After losing our beloved Malamute-wolf hybrid, Maruk, in April 2013, we were heartbroken. He was my fuzzy angel, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to find another dog that fit our family or stole our hearts quite like he did.

In 2019, we finally decided all of us were ready to take the leap again. My husband and I both love Northern breeds, especially Malamutes and Huskies, but we had a problem:

I wanted a small snuggle buddy, and my husband, Edwin, wanted a larger hiking buddy.

Which is why one of Nalani’s nicknames is “The Compromise Dog.”

A member of our extended family had an Alaskan Klee Kai whom I absolutely adored. After meeting her, Edwin said, “This breed is the only small dog breed that I can truly respect.”

We found Nalani through a local breeder and brought her home as an 8 week old baby. And she has been an adorable little head turner from day one.

She has also been a little sassy nugget, insisting on having the last word in any discussion.

I tell people that she’s like a sample-size Husky. All the fun and drama of a full-size Husky but in a smaller, more compact package. Like the samples we get to try out at Costco.

Some of our favorite things about her:

• Her sense of humor. She seems to know she’s being funny and enjoys making people laugh.

• Her love of toys and play. She loves to play “Fetch” where she runs for the ball, but then she also throws it for us to chase it, too! She’s an equal opportunity player. She also loves playing “Tag” where she can show off how fast (she thinks) she is. Also, we have never had a dog who plays with her toys as much as she does. Although she is very much like a toddler. If you want her to play with a toy, just play with it by yourself for a minute. She’ll take it.

• Her sense of adventure. She is fearless on our hikes. A little too fearless for my taste at times, but we’re managing. She carries her own little back pack because it helps wear her out. As a working class dog, she definitely likes that little extra load when she hikes!

• Her excitement over getting packages. Because she gets monthly boxes from Bark Box, she’s become strongly convinced that all packages are for her. She must inspect them with her tiny booper (nose, for the uninitiated) rather than take our word for it. Christmas and birthdays are a special treat where she gets to help open the packages.

• Her love of flowers and bugs. She helps me find wonder and delight in all things outside. She loves to help us garden and will spend lots of time, moving from plant to plant, sniffing and exploring each one.

• Her sweet little spirit. When she’s done for the day, she loves to cuddle up and snuggle.

Some of her earned nicknames:

• “The Compromise Dog” - (We’ve covered this already, so yeah.)

• “The Boopervisor” - Given for her tendency to give a brief “boop” with her nose to pretty much anything we’re working on.

• “The Pollinator” - Given for her apparent need to sniff every single flower or plant in the yard. And I do mean really taking her time with each one.

• “Fuzzy Roomba” - I think you can figure this one out from context.

• ”Mary Mulcher” - Given for her continual shredding of leaves, cardboard, compost pile content— pretty much any organic material that needs to be broken down for ease of disposal—she’s our gal.

• “Nosy Rosy” - Given for her practice of sitting and staring at the neighbors from various perches in the house. She will sometimes complain loudly, but mostly she sits there like a fuzzy gargoyle, studying everything they’re doing. Here’s where I would love to know what goes on in that tiny fuzzy head.

• “Grumblestiltskin” - Given for the way she grumbles under her breath when she’s been told in no uncertain terms what she must do. She doesn’t quietly comply with anything!

• And lastly, she is my active reminder to not work all day, but take some breaks and enjoy the good life with her. Which is why I love to call her “My Assistant.”