Story 54: Hovering, Not Sitting

Today marks the halfway point of the 108 stories! It has been really good for me to post Laika tales each day. I miss her so much, but the process of writing to memorialize our time together has been a reward in itself...both in healing and gaining new understanding of the deeper meaning behind life lessons that I learned from Laika. I might introduce some new writing formats in the second half, but we shall see! Today, though, we will focus on one of Laika's more unique characteristics: her style of "sitting."

Laika loved to "sit" while not-begging. She also loved to "sit" and look out the window at the outside world. She would "sit" for treats and she would also "sit" to wait for her meals. She especially loved to "sit" in the car and gaze at the passing sights. But, when anyone looked closely at Laika "sitting," they noticed one important thing: she was rarely ever actually sitting at all (hence the use of quotes, of course).

Laika was a quirky, to say the least. Her goofy, excitable personality worked its way into pretty much every aspect of her being. One of the clearest examples of this was her "sitting" posture...which was actually more like hovering, since her posterior never touched the ground (unless she was in full-on relaxation mode). She would basically support herself with only her front paws and rear paws and ankles on the ground, with a little bit of daylight under her bottom. I am not sure exactly why she chose to sit this way, but I do have two theories to explain it; the first involves body mechanics and the second her ever-eager demeanor.

Firstly, several of Laika's well-known physical qualities needed a bit of ground clearance which were provided by her unique posture. Her tail was the most noticeable of these. The "hover" allowed Laika's tail to wag at any speed she liked without being impeded, sliding easily along the floor or ground to produce a loud sweeping sound at higher speeds. Additionally, Laika was a gassy lady, so hovering, not sitting properly, let the exhaust leave the tailpipe and exit out the backside. In combination with the wagging, this could produce a widely dispersed cloud of pollution. I cannot prove that this directly affected her posture, but it seems like a distinct possibility.

Secondly, Laika most likely didn't like to sit on the ground because she was just too expectant and excited to put herself in an inert position. Her hovering-pose usually acted as a means of deceit for her to sneak closer to objects of her desire, such as treats or any food. Sure, it looked like she was sitting nicely and calmly, but this was not the case at all. Due to the weight distribution on her rear paws, Laika's version of "sitting" allowed her to slowly inch forward with a subtle, shimmying shuffle. If I was preparing food, it would look as if she was being magically pulled toward me as she sat. However, this was all part of her plan to hide her eagerness, which developed into advanced levels of anti-begging. Additionally, being in her "seated" position always left Laika prepared for action, whether it be running, leaping or pouncing.

Yesterday's story was a perfect example of evidence supporting these theories. Before jumping through the screen, Laika was "sitting" in front of the balcony door with her tail stiffened and on alert and her body primed for the leap. If she had been bottomed-out, neither of these two would have been possible. By hovering, not sitting, Laika found a way to look stationary, but preserve perfect balance of potential and kinetic energy to fly into action in a heartbeat...or covertly sneak toward a desired treat. Thus, something seemingly as neutral as a posture became a clear statement of her character, as Laika employed her every action to showcase her unique spirit to the world!

Slightly blurry photo of Laika "sitting."

Story 53: Screen Jumper

Looking at some photos yesterday, I saw one that I don't remember ever seeing. It is a very striking photo with the silhouettes of Laika and Heisa looking out of the balcony door of the old apartment. It struck me as really dramatic, but hopeful at the same time:

To me, this photo embodies the pups' comaraderie in constant excitement with the world. Then, as I looked closer at the broken screen in the door, I remembered why it had to be covered with plexiglass...because of Laika's overzealousness!

Laika was always a certified mischief-machine. This being the 53rd story, there are plenty of examples of this which can be referenced (and plenty more to come). While she loved most people and a lot of dogs that she met, she was not friends with squirrels or cats. It was just a fact of life. Behind our apartment, there were squirrels and cats. It was her entertainment to sit in a chair and spy out of the window at their daily activities from afar.

The front of the apartment was not so different, but gave her a closer experience of cat-watching. Our neighbors had two cats that would constantly lounge on their balcony. Since the roof of the first-floor entryway bridged our balconies, they could easily come over to our side. This was fine before I took care of Laika (aside from the mountain of cat poop that I discovered close to the gutter), but after she started living in the apartment was another story.

Laika knew when one or both of the cats were on the porch. She could sense it from any part of the apartment and quickly run to the outer balcony door (as the inner door was usually open for airflow), pressing her nose forcefully against the thin screen while huffing loudly, whining and blowing snot in all directions. Her tail would stiffen, showing her anxiousness to get to the cats. (The cats, on the other hand, were unfazed by Laika as they lived with a dog that they regularly bullied.) I would usually be able to calm her down with toy or treat distractions or just by sitting with her. I was glad that I had replaced the latch on the door to prevent her from doing anything rash. However, one day, the inevitable happened...

Laika had spied the cats while my roommate Kyle and I were sitting in the living room. They were doing something that really riled her up and she was more agitated than usual, circling and whining near the door. Since I was in the room, I was able to calm her down by petting her, but she was still sitting directly next to the door on alert. I went back to sit on the couch as Laika continued to stare at the one remaining cat on the balcony ledge. Suddenly, she started shaking with anxiety and with an explosive burst she jumped through the screen! In the split second this happened, all sorts of worries sprang into my mind...Would she catch the cat? Would she jump off the roof? Would she hurt herself or the cat?

In the blink of an eye, though, Laika proved me wrong in every way. As Kyle and I jumped-up to stop her from doing something (potentially) harmful, Laika immediately sat down on the other side of the door with her head down, even though the cat was still laying in its same spot. It was as if she was sorry for her action and knew it immediately. When I opened the door, she simply walked back in and laid down on her back (which was another thing she did when she was apologizing). I was not mad and was actually impressed that she had been able to catch herself after losing control of her desire to chase, especially with the cat still in reach. Kyle was speechless, because this was not expected in the least. I praised Laika for her good behavior (even after being a screen jumper). It seemed like all of the training was paying off.

For the rest of the day, the inner balcony door remained closed to prevent any further mishaps. The next day, I went to buy a sturdy piece of plexiglass to cover the lower half of the screen that Laika had ripped during her powerful egress. This created both peace of mind for me and a nice canvas for Laika's nose-paintings! More importantly, it allowed Laika to have another window on the world. As shown in the photo, she continued her vigil for cats and other outside life even after her pal Heisa moved-in.

Given the initial spark of mischief, this episode had a very happy ending and increased my trust that Laika was learning each day, just as I was. I am really glad that I "discovered" this photo yesterday. I am still smiling every time I look at it.

