17 Still Isn't Long Enough

This wasn’t supposed to be my next post – in fact it isn’t even about Luna. It is about dogs and that wonderful, unexplainable emotion they bring to our lives – and how empty it becomes when they are gone.

On Monday the time had finally come for me to say goodbye to my dog of seventeen years, Miley. Often called ‘The Elder’, her body had begun to fail in too many ways to ignore. She was no longer comfortable even laying down due to arthritis and no medication seemed to help her find comfort, so I made ‘that’ choice, the one we all as dog owners dread.

I always knew that Miley would be the last of her ‘pack’ to go, Sprite and Ari were each lost within the 15 months before. She was the mutt, the healthiest and the one damned and determined not to leave me. She was the first true dog that was mine and we bonded late in my teenage years, still so early in my life that she was my everything for so long.

Since it has been such a short time since losing Ari the pain from her own death is still fresh. It is strong enough that a few weeks ago I bawled over a happy story about a cat that shared her nickname and had diabetes, the illness that began her downward spiral.

Most can tell you their favorite dog, but I could not choose between the two of my girls, they were one unit and everything to me. So why is it now that I have cried so much less at the loss of Miley? The first day I cried so long and hard that my head would not stop aching, but since then hardly at all. Is it that she was older, her death more gradual? Or, is it simply that I have suspected for a while that it was time for the pack to be together again?

I know the tears will come in their own time, they always do and I want to hope there is a place where they are reunited…but I suspect even if there is after the first initial greeting Miley is sitting on the sidelines patiently waiting for me.

A Slight Snag

I’ve said for a long time that if I had known how to train a dog Luna wouldn’t have needed to take basic training classes because she already had the basics down before I brought her home. Now, more than halfway through her intermediate class, I was proud to know that she was one of the top dogs in her group. She loves to work and her stays (sit or down) can last forever as long as I’m in her sight. She once tied a lazy St. Bernard in our class on a down/stay competition. A tie because we got tired of waiting to see which dog would break.

I beamed the first time I had to leave her with our trainer while I cleaned up an accident and he told me that she hadn’t acted the bit concerned when I walked away. Apparently leaving your dog with a stranger for three minutes is one of the harder parts of the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test we are expected to take at the end of our course.

This was all before last week.

It was my own fault for not researching the CGC, I was so pleased with the way that she had progressed that I hadn’t felt the need to. Our trainer was walking down the line, petting each of the dogs on the chest and head, but on that particular time added the paws – at which point Luna’s ‘grin’ from the kennel returned and she backed away from him. She was having none of the feet touching and was not even pleased to resume the petting at that point.

After class was when I found out that touching her paws was part of the CGC and he wasn’t confident that she’ll be able to pass the test in a few weeks. It might sound odd to some, but it does make perfect sense when you consider that groomers and vets would have to handle the same area (oddly she had no problem at her vet appointment). Worse, if she can’t pass the CGC they won’t let her move on to the advanced class.

I understand the why, but it’s still disappointing. I’ve been to several sites researching the CGC and so many of them make it sound easy – if you’ve had your dog as a pup. It’s clear Luna didn’t have the perfect socialization as a puppy and I still half suspect that she was abused on at least some level by a male.  I always say both puppies and rescues are hard in their own way and socialization is Luna’s trial.

We’ll take the next few weeks and try to work past this point. While I’m already working on her social skills we’ll be adding some extra trips to relative and friends in the next few weeks. Our trainer still wants her to at least test even if she’s not ready so we’ll know what to expect the next time around – and who knows, maybe the evaluator will be female and she’ll be much more relaxed!

Lunar Explorations - Bridal Veil Falls

I have the suspicion that Luna didn’t get out much in her old life. The first time I ever took her in the car after bringing her home I made the mistake of running into a store for under 5 minutes (it was plenty cool out) and returning to find her in a pure panic that I had left her. You can’t leave a parking lot with 30 pounds of dog in your lap and she wouldn’t budge for several minutes. Needless to say, it wasn’t a mistake I made twice.

We do plan most of our outings with our dogs, as I prefer to take them with us and get them out of the house. My older dogs weren’t able to get around much in their later years, aside from a neighborhood walk, and as I originally had them in southern Utah I’m now searching for places to take Luna and Boots up north. 

Our first hike was out to Bridal Veil Falls, located just south of Salt Lake City in Provo Canyon. Living in Utah most of my life I’ve passed through this area many times, but I’ve never taken the time to drive up there before. They are one of the most impressive falls around, so one Sunday morning we piled the kids and dogs into the car and headed out that way.

The parking lot is located only 3.5 miles up the north of Provo Canyon but we had about a 45 minute drive from our house. By the time we reached the parking lot all the ‘kids’ were eager to get out and stretch their legs.

