When families are hurting, it often is the dear family pet that gets abandoned. Granny Doc wrote an excellent piece about how those in distress don't always think beyond themselves, and drive their pets into the country, leaving them to fend for themselves.
I'd love to share a photo or two of my dog, Teka, but haven't a means of doing it at this time. She is the second malamute I've had the honor of knowing and caring for in my lifetime. Teka is old, with arthritis down her spine. I give her medication, but in it all, she paces, and currently, her claws are long, and, as she paces, she pants. Claws, pacing and panting; she's a good teacher of patience. My poor neighbor is driven to distraction by Teka the Dog--that is--to distraction and over the cliff. When she was tethered at her doghouse--which, by the way, I've spent $$$ building a roof to keep the snow and rain off of her as she sits, sled dog style atop her roof--she barks. Usually, malamutes sing, but Teka barks. She wants to be inside the house to pace, pant and clack her claws on the bare wood floor. She's a social girl and wants in, even if IN means the company of cats. Outside, her uncompromising bark says, "right NOW!" arf, ARF! Front paw right followed by front paw left. arf ARF!
My neighbor has my compassion. He can't seem to get a job that really works for him, and it's been a few years since he's had regular employment. His partner keeps the two of them going. He has many talents and skills, but shows similar signs of lack of compromise. arf ARF Teka insists, and my neighbor who is aching to contribute his talents, in spite of everything, barks back. He's left some serious messages on my answering machine. The two of them mirror each other perfectly, he for his stuck-at-homeness frustration and Teka the Malamute for her don't abandon me-ness frustration, I'm outside and wanna be inside and I'm inside but wanna be outside.
I have to compliment my difficult neighbor. He is a compassionate man, and has not hurt the dog.
Malamutes are awesome animals. They are so close to what they started out to be, even a thousand years ago. They were eventually claimed by an Inuit group centered around the northeast corner of the Seward peninsula of Alaska, and quickly prized for their endurance, strength, adaptation and ability to tough out extreme winter conditions, their happy manners, and yes, their beauty. Malamutes were the mainstay of their nomadic lifestyle in following the food and the seasons. The Inuit showed skill and love in their breeding of the malamute through the generations.
But malamutes have had their share of thoughtless and reckless decisions made by people. During an expedition to Antarctica during WWII, many malamutes, after fulfilling their terms of service--and these were other peoples' dogs--they were on LOAN--were ordered by the higher ups to be chained to an ice floe and blown up. Imagine THAT. A sailors' mutiny almost ensued. (source: the Alaskan Malamute Club of America website)
Malamutes of the freight-hauling lines are so wild, their blood can't seem to be compromised. Even breeding this with them and that with them throughout the years, the malamute's blood line seems to stay the course according to its original design. They remain the same vibrant and resiliant animal they ever were.
And that's good. Malamutes are great pals. They love to be with you, are extremely intelligent and can figure many things out. This includes how to open the pantry door and chump through the can to get to the food inside, how to climb a cyclone fence, how to trick the lock on the door or fence into opening. They are high maintanance dogs. They are telepathic. They are predators.
Take your malamute on a hike but be prepared to be on your own for awhile.
So, all this to say, this is a celebration of a breed of doggie that makes my heart sing! Thanks, my big, old girl. When you decide to go,
I'll miss you sorely--although I know our neighbor won't, or remember our landlord in Willow? I bet he wouldn't---remember the ducks and the pet rabbit? I am so very grateful for the patience that neighbors and landlords have shown my feisty, vivacious and difficult to contain wild malamute pal.