Meet & Greet

Posted on 07/04/2012 by Jen

Living with a reactive dog is a learning process, especially when that dog is Pongo. You never know what he’s going to be OK with and what is going to send him over the edge. Sometimes it’s a big guessing game and unfortunately, there are times when my guesses aren’t spot on.

Pongo and I drove out to the Valley today to meet my girlfriend Audra and her two Golden Retrievers, Phoebe and Greta to go for a walk. We wanted the dogs to meet before we do a bigger hike together where Pongo might have to be on-leash. The whole way up I contemplated how to best introduce the dogs. I decided that I would let Pongo out of the car, off-leash and then Audra could let her girls out. Well, that didn’t work so well. Pongo got snarky with both of the girls and ended up sitting in the car for a time-out and some cool down time. I was prepared to leave Pongo in the car, while the four of us enjoyed a walk, if he couldn’t behave himself.

When it was time to try the meet and greet again, I asked Audra to walk down the road a little with her dogs and Pongo and I would follow. That seemed to work. When we caught up with Audra and her girls, Pongo appropriately greeted Phoebe and Greta and the rest was history…they had a blast exploring, running, and playing together.

Phoebe and Pongo deciding who was going to bring the stick back to shore.

They came up with a good compromise.

The dogs were always on the move so it was hard to get a shot that wasn’t one of their backsides.

Pongo’s new BFF, Greta.

While there was a small bump in the road upon initial meeting, I think it was a very successful meet and greet. Plus, it was a great time had by all!

Independence Day

Posted on 07/04/2012 by Jen

Hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th of July!

Savage River

Posted on 07/02/2012 by Jen

What Steve and I are slowly realizing is that there aren’t many more weekends available to get out and camp. Summer is quickly flying by and before we know it, our trailer will need to be Winterized and put back into storage (sigh). Alaska’s camping season is so darn short, and we are trying our best to make the most out of the time we have to enjoy our trailer and explore the great outdoors.

This past weekend Steve and I went camping in Denali National Park at the Savage River Campground, with some friends of ours and their two girls. We left Friday evening, after Steve got off of work, for the four and a half hour drive up North. We hit rush hour. We hit construction. We drove through a torrential downpour that had the possibilities of hail but thankfully the storm did not release it’s full fury on us. We were really pushing it as check-in at Riley Creek Mercantile is no later than 11:00 PM. We pulled in at 10:30 PM to this beautiful scene.

After we checked-in, we had another 13 miles to drive to reach Savage River Campground. We found the last two spots available, set-up, got the girls to bed, and poured a much needed drink after the stress of driving. I am always amazed by the differences in light as you travel through Alaska; the farther North you go, the lighter it stays. This picture was taken around 1:00 AM (with no flash).

It ended up being a late night for all of us, especially Pongo who had spent all day at daycare while Mama prepared the trailer and food for our trip. He was overly tired and beyond CRAZY!

The next day we explored down by the Savage River.

Here’s Steve photo-bombing Jenn and Matt’s family photo (don’t worry-I got the perfect Christmas card photo for them, minus my goofy husband).

We knew that it might be a little difficult for Pongo when we made reservations, as there are some pretty strict rules pet owners must follow when bringing their pets into the park: dogs are not allowed on any of the trails. You can walk your pets around the campground loops and along the road. He adapted though and enjoyed the places he could go.

Walking along the main park road, which was heaven…no other dogs for miles.

Pongo enjoyed using the well more than his bowl.

What we found was most of the A campsites (for RVs and tents between 30-40′) at Savage River were uneven and you had to do some leveling. Our campsite 32A had some pretty incredible views and had some great sun exposure, when it was shining.

We were excited to see our campground host living in an Airstream.

A sight-seeing plane taking off near the park entrance.

As always, the weekend went by way too fast but it was great to get out with friends who we hadn’t seen for awhile. We will definitely be visiting Savage River Campground again next year to do some more exploring.

Mantras

Posted on 06/25/2012 by Jen

I have a love-hate relationship with Alaska. I love the beauty and splendor of what surrounds me. I love the uniqueness that comes with living in Alaska. I love the small town feel even though we live in the biggest state in the United States. The people are down-to-earth and no-nonsense.

On the other hand, I hate how isolated we are. I hate the road system consists of basically 3 main highways: one going South to Homer, one going North toward Fairbanks, and one going Northeast toward Canada. To get down to the Lower 48, you can always drive the AL-CAN or take the ferry but count on at least a 4-5 day trip. And, who has that much time when you only have a week or two for vacation? So, what do I hate the most about living in Alaska? I hate that the only quick way out of Alaska is to fly and I HATE to fly.

I’m a terrible flyer. I get anxious and panicky days before we have to fly. It’s on my mind constantly. And as the time to fly nears, I get worse: racing heart at just the thought of take-off and landing, sweat pouring from my pores at the thought of the small bumps we always encounter, and let’s not mention the bigger bumps that pilots like to call “minor turbulence” those thoughts bring me to tears.

