Shak (Shaktoolik) came to Cornell from Minnesota with Una, Koyuk, Anvik, Cisco, Brooke, and Skwetna. He and his friend Una are both named after Alaskan towns that serve as checkpoints along the Iditarod, one of the longest sled dog races in the United States which spans over 1,000 miles. However, around here he goes by “Shak”! He is a really friendly guy, and out of his group, which consists of Anvik, Koyuk, Guru, and Duke, Shak is the most outgoing! He likes to meet new people and has grown really comfortable in his new home since his arrival.

Prior to moving into his new home at Cornell, Shak was a long distance sled dog. He went on long runs through the wilderness spanning over 6 hours total. His team even used to run the Iditarod! This team varied in size but was primarily 11 dogs, and he trained in a group of 5 or 6. His training sessions were about 1.5 hours long, and his last full run was in April of 2018. Shak was a leader for his team