April and her family have tirelessly worked to promote good breeding practices and education to owners and other breeders. They generously offered their scientific and genetic expertise to help track genetic conditions in the breed and provided insight to the breeding community to work around identified issues. I have always had profound respect for their desire to not only breed dogs that were conformationally correct, but that would also excel in all aspects of working dog competition. It has been a pleasure collaborating with them over the years to tackle challenges in the breed and in being an ethical breeder. Over the years, while actively working with the breed, I was privileged to be entrusted with their dogs to be part of my breeding program. The dogs have been exceptional in both structure and temperament. I have been overjoyed to place dogs from my program with them, as that is truly a compliment to the quality of my program. Since retiring, a dog from them has stayed with me as part of my family and one of the finest AKK I have ever known. The benefits of working with them are forward and clear communication. It’s always been easy to work with them, which is rare in the dog fancy community. They are always available to offer support and encouragement. It’s very apparent in working with them that their goal is to improve the breed. I have titled every dog I have gotten from them, won Best in a Multi Breed Show, and been in the yearly final top 10 rankings multiple times with their lines. Often, people don’t want to take the time to wait to get a puppy, but they are truly worth the wait. When you get a puppy from Del Mar AKK, you know what you are getting. A puppy from generations of parents with genetic health testing, selected for structure and temperament, and breeding based not on availability but on research and responsible breeding practices. I cannot recommend them enough.

My daughter and I contacted April in the summer of 2009 to inquire if we could get a breeding female Alaskan Klee Kai. We had applied with other breeders and they did not even respond to us. April was willing to work with us and find us an appropriate female pup as we were wanting to start a breeding program. In July of 2009, she had a litter and we were able to get Storm. Storm had wonderful movement and temperament. April encouraged us to start showing her in UKC conformation. Storm became #2 in UKC AKK in 2013 and in 2014 was #1. She went on to win a Best in Show (altered) in one of the biggest shows in the country. April not only sold us Storm but was a wonderful mentor to us. She encouraged us to do agility too and Storm won numerous titles in UKC and TDAA Agility, she also got her title in Rally Obedience. For Storm getting #1 in the country, April gifted us with a puppy we called, Night, Night went on to get his Grand Champion title at the biggest show in the country and also got a title in Drag Racing at the same show. He went on to stud puppies in Denmark and Finland/Belgium. April was always very helpful and stands by her word. We worked with her acquiring several other pups and she was always wonderful to work with. She wanted to ensure you were getting a great dog and if not, she was willing to replace said dog.

We were fortunate to have connected with a reputable, ethical and dedicated breeder that would also become wonderful friends. April & Chris at Del Mar Klee Kai gave us the opportunity to adopt our very first Alaskan Klee Kai, our foundation male. Shogun was everything we had hoped for and then some, a truly amazing pup and an excellent example of the breed. Unexpectedly this boy brought us out of our comfort zone and into the conformation ring. He excelled in the conformation ring and racing field; he was in UKC Top 10 all three years (2014-2016) that we had him in the show ring as well as a UKC 2017 All-Star in Steeple & Flat Racing. He was 2017 Racing All Star in Steeple #3 and Flat #3. Shogun has achieved BIMBS and multiple RBIMBS, not to mention numerous Group placements. Shogun’s outgoing personality, wonderful temperament and structure are what we strive for in our breeding program at Ikigai and we cannot express enough how thankful we are to Del Mar Klee Kai for entrusting him with us.

Del Mar Klee Kai is absolutely outstanding! We began following them back in 2013 when we first started breeding Klee Kai and saw via Steffi Diem’s video’s how versatile Del mar dogs are. 9 years later with an established breeding program of our own, we added our very own Del Mar dog to House Of Klee Kai, Riot! Before even boarding the plane to fly home in our first weekend together he already attained his first two titles totally exceeding our expectations! We cannot express enough how grateful we are to April and Chris for entrusting us with this stellar little chap. From the moment I brought home Riot, it has been an wonderful experience. April’s knowledge, care, and passion for these dogs truly shines through in every aspect. Riot is a perfect addition to both our family and our program. He is not only stunningly handsome but also incredibly intelligent and affectionate. I don’t think anyone told Riot that klee kai are known for being aloof with strangers, or maybe they did just he is yet to meet anyone he would class as a stranger. He is 110% up for doing every sport I sign him up for be it barn hunt, dock diving, scent work, agility, lure coursing… the list goes on. April’s commitment to producing healthy and well-rounded puppies is evident to everyone who meets our cheerful little chap. I highly recommend Del Mar Klee Kai to anyone looking for a top-notch hobby breeder. They exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t be happier with my furry companion. Thank you, Del Mar Klee Kai, for entrusting us with our amazing little man!