Story 52: Princess Party

As yesterday progressed, I remembered that Elaina and I once had a party for Laika and Heisa. I found a lot of photos of the event, but couldn't remember some of the specific details. It's funny how the mind works, though. I just took another look and things started coming back to me, like the why and when. Maybe this festive story would have been more fitting for my birthday yesterday, but better late than never!

Laika, as you may already have guessed, was the Queen of the house. She was not completely spoiled, but from day one reigned in comfort (despite the crate training). Her domain at the apartment was full of toys, treats, comfy places to sleep and lots of love and attention from myself and my roommate. From her humble beginnings of abandonment on the street, I thought this would be a fitting way to make sure she was able to enjoy the "good life" when I started taking care of her.

After about a year or so of being the lone dog, Heisa and Elaina moved in. I thought this might cause some sort of disruption to Laika's royal airs, but it didn't at all. Even with Heisa around the house, Laika continued to assert her role as Queen and things continued as normal. Heisa was pretty easy-going and the pups got along famously, so this made the transition extremely smooth. It helped that Elaina loved Laika and would comply to the Queen's decrees of attention and treats. Laika readily reciprocated the love with her wiggly charm and wagging tail. All dogs and people were happy to be living together. It was great!

A one point, after a few months, one of Elaina's coworkers brought some extra princess party hats to work. While not exactly the crown that Laika deserved, these conical, pink hats were adorned with hearts, a drawing of a tiara and the word "princess" in large writing. I think they were leftovers from a child's birthday party, but I am not sure of their origin. (It would make sense, but I don't want to spread false assertions in this blog!) Regardless, since both Laika and Heisa were behaving so well together (aside from the normal outburst of mischief), Elaina and I decided to give them a party fitting for...well...two princess pups!

This party didn't really differ too much from the normal evening routine, in which we would give the dogs lots of attention and treats. However, this time, we had a crucial extra element: party hats! There were enough for all four of us to wear the hats while we sat around in the kitchen and dining room. Laika actually didn't mind wearing the hat, despite her (nominal) demotion from Queen to Princess. Although, I think being Queen for a lifetime and Princess for a day is something both my conscience and Laika were able to live with! She wiggled around so happily that the hat was constantlymoving around on her head; luckily, the thin chin-strap kept it more or less in place. She spend the entire duration of the "party" moving from my lap to Elaina's lap, giving us kisses and sort of posing with her new accessory! Heisa was a bit less excited with the hat, but managed to keep it on while she and Laika "mingled" with us, the commoners at the exclusive Princess Party!

Many treats were eaten (by the dogs) and many photos were taken to mark this ordinary, yet really fun event. The fact that Laika seemed to thrive on the attention and hat-wearing made it even more enjoyable for us. The entire time, she had a gleam in her eye and an extra wag in her tail. I think she knew that it was a special, goofy evening and she just wanted to take it all in with her normal excitement, which seemed magnified by the extra props. All in all, it was a great way for Elaina and I to give love and appreciation to our "royal" companions. Thanks to some extra princess hats, a normal evening at home became a memorable event for the ages!

Elaina "crowning" Queen Laika as a Party Princess. (Heisa had already tried to remove her hat.)

 Party Princess Laika sitting on Princess Me's lap.

 Laika on Elaina's lap. (Where's the hat? Maybe Elaina was not a true princess like me.)

Heisa is not too happy about wearing the hat.

Story 51: Laika vs. The Lion Mask

Today is my birthday. It feels really weird not having Laika around. Granted, I was away on my birthday last year, but this is the first time I have been home on my birthday in the last decade and not spent it with her. Not sure how the day is going to end up, but I will make an attempt to keep my tail wagging despite the obvious void in my life. However, as a gift to myself and a proper homage to Laika, today I will share one of my the more memorable stories of her, that I have been waiting to tell for some time.

Laika was a very fun-loving pup, but she was also a very loyal protector when she needed to be. This story clearly illustrates the lengths she would go if she thought one of her "people" was in danger. I am just glad that what started-out as a joke on my roommate didn't end in disaster or personal injury...for me!

Every year as long as I can remember, we have a thing called Freecycle at work. This usually involves people bringing in all sorts of useless junk that they don't want and leaving it on a table in the staff lounge. A few times, I have scored pretty cool things like a CD of Indian-inspired music and a Buffy the Vampire Slayer board game for my roommate (which she never used). One time, though, there was a really awesome thing there: a weird lion mask. I say "weird" because it wasn't realistic-looking, it was a rubber-faced mask with a furry mane that was more like a cross between a lion and a werewolf.

When I initially saw the mask, I didn't really want it, because, well, I had too much crap. However, after returning to my desk, I kept thinking about it. I decided to ask a neutral party if it would be excessive to take the mask. My supervisor Beth's response was, "Why would you not need it?" It was a point that I couldn't argue with and I quickly ran downstairs to retrieve my "new" mask. I proceeded to wear it at my desk (of which there is photographic evidence). I was pretty stoked on my new mask and spent the day thinking of ways I could employ it to scare people.

It was pretty cold the day that I got the mask, and I honestly thought about wearing it while I rode my bike home. Since it was dark, I figured it would be a bad idea...as a young Halloween-er, I was all to familiar with the poor visibility of rubber masks. Granted, I had a helmet, but common sense won-out so I didn't wear it. Instead, I devised a plan to put it on before I entered the house, since I knew Elaina would be home and possibly reading on the couch. It would be the perfect use of my Freecycle score!

When I reached the house, it was about 9:30 pm. I stood outside the front door in the faint glow of the porch-light and tried to discretely put-on the mask. (I didn't want the neighbors to see, in case I needed to use it against them sometime.) After donning the mask, I realized that trying to put the key in the lock was going to be a huge challenge...again, the eye-holes were not designed for tasks, apparently. So, while wearing the weird lion mask in the freezing cold, I fumbled with my key trying to unlock the door for like 20 seconds. In this time, I could hear both Laika and Heisa moving around and waiting for me expectantly on the other side of the door. The light inside was on, so I knew Elaina was there, too.

Finally, I opened the door. As soon as the dogs saw me, they had completely opposite reactions to the unexpected stranger who just entered the house. Heisa ran and hid behind the couch. Laika, on the other hand, flew into full-on protector mode; her teeth were bared, she was emitting a low-growl and her tail was tensely shaking. She had positioned herself between Elaina and me, holding her ground, ready to lunge and attack if needed! Elaina was kind of laughing, but also seemed nervous just because Laika was so worked-up. I was kind of freaking-out, because this was not how I expected the "joke" would progress.