I know…I have a serious problem.

When I’m lucky enough to have my husband with me as we fly, poor Steve ends up with nail marks in his arm and a mess of a wife. He reminds me that “flying is safer than driving” but that gives me no solace; give me a car and an open road and I am a much happier camper. But when I have to fly alone, which I have had to do the past couple of trips, I do my best to hold it together. I load up on the Cortisol Manager and even order a drink or two to calm my nerves. I set my watch to my destination’s time so I know exactly how much more time I have to endure surging through the air at 500 miles per hour, 37,000 feet above the sweet ground.

Years ago, I learned a mantra that I teach my elementary school kids when they are feeling anxious or upset. It’s one that I use myself and will even admit to them that I use it when I am feeling scared and uneasy: like when I am flying. This mantra runs through my head as we take-off, during each bump we hit, when I feel my heart racing because there’s a strange noise, as panic sets in because I am stuck in this plane, and when we land. It has gotten me through many-a-flights and will hopefully get me through many-a-more…like the one I am on now…

I AM SAFE. I AM CALM. I CAN HANDLE THIS.

Happy Birthday, Pongo!

Posted on 06/23/2012 by Jen

Our sweet boy Pongo turns 3 today. From the day we brought him home to this moment, we have seen immense amounts of change in him. He’s gone from a nippy, pushy little tyrant to a kiss-giving, goofy little man who will only sometimes now push the limits just to see how far he can get…but that’s also a Cattle Dog for you!

To start off the birthday celebration, Mama made sweet potato/pumpkin cupcakes with peanut butter frosting and topped with meaty treats for Pongo to share with his doggie friends at daycare yesterday.

Note to self: do not use peanut butter frosting on cupcakes and then try to stuff them into the tiniest treat bag known to humankind.

Pongo’s favorite part of baking…licking the spoon.

Our plan for this morning was to try breakfast at the Glacier Brewhouse (so not worth it but glad we tried it so that we can cross it off of our breakfast dining possibilities) and then go for a walk downtown. Unbeknownst to us, or maybe we are just really out of it, a HUGE festival was going on downtown: Downtown Summer Solstice Festival. It was starting to become a madhouse by the time we were done with breakfast and ready for our walk. Pongo can handle lots of people but was pretty stressed out as we were dodging dogs left and right. We got as far as Town Square where we quickly stopped to enjoy the gardens, and then hightailed it back to the car because it was too much for Pongo; he just wasn’t enjoying himself. We were able to snap a couple pictures before our retreat.

Anchorage has been experiencing some phenomenal, well-deserved weather these past couple of days. Weather nice enough to pull out the pool for Pongo’s birthday enjoyment. We did add water, incase your wondering.

Pongo also got to play a little frisbee.

And then watch for squirrels while resting.

Pongo’s last mission on his special day was to help Mama and Papa nab all the mosquitoes that latch onto Pongo’s underside for a free ride into the house. He’s actually a very good bug catcher, if he doesn’t spaz too much when he hears the “Get the bug” command.

And now, we have one pooped birthday boy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEET PONGO BOY!

Clueless

Posted on 06/20/2012 by Jen

It’s always a crapshoot going into our small-spaced vet’s office. It could be completely empty or it could be like running the dog gauntlet. Today, it was the latter. Pongo and I walked up to the door and saw a woman with her dog standing at the front counter, which is right smack as you walk in the door. Pongo saw the dog and seemed to just shrug it off–no reaction whatsoever.

We didn’t want to take any chances of an incident, so we decided to take a few minutes outside to give them some time and give Pongo some space. After a drawn out potty break, we walked into an empty waiting room. I grabbed some scrumptious looking treats out of the jar on the counter and chose a seat the farthest away from the front door and exam room doors as possible, which is only like 5 feet.

Pongo knew there were dogs in both of the exam rooms; he could hear their little tags a tinkling. The sound of dog tags usually riles him up but he was too focused on those soft, meaty treats I was holding in my hand…basically torturing him with so he would pay more attention to me. He was actually being a REALLY good boy.

Then it happened…I heard the doctors finishing up with their respective patients and knew the perfect storm was brewing. Both dogs came out of their exam room at the same time. I was trying to keep Pongo focused on me and not on the two, big dogs that had just exited and were basically invading his very large space bubble.

Pongo looked at the dogs then looked back at me. “Good boy!” and treats galore poured from the sky.

Look at the dogs…look back at me. TREATS!!!

Look at the dogs…look back at me. MORE TREATS!!!

As I am praising and stuffing treats into my dog’s face, one of the owners asked the other if their dogs could meet. “Oh yes! He’s SO friendly.” The dogs greet each other politely as Pongo and I look on. All of sudden, I see this woman and her dog turn around and walk the 3 feet we had between us. I immediately knew her intentions and gave her a firm, “No.” It didn’t register, so I said it again with a little more oomph, “NO!” Then, the lightbulb turned on: she gave me this eat-you-know-what look and said something to the effect of-Oh, I guess your dog isn’t friendly as she walked off. Really?!? I’m the bad guy?!? You just assumed my dog wanted to meet your dog without even getting my permission! She was the classic case of a My Dog Is Friendly owner, and there were a few choice words I would have loved to have said to her but I kept my mouth shut.