There is a small park next to the lot with tables and plenty of shade trees for picnicking – but be aware it isn’t maintained well. The garbage cans were overflowing so if you have a dog that’s quick to forage be wary. I would also recommend planning to pack out anything you bring in, just so you don’t add to the clutter. There are also no plumbing, portables only if you need to use the restroom.

The hike to the falls itself is short, only about ½ a mile and an easy walk. We went early and the trail wasn’t busy, but it’s easy to see that it would be later in the day. It’s frequented by hikers, bikers and families that are simply out for a stroll. 

It is a quick payoff, the falls are gorgeous and although the water is cold there is a small wading pool at the base. Luna was hesitant to get even get her paws wet, but Boots, ever the Border Collie tomboy was in the water right away. Once I was in Luna’s hesitation was gone and it only took her a minute to find her footing.

My husband climbed a bit up the mountain, but the kids and I stayed below with the dogs. Boots was eager to follow, but the rocks are slick and I wouldn’t recommend the climb for anyone who isn’t experienced or for canines. There is a second trail that will take you to the top of the falls themselves, but the day was going to get hot fast and I had no desire to get the dogs away from the water or on a long trail.

We played in the pool for quite a while, Luna enjoying a game of catch (ball straight up) rather than fetch since they were on leash. (There is no off leash area.) She had completely forgotten her earlier qualms about the water. There is also a small off limits area where fish are stocked if your dog likes to watch, although neither of ours were interested.

Overall it was a nice morning trip, great view and the dogs were tuckered out and happy. We didn’t bring lunch in and I don’t know if I would in the future. I think we will stick to the early in and back out plan to avoid the crowds. The whole family enjoyed it enough that I smell a return trip once the leaves change and maybe even again when the falls have frozen over this winter.

What Makes a Dog

Last week in our training class we were given ‘homework’, but really it was excellent advice for anyone searching for a dog before they bring one home. We were told to research what our dogs were bred for. Now I know that in my last post I said that it hadn’t mattered to me what breed Luna was, which was entirely true – but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t have a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into. 

Too many people choose a breed because they think it is cute or beautiful, never thinking about the responsibility that comes with that cuteness. Jack Russell Terriers are a perfect example. You know those commercials where the little white dog with a brown patched face jumps up and down and up and down – over and over? That really is a Jack Russell, high energy, nearly unstoppable and yes, very jumpy. There are countless herding breeds that are given no outlet for their working drive that begin to tear their owners home apart due to shear boredom.  Basenji's attract owners due to their unique appearance and cat like cleanliness, but most don’t realize they are prone to separation anxiety. Sometimes people do research temperament and activity level only to fail to understand just how much a Mastiff can eat – or how often a Siberian Husky must be brushed.

As for me choosing Luna (half herder and hunter)? Dog history is a passion of mine (as evident on my website Worldly Dogs) so knowing her instincts were a given the day I saw her picture online. After brining her home the running joke at our house has become which breed she is at any given moment – Australian Cattle Dog or Pointer?

Australian Cattle Dogs are a melting pot of old collies, Dingos and any other dogs Europeans could throw in the breeding mix to come up with a dog that could handle the Australian climate. They are rough drovers, nipping and biting at the heels of their charges to keep them in line. Their work earned them the common nickname most know them by – Heelers (either Blue or Red depending on coat).

Pointers on the other hand are hunters (primarily of birds), bred to “point” when prey is located by freezing and pointing their muzzle in the direction of the animal.  While pointing is their main function they are also often taught to retrieve. 

If I had to pick one as the dominate in Luna it would probably be the Cattle Dog, get her too riled up and the first thing she does is get mouthy. She doesn’t bite or nip, but she will come at you mouth wide open. She prefers to be the dominate one, yet never asserts herself over Miley. Every toy in the house is hers and will instantly lose interest in the one she has if Boots is playing with something else. Cattle Dogs are also silent workers and it is rare for Luna to bark unless someone is at the door – she does make an excellent watchdog.

Interestingly, despite her traits it is the Border Collie that does the herding at our house. Every game of fetch turns into Luna getting the ball and Boots herding her back towards whoever threw it. Having never spent time around a Pointer I can only guess that’s where she got her love for the ball. She has a drive to go after birds but has no idea how she feels about livestock other than they are big.

Often I can see one breed or the other in her actions. When she trots she looks like a Pointer in the field, full run is entirely Cattle Dog. In class she’s all herder, but when she finds something interesting outside (or even when first introduced to the cats), she points. This combination of qualities has made her the perfect pet for us and although I am not a fan of ‘designer dogs’ I do ponder, should we jokingly refer to her a Catnter Dog or a Poittle?