ICE Alaskan Klee Kai would like to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude to Del Mar Alaskan Klee Kai Breeder April for her part in the development of our program. April was highly recommended by Linda Orton as having some of the best Klee Kai in the breed. April’s program at Del Mar Alaskan Klee Kai upheld all the qualities that we were looking to start our program. April is highly educated in genetics, structure, and the breed standard, which is evident in her well-established program. We quickly realized that we would have a step up in the start of ICE Alaskan Klee Kai by working with April. In 2017, we welcomed CH PR Del Mar’s Amara into our program. Amara quickly took to the show training and we had her scheduled for the AKKAOA Anniversary show in Colorado. Amara took to the ring by storm and won BISS! This would not be the last accomplishment for Amara. She was UKC Top 10 ranked as well. Amara continued to make a mark on the show world winning multiple group placements. Amara is a beautiful example of the breed. Amara has created a solid foundation for our program, and we have kept her lines in our program to this day. Thank you, Del Mar Alaskan Klee Kai for your support over the years and collaboration with ICE Alaskan Klee Kai.

We’re so grateful to April for giving us FOUR incredible Klee Kai over the last 11 years. After receiving my first puppy from her, I was completely smitten. They are all so beautiful and have fantastic temperaments. While we did face a minor issue with one of them, April honored her commitment and provided us with a replacement puppy. She is communicative, knowledgeable, reasonable, and great to work with. As long as we can have dogs, Arctic Minis of Del Mar will be our top choice!

My husband and I got Niko in 2015 when he was 8 weeks from April and he is the absolute best! We were thrilled to expand our family with Remy in 2019, Niko’s nephew. April thought of us as being a good family fit for Remy and she was right. They travel with us all across the country, going on all our adventures and love to snuggle up too. They love each other, are great family dogs with our baby, and truly have big dog personalities in compact, adorable bodies. April breeds lovely, healthy, kind, sweet, and trainable pet dogs! We plan to keep coming back to April when we need another dog.

Del Mar Klee Kai are excellent dogs. My girl Akara came from them. I got her as a retired breeder and she was an amazing example of the best of the breed. I had no experience with showing dogs. April walked me through it and was very responsive and helpful every step of the way. It turned out to be so fun! Akara seemed to love it and she won so many ribbons! She was easy to train and blended in with our family so well. I really recommend this breeder and we are looking to get our next puppy from them soon.

I searched this breed for almost many before I got my first one. I got a lot of great reviews from Del Mar’s Klee Kai. I reached out to April and I found my girl. This year I picked her up April was amazing at answering questions and always keeping in touch. I am grateful she’s given me the opportunity to own my best friend. She was so smart from the day I brought her home.. she’s opened up to everyone, and she’s super socialized. She loves dogs and wants to play with every dog and cats she sees. we can’t wait to put her in her first show to see how she does. I would totally go back to April she’s done amazing work with all the hard work she puts into each one of them. Miss Mila is sassy and bossy she’s picky and super smart. When she has her mind set on something nothing’s gonna change it. I would highly recommend her. The experience of owning Miss Mila has been amazing, she’s small but totally the biggest personality I could ask for. Thankful for everything April has done for my girl. 🙂

I always wanted a husky as a kid but never got a chance to have a dog. As I became an adult I knew I was ready to get a puppy. At the time, I lived in a small apartment and did some research on huskies, that’s when I started learning about AKK. I learned that if I wanted a husky, a mini husky would be a better fit. I ended up looking online for breeders of AKK. Through my research, I found Del Mar Klee Kai. April’s Klee Kai looked more like mini huskies than the other breeders I found. After contacting April and talking with her, I knew I wanted to get a Klee Kai from her. She was very informative about the breed and let me know everything about them. I ended up purchasing Koda. from her, an amazing dog and companion for the many years he was alive. We loved him so much and he was a part of our family. So much so, that when it was time, we ended up getting another puppy from her named Rocket. April is very good at answering any questions and keeps you updated with your puppy until he is ready to come home to you.

I was one of the first to train and compete Klee Kai in agility after I acquired my first AKK in 2008. Because we were such a tight-knit community, I was keenly aware of the Del Mar dogs and the success they were having in the sport. April was one of the only breeders who seemed to be actively breeding for a type that would be successful in both the breed ring and performance events. Kizzy’s story is quite unique, but when she came to me as a foster at 20 months old in 2013, it did not take me long at all to decide that she would stay with me. After all, I wanted a Del Mar AKK, and this one was delivered right to me! Kizzy is the friendliest, sweetest Klee Kai I have ever met. She loved her stint as a therapy dog. Her success in agility was far-ranging, with titles in multiple organizations. But most of all, she was just so much fun to run. Kizzy now enjoys her retirement and is an A+ puppy raiser in my house. I would not hesitate to add another Del Mar dog to my household.

I would highly recommend April of Delmar AKK to anyone looking for an alaskan klee kai. April took a chance on my family in 2014 and sent us Jax. We had minimal experience with the breed, but we were already so in love and knew we wanted to get into dog shows and dog sports. April had just the puppy in mind for us. Jax has been perfect since day one. He was easy to crate train and potty train. He is fantastic with other people, and we can take him anywhere. Jax has excelled in dog shows just as much as at home. He has won numerous awards and accolades both in the show ring and in performance. April has given us guidance every step of the way. My life would not have been the same without this wonderful dog from this fantastic breeder.