This whole time, while a dog slowly invaded his personal space, Pongo sat quietly watching for more treats to come his way. No snarling. No growling. No barking. No lunging. Not a single peep out of him. I was dumbfounded that this was my dog attached to the end of the leash I was holding!

I am SO proud of our boy for keeping his cool under some pretty severe pressure for a dog in need of space (DINOS)!

Here and Now?

Posted on 06/04/2012 by Jen

I’ve always heard that dogs live in the here and now. Don’t worry about the future. Don’t worry about the past. Pongo has proven that it’s all a big myth. This dog worries about things that are about to happen and lets these events turn his whole world upside down.

Last night, I was packing my bag for a quick trip down to Seattle to visit Steve’s family. I am usually not the one to pack bags and leave for trips–that’s Steve. Pongo saw what I was doing and immediately put his long face, mopey ears, and worried eyes on. Bags being packed equals someone is leaving, and that just does not sit well with Pongo.

Pongo curled right up next to Papa when Steve got in bed, as I was still packing. It’s a rarity for Pongo to snuggle with Papa in bed. He is usually sleeping right on top of me every night and trying to snag some of my pillow. But last night, he wanted nothing to do with me. He is breaking my heart with his worried looks and little sensitive, hurt soul.

I wish he would buck up and realize that Mama will come back!

A Wet & Wild Day

Posted on 06/01/2012 by Jen

The weather here in Anchorage has been less than desirable for the start of our brief summer: grey and cold. So last night when I looked at the forecast for today and saw that it called for 59 degrees and sunny, I knew we needed to get out and take advantage. I cancelled Pongo’s daycare reservation for today, packed up our backpacks and Pongo’s other outdoor essentials and made a plan to head out to Eklutna Lake for a walk by the lake. When we arrived at the lake today, there was one car in the parking lot and one car unloading their kayak–we basically had the lake to ourselves.

I always thought it was hard to keep Reid out of the water but I have to say, Pongo is right up there with her; he loves the water! Eklutna Lake is glacially fed, which means it’s darn cold. It was near impossible to get Pongo to stay on dry land long enough for him to warm up and stop shivering.

Pongo entertaining himself while Mama eats lunch.

And as they say, “A tired Cattle Dog is a good Cattle Dog.”

May 12th Nose Work Trial Photos

Posted on 05/25/2012 by Jen

One of the rules at a Nose Work trial is that no one besides the Official Photographers are allowed to take pictures. While disappointed, not a single photo was snapped until we exited Camp Carlquist. We didn’t want to take any chances of tarnishing Pongo’s Nose Work Trial–a few photos were just not worth it.

After much anticipation, trial photos were finally posted. With permission from the National Association of Canine Scent Work and our two fabulous photographers Mike Lewis and Donna Quante (©2012HuskyProductions/Donna Quante), I am able to post pictures of Pongo’s Nose Work trial experience.

Vehicle Search (0:47.30)

Coming into the vehicle search area.

Pongo got “lost” for a moment and forgot where he was suppose to be searching.

Now we’re on track.

Almost there…it’s in the wheel well about 6 inches up from his nose.

Exterior Search (0:46.63)

I was a little worried here that he was going to alert on possible left-over picnic goodies.

The exterior search area was dauntingly huge with lots of nooks, crannies, and distractions.

Now we’re on the birch scent trail.

Getting closer…

Found it Mom! This was one of Pongo’s best alerts: looking up at me and sitting. Here he is mid-sit.

It was a tricky hide: birch scent stuffed into a birch log but what a smart boy!

Container Search (0:14.12)

This is one of my favorite photos.

And Pongo’s favorite part of the search: getting the treat!

We unfortunately don’t have any photos from the Interior Search but we do have some random photos.

Waiting to move into the search areas.

The awards ceremony.

Celebrating Reid

Posted on 05/19/2012 by Jen

Our dear, sweet Reid made her journey to the Rainbow Bridge today. It was a decision that Steve and I had a very difficult time making. Reid’s mobility had deteriorated to the point where she was having a hard time getting up and moving around, despite her daily dose of Rimadyl. What made this decision even harder was that she still had her good days, where she wanted to play and appeared to be moving around without too much pain. But, those good days were few and far between the not so good days. We wanted her to go in peace and with happiness in her heart, not in pain and suffering because we waited too long. Knowing that doesn’t make it any easier though.

She has been my companion for 13 1/2 years and Steve’s for 11 1/2. I remember the day I picked her up from the breeder out in Wasilla. She was a tiny little thing, who had no idea that we were getting on a plane that night to go spend Christmas with my family in Atlanta, Georgia.