Realizing the seriousness of possible outcomes, I removed the mask immediately. I didn't think that I would cause such a rise in Laika with the mask, but her initial reaction made me certain that I didn't need to continue the joke beyond the first 15 seconds. She was completely shocked when I morphed from weird lion to myself, standing with a confused look on her face, her tail drooped to a slow wag. As Heisa crept out of the bed behind the couch, Laika went in it to sit down; still with a look of disbelief. Elaina thought the whole scene was insane and noted that I was lucky Laika did not actually bite me. She also said that she knew which dog she would turn to if she was ever in trouble. All the while, Laika sat in the bed, staring at me with a blank look as I brought my bike into the house.

After about a minute, Laika made direct eye contact with me and puked next to the bed. It must've been the adrenaline wearing-off. I felt terrible about the whole incident. To make things worse, Laika was actually upset with me and sat with Elaina for the next 5 minutes or so while she calmed down. After that, she was back to her old self. I apologized to her a million times and gave her some treats and a big dinner. I was proud of her reaction to protect Elaina, but I also felt like a complete doofus for thinking it was funny to do in the first place. Luckily, Laika was always quick to forgive me, so things settled back to normal pretty quickly as she wiggled all over following me upstairs to my room.

Directly after the incident, I hid the mask in a drawer under the TV. I wanted it to be out of sight so Laika wouldn't be upset by it. A few days later, Elaina took it out to show her friend while explaining the story. Apparently, Laika started barking and growling at the mere sight of the mask. So, after that, the mask lived in the drawer. Years later, I lent it to a friend as part of their Halloween costume, but I had to smuggle it out of the house so as not to arouse Laika again.

What started out as a joke, ended with me learning a few important lessons. First, Laika was a very loyal and fearless protector. It made both Elaina and I feel even safer when we would walk her and gave me a new perspective on Laika's strength of character. Additionally, I learned that certain situations with dogs should be avoided altogether, even if they seem funny to the human participants. This was not entertaining to Heisa and, especially, Laika and I should have known better. I am just glad that she forgave me so quickly! It was good to see Laika's reaction, though, as it made me more sensitive and prepared when introducing her to new and different situations.

Modeling the weird lion mask on the day I got it.

Laika at my 30th or 31st (?) B-Day Party! (Apparently, I only have one shirt?)

Story 50: Superdog Laika Pt. 2 - Stunt Dog's Last Flight

At the park, Laika was able to be a daredevil...since there was water to break her insane dives. On land, though, she quickly learned that such antics would not fly (yes, this is a pun). In fact, her sole attempt to apply Hot Dog Dam logic to another situation that pitted her against gravity directly resulted in me finding a good pet insurance policy for her.

After the first few wild months of taking Laika and Ramona to Hot Dog Dam (see yesterday's story), Missy bought a new house that was in another area of town. The house was very nice, with a view of some community gardens, a small grassy backyard and several parking spots that seemed to be carved out of a steep-ish hill behind the house. In reality, this was actually the site of an old garage with only a few walls remaining to retain the space of the concrete parking pad On two sides they were about 8 ft, with trees and other brush growing above them on the hill.

The immediate backyard was not yet fenced-in, but it was ok because the only way out was down a narrow driveway beside the house due to fences on the adjoining properties. Ramona and Laika were able to frolic in the backyard while Missy and I stood in the driveway to contain them. (In reality, it was just to contain Laika, because Ramona was very easy-going and didn't particularly care to try to get out.) It was a good place for the pups to play and after just a few times, Laika was more focused on playing than trying escape to explore, so that was a relief.

However, as the initial excitement of going to Missy's wore off, Laika didn't have to look too far to find excitement in the backyard. Occasionally, she would see cats, squirrels and rabbits while we were outside. Sometimes she would give chase, but rarely did she venture out of the grass patch between the backdoor, the driveway and the "wild" hillside that went above the parking area. When she spied something in the trees or on the hill, she would usually just give a few proud barks of alert, stiffen her tail (and puff out the anxiety-ball at the base of it) and then take a few lunges toward the offending-animal. When Missy or I would call her, she would hesitantly listen and wag her tail happily before trying to go into mild alert-mode again.

One day, though, while Missy and I were standing in the driveway, Laika became extremely overstimulated by a brazen squirrel that ran across the grass and started up the hill. Upon seeing it, Laika flew into action. Before Missy or I could call her, she was bounding through the bushes and up the steep hill behind the "garage". She was giving such chase that plants were shaking as she passed and the sound of crunching leaves was almost deafening! Laika was fast, but the squirrel was faster and climbed a tree just out of her reach. Big Baby stopped to assess the situation about halfway up the hill, which was just above the level of the walls around the parking area. From where we stood, Laika looked a bit confused so we called her to come back down. Just then, another squirrel was making noise directly next to us. What happened next, as can be guessed, was pure insanity.

Seeing the new squirrel, Laika honed her attention on it from her high vantage point. Since a straight line is the shortest path between two points, her route was directly toward us. This would have been good, except there was an 8 ft drop to the parking pad! This didn't matter at all to Superdog. After her first few bounding strides, she achieved full liftoff and soared through the air, legs fully-extended just like she was diving at Hot Dog Dam. I remember seeing Missy's open-mouthed look of concerned terror as Laika landed on the pavement, the momentum carrying her into a barrel-roll with a bit of a skid that somehow unclasped her collar in the process. And, just like that, she was off and running after the squirrel down the driveway. I could not believe my eyes and my stomach was in my throat thinking that Laika was hurt! Immediately, I also worried that Laika would run into the street...but as luck would have it, the squirrel climbed the neighbor's fence quickly, causing Superdog to stop her chase about 10 feet away from us.

I yelled Laika's name at that point and she just kind of sat down and looked at me with a completely innocent look on her face, her tail wagging with extreme excitement. I ran to grab her, so she couldn't get away again and hugged her tightly as I inspected her for damage. The whole time, she was wiggling like a ball of energy...trying to kiss me and look for more things to chase at the same time. Missy handed me the collar, which just had a few scratches from the pavement. Ramona just sat there and looked at Laika with an amused look on her face, all the time observing and judging. Since everything was ok, Missy laughed so hard about the whole episode and gave me guff about having a complete idiot for a dog. I agreed, but thought it was really funny in hindsight, but scary overall. I mentioned that to combat these stunt dog tendencies, I would get pet insurance for Laika really soon. The whole time, Laika just stood around like nothing had happened, wagging her tail and trying to get Ramona to play with her.

In the aftermath of Laika's flight and crash-landing, several important things happened. First, a lead was installed in Missy's backyard for Laika to use, so she couldn't reach the launchpad again. It was the best thing to do to keep her safe, while also allowing her some freedom to roam around and play. Additionally, the next day, I called Petplan USA and purchased accident/emergency for my goofy stunt dog. This proved to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. From then on, Laika was covered, but her flying license was permanently revoked!

