origin of mimm

THE ORIGIN OF MIMMENUK

As told by Jamie.

All I ever wanted was just one dog. One dog to call my own and love. When my brother Bob got an Alaskan malamute from our friends Daryl and Sabine Coulson of Temeew Kennels I fell in love with the breed. Nuntuk had everything I was looking for in a dog. He had the looks I wanted plus the temperament. I wanted to purchase one for myself but at eighteen I really didn't have the money. But then my dream came true.

One day when talking to Sabine she had mentioned that she was looking for someone to co-own a female with her. She thought that I would be a good co-owner,but in reality she wanted me to OWN the dog. So on December 15,1994 I became the proud new dad of Temeew's Princess Temeera. My experience in the assistance of raising Nuntuk helped me greatly. I made many mistakes, but it didn't take her long to realize that she was smarter than me. And though we've had our struggles at times, she is pretty well behaved. With the assistance of a few singing lessons, she now is able to sing on command. This comes in handy when there is nothing on the radio and we're in the truck together.

Unfortunately our dear friend Sabine due to illness had to give up breeding. Little did I realize what an impact this would have in my life down the road. Because I was already looking after a spayed female of hers, (Hartthrob's Indian Summers Chima) she became part of my family. I also became heir to Nuntuk because of my brothers long distance driving job.

In the spring of 1997 I rescued two one year old females that had come out of one of Sabine's last breeding. (Temeew's Shamya and Temeew's Lady Ice) So, if your keeping count, my total is up to five mals. In the fall of 1997 on one of my visits to Daryl and Sabine I was stunned to see that all but one of her dogs where gone. I had only wished that they would have told me, for I would have had a home for them all, because I was already going to start my own kennel. So Ariska (Manorhouse White Ginger) the only one left ,found a good home with me. Six!

A couple of months later I rescued my third dog who was from Sabine's original kennel. (Hartthrob's Cheyenne for Temeew) Seven. In the meantime,I had joined the CKC and had received my kennel name. That's how MIMMENUK REG'D KENNELS was born. Mimmenuk is Cree for Pintail duck. (No reason, I just like the name)

So, now I was ready to breed my first litter, but there arose one problem. That is,I didn't have a usable stud, because Nuntuk was too closely related to all my females. I posed my problem to Sabine,and she recommended going to another breeder. As I nervously made my first call to David and Shirley Hart of Hartthrob Kennels, I didn't know what to expect. As I was new to the dog world I had no clue of what to say or ask other than what Sabine had told me to say. I then made arrangements to go to and visit them. While down there David asked me which dogs I had in my kennel, and as it turned out, he had a brother to Ice and Shamya. Since they where the only two females of the litter and had already been purchased, he had to take a male. Upon David finding this out, he got to thinking, and it didn't take long. (roughly one tenth of a second to be exact) And this was David's thought, "I have two brother Tor and Bear, and you have the two sisters. Why don't we swap?". So we did!! He got Ice,and I got Bear (Hartthrob's Teddybear's Picnic). We also planned a breeding between Temeera and Bear and Ariska and Tor (Hartthrob's Little White Fang). Through my many phone conversations with David, (while the girls where by his place to be bred) I learned all sorts of stuff from him about breeding. (this is just for you David) For example: If the bitch is taller than the male, as was the case with Ariska and Tor, you build Tor a platform. Which David did! Or if your unsure whether or not your male "produces" as was the case with Bear, cause David had never used him as a stud, you must....... this is not the site to talk about that sort of thing, if you know what I mean.

Since David and my goals are the same, (except for that last example) and David had always wanted to work together with another kennel, and the fact that our blood lines mixed so well, we decided that the two kennels should work together. "HARTTHROB AND MIMMENUK, WHAT A TEAM!!" It is always good to be able to gain knowledge and experience from other breeder, and David is no exception. I really enjoy our phone calls and meetings together, because I learn something new every time, and he takes the time out to teach and answer my many questions, but also to listen to my input. (Thank you David)

On January 1,1998 Ariska presented me with my first family of nine! Six girls and three boys. What and excellent way to start off a new year. Unfortunately Temeera was not pregnant. At the end of February I was asked if I could take in three more dogs. Two where out of Sabine's kennel, and one from one of her breedings. (Temeew's Buddy Holly, Kinartic's Dutchess and Teema) I was happy to get them all,TEN! Also out of this litter I kept two pups, (Mimmenuk's Runaway Bandit and Mimmenuk's Catch Me If You Can)the breeding was so good in fact that David took a pup for himself, (what a compliment)and he is still marveling at the breeding. Not bad for my first one eh?

So if you lost track,I have all of Temeew's dogs except one,Ariska's brother CAN CH Hyak of Manorhouse who resides at Hartthrob. In the meantime I also found a new home for Shamya she is residing with two of my puppies Oowuk and Maggie. To date I have eleven. So in the span of four years, my wanting just one dog has turned into loving eleven................................

To-day is April 28th 1998. I now have Cheyenne, Temeera, Dakota, Bear, Chima, Ariska and Nuntuk. These are my adults. Also Bandit and Cotya who are now 15 month old. There is Nateeka and Chitina who are girls out of Dakota and Nuntuk, they are 10 month old and David and I co-own Their sister called "Mimmenuk's Little Duchess". Duchess has one point towards her Ch. Title. I also have Snuggles who is 8 month old.

I have three adults and two ten month old pups looking for suitable homes. To be continued..............

Special thanks to Daryl and Sabine for the years of advice, help and love. But most of all, getting me hooked on the breed. "Look what you've done!"

Special thanks as well to David and Shirley, one for putting up with all my phone calls and questions, and also for giving my kennel a good start. We have a good friendship to grow on and I'm looking forward to our future.

Thanks too, to my brother Andreas of Digitized Solutions for getting this website off the ground, and also showing me how to work on the site at home.

Thank you Mom and Dad for putting up with me and my dogs. I know that you are there to help when I really need it. Love ya !! Jamie

Times have changed and Mimmenuk is owned and managed by Mom...Brigitte.