Siris

Siris was a true friend and essential member of the study. We could not save him from rapidly developing lymphoma. However his years with us were happy and meaningful, he even managed to become a father of 10 healthy puppies, some of them are now training to be sled dogs at his home kennel, and some - live as spoiled home pets with members of our team.

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Siris came to us from Michigan along with Roxy, Sissy, Beech, Walter, and Willow. He was a super energetic, playful, friendly guy. He loved all people, pets, and attention in general. Siris’s signature move was to rub his head, and eventually his body, into whoever is petting him for maximum snuggles, regardless of whether they are standing or sitting. 

Before coming to Cornell, Siris was a sprint dog. He and his team ran in the Open class and the Fur Rondy in teams of 6-10 dogs. He was a good leader for his group, and was actively running the season before joining Vaika's team.

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Siris helped out to create a first of a kind Canine Brain Atlas. For that his brain was imaged by magnetic resonance while he was asleep. This type of imaging is commonly in humans and allows to identify such alterations as brain tissue volume and connectivity as well as to identify neuropathology at the early stages. However until recently this technique was not utilized for the same purposes in dogs. Participation of Siris and 9 other Vaika dogs allowed to build a comprehensive atlas of canine brain which from now on will serve as a reference standard for canine neurological research.