Rimefang of the Ebon Blade

“Kodi”

Kodi was born on September 20, 2022 and was bred by us under our registered Tamaskan Dog kennel, Tamaskans of the Ebon Blade, here in Texas, USA. He is from our first ever Tamaskan Dog litter, The Frostbrood of the Ebon Blade, which had 9 total puppies (5 females and 4 males). The litter theme was based on several of the undead Frost Wyrms in the lore from World of Warcraft. Kodi’s sire is Booker at Team Warren, who is a mid-distance bred Alaskan Husky who has been a member of a working sledding kennel his whole life. Booker was approved by the Tamaskan Dog Register to be an Outcross Dog for the Tamaskan Dog breed, to bring in fresh genetics to our breed’s small gene pool. Kodi’s dam is our girl Sylvaen Tarth “Reckless,” who is a 1st generation Tamaskan Dog and is also an F4 34% low content wolfdog.

Kodi is co-owned by us, but lives with his co-owners, John Flory and Chelzea Laserna, in the beautiful state of Colorado! He was Green Collar Boy in his litter and early on, he earned a hilariously endearing nickname as “Green Boy Scream Boy!” that has stuck with him into adulthood. Ever since he was big enough to find his voice, he has loved to shout out his feelings when he’s happy, excited, feeling hungry, wanting attention, etc. He was a little Prince Charming and was even (unofficially) voted most charismatic by the trainer team who did the litter’s Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test at 7 weeks! As a teenager and now into adulthood, Kodi has already been an accomplished mountain climber with John and they’ve peaked three 14,000 ft mountains together!

His wonderful co-owners, John and Chelzea, wrote a summary of his temperament and personality for us to share:

When you picture Kodi, think “toddler on espresso,” with endless energy and a big personality to match. He’s goofy, dramatic, and full of charm. Kodi loves the outdoors, especially snowy trails, and never misses a chance to show off his zoomies. He’s deeply bonded with his big brother, Kemba, prefers his belly rubs in private, and has strong opinions about who’s allowed to scratch his butt in public. Once you’ve earned his trust, he’ll stick close and let you in on just how much love (and volume) he has to give.

Kodi gets excited and curious when someone new arrives at our home. He often barks, jumps around, and wants to check them out, but he can also be hesitant - especially around men. He might keep some distance at first and take a few minutes before feeling comfortable enough to be touched. Once he feels safe, he’ll typically warm up on his own. Kodi tends to be more reserved in public, especially around unfamiliar people. He’s slower to approach and more cautious, particularly with men. If someone tries to engage him too quickly, he may bark or back away. That said, with ongoing exposure - especially at our gym - he’s become more comfortable, and he now looks forward to seeing familiar faces. His response to public spaces depends on the environment. In calm, open areas, Kodi is curious and likes to explore. In more crowded or stimulating spaces, he can become cautious or anxious, especially around loud noises or unfamiliar objects. He does better when he has time to adjust and the space to move around without pressure.

Kodi is usually excited and friendly when meeting new dogs, regardless of gender or spay/neuter status. He enjoys playing and socializing, though he can be overwhelmed if approached by too many dogs at once, or if a larger dog gets in his space too quickly. In those situations, he’s not afraid to let the other dogs know he needs some space by vocalizing or separating himself. In calmer settings, he interacts well and is happy to engage in play.

Kodi has a high prey drive. He will chase small animals, like squirrels, birds, and even deer if given the opportunity. His recall has improved a lot, and he responds well to his calling whistle or the E-collar, but he should still be supervised around small animals and in areas with wildlife.

Kodi is active, playful, and very expressive at home. He likes attention and will often seek it out, especially when we’re interacting with our other dog, Kemba. As he’s matured, Kodi has become more affectionate and enjoys cuddling. He’s generally quiet indoors and not destructive, provided he gets regular exercise and stimulation. He has a high energy level and needs regular physical activity. We take him out multiple times a week for running or playing in a field for 30-60 minutes, and he usually still has energy afterward. Once a week, we take him on a longer hike or trail run, which helps him settle for the rest of the day. Without enough exercise, he becomes restless and seeks out attention.

Training Kodi has taken more time than with our other dog, Kemba. Kodi is most responsive to food and also enjoys verbal praise. As a young dog, he was easily distracted and had a shorter attention span. With consistency and patience, he’s learned well. He generally retains commands, but benefits from ongoing practice to stay sharp. Off-leash recall training was challenging at first. Kodi had limited recall when he was younger, and it took time and consistency to build reliability. We introduced the E-collar gradually, and it made a big difference. Around 1.5 years old, he became much more responsive. He’s now very good off-leash and listens well, even in more distracting environments. Potty training was one of the easier parts of training Kodi - he picked it up quickly and didn’t have many accidents. Crate training has been more difficult, due to our living situation; we haven’t done much of it to avoid disturbing our downstairs tenants. We’ve started reintroducing the crate during car rides and are building from there.

Kodi was fairly independent early on, but after spending so much time with Kemba, he does seem to miss him when they’re apart. He doesn’t show extreme anxiety, but he may act a bit sad and howl for Kemba/us until he is engaged with an activity. He’s always excited when we or Kemba return and makes sure to greet us enthusiastically and bearing gifts.

Generally, we haven’t seen any resource guarding from Kodi, but he is sneaky and will occasionally steal a toy or bone from Kemba. He allows us to take food or treats from him willingly. He’s generally happy to share and often brings toys over to initiate play with us and Kemba. Kodi doesn’t get grouchy when we’re giving attention to Kemba, but he does sometimes insert himself into situations when he sees Kemba getting attention. He’ll often push in for his own share, but it’s more about wanting to be included than resource guarding us. He doesn’t show aggression or defensiveness in these moments.

Visiting the vet is not Kodi’s favorite activity, but he has improved, especially when going alone without Kemba. He tends to be calmer and more cooperative during solo visits. While he still gets nervous with unfamiliar handling or tools, he gives clear signals when he needs space. For more invasive visits, we incorporate the muzzle as a precaution, in addition to using medication if needed to calm his anxiety. When he needs to be groomed, Kodi enjoys being brushed and tolerates baths without too much fuss. Nail trims are more difficult - he’s uncomfortable with tools near his paws, so we typically have a groomer handle them. He does best with calm, patient handling during grooming.

Kodi is full of personality - playful, affectionate, and expressive. He’s become more loving and cuddly as he’s grown, and he’s very tuned in to the people he trusts. He’s also extremely close to Kemba, and watching their bond grow has been one of our favorite things. Kodi brings a lot of joy to our home and keeps us laughing every day.