Due to their compact size, the toy Alaskan Klee Kai seem to be increasingly sought after by those wishing to add a small dog to their family. If you are wishing to bring home a toy sized Alaskan Klee Kai, please keep in mind that there are a few points about the breed that you should be aware of- we will be addressing these in this article.

The Alaskan Klee Kai comes in three different size variations: toy, miniature and standard.

Toy Variety: Up to and including 13 inches. Miniature Variety: Over 13 inches and up to and including 15 inches. Standard Variety: Over 15 inches up to and including 17 inches. Serious Fault: Over 17 inches up to and including 17½ inches. Eliminating Fault: Over 17½ inches in height.

The three different size variations of the Alaskan Klee Kai can be somewhat subtle, as seen from the above image, although it does tend to differ from dog to dog.

Where can I find a breeder that breeds toy sized Alaskan Klee Kai?

An Alaskan Klee Kai breeder cannot specialize in breeding a specific size variation of the dog as it is determined randomly by genetics. Even if two toy sized Alaskan Klee Kai were bred together, the breeding does not guarantee toy sized offspring. Alaskan Klee Kai litters can therefore consists of all three sizes- toy, miniature and standard; the best that a breeder can do is to guess the puppy’s grown size based on genetics and the size of the parents however it is important to note that there are never guarantees. It is not uncommon for a “likely toy” to grow up to become a standard as an adult.

The adult size of an Alaskan Klee Kai puppy is determined by genetics and cannot be guaranteed by a breeder

The physical size of the parents are not direct determinants of the sizes of their offspring. An Alaskan Klee Kai litter can contain puppies of all three size varieties (ex. a toy sized Alaskan Klee Kai dam can give birth to toy, miniature and standard puppies); it is therefore unable to determine their adult size as puppies. Breeders are often only able to “guesstimate” the size of a puppy based on the parents genetics, there is no guarantee that an Alaskan Klee Kai puppy will grow to become a certain size. The adult size of a puppy can only be determined with time; depending on how fast the puppy grows throughout the first few months of their lives, it will give a better idea of how large he will grow to be as an adult.

Reputable Alaskan Klee Kai breeders would therefore never guarantee a specific size variation. The adult size of an Alaskan Klee Kai puppy is ultimately determined by genetics.

The size variety of an Alaskan Klee Kai is determined by height and not weight

Many may be inclined to think that the size of an Alaskan Klee Kai is determined partly by their weight, however this is not true. The toy, miniature and standard variations are distinguished by differences in height; weight is not a determining factor in the size of an Alaskan Klee Kai. To put things into perspective, you can therefore have a miniature Alaskan Klee Kai that is more filled out and heavier than a standard Alaskan Klee Kai.

So when will I know how big my Alaskan Klee Kai puppy will get?

Generally speaking, the Alaskan Klee Kai tends to stops growing in terms of height at about 10 months of age (however they will continue to fill out until they are about ~2 years old). You will therefore have a better idea of how big your puppy will grow to become at around the 4-6 month mark. It may be a good idea to record  your Alaskan Klee Kai puppy’s weight and height at varying points (ex. every couple of months) during the first year in order to see and determine his rate of growth.