A Good Dog

I read a book awhile back called A Good Dog by Jon Katz.  It was about a collie who got a bad rap--he was known to many as a difficult and needy dog, who made life harder for his owner.  However, the owner/author knew that, at heart, this animal was truly a good dog, all the way to his last day, when the owner made the difficult decision to put him to sleep.  So I feel this title (although stolen) is appropriate for a post about our Kaila, who was sometimes better known for the stories of her antics than the stories of her affection and sweetness (which actually far outnumbered the others).

I knew Kaila for more than half of her life.  Unfortunately, I never got to know the spindly-legged, floppy-eared version of her as a puppy.  But I can imagine what she was like.  Because up until her last day, Kaila was a puppy at heart--curious, eager, playful, and determined.

Brandon knew Kaila since she was 4 weeks old.  As most of you reading this blog know, Kaila wasn't technically a dog.  She was 92% wolf.  And apparently, wolf mixes will not bond with their human owners if they have already opened their eyes and bonded visually to their mothers.  So Brandon and Kaila have been together from the start of her 15 years.

Now, Brandon will be the first to admit that life with Kaila had its challenges.  Because of her intelligence and aforementioned determination, she had a way of getting what she wanted. 

The main thing Kaila needed in life was not to be alone.  Wolves are pack animals, after all.  So if she was left on her own, she would quite literally tear apart the house to get to another person or animal.  Or maybe it was just to prove a point.  If she did not want to be in the back yard, Kaila would eat through the chain link fence (only after she became too old to climb over it).  For real.

That said, we always believed Kaila was a good dog.  Here are a few of the things we loved most about K:

loyalty--once you were in  her pack, she would defend you to the death (even if all you ever needed defending from were Brandon's tickle attacks).

adaptability--I won't say she was thrilled when we brought home Moe or Carson, but she adjusted.  Sure, she'd heave a big, annoyed sigh and leave the room if they got too loud or too close, but she knew enough to leave.  And she learned to love them both very much.

intelligence--you just couldn't put one over on her.  She did not fall for bribes or any of the other commonly-used trickery of dog owners.  She did things when she wanted to.  Period.  And I respect that.

playfulness--every evening, although less often lately, Kaila would get feisty.  She'd crouch down with her rear in the air, look at you out of the corner of her eyes, and then "talk" to you to get you to play.  There were nights she chased Moe around the couch for no less than an hour.  Our carpet literally has a circular path worn in it where they would run and run and run.

 

making herself at home--Kaila was able to get comfortable pretty much anywhere.  She never met a piece of furniture she didn't like...and expect to kick you out of.

 

Kaila in the snow--Kaila never seemed younger than when it snowed.  And was never more beautiful.

camping--by far, Kaila's favorite thing to do was to go camping, which worked well, because it's also one of Brandon's favorite things.  We used to say that once you went camping with Kaila, you were definitely 'in' as far as she was concerned.  As we'd start getting our camping gear out the night before leaving, in order to organize and take inventory, Kaila would get crazy-excited.

And once we got to the campsite, she was perfectly at home.  I used to think she was pretending she was there by herself.

...which got harder once Moe came along.

But they always had a blast.

making us laugh--it's hard to describe what it's like to see a full-grown wolf jump up onto your bed because she is afraid of the thunderstorm outside, or how hilarious it can be to watch her stare at her own rear in surprise at the sound it just emitted, or how hard we laughed the Easter she kept pulling beer bottles out of the cooler, chewing off the lids, and drinking them.  But trust me, it was all funny.

 

For many pet owners, their animals become part of their families.  Not the same as children of course, but a very real part of the day-to-day life of a family, a part of the memories the family creates, a part of the family discussions and holidays and moments.

So all I can say is that we will miss Kaila and everything she has added to our lives over the years.  She lived a long and full life and will be remembered as a very good dog.