There Once Was A Dog

there once was a dog, he was a very very fine dog. He was called Storm, but to those who loved him most, he was Mr Dog, because he was such a gentleman.

Storm first came to me at 5 years old. He had done a bit of traveling around with different teams at that point, and my friend Michele, when she heard I was looking to make the small team of one human and one epileptic Malamute into three, suggested I contact his owner, as he might be available. Storm became my first Siberian Husky, and he immediately became that Malamute's best friend, something she had never had in another dog before. After his arrival she only lasted a few short months, and when she would have her seizures Storm would lay on her to keep her from thrashing around, while he howled for me to come to assist her. He was not only Dancer's best friend, but her protecter also. Then, for a short while, we "two" became we "three" as between bouts of seizures we raced joyfully down the trails together.

My dogs like to be house dogs and Storm went from kennel dog to house dog very easily. He was always the perfect gentleman, never made any fuss, never used the bathroom in the house, never counter surfed, never chewed up things, and took to the couch like it was his. Storm did what I asked him to do, it was simply his character.

In fact Storm really never did anything wrong, unless you prevented him from running, as running was the thing he loved best. He had a bit of a reputation for not liking being left at the dog truck, the sort of reputation a torn out wiring harness, or ripped off licence plate, or severed brake lines might give you. 'Just a minor detail, just let him run', his former owner advised, 'and he will be happy and content.'

So I did. Our first sessions were with a bike and it quickly became apparent it was fortunate it was December because after he dumped me head over heels a few times by doing things like running between the frame and front tire of my bike I ditched the bike and pulled out the sled, and the fun of "three" began. He taught me a lot about trusting leaders. Our first Christmas together, as being a complete rookie, I got lost in a meadow, and became so panicky about it I convinced myself that the outhouse in the meadow was actually following me around. Storm repeatedly tried to take a particular trail out of the meadow and back to Camp, but I kept calling him in the opposite direction, because of course I knew the trails better than he did, as he had never been there before. It was only after many circuits around the meadow, (with the outhouse following me every time) that I finally got off my sled and looked closely at the trail Storm was trying to take and saw the small maple leafs in the boot prints on the trail, thus indicating I had come in this trail and Storm was trying desperately to take us out the same way we came in. That was the first of many lessons Storm taught me. I had many firsts with Storm.

And so with the arrival of Storm, and the loss of Dancer, the slippery Siberian Husky slope began. Storm took on the role of Dad to the pups, and friend to the adults that came into my life. In particular he loved his boys, first Jovo and then Impi and long into adulthood those three would hang out together, often sleeping in the same dog house, that was just the size of a large crate. How they managed to do that I'll never know, but when I called them out would pop not one, not two, but all three boys, all warm and sleepy from snuggling together.

Storm was never much interested in the girls.... that is until Miss Ellie came along and stole his heart. On our trip to Montana together Storm took on the role of teacher for 6 month old Ellie and spent much of that trip being jumped on and tangled up but always with a huge smile on his face. 9 years his junior she never failed to put a little twinkle in his eye, even more so as he became an old guy.

When Storm was 12 he started to show signs of significantly slowing down, and as our runs increased in distance he was no longer able to keep up. I tried putting him in my basket, and he would have none of it. His spirit was very willing, but his legs were weak. So I took to leaving him on the truck and would listen to his howls of indignation as the team left without him. It was after he ripped off my mud flap that I was talking to my dear friends Doug and JoAnn Solberg about what a difficult time Storm was having transitioning from sleddog to retired sleddog. They graciously offered to have him stay for the winter, easing him into retirement. And so Storm went to live at the Solberg Retirement Spa for Gwen's Sleddogs and took to their couch and the wood stove easily. When their grandson Matt came to visit, Storm was in his seventh heaven, as those boys became inseparable best friends. By the following Spring the Solbergs begged me to let him stay, and as it was apparent that Storm was in such a good place, and they loved him so much, after what was one of the toughest decisions of my life, Storm retired officially to them. We have had many visits over the last couple of years, and Storm told me every time how happy he was with them.

A month ago while I was visiting, we talked about his aging, and what would be best for him. Storm was approaching 15 years old, and as much as we wanted him to live forever, we all expressed how wonderful it would be if he just went to sleep, because it is so very difficult to put ones heart on a shelf and really see when it is time to say good-bye to these special friends that share our lives for such a short time.
In typical Mr Dog fashion of always doing what others wanted, this morning he passed peacefully away in his family room, surrounded by those that loved him so very deeply, without any veterinary assistance.

Sadly it happened too fast for me to make the 4 hour drive in time.

I owe such a debt of gratitude to the kind kind people who loved him as much as I did, as he left us gently and peacefully knowing he was safe and loved.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, my friends.

Today Mr. Dog traded his golden harness of retirement for a silver one, as he left us to join his old friend Dancer. Together they will to race across the sky while they wait for the other members of their team to join them.

Storm.... Mr. Dog..... you will always live in our hearts and memories.

Rest in Peace my friend, you changed my world for the better, forever. You were a very fine boy indeed.

I love you