her beauty and love with future generations.
Biography
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NBOB U-WP GR CH ‘PR’ Bashaba Linto Calista CGC HIC DNA-VIP
1 April 2011
Frontier Jackson
GR CH GreatMountain Lyric Tikaani
Intact
1 April 2011
Frontier Jackson
GR CH GreatMountain Lyric Tikaani
Intact
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Health
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Outside of the whelping box, Calista LOVED puppies and aided in raising 10 litter of puppies for me. She was the first dog to try to convince new mamas she meant no harm, and was superb at managing to gain their support and join them in the whelping box.
Calista was a remarkably healthy dog, and did begin to slow down a bit around 13.5. I didn’t think much of it, as she was my only Chinook that ever enjoyed fetching a tennis ball, and ceding that role to my younger Leonberger seemed normal. In late October she began struggling with pain in a rear leg, and X-rays showed remarkably little arthritis- that was not the problem. While she remained on her paws, she was struggling with discomfort and a second series of X-rays showed both likely growth of a shadow on a long bone and fluid in her lungs along with expected metastatic changes in her abdomen.
My promise to all my dogs is that I won’t let them suffer, and Calista, with her gigantic heart and complete dedication to me was one I worried the most about just soldiering on through her pain. In consultation with my amazing vet, I determined it was time to say goodbye to this magnificent soul I knew would never choose to leave me.
We sat outside on a crisp November afternoon, the sun beaming through puffy white clouds, the chill wind blowing in our faces, the sound of the bushes rustling and the birds singing. Calista had her nose in the breeze, my hands in her fur, and my voice in her ears as she flew free.
Godspeed, my Bear Bear, I will always feel you in the steady presence of a dog untethered, waiting at my side, in that moment a dog chooses me to turn to for kisses and pets, any time I see a mismatched ear reaching for the sky while its partner demurely folds over. You were the very best Bear Bear there ever was.
Miscellany
Hobbies: Rally Obedience, Nosework, Escaping from Containment Systems
Favorite Cartoon Character: Jessie from Toy Story
Favorite Quote: "Energy and persistence conquer all things."
Career Ambition:
Awards: Novice Sled Dog Certified, Canine Good Citizen (CGC), UKC Conformation National Best of Breed, (NBOB) Grand Champion (GR CH), UKC #1 Chinook-2015, UKC #9 Chinook- 2011 Herding Instinct Certified (HIC)
Favorite Cartoon Character: Jessie from Toy Story
Favorite Quote: "Energy and persistence conquer all things."
Career Ambition:
Awards: Novice Sled Dog Certified, Canine Good Citizen (CGC), UKC Conformation National Best of Breed, (NBOB) Grand Champion (GR CH), UKC #1 Chinook-2015, UKC #9 Chinook- 2011 Herding Instinct Certified (HIC)