Tyler and I began our journey into purebred dogs with Dobermans shortly after getting married in 2015.  We were always intrigued by sighthounds and did several years of research trying to find the right sighthound breed to fit our family.  Tyler preferred the size of Whippets, and I wanted something with a coat, like an Afghan Hound.  After considering each of those breeds, as well as Azawakh and Kyrgyz Taigans, we still had not found a breed that matched our lifestyle.  

At the beginning of 2023, I came across a Facebook post about Silken Windhounds.  After some preliminary research, I was intrigued but we did not consider the breed due to its lack of AKC recognition.  A few months later, I thought about them again and did more research.  They fit every requirement Tyler and I had for our next breed.  They were close in size to Whippets, had a longer coat that was easier to care for than an Afghan's, seemed very biddable, had good off-leash recall, and were good around cats and other dogs. 

While Tyler and I were on a flight to New York City in September 2023, I brought up Silkens again.  I said, "Do we really want to miss out on a breed that is a perfect match for us just because AKC doesn't recognize it yet?"  Tyler began to agree.  Just days later, we had a surprise encounter with a Silken at a park in Brooklyn and we fell in love.  We agreed that a Silken would be our next dog, but we would wait until one of our Dobermans passed away.

The following May, we unexpectedly lost our first Doberman, Kona.  We were distraught, but we knew it was time to start looking for a Silken.  Our other Doberman, Kraus, was sad and in need of another canine companion.  After two months of searching, we were matched with Empyrean Test for Echo, by Vicki Frey.  Echo is everything that we were looking for and has exceeded every hope and expectation we had for her, and for the breed!

- Josilee

An Aralez is a winged canine from Armenian mythology that has the power to heal fallen warriors by licking their wounds.  The Aralez is a symbol of hope and healing in difficult times.  

We thought Aralez was a fitting name for our kennel, since Echo gave us hope for the future and helped to heal our hearts after we lost our first dog, Kona.  Echo is also very nurturing and loves to lick.  Additionally, Silkens are just whimsical little fairy-dogs that deserve to be represented with wings!

Kona was our first Doberman and first dog together.  She taught us so much about how to be good dog parents.  We are forever grateful for the radiant life that she lived and so freely dedicated to us.

Kraus is our second Doberman.  He is a big goofy boy who loves his family, vegetables, and barking at rollerbladers.  

Our first pets after we got married in 2015 were cats!  Zoey came first and Rory came about 6 weeks later.  They are best friends and keep the dogs in their place!