This probably stands as one of the more definitive stories of Laika-ness, as it involves excitement, danger and, luckily, no animals being harmed in its making! I am just glad that Stunt Dog's last flight was not an unfortunate ending, but a positive step in creating boundaries and, most importantly, inspiring me to take extra responsibility by purchasing insurance for Laika. If only I had a photo of Laika soaring through the air...it would make a great ad for Pet Plan!

Stunt Dog waiting to leap off of Elaina's lap!

A Letter to Laika: The 50th Day

Dear Laika,

A lot has happened over the past weekend. I've had many emotions swirling because of memories that have been flooding back to me. On Friday, your wonderful friends who took care of you with endless heart and patience gave me some more precious gifts to remind me of you: a beautifully painted clay paw-print, an ink paw print and an ink print of your nose. The amount of love that went into these small, yet very significant mementos was nothing less than overwhelming. But, I am sure that this was nothing compared to the love that you gave and received from your support team each time you went to the hospital. Everyone there misses you, yet they have not forgotten your spirit and strength of will! No one who was blessed with your company could forget either of these things that you displayed just as prominently as your wagging tail!

Yesterday, my parents and I took some from your cremated body to offer into the cool waters of the river. It was a beautiful, sunny day. Not only were there plenty of geese and ducks in the river, but there was also a very excited pup swimming among the small waves nearby, playing fetch with his guardian. Everything about this scene was peaceful and full of love. It felt right to make this the day that your bodily remains were offered back to nature for the cycle of rebirth to continue. I know how much you loved to swim and I know that now the water will take you everywhere that it flows.

I am confident that your soul has passed-on by now; that you are truly free from pain and beginning a new life. I am also trying to renew my life without your endless support and love. Physically, I know we will never be together again; to have you try to lick the sweat off of my face after I work-out or to snuggle with me on the coldest of days. However, constant reminders will live on. Now, instead of simply words and photos, your spirit and influence will continually flow through time along with the powerful currents of the river. This water is life. Even through the loss of your body, water has continued to flow. Even through our painful separation, water has continued to flow. Sometimes cloudy and sometimes clear, but always present. This is how you will stay in my heart.

I wish your soul the greatest possible rebirth. I now know for sure that our chance meeting so many years ago was designed to enrich both of our lives. While I continue on, please know that each step bears the indelible mark of love and compassion that I learned from our time caring for each other.

I love you. I miss you dearly.

Love,

Dad

Story 49: Superdog Laika Pt. 1 - Diving Championships

Yesterday's story about Laika's joy at the Hot Dog Dam dog park area reminded me of something she loved to do there aside from swimming: diving. I am not talking Olympic-style diving, though. Laika's version was, as most things she did, full of insane energy and joy.

Missy used to leave near one of the entrances to Frick Park which was far from the large dog parks, but relatively close to the gully with many trails and the dog water-park named Hot Dog Dam. This was only fenced on 3 sides and the 4th side was a very steep hill which kept the dogs more or less near the water. To a young Laika, this set-up usually meant trying to run in the woods and chase squirrels, so I approached with cautious optimism that she would be ok there. Ramona, Missy's pup, was really chill outside, so Missy would be able to help me with Laika if need be. An extra set of eyes would be good, especially since Laika's brindle coat blended pretty well with the colors of the forest!

In true Laika fashion, her first trip to Hot Dog Dam was full of testing the boundaries of everything. It might have been the first time she was able to go swimming, so she hadn't yet discovered her love of water. Instead, she ran around looking for things to chase on the hill and eventually jumped the fence to meet some other pups on the trail that ran alongside the off-leash area. Luckily, it was just because she wanted to play and not to try to tussle (which she rarely did at the park). After wrangling her back into the "fenced" area, Laika entered the water and didn't really want to come out. She discovered her love of swimming! For the rest of the time, she happily splashed with the other pups in the shallow end. It was great to see her so excited and making friends, so I planned to take her back again soon with Missy and Ramona.

On the second trip, Laika went straight into the water. There were a lot of dogs there and, since it had rained recently, the water-level was a bit deeper. Not only was this excellent for swimming, but it allowed Laika to show-off her new favorite skill: diving (well, it was more like running full-speed down the hill and leaping Superman-style into the deepest part of the water, but "diving" is the closest word I can think of). The first time she did it kind of surprised all of the humans present, since not everyone saw her do it, but everyone heard the enormous splash that she made upon contact! A few people were legitimately startled by the noise she made. Laika was so happy with herself that she jumped-out of the water and paraded around to get everyone's attention (as if she didn't have it already). Then she performed her trick again, taking a huge running start about 20 ft away from the opposite bank, which kind of made a natural diving board (as it was raised about 2 ft above the surface of the water). She then ran full speed toward the water, launching into the air and soaring toward the middle of the stream and landing with a huge splash! Her hang-time was impressive, as was the vision of all four of her legs fully-extended and her smile so wide that her tongue was hanging out, flapping in the breeze. Missy almost fell over laughing and a lot of other people found it super amusing, too. It was a perfect belly-flop that produced waves of water and joy throughout the park!

I am pretty certain that Laika could sense how entertaining her "diving" exposition was to everyone around, so she did what she loved to do with captive audiences: continue the show! Other dogs took heed to her actions and cleared the way for her to continue the performance! At one point, a dog-mom expressed a bit of concern about Laika potentially getting hurt. Missy and I both laughed and noted that this was a pretty tame act of dare-devilishness (is this a word?) for Laika and she was actually being relatively careful. (It recall the woman who asked was new to having a pup and on subsequent visits was more in tune with the controlled madness of the park.) We went back to enjoying the spectacle and sheer joy that Laika was transmitting with her dives. She must've done it about 20 times until she was actually tired and laid-down in the shallow water. It was an intense demonstration, but was pretty much par for the course for Laika. She left Hot Dog Damn a minor celebrity that day, maybe not for her skill but for her lovable, goofy insanity! (To this day, I can still see the looks of bemusement on everyone's faces who were witnesses to the display.) As usual, Laika happily wiggled her way out of the park, though this time with a tinge of exhaustion from all the fun.

On subsequent trips to Hot Dog Dam, Laika would completely enjoy both diving and swimming equally. Her excitement at "discovering" diving had subsided, but she still treated myself and others to excellent displays of being a gravity-defying Superdog each time...just not continuously like before. I am just glad that this episode of flight involved a water landing. One other time, we weren't so lucky...(to be continued tomorrow)

Figure this is an apt photo to embody the insanity of Laika's diving. Wish I had an actual photo.

