Naika

 

                                         Naika with owners Al, and Kiko Stewart

                                                            Naika 

     April has arrived and with it spring flowers and refreshed souls. Everyone who has been hibernating all winter can now be seen on the streets of the Motherlode. People aren’t the only ones who love spring, so do dogs. On one warm spring day I was at WalMart and saw what looked like a bear on a leash. I had to ask what kind of dog that huge black furry animal was. Al Stewart said his name was Naika, a 150 pound Newfoundland.

     The breed is known for their giant size, tremendous strength, calm dispositions, and loyalty. Originally they were used as working dogs helping fisherman in Newfoundland Canada with their nets. Once you see them you can understand why.

       Al made mention that Naiki was very protective so be very careful around him. It didn’t take much to convince me that a dog the size of a bear was best approached with caution. We agreed to meet on Naika’s turf and do this story.

        Naika resides in Pine Grove and shares his turf with Al, and Kiko Stewart, Krystal Gusman and Kiana Haunio and three other dogs. For those unfamiliar with Hawaiian culture Kiko is native Hawaiian and hence all the Hawaiian names. Al and Kiko met while he was stationed in Hawaii and are Motherlode transplants having moved here from the Bay Area.

        It was a warm spring day when I arrived at the Stewart’s home. Having been warned of  Naika’s protective nature, I was cautious when I exited the car with my camera slung across my shoulder. Suddenly Naika came running at me full gallop. I suddenly got the feeling a quarterback has when he is being chased by a 280 pound linebacker. Naika went after my camera case hitting me at full gallop. Like a quarterback I never left my feet but did feel the blow. Once he decided I was a friend we went into the house to complete the interview.

    Naika is big and has the run of the yard and the house. Like most pets of dog lovers he is allowed on the furniture which is covered with his favorite blankets. When Naika is on the sofa there is only room for one more person. (barely). Imagine a bear running around the house, and you have Naika.

     The Stewarts also own Samson, a one year old full blooded Newfoundland. Naika and Samson look like twins but are not. Samson is really friendly to everyone and would love to play with you. He has absolutely no aggression. This can be challenging since Samson is 130 pounds.  Getting into a wrestling match with Samson it would be necessary to know a few moves they taught in high school wrestling. 

     Once Naika had become comfortable with me I was sitting on the couch and he would approach me as a friend. Still he was always making sure I was no threat. Once he decided he had nothing to fear from me he hopped up on the couch and curled up.

     There is rumor that the breed was created by Norwegians first landing in the new world to scare off intruders.  It has never been proven but to look at Naika and Samson a person might think the rumor true. In reality they are very calm and docile dogs. Before I left the interview both Naika and Sampson had gotten to know me and were more than happy to have their pictures taken.

 

 

                                                           Tank with owner Bill Mix

 

 

Tank

 

     If one thing stands out about the mother lode it’s the history. To the naked eye history is everywhere from the National Hotel in Jackson to the old Pioneer store on highway 88, to the blue highways leading to West Point. What is not obvious is the history residing in her people and her dogs. Like history dogs abound throughout the county. There are many pure breeds and mixed breeds riding in the cars all excited about traveling even a few miles. One breed that is very popular is the Labrador retriever.

     Owning a Lab, where I grew up in South Dakota, is a right of passage. Most families have at least one be it yellow or black hanging out around the house. They are so prevalent because of Pheasant and duck hunting that they are a status symbol. In the 60’s, when I was coming of age, almost every child had a lab or maybe it was the other way around in that every lab had a child. Irregardless it was always understood that dogs and children go together.

     The reason for that was Labs are friendly and intelligent child proof dogs.  Oh yes they do hunt but hunting season is only 4 months long. Thus parents had the advantage for eight months the dog would entertain their children. That was before TV sort of took precedence. But through all the changes Labs still win out as the choice for a loyal friend. The TV gets turned off at bedtime meanwhile a dog sleeps either beside the bed or on the bed with their gentle heartbeat and warmth comforting their owners. Dogs are the loyalist lifelong friend a person can have.

     One such Lab, Tank, has spent his entire life in and around Jackson. He is a companion for Bill Mix who has owned three labs before the “Tanker” came into his life as a puppy at age 6 weeks. Tank was born to a Breeder in Valley Springs 11 years go. Bill who is the owner of Campbell Service Centrt on the corner of highway 88 and 49 has always had a lab lying on the floor at the garage. 

    As soon as he brought Tank home from the breeder his next stop was at Bills job. Bill taught Tank the rules of the road such as no wandering off the property and Tank being intelligent and eager to please learned quickly. These days Tank is not as mobile as he once was at 6 weeks but at 11 years he still gets around. Tank has a round dog bed next to the workbench at the front of the car lifts. Next to that is his food and water bowl. These days Tank is content to sit and watch the world go by. He occasionally will stretch his legs by stroll out to the front of the station but quickly returns back inside. He does not want to be far from his best friend.

    Tank was not always so sedentary, like all of us seniors he had younger days. Tank who grew up near Volcano used to love chasing tennis balls. Also as a country dog he loved exploring the property where Bill lives. Even though he loves the country Tank would rather share it with the humans and animals that reside there. He always has been a lover.

    Tank quickly adapted to his split life between the country and the city. In the mornings he would wait by Bills truck ready for the trip into Jackson. Once given the word he would hop into the truck tail wagging and head for the shop. It didn’t really matter where they were going but Tank’s favorite place as long as he was with Bill was at the corner of highway 88 and 49.

   These days Bill has to lift Tank into the truck as Tank’s legs are losing their strength with the passing years. But his eagerness to head into Jackson has not diminished. He loves watching the world go by. He has the occasional repeat customers who drop by to just say hi and give him the occasional pat on the head but he is content to be with Bill wherever that may be.  

    If you have a dog and would like us to do a story on him/her, please send me an e-mail at dudseth@volcano.net

                                                                      Condor 

      Late one night in Mid-January on the news came word that a K-9 Officer in Elk Grove had been killed. The part of the story that really touched me was the K-9 partner went back to the police station and refused to come out of the backroom after the shooting. When a dog to loses an owner it is sad, but K-9’s are an officer’s companion both at work and in private life. This leads me to the story of Condor, Jackson’s K-9 patrol dog.

    Condor, a full blood German Shepard, is partnered with Al Lewis. Al has been a police officer in Jackson in excess of 3 years and worked in Law enforcement for 34 years. After his retirement from a Bay Area city he decided he wasn’t ready to settle down just yet and called Jackson asking if they needed a K-9 officer. The Jackson Police Chief responded “the city of Jackson did not have the money for a K-9 unit but sure could use one”.

    Al offered to buy the dog and work part time. Thus the Jackson K-9 enforcement unit was born.  Al had worked with a K-9 training group in the Bay Area so he was familiar with how to obtain a dog. He found a dog overseas in the Check Republic with bloodlines that met the requirements. Al who paid for the dog with his own money (in the thousands of dollars) trained as a handler with the dog (a four week process) and then they both came to work in Jackson.

    Condor is not only a police dog he is the family pet. He changes between the two roles quickly. When Al dresses in the uniform and the police car door opens, Condor knows it’s time to go to work. Al patrols with Condor riding in the back of the squad car. It’s not a backseat but a mini kennel. Condor needs space to move. As with any German Shepard he is hyper. It’s this hyper trait along with their intelligence and strength that make them great dogs for law enforcement.

   When I met Al at the Police station in Jackson, besides the obvious writing on the side of his car indicating K-9 unit, the car was rocking back and forth when Al exited the vehicle. Thus anyone who didn’t know at first would soon realize that inside was a force they might not want to deal with.

Al stated that in many ways having Condor is better than having a human partner. In a situation that may require backup the threat of a dog running at or after a suspect is more likely to make anyone attempting to run to think twice.

    When Officer Lewis needs to investigate, Condor stays in the car. In Lewis’ hand he carries a remote control device that will release the door catch. With the release of the door, out springs Condor. Condor only responds to the sound of Officer Lewis’ voice and only in the German language he was trained in. Condor, as part of his training in the US learns to respond only to Officer Lewis’ voice.

    Once Condor exits the vehicle he is in his element. He loves the chase and the hunt. The chase could be for a suspect or the hunt would be for drugs. In the case of a chase it doesn’t last long as anyone who has a dog knows that no matter the size, dogs can generally outrun a human.

     The Majority of Condor’s work though is sniffing out drugs. In an exhibition for me Condor demonstrated his ability to locate drugs. Dogs are used for drug detection because of their nasal sensors which are much more acute than humans. Condor can find drugs hidden in secure locations. Examples of Condors finds have been drugs hidden in the panels or hubcaps of cars, h and even in very creative spots within a vehicle such as a gearshift panel or a secret compartment in the glove box.  Condor is called into action also whenever the Jackson Police or Amador Sheriff’s office asks for assistance on a traffic stop. Drug searches can only be conducted on a vehicle stop when the driver is on parole or there is a reason to indicate drugs are in the car.

    Once Condor has exited the police car the hunt for drugs doesn’t take long. He generally goes right to the spot the drugs are located. He then lies down where the drugs are and awaits his reward---a special toy that Officer Lewis throws for him.

    When Condor is not on duty he is the family pet. A police dog will serve for 6 years then retire to become strictly the family pet. Anyone who meets Condor in his role as pet would not have a clue that he is a working police dog. He loves playing with members of the family and other dogs. When not on duty he loves to just kick back and rest as we all do. 

Walter 

       As I write this the entire Mother Lode is decked out in holiday decorations. People are filling the stores and the smells on Main street Jackson coming through the open doors can’t help but bring the Christmas Spirit out in everyone.

       I would like to dedicate this final column of 2012 to all the people and their dogs of the Mother Lode. It is a great place to spend the holidays. The residents of the Mother Lode are people with hearts of gold. The people I’m speaking of are those that help dogs.

      One such story came to my attention in this past week. In a crazy series of events an animal control officer out on patrol in the north county had parked his truck on the edge of a back road. When he returned to his truck, in the back was a 120 pound Bloodhound, name unknown.

    The officer found himself in a bit of a dilemma. They usually rescue dogs that are wandering out in the country but never have dogs been placed in their truck. The officer brought the Bloodhound back to the county animal shelter. Once the dog was unloaded it became obvious to the staff he was a dog that would easily be adopted. A call was placed by John, of the Amador animal shelter, to the Walker Hound rescue volunteers John and Tina Kellogg. The Kelloggs picked up the Bloodhound and brought him to their home.

   In the meantime a notice was placed by animal control in the Ledger Dispatch that a Bloodhound was available for adoption. The shelter also placed the ad on their website. Within a week a call from Kate in Marysville was made to the shelter and forwarded to John and Tina. Kate was looking for a dog to foster and wanted to meet the Bloodhound. Arrangements were made for Kate to meet the bloodhound at Paradise Doggie Daycare in Martell.

   The meeting was on and Kate quickly drove to Martell where it was love at first sight. Kate agreed to foster the unnamed hound. But as all dog owners know every dog needs a name so the name Walter was chosen. Why, was anyone’s guess, but it just seemed to fit.

   When looking at Walter’s picture his face reminds me of actor Walter Brennan.  Having adopted a dog named Wilson from Tri Valley Rescue 11 years ago (who as I can best described looked like the volleyball, Tom Hanks’ best friend in the movie “Castaway”) looks are often used when naming a pet. There is a theory that dogs often look like their owner and I have found that to be true.

    Walter now resides in Marysville awaiting a permanent home. John Kellogg at Walker hound rescue thinks that Walter will more than likely only be in Foster care for a short amount of time. He thinks his home with Kate will become permanent.

    Walter was quickly placed by the efforts of animal control and Walker Hound rescue and a dog lover that gave him a foster home.. In the year that I have been writing these stories I have come to know there are many organizations in both Amador. El Dorado and Calaveras counties that help out with dogs.

    Walter was more than likely placed in the truck because someone could no longer take care of him. In these days of high unemployment and recession, times are tough for people .  I urge anyone who cannot take care of a dog, not to drop it on the side of the road and assume that the dog will find a home. Please call animal control or anyone of the rescue organizations in Amador, Calaveras or Eldorado counties to help.  No dog deserves to be abandoned.

 

 Henry walking with Peter (great Dane and Wendy)

 Vegas

Wendy

 

Peter, Wendy and Vegas, 

     The human mind is complex, One trait of the human mind is that it is self-trained to see certain things visually. The people who create movies are aware of that . An example is in the movie I just watched. In the movie is a train engine from the 1860’s. The producers place a black steam engine on the screen and it is visualized moving complete with steam coming out the stack. Upon opening the shot however  the train is moving via a truck pushing it. In the human mind however if it looks like a train sounds like a train it must be a train when fact it’s mostly made of cardboard.

    This brings me to Peter, Vegas and Wendy and their owners Henry and Cindy Silva of Pioneer. I was driving up highway 88 and alongside the highway was a man (Henry) walking a Great Dane, a Chihuahua and a Saint Bernard, all on leashes. Two things seemed wrong with this picture the first, the Great Dane is the size of a small horse, the St Bernard about the size of a small bear and the Chihuahua can fit in one’s hand. The second is that they were all walking at a gentle pace in stride none pulling at their leash.(For most dog owners we know that walking a dog is the equivalent of holding onto a moving car). Note if I tried walking my three dogs on a leash at the same time I would end up looking like I had a net around my body wrapped as tight as those Christmas trees on top of peoples cars.

   Yet there along the side of highway 88 were Pete, Vegas and a St. Bernard (Basha) all walking very perfect on their leashes. Vegas the Chihuahua was keeping in stride with Peter. To my mind that doesn’t make sense that could happen so I had to get their story.

   I drove up to the Silva’s house and was greeted by Peter staring in the window of my SUV while standing on all 4’s, Vegas running around the car and Wendy waiting in the garage. Since I last saw them the St Bernard has passed away. A third dog Wendy is a Pomeranian mix.

   Peter stands over 3 feet at the shoulders perhaps 4 feet to the top of his head. Vegas is  the size of a small shoe while Wendy is about 15 lbs. I asked Henry how he trained them to walk so obediently and he indicated that they taught themselves.

   Peter during the interview rested his head on my shoulders standing on all 4’s. Vegas was in Henrys hand and Wendy jumped up on my legs to get petted. All three dogs are very affectionate.

   Peter came to the Silvas as a purchase. They had a Geat Dane previously and when that one passed away 7 years ago the replacement was Peter. Wendy came to the Silva’s via a truck driver at the STP in pioneer where Cindy was working. The driver stated he could no longer care for Wendy and asked Cindy if she knew of a good home and Wendy was at the Silva’s home that evening . Vegas (named after the city) was a transplant from child to parent. Vegas grew up at the Silva’s children’s home but via circumstances ended up in Pioneer.

   These days Peter is reaching old age at 7 and is taking medicine for his legs, so the walks aren’t as frequent but they still are happening. Peter is content now to rest in the house and to be petted and loved. Vegas is not sure of Peter but the two dogs have agreed to a truce with both getting a happy home. Wendy  wants to be loved by everyone.  So the family is tight nit and proves that despite huge differences everyone can get along. All it takes is love, a good bowl of food and a daily walk.

 

 Fargo in submissive post

 Fargo with her bright blue eyes

Fargo posing with her pwner Shaundy

 

Fargo

     Deep in the valleys of the Motherlode are nature created caverns.. As I turned left off Volcano Pioneer road onto the fenced property the road changed from blacktop to gravel. The dust floated into the air as I made my way to the visitor center  at Black Chasm landmark.. When I parked the car there is a special greeter, Fargo a 12 year old Australian Shepherd collie mix. 

    Fargo because of his age may have slowed down a little bit but still makes sure everyone who comes into his life gets a greeting, especially children who are more likely to give him people food. Unlike mother nature’s coloring of camouflage for her animals Fargo stands out for his silver color and bright blue eyes (an Australian Shepherd trait). He is usually laying in front of the gift shop making sure he doesn’t miss any of the daily activities.

    Fargo’s owner is Shaundy Farley is an employee of the park. Fargo was rescued by Shaundy and her husband as a search and rescue dog. Fargo because of the Australian Shepherd in him made a good tracker. Shaundys ex husband was a member of search and rescue and wanted a companion to go into the forest with him. Fargo loved the work and would go everywhere he went but then Shaundy split from him taking Fargo with her.

    Fargo initially was moping around the house but as time passed he became attached to Shaundy. Today he has free roaming of Black Chasm’s grounds. Fargo will follow Shaundy as she gives tours of the Cavern which requires his 12 year old legs to climb down and back up over a hundred stairs. That is the equivalent in human years of an 84 year old. I am only in my 60’s and wouldn’t attempt that feat..

   But Fargo loves it and he is always following Shaundy on her treks not only into the cavern but into the far reaches of the park. He loves looking for new things to sniff out. For all dog owners know this can sometimes lead to trouble as what we consider smelly dogs love. Thus skunks offer no deterrence to dogs and Fargo has his run ins with them.

    One treatment for Fargo after a skunk encounter was to be placed in a crate allowing for the odor to diminish. Australian Shepherds are highly intelligent (Shaundy says he can understand 250 words) and Fargo quickly figured out how to release the latch and would come running to Shaundy. All further treatments required a bath and chemicals to eliminate the odors.

   Fargo has also had an encounter with a porcupine and was curious about this strange creature. Porcupines have no time for such inquisitors and Fargo was quickly on his way to the vet to get the quills removed. He has also had his encounters with mountain lions but has an arrangement with the big cats in that if they leave him alone he leaves them alone.

  His days now of chasing the animals of the forest mostly lie behind him but he now uses his instincts to herd children visiting the park away from dangers and following Shaundy everywhere she goes.

   As I watched him lie on the ground beside us as we concluded this interview I could sense he has had a good life and has many good years ahead of him. The years may have slowed him down but have not stopped him, His eyes still sparkle as bright as they ever have.

 Archie and Annie a few years back

 Archie posing

Annie

 

Archie and Annie 

      Archie and Annie are two black and white 50 pound border collies that reside in Pioneer. I came upon the idea for this story because I used to always meet their owner, Dana Hunt, walking the two to the mailboxes here in Amador Pines. This had been a daily ritual of theirs over a period of years. Now, in 2012, I hadn’t seen them in what seemed like an eternity.  Suddenly last week I came across their owner, Donna Hunt, walking them once more. I couldn’t help but notice that the two were “greying”. That is to say they are growing older.

     Donna and Dana Hunt, their owners, explained to me that a walk to the mailbox that once was daily us now a rare occurrence. Archie and Annie, both 13 years old, are only able to manage the trip rarely. On this particular day the trip that used to take twenty minutes had taken over an hour. Age is overtaking them.

    As the owner of a 13 year old boxer mix I can identify with the aging process in dogs and humans for that matter as I am in my golden years. As I drove away the lyrics to a song came to mind. “Old dogs lie beside the door, they toss and turn scratch and snore. They fight again their puppy wars their playful battles raging.”

    Anyone who has owned a dog from puppyhood through old age or for that matter any length of time know that when our dog friends age its hard on us because as they age, a part of our life also passes into history.

   Archie and Annie came to live in Amador Pines via Pittsburg, California. From the start Archie and Annie loved the country. Here there were animals, deer rabbits, raccoons, that they could herd.  Border Collies are a herding breed. Even though the Deer didn’t feel they needed to be herded, Archie and Annie tried. They were never successful as anyone who know deer, knows they can outrun a dog. But that didn’t stop the deer from returning. After all, even deer and Border collies need to run once in a while.

   One day Dana and Donna heard the dogs barking.  They found Annie and Archie at the base of a tree out in their front yard. They glanced up the tree and there perched on a limb was a full grown mountain lion. Fortunately the lion was not hungry and before the big cat got away Dana and Donna managed to get a picture which too has passed into history. 

   These days Archie and Annie spend most of their time curled up at the Hunts feet by the fire. Annie is starting to have the classic signs of aging with fatty tumors and a skin tag that is growing.  Neither stops her from greeting all visitors. The two are brother and sister and have done everything together since birth. Still they both like to be petted and once the friendly greeting ritual is over, are content to lie on the floor at the guest’s feet. Despite aging they don’t want to miss out on anything.

    These days they have to share their owners’ attention with a white miniature poodle named Buddy. What they lack in energy Buddy more than makes up for. He is bouncing around all over the house making sure that he is noticed. Archie and Annie don’t mind as they lay beside the fire with its crackling warmth their owners never too far away.