A huge Siberian husky with piercing blue eyes has taken the internet by storm with his grand stature.
“I had previously met him in February after I put my deposit down on him. I was so excited to have a Siberian husky that I could do dog sports with,” Spahn told The Epoch Times.
Spahn had first seen a photo of SeQuoi and was drawn to a white dot on his forehead. She instantly felt they “belonged together.”
“The funny thing is, that white dot has since faded away, and besides a white spot on his chest and a few white spots on his paws, he is basically solid red,” Spahn said.
Although Spahn never met Quoi’s parents, who are both American Kennel Club registered Siberian huskies, she knows his mother was short-haired and solid black, while his dad was “extremely woolly” and mostly solid red with a couple of white spots.
Spahn, who lives in Teton Valley just outside Jackson Hole, Wyoming, initially struggled to choose a name for her new pup. She then settled on SeQuoi Tenko after combining two meaningful references.
“SeQuoi I took from the word sequoia ... they are some of the tallest trees in the world. I wanted him to be big, strong, and powerful,” she said. “Tenko, I was told, is Japanese for ‘heavenly fox.’”
Spahn and Quoi both adore the Wyoming snow and have become inseparable. Since Spahn works remotely, the pair spend the day at home together and devote mornings and evenings to their “mini adventures.”
“If it’s winter, we will go backcountry skiing or skijor,” Spahn said. “In the summer, we will mountain bike or dirt bike together.”
The pair loves trying new things. They have ridden on a jet ski and snowmobile, paddle-boarded, hiked, and gone on backcountry camping adventures together.
“I think our bond just comes from my ability to meet his needs as a Siberian husky,” Spahn said.
Quoi is “perfect,” Spahn said, describing his personality as “sassy yet goofy, playful yet majestic.”
“He loves to get booty scratches. He tries to wrestle all the time. He can also be so dramatic. He loves kids and is super friendly.”
However, raising a husky is no mean feat. The breed is reportedly demanding and it takes work to keep them happy and obedient.
“Siberian Huskies are working dogs,” Spahn said. “They are known for being escape artists and being destructive when not properly stimulated.”
Thus they need an owner that has ample time for them and who can help give them proper mental and physical stimulation.
“In general, huskies require much more training than other dogs,” Spahn said.
The husky’s “extremely high prey drive” can get them in trouble since they love to chase deer, elk, moose, and even livestock. While Spahn had success with positive reinforcement training until Quoi was 9 months old, sadly the husky had a gun pointed at him by a cattle rancher for chasing livestock. Spahn has since learned how to use an e-collar from a breed-specific trainer to aid in recall and said that the gadget has been a “game changer.”
The big challenge of owning a husky involves teaching them to recall from wild animals and livestock, which often involves hiring a professional trainer and getting electrical tools.
“All of this is a big financial investment, just to make sure the dog can live a good life,” Spahn said, adding, “They are also known for being very picky eaters, so be prepared to waste lots of money on treats and switch up their food as they grow sick of it.
“To sum it up, they are the divas of the dog world!” she said.
“There is currently no genetic test to see if a husky is a carrier of epilepsy, so you must rely on experienced breeders,” Spahn said, advising, “A good breeder will be able to provide you with the mom and dad’s pedigrees, so you can trace back their lineage.”
Although Spahn states that she wouldn’t trade Quoi—who is her “soul dog and best friend,”—for anything else in this world, she highly encourages people to do a lot of research on the person they buy the puppy from.
To ensure a dog’s genetic health, Spahn advises adopting an older dog from a rescue organization where countless dogs in need of loving homes reside. In the meantime, their adventures continue.
“Quoi and I literally do everything together,” she said.
