About Us
Ben is the current GeneSeek / Neogen coordinator for the breed worldwide.
Tracy is a former member of the Tamaskan Dog Register Committee of Breeders (CoB) and the former keeper of the registrar. Tracy served on the Board for the US Tamaskan Dog Club from June 2012 - June 2013 as a Board Member, and from June 2013-August 2015 as the breed club President. During her tenure she helped organize the 2012 and 2013 Tamaskan Dog Show in Madison, WI. Here we held the national specialty for the breed as well as Annual Membership Meeting, USTDC Board Meeting, Breeder Lecture Series, Membership Workshop and get together. Tracy also spearheaded the re-writing of the Tamaskan Dog breed standard and formed a committee to oversee the editing and submission process of the standard to the Tamaskan Dog Register. The draft standard was finalized in November of 2013, and was adopted by the TDR on the 14th of August 2016. Tracy also doggedly pursued breed recognition with the American Rare Breed Association, a process which took well over a year for which to prepare. In October of 2013, the Tamaskan Dog was accepted into ARBA which sets TDR Tamaskan Dogs apart from back yard breeders and puppy mills. Registered TDR Tamaskan can now compete at ARBA venues across the United States and even in Canada! Tracy is currently taking a hiatus from the USTDC and TDR to raise her daughter and focus on her pack.
Ben and Tracy are long-time wild dog fans. Tracy researched coyotes for over ten years, and gave over 40 public lectures on them. Her undergraduate degrees are in biology and cinematography, and she holds an MFA in Science & Natural History Filmmaking from Montana State University. Tracy currently works for the Pennsylvania Game Commission as a filmmaker and photographer. Ben has a photography degree but returned to his original love of criminal justice and now works as a police officer. Tracy's professional resume can be viewed on LinkedIn.
Ben and Tracy lived in Bozeman while attending graduate school. Every weekend they traveled to Yellowstone National Park to work on Tracy's thesis film. Having given so many lectures on coyotes, Tracy was particularly struck when she found the Tamaskan breed. The idea of the Tamaskan Dog makes complete sense--as people are always asking if coyotes or wolves make good pets. Tracy & Ben both believe that the Tamaskan has special merit because of their resemblance to wolves. So many people would like to have a wolf or coyote as a pet: and the Tamaskan is the answer! Wild animals are never good pets; it's not fair to them and it usually ends up in disaster.
We are located in Landisburg, PA.