"My name is Navarre and I’m thrilled to be No Bonz Dog of the Month for April, especially since I will be celebrating my first birthday on March 14th. Some people ask if I’m a wolf-hybrid, but I am actually a Tamaskan. Once people get to know me, they recognize that I’m super friendly around people and other dogs and I don’t have any “wolfy” behaviors like aggression, aloofness, or drive to escape. The Tamaskan breed has only been in existence for 8 years but is the result of about 30 years of development, mostly in the UK and Scandinavia. The goal was to develop a breed that has a wolf-like appearance but the good temperament of a family dog and the working ability of a sled dog. Various Husky-types were bred with Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, and German Shepherds to create lines of dogs often referred to as Northern Inuit and Utonagan. Select members of these lines, along with Lapland sled dogs, became the foundation Tamaskan dogs. I love to socialize with other dogs so much that I’ve trained my humans to bring me to the dog park every single day (unless, of course, I’m lucky enough to spend the day socializing at No Bonz!). My favorite parks are Laurelhurst and Normandale, but I really love the occasional get-away to the Sandy Delta or the beach.
My favorite activities are hiking and backpacking, especially in the snow. In honor of my sled-dog ancestry, I’m learning to pull. My training consists of pulling a scooter around the neighborhood, and on a recent trip I was able to pull the scooter up and down the beach. Next winter I’ll be old enough to begin skijoring (pulling a skier) and maybe even pulling a real sled with other dogs. Between these activities, I’m usually pretty chill as I rest at home. My favorite toys include spunky the spider and a little birdy that I’ve had with me since I was only a week or two old. I’ve also trained my humans to give me treats just for putting away my toys in the box or falling over when they blow me a kiss, which is pretty funny.
See you at No Bonz!"