Story 48: Honorary Lifeguard

Today marks the 49th day since Laika passing. I had been waiting for this day to go release some of her ashes into the river. According to my friends Nima and John, in Tibetan Buddhist beliefs, it takes 7 weeks for the consciousness to pass trough the bardo and will be reborn on the 49th day (or this is my understanding). So, since I've been employing various practices to memorialize Laika, I wanted to adopt this one for the time to mix her remains back into the cycle of nature; water being vital to all forms of life...it seemed like a very auspicious day and means of giving Laika's body back to the elements. Additionally, her passion for swimming earlier in life made this even more special. It was a very nice and peaceful time with my parents at the river's edge...there was even a dog happily swimming to fetch a floating toy. It couldn't have been better!

Despite Laika's lack of aquatic adventures in the past few years, until her cancer recurred and she had to have more treatments, she loved everything to do with water (except bathing). When I first started taking her to the park as a pup, she liked more than just the mud puddles. She also loved to frolic in the small, dammed streamed called Hot Dog Damn. It wasn't too deep, but she loved to paddle around where she could. She would be so happy, that I wouldn't be surprised if her tail wasn't also propelling her through the water! Other dogs liked to be in the water, but Laika's insane joy brought smiles to everyone who saw her doing her best impersonation of a sea lion...all the way down to the whiskers and whooping-bark!

Laika would also go swimming with friends sometimes. Elaina brought her to swim in the Allegheny River with Heisa one time. Laika loved it. I saw photos of Laika looking like the Loch Ness Monster, happily paddling amongst the waves. Luckily, she was on a long lead, or I think she might have swam away to downtown! (Today, Laika's ashes were spread near this spot she enjoyed so many years ago.) Nessy (a.k.a. Laika) also made an appearance in a photo taken at the pond near Missy's mom's house in NE PA and texted to a bandmate when we were on tour. We all laughed at the goofy look on Laika's face, her joy of the water fully on display.

The most memorable time I took her swimming was actually in Lake Erie. I had planned to go there with a friend and thought that Laika would like to visit the beach with us. Given her love of swimming and sometimes inability to listen when overstimulated, I thought it might be best to make a long lead to make sure that she did not get lost at sea. In hindsight, this was a very excellent decision. I also brought a floating frisbee and a few old tennis balls to keep Laika occupied. As it turns out, these weren't even really necessary...nature provided the entertainment!

We arrived at the beach pretty early in the day. It was slightly overcast, so there weren't many people there. Laika was pretty excited to be on the beach and she could roam pretty far because of the 20' rope that I fashioned into a lead for her. Her first order of business was to attack the waves. She ran around like a dog possessed, biting the small breaking waves to make sure they knew that she was boss. It was hilarious to watch. I tried throwing the frisbee for her to retrieve, but she could care less. Once in a while, she would chase a tennis ball into the water, but her heart was set on teaching the waves a lesson, until...lifeguard training began.

About 30 minutes into the Laika vs. Lake Erie battle, around two dozen lifeguards gathered on the semi-deserted beach for their morning swim. Laika's attention quickly shifted from the waves to the soon-to-be swimmers. As they entered the water...she couldn't contain her excitement and tried to follow them, jumping into the lake and swimming with all her might to reach them. When the lifeguards stopped about 25 yards out, some of them noticed Laika and started calling her to join them and cheering her on! I was about waist-deep to give her some more length in the lead, but she quickly reached the end of the rope. It was sad that she had to stop, but better off because she wasn't accustomed to the strength of the waves and her paddling was starting to fail. Luckily, I was able to pull her back before the services of the lifeguards were actually needed. She sat patiently on the beach watching them finish their training, wagging her tail as they emerged from the lake. Some of them congratulated Laika on her attempt as she stood proudly wiggling on the beach.

Just when I thought that Laika might be a bit tired, she found a new obsession: a pretty large dead fish floating close to the beach. She spent the better part of the next few hours trying to get to it. Even when we moved further down the beach, it somehow was able to follow us. This allowed Laika to relentlessly try to swim toward it in the surf, all the while eating the waves. Finally, she calmed down and was ready to go home. My friend was impressed with Laika's persistence, though she was never able to get to the fish (thankfully).

As soon as we got near the car, Laika peed a lot. She then fell soundly asleep in the car, but woke-up in a panic about 20 minutes later because she needed to relieve herself. Given the amount that she peed the second time, I would wager that between her swimming and wave-biting, she swallowed about half of the lake! Luckily, the tired, sandy pup was able to sleep (very soundly) through the rest of the trip without having to stop again.

It was an epic day of adventure for Laika, in which she made the most of every opportunity to enjoy the lake. She got to swim to her heart's content, try to become an honorary lifeguard and attempt to eat a dead fish. I am so glad that I was able to bring her to swim and frolic in the water before her illness progressed and she was unable to go. However, as of today, Laika has been reunited with one of her most loved pastimes as a pup. In my mind's eye, I can now see her happily swimming again in the Allegheny River. If you hear reports of a sea lion-ish pitbull haunting the river's "surf," it's just Laika swimming some laps like old times!

Laika "swimming" in her sleep.

Story 47: Mud Lounger

As noted yesterday, Laika used to love to go to the park in the truck. It was pretty much the highlight of her day to be able run with a bunch of other crazy dogs. On dry days, the pack of pups would sometimes be hard to watch through the cloud of dust produced by their stampeding. I was glad that I had the truck, because Laika would leave exhausted and completely filthy.

Most trips to the park would require a full wipe-down for Laika when we returned home. She regularly had a dusting of dirt from nose to tail, including inside her ears and sometimes on her tongue as well! On special occasions, though, Laika required an immediate bath to try to clean her up before allowing her to roam the house. If I failed to do so, there would be a trail of filth left on the carpet, the walls and sometimes even the ceiling!

We never really went to the park when it rained, because Laika didn't like getting wet...or so I thought. Plus, on rainy days, there weren't too many dogs there, if any, so driving the 15 minutes to get there wasn't worth it. Typical Pittsburgh weather usually includes rain, so most of the year is a bit damp and at points the ground can get pretty saturated. As a result, the dog park was never the most arid environment, with mud puddles most of the year.

Laika, who hated walking in the rain, was somehow magnetically attracted to mud. She may have actually been part pig, given her happiness to lounge in it. On days that the entire ground was wet, the park became a giant field of mud as the constant running of the hounds trampled most of the grass. All dogs would be filthy on those days. However, most of the time the giant park would have just a few smaller mud puddles dotting it. Without fail, Laika would find them and enjoy a bath by herself, rolling happily until she was completely covered...without a bit of her beautiful brindle coat exposed. It was as if she wanted to give herself a private spa treatment!

