One might have thought that the dog would never be worth much after enduring a winter in which he nearly succumbed to his exotic systemic infection. But his great heart and determination helped him to overcome his almost entirely. The following season of 1994/95, SEPALLEO rapidly became a first-string leader for Jeffrey, tackled our hardest 20 and 30-mile trails, and ended the season logging over 1000 miles in harness. Lleo never faltered thereafter, until finally in his advancing age he began to experience some moderate joint swelling due to the aftereffects of the parasitic infection. Even so, in the summer of 2006 he is still with us at 14 1/2, somewhat crippled now but still able to go in and out on his own and to enjoy his privileged house-pet status with Isa.
SEPALLEO proved his worth in that initial 94/95 season as a reliable leader on long and difficult Yukon trails. He was a very useful and versatile leader, like MARKOBOSCO with whom he frequently ran double lead. He did a great deal towards the education of TONYA OF SEPPALA in her formative period, before she began running exclusively with SEPALLOP. He would run with a variety of other leaders and would also run single lead. Isa enjoyed Lleo's tractable, sweet nature and frequently chose him as her leader as I took his brother Llop over for an ideal running mate to Tonya.
SEPALLEO has always been a wonderful all-round dog: first-string leader, affectionate and gentle companion, and a good sire. His last litter sired (our M-litter) was raised not only with their dam TONYA OF SEPPALA kept with them for as long as possible, but their sire as well. Lleo proved himself to be gentle and forbearing with mischievous young puppies. Finally they became too much for him and he begged to go back to his place in the kennel, but he never so much as curled a lip at a puppy no matter how they plagued him. Lleo has always been a male of striking beauty, with his luminous dark brown eyes and his flashy jet black patches on a snow-white ground -- and he knows he's sexy and beautiful . . . we call him our "Mick Jagger Dog."
