I want to tell you our little story of our great love for malamutes. I grew up with Yukon our male malamute as my companion when I was young; he was our rescue and loved dearly. (How I got Yukon) His owners didn’t want him and couldn’t handle his “attitude”. That is how we got our Yukon. Yukon was 9 months when we got him, already set in some of his ways, well he knew what he liked, let’s just say. My Mom got me a book on Malamutes and I read it cover to cover. Yukon and I became the best of friends we went everywhere together he loved it. He was my life and he loved me more than anyone in our family, it was almost as he thought I was his “girl” and I kind of was. J We had a wonderful life together. I knew Yukon was getting older and the time would come that I would have to make a difficult decision, Yukon’s hips were giving out and he was having more difficulty getting up- the vet was preparing me every check up that he’s a fighter in his mind but his body (hips) are just not strong enough. The medication was no longer working…I still can’t believe me and my parents had to make a decision like this, but we loved him enough not to let him hurt any more- he couldn’t stand without our help, he didn’t like our help either. My poor buddy I would say as we would try to get him up. Last year I made the hardest decision of my life and let my buddy rest. It was the hardest thing I have had to do- it broke my heart to know his mind and will was still here but his body couldn’t do it. Yukon lived a very long and wonderful life he passed away last August and he was 13 years old, his hips were failing him, but his mind was strong. He was the strongest dog I ever met, he was my hero, one of many nicknames I gave him. He hated soft beds, he loved the hard wood floor or the cold tile, he loved the smell of cedar and he was afraid to swim unless I was with him, he loved to roll snow balls with his nose and toss them in the air…he was my “buddy” another nick name. We have many memories together.
Four and a half years ago we got Chaska our female malamute. Chaska means Star, star goddess (Quechua/Inca) We got her from a lady in Hillsdale who rescued her mom & dad- they lived with the whole family together- when we got her she was already showing food aggression- we took her to obedience classes, and it did get better with us- but with outsiders she was growly and with our yellow lab. Her and I had our differences at first, until I learned, I had to be more stern with her. Her and I had our fights, well not really fights (my husband would laugh and say we were “fighting”) but I really had to establish myself in our home, she needed me to know who and what I was- she taught me something- to be that security- she tested me nonstop, and thanks to your website and another blog I was able to stay stern. Then with time she knew my role and I knew hers- all this took place before she was a year old. She would follow me around the house learning the ins and outs. She was the amazing, her personality was my favorite, she was a sweet girl, and loved to be loved. She ended up growing up to be a wooly malamute and she was beautiful, she did require some beauty days during the week where we would brush her out, but she was worth all of it. I loved the “tumble weeds” of hair that would gather in every corner of our house. I quit wearing black and always had a sticky roller with me. She had her place in our home, we crate trained her until she gained her independence and was responsible enough to be left in parts of the home un attended. She grew up with our cats and loved them, she would “escort” them around but they would sleep together when no one was looking. She never chewed or destroyed anything in our home, we were blessed- but we also supervised her. She never chewed any of her babies i.e. toys- she has them all still intact from when she was a pup. She would grab her babies at least two an parade around the house with them in her mouth and cry, a mixture of rooing and whimpering, I have never seen this, but it was so cute to watch, she loved those babies she would try to have them all at one time and cry because she couldn’t so she would lay on them. She loved bear hugs, allowed me to dress her up clothes, being she was agile, she was careful walking around coffee tables and careful in homes. Chaska was very selective in what people she liked, some she would go bonkers over and some she would growl, I think she had her reasons and I respected who she wanted in her space. She was my best friend, I know this sounds silly but really she was so goofy and vocal that we would talk all the time. =)
We have a cabin up north on the lake and she loved to go swimming well she didn’t really swim she would walk on her tip toes in the water. So cute. She would get so excited for food she would be circles, and rooing – she was so smart she almost listened every time lol… she knew leave it, wait, she always waited for us to walk through the door and we always went first, she knew that. It took continues training- well it never really stops with a malamute. I loved that she would only play fetch if another dog showed interest and was playing with me- lol she couldn’t stand “mom” having dog friends. But I would coach her to wait her turn, she did her best. My telling her to sit, down etc.. We had a wonderful life going, until a couple of weeks ago, we were up north at our cabin and she was acting funny, she wouldn’t eat (Red flag) we rushed her to the vet. And they asked if she had vomited diarrhea or anything and she didn’t- she just wouldn’t eat. The Doc was a dog flu going around and they were going to give her like a Zantac for dogs and something to help her sleep it off. We left the vet after she had her shot she was howling and I knew how Yukon was on medication he would do the same, he would try and fight it- I thought she was doing the same but to be sure I called the vet and described the behavior and the nurse said it was common with the drugs to make her dizzy and maybe she didn’t like it. I really thought this was normal. Over night she slept, we had the air on at the cabin and a fan on her, me and my husband stayed up with her all night, and she wasn’t getting better but she was having normal bowl movements- the next day we decided to take her back to the vet and they did an x-ray and saw something in her stomach- they planned surgery to remove it (Chaska never ate anything, her whole life, never, never, ever) the Doc asked us did we see her eat anything and we didn’t, she had no history of this either. The doc said the surgery would be high risk just because of the breed, what? I send an email to all friends and family and asked for prayers, this was our baby and we needed prayers. The doc called and said the surgery didn’t go well, that the object had moved into her lower intestine and ruptured and she would never wake up again. My knees gave out, my heart broke, my world began to crumble, Rob came running when he saw my face, the doc said that we could come say our goodbyes. We rushed in the car to the vet and we discussed bringing her home to our vet where maybe there was another chance. I then got a phone call telling me that she just passed. We both began to sob, how could our little girl be gone? We go to the vet and the doc showed us the object, we have never seen it- a kids toy… we don’t have kids and are never around kids? How, where and when did this happen? The vet said she had a lot of scar tissue in her stomach and it seems that it was in there for a while? We are still confused about this- the object was hard plastic- 4inces long and 3 inches wide- how did she swallow this? And when, where did she get it? I lost my girl, my Norma Jean, my stinky binky, my fur monster, my B, my world. We rethought the whole week, month, then year- where did she find a kids toy? When and why would she eat that? We can’t pin point it, it’s like a freak accident- the doc said that the drug she gave her to relax may have dislodged it and allowed it to pass and rupture. My poor girl suffered and we couldn’t help her, we didn’t know. She never ate anything until this.. Now our home is quiet without her are life just doesn’t feel the same.
We do want another malamute we can’t see us with another breed, we both love everything about them. I know if we get a puppy it will never replace Chaska or Yukon, but I think the joys of a puppy in our home will pick up our spirits and be comforting- I know no other dog will have her personality and I am thankful that God gave me the time with her. She was the best dog me and my husband have ever had. I think writing this to you will help me heal, I think writing it out and I think this will be therapeutic for me.