After running with the pack, Laika would sometimes steal a tennis ball and disappear on her own. If I would would blink, these opportunities would lead to only one place: a mud puddle. Not many other dogs enjoyed this behavior, which was good as most of the residual puddles were only built for one! I recall one time that my old neighbors took Laika to the park with their dog Rogue and I went to meet them after work. It was a dry day, so I was ready with towels to do the dust-down after the park. But...as I approached the park I saw a single dog, away from the pack and completely covered in muck. Yep, Laika was wallowing in the only mud puddle in the park by herself, completely happy and completely filthy. Upon seeing me, she was so excited that her regular wiggle produced a large cloud of mud as she ran toward me. I am pretty sure that I ended-up just as muddy as Miss Laika that day!

Luckily, this was a short-lived phase and in later years she tended to steer-clear of mud puddles. Granted, she enjoyed at least a mud-treatment per week most of the time during the Spring and Fall for the first few years I took care of her. Perhaps this was the reason that she maintained her youthful glow well into her sunset years!

An older, cleaner mud-pup lounges in her favorite place...the couch.

Story 46: Excited Passenger

With all of these trips to the local vet and the hospital, you might wonder if Laika enjoyed traveling in the car. The answer is an emphatic "yes"! Even from the time that I started taking care of her, Laika always loved to cruise around with me.

When Laika came into my life, I actually did not own a car. I had a smaller pick-up truck with a cap over the bed. It proved to be the perfect vehicle for having a young, energetic pup as a companion. Laika loved leaping in and out of the back. She was also free to move around and look in all directions. Most importantly, after trips to the park (or after she had her glands expressed), when Laika was stinky and caked in mud, she was able to lay down in an easy to clean area until she could be bathed at home. There were also small screens in the side windows that allowed her to sniff the passing odors and a sliding door between the cab and the back which she could stick her head through to try to give me kisses...and even managed to jump through into the cab a few times! (In cold weather, however, she was allowed to sit in front with me.)

As Laika learned that going in the truck mostly meant "fun time," she associated the word "truck" with it. I could simply ask her, "Laika, do you want to go in the truck?" and she would fly toward the door of the apartment (and later our house), sitting and vibrating with excitement for our coming adventure. It go to the point where if I used the word "truck" in a different context, she would respond similarly. She was very smart and always on alert! This was proof. Regardless, it made me have to spell-out the word each and every time that I used it for fear of a sleeping Laika overhearing me say the word and waking-up only to be disappointed. Yes, she did listen for keywords all the time.

Laika would also take trips with Missy and Elaina in their cars. One time she even went to Missy's mom's house about 5 hours away during the time I had to go play shows with the band I was in. Apparently, Laika was excited and well-behaved the entire time she was in the car, which was a nice change for Missy from her dog Ramona that was extremely motion sick. I think the longest trip that I ever took with Laika was about 2.5 hours and she occupied herself with watching the world pass by through the window. She was so happy to just sit and observe. Laika's trips with Elaina were shorter, but were always enjoyable for her to be together with Heisa in the car.

After I moved to the old house, I acquired a car. Laika immediately took to it, as it was previously my mom's car. With the addition of a backseat cover and a safety harness, we were ready to cruise around. Laika enjoyed happily sitting and letting the breeze blow over her face in warm weather or laying down on the backseat in a blanket when it was cold. It only took her about three car-trips to learn the association between the word "car" and the resulting excitement. Anytime she hear the word in any context, she would stop what she was doing (including sleeping) and bolt toward the backdoor with full body (nose to tail) wiggling; sometimes even howling like a fiend if I took too long to get ready. Again, I had to start spelling out the word "c-a-r" so as not to accidentally trick her into thinking it was time to go.

As Laika's health and battle with cancer took its twists and turns, she became a pro at knowing where we were going after a minute or so of being in the car. So, if we turned toward the regular vet, she would whine and fidget; aware that the trip would end at a place she didn't want to go. If we turned toward the hospital (which was a similar direction as to my parents' house), she would whine until we passed the turn-off for the highway. Then, she would relax and enjoy the views and smells. (Since my car has been without a/c for the last 4 years, windows were usually down.) Still, these possible stressful outcomes did not affect her role of excited passenger at all.

On the way home from the vet, post-treatments, Laika would be very relieved and quickly jump into the car. It was great that she loved the car so much, because it made it easier for my parents to pick her up from the hospital without help after either her radiation or chemotherapy treatments. Granted, the side-effects of her chemo sometimes made her uncomfortable, but she always got into the car on her own. It made me sad that the last day we were together, she needed help getting in and out of the car...it was always such a source of joy for her. She didn't even look out the window that last morning. It was the final indication that Laika was not feeling well at all and was no longer experiencing life free from pain and suffering as a result of her cancer.

Sometimes, I look in the rear-view mirror expecting to see her smiling face staring out the window. A few weeks after she passed-on, I saw streaks of her nose-smudges all over the back window and it broke my heart. I left them as a reminder of how much she loved the car. Additionally, I placed a small amount of her ashes in a small urn to hang on the rearview mirror, so some of her body can be in the car at all times...and in the front seat, too, where she liked to try to sit when I would pump gas or run into the hospital to check-in for her appointments. I am just glad that despite all the places Laika had to go for her surgeries and cancer, she continually enjoyed the excitement of getting in the car with me!

 Laika (left) and Heisa going places!

Up-close selfie of Laika and I waiting in the parking lot for a vet appointment.

Story 45: Tail Tales Pt. 2 - The Shortening

I'll continue with the second part of Tail Tales today, just because it seems like the right thing to do. Gotta keep the tail mojo flowin', just like Laika always used to do! If you though yesterday's installment was sad, then read no further...because this is possibly sadder, but with a happy ending.

Laika was a tail-wagging machine. She basically propelled herself through life with her powerful posterior appendage. Many a shin was punished by the harmful side-effects of her happiness! In fact, her own tail was a casualty of itself.

One day, a few years ago, upon entering the house after work, an extremely happy Laika followed me around the house...just like any other day. However, instead of spreading sheer joy as I prepared to take her out, she was spreading a splattering of blood from the tip of her tail! Initially, I thought that I had cut my finger and left a small train of blood on the bathroom door, that, unfortunately, that was not the case. Given that the trail was Laika-height, I quickly deduced its grizzly source. She didn't seem bothered by it, like usual, but upon closer inspection the tip of her precious tail had a small egg-like lump that was starting to crack! I was very alarmed and immediately tried to wrap it with gauze, only to immediately have the gauze fly off as Laika refused to silence her tail. I tried in vain to keep wrapping it, with some success (Photo 1). For the next day or so, I could tell where she had been in the house by the light mist of blood left on the walls.

Due to Laika's body's propensity for growing benign and malignant tumors, the small bleeding bump worried me greatly. Additionally, I had found another lump on the side of her belly that might be cancerous. As a result, I acted quickly and took her into the regular vet as soon as possible (which took over a week because my mom was recovering from cancer surgery at that time). Another appointment and another fine needle aspiration for our fearless pup. And...the results were inconclusive for her tail-lump and confirmed as cancer for the other one! Mast cell cancer...again! It was just not fair. Regardless, Laika was also diagnosed with "happy tail," which is apparently a real condition that caged or crated tail-waggers can suffer from in the confines of their enclosures...or dogs with extremely powerful wags can get from hitting anything and everything with the tips their tails. The bleeding combined with the bump caused the vet to recommend surgery with possible removal of the entire tail! Laika had already sacrificed enough to various surgeries, so losing her rear wagger was not an option.

As we had already avoided removal of an entire ear, I thought it best to take Laika to see our favorite surgeon. So, we next went to see the wonderful Dr. Compton who had already preformed several miracles for us. After inspecting Laika, she recommended that only part of the tail be removed to make sure that margins around the "happy" tumor were sufficient; 2" would be sufficient and not affect Laika's natural arc. The other tumor was in an area that would be able to have regular margins. I was pleased to hear this news, especially as Laika's tail was her life and, as much as possible, needed to be preserved.

The surgery in both areas was successful, but her tail looked so sad! Not only had it been shortened, but it was also shaved several inches more...exposing a thin mousy-tail with many stitches (Photos 2 & 3). It must've been numb from anesthetic, because Laika's poor tail was also hanging limp! I was told the fur would grow back, but was cautiously optimistic because of Laika's still bald back from radiation. Combined with having to wear the soft-cone, Laika looked in sad shape. However, she was in her usual happy form, wanting to eat and parade around the house.

As the day went on, Laika's tail started motoring again. How would I be able to protect it from hitting the walls? I probably wouldn't, but that was ok because the sutures were apparently as strong as Laika's wag. Her good spirits not only inspired quick healing, but also fast fur growth! Within a week or so, most of the fur was sprouting and the incision look great. Laika, meanwhile, was back on the waggin' (good or bad pun?) and, aside from wearing the Comfy Cone was, again, bright-eyed (but not yet bushy-tailed).

The follow-up visit to the surgeon confirmed that everything had gone according to plan. The margins for both tumors were good and the tail-bump was found to be completely benign! Within a month, Laika's tail looked normal with only myself being the wiser about the missing 2". To the world, she was still a special, fashionable t-shirt-wearing pup...but, luckily, with a "full" tail! I was completely relieved that Laika's pride and joy was only shortened and not totally lost. Her emotional antenna still mostly intact, she was free to continue sharing her feelings with her genuinely happy tail!

Photo 1. Homemade bandage for Laika's "happy tail."

Photo 2. Laika in profile with sad, shaved, mousy tail.

Photo 3. Close-up of shaved, mousy tail. (Very sad, indeed.)

Story 44: Tail Tales Pt. 1 - Dead Tail

Several years after the snake-dance, Laika experienced another run-in with an outdoor "friend." Although not on the same excitement level, it did affect one of her most noticeable assets: her beautiful tail! This will be the first part of our Tail Tales series...

Laika's tail was her emotional antenna. When she was happy, it was wagging to and fro at blinding speeds. When she was sad or nervous, it was carefully tucked between her legs. When she was anxious or aroused, a small ball of fur would puff-out near the base. When she was overly excited, it would curl into a quivering arc. Most of her waking life (and sometimes while sleeping), her tail in a constant wag to show her contentment.

Laika's tail was also a powerful weapon. In times of extreme happiness, the whip of her tail could cause actual pain to exposed shins as she would excitedly rub against me as I tried to walk. Laika's tail was also a musical instrument. While laying-down or parading around the house, I could eternally hear the beat of her tail on the wall, the floor or any other surface she might come in contact with. It was basically a soundtrack to her emotions as well as a homing device to know exactly where she was. Every morning, I was greeted with this drumming as a call to wake-up and serve breakfast.

One hot summer day, though, the beating stopped abruptly. I had let Laika out in the backyard and everything seemed fine, as she came back in and laid-down to sleep. However, when she woke up about half an hour later, she stood up and I noticed that her precious tail was hanging completely limp. It didn't necessarily seem to bother her, but was very unsettling to me. I pressed around toward the base of it to see if she could feel it, but she didn't respond at all. I was glad there wasn't any acute pain, but holding the lifeless tail made me very worried.

I waited an hour or so more to see if it would get better. Laika ate happily and wanted treats like usual, but the whole time her tail just hung there, dead. Her beacon of emotion was silent and I couldn't figure out why. Thoughts of her tail getting caught on something outside or injured from hitting the fence began to occupy my mind. Can a tail be strained from wagging too hard? I had no idea. In order to assuage my fears, I called the vet and was told to be there in an hour. As luck with have it, an appointment has just opened-up. Given the essential role of Laika's tail in her life, I thought it was very important to take her right away.

Laika's acute case of dead tail proved to be less mysterious than I thought. On the way to the vet, a small red mark appeared toward the base of her tail. The vet told me that this was a tell-tale sign of an insect bite or sting. It might have taken longer to surface for various reasons, but was very evident by the time we entered the exam room. She put her expert opinion in it being a bee sting. I was completely relieved that it was something so obvious and not a deeper physical ailment. Laika didn't seem bothered by the sting, but she was absolutely stoked about the attention and treats from the vet and techs. Still, there was something odd about seeing her bright, excitable eyes and goofy smile without the accompanying tail to broadcast her joy!

After some Benadryl and topical antihistamines, Laika's lovely tail made a quick recovery. This sad chapter of "dead tail" was, thankfully, short and sweet; within a few days she was back to using her posterior to share her feelings with the world!

A very young Laika shows-off her curvy tail.

 Tail captured mid-wag!

Story 43: Snake-Charmer

Long before Laika's mysterious swollen head, she was involved in another incident that very well could have been her first trip to the emergency room. In fact, this episode almost landed me in the emergency room as well. But, as usual, Laika came out unscathed in the face of near disaster and it instantly became a "classic" tale with everyone I told.

I used to love taking Laika to the dog park when she was young. Despite her leash-anxiety, she was so happy to run around like a freak with a pack of other like-minded dogs. Sometimes this meant that she would run around solo in the woods for a while, but she usually preferred chasing tennis balls or running recklessly until she was so exhausted that her tongue was touching the ground! At times, it was over-stimulating for her, but after 30 minutes, she was ready to go walk on-leash without exhibiting any anxiety. Not only did she love the dogs, but she like to beg for attention from people there as well. I remember one day Laika was so happy that she laid on the ground and let a tiny French bulldog puppy climb all over her while the owner gave her scratches!

Granted, getting to the dog park was sometimes a chore, as many people allowed their dogs to be off-leash anywhere and everywhere...which was clearly against the law. Since this would create unnecessary anxiety with Laika still on-leash, I would try to bring her to the park at times that were less busy, like weekday mornings around 10 am. Additionally, there were two neighboring dog parks in Frick Park...one was fully fenced-in and the other only on three sides with a border of woods on the fourth side. We tried to use the one that was fully fenced-in for obvious reasons, but the other one was usually more popular.

One early Fall day, we went to the park as usual. There was only one other person and their dog there. They were in the fully fenced-in park, which was great. Laika was excited to meet a new dog and they became friends quickly. The other dog was older, so didn't want to run much with Laika. It wasn't a problem, as I was able to throw a tennis ball for her and she was excited to run after it at breakneck speeds. After a short session of "fetch," without the ball being brought back (so more like throw the ball to Laika and then chase her), she wanted to just go sniff and explore the perimeter of the park. While she was doing that, the other dog's person and I started talking.

It was a pretty interesting conversation, as the lady told me that her dog had gone into anaphylactic shock several days earlier in this very park from a bee-sting. Luckily, they had gotten her pup to the vet just in time to be treated. Any longer and her lovely dog wouldn't have made it! She showed me that she was carrying and epipen from then on...just in case. I listened empathically to her cautionary tale, especially since Laika and I already had several minor accident scares. Speaking of the "canine banana peel"...over the course of the converation, I could see Laika jumping around and wagging her tail madly out of the corner of my eye. When I turned to see what she was doing,  she was "dancing" with her new friend: a very angry, hissing snake!

Yep, Laika was just greeting her new pal...a 4 ft-ish black snake coiled with teeth exposed. No big deal, right? My heart immediately sank as I watched from about 20 yards away. I started calling her name, she ignored me; happily play-bowing to the snake, which was not amused in the least. The other lady also tried calling Laika, but she ignored both of us, instead focusing on having "fun." I picked up a stick that was near me and threw it toward them, as they were very close, about 3 ft. apart. To no avail, it wasn't enough of a distraction. Laika was fixated on the snake. Suddenly, the snake uncoiled quickly, trying to strike Laika. She deftly dodged the attack with a leap and returned to her spot with her tail wagging even harder! It was unreal and extremely frightening.

While this was happening, I moved swiftly moved toward the action. We continued to call Laika. Finally, she listened...but instead of coming back to me, she laid-down on her belly happily watching the still angry snake. At this point, I was pretty close to both of them and cautiously approached Laika, so I could grab her and physically move her away from danger. The coiled serpent was staring me directly in the eyes...following my every move. I swear it had fangs, but it could have been a figment of my imagination. All I had to do was just needed to keep calm and grab Laika. Luckily, as soon as I took hold of her collar, she backed away easily and the snake stopped its hissing, relaxed immediately and continued on its way across the park.

My heart was beating out of my chest at that point, but we were both safe. The lady watching couldn't believe what had just transpired. Laika was none the wiser and I think was a little disappointed that she was not able to "play" with the snake anymore. Regardless, she got ample treats and a body rub to keep her attention away from the fleeing snake, so she was happy about that. Once the impact of the entire episode sunk-in, both humans and their pups decided it would be best to leave the park. I thanked the lady for trying to help and also for having the epipen, which I thought we might need to use if Laika had been bitten by her scaly pal!

I guess the title of this story is a bit misleading...she wasn't so much of a snake-charmer as she was an accidental snake-agitator! In hindsight, this was a harrowing and exciting tale. At the time, however, it was nothing short of terrifying. File under: Just another ho-hum day spent with Laika the wonder dog.

Baby Laika passed-out, maybe after her play date with Mr. Snake.

A Letter to Laika: 43 Days Apart

Laika,

Time keeps marching on, it seems. Nothing can stop it. Just when I thought I was getting used to being apart from you, constant reminders keep appearing. This past week, I received a very heartfelt gift from your friends and caretakers at PVSEC. It was a special book about lessons dogs have taught their guardians with personalized messages about you and all of your wonderful qualities written by Dr. Urie, Kelsey, Brianne, Erin and several other people who were greatly touched by your constant affection and courage. Every word made me cry, but also filled me with admiration for the care and love that they were able to share with you.

Their words both comforted me and reminded me of the void that was left behind when you passed from this bodily life. I now know with certainty that all of my actions, including the final decision to end your suffering, were done with compassion and respect for your well-being. Securing a pain-free existence was the goal of everyone who cared for you. You were a "cancer fighting rockstar" and I "never let you have a bad day" is what Kelsey wrote in her message. I know that this is the truth.

Being born can only result in dying, there is no other way...but leaving a legacy of inspiration and love is not something reserved for all those that have lived and died (time after time). You did all you could to ensure that you were always nothing short of amazing (in both good and bad). Not only did you enrich my life and those of so many people around me, but your willingness to be a super patient while courageously face treatment after treatment with the same wiggly excitement created opportunities for the hospital staff to learn how to better support other animals suffering your same illness.

Everyone misses your kisses and goofy enthusiasm. We are all still sharing the void created when you passed on. However, your beautiful memories and the positive effects of your spirited battle to survive will continue to live on and affect countless others.

We miss you. We love you.

Love,

Dad

Story 42: Swollen Head

With all of the talk of my pride in Laika's accomplishments and her own pride in being a Model Bully, you might think that the the title of this story has something to do with her excessive ego. However, there was a time that she actually had a real swollen head. The story is interesting and also, to this day, mysterious.

My last two roommates at the old house were huge fans of Laika. She loved them both immediately and they reciprocated by feeding her and taking her out in the evenings, especially if I had to work late or work my second job. Evan was the first of these two roommates. He was quiet, loved board games and was used to energetic pitbulls, as his parents took care of one at their home. It was a great match and from the beginning; he and Laika were fast friends.

Additionally, Laika really enjoyed being around Evan because he would regularly host board game parties with his friends and Laika got to be the star! She would be so excited to meet and greet all of this friends. Then, once everyone got settled, she could lay around under the table and get attention for the entire time that they were playing games. Occasionally, she would get bored and wander upstairs, but Laika usually like to keep her eyes on visitors, eternally waiting for any treats they might present to her. (It also probably helped that game-playing involved food-eating, as well.)

Around that time, I didn't really travel much on weekends because I was too busy. One Saturday, however, I planned to go meet a friend in Eire, PA which was about 2 hours or so north of Pittsburgh. It was kind of a blind-date, but not exactly...just going to meet a friend of a friend. Evan was having people over that night and said it would be no problem to keep an eye on Laika, feeding her and letting her out. It would be perfect, as I wouldn't be gone more than 6-7 hours. It was a relief to have such an awesome roommate to take care of my equally awesome pup.

While in Erie, I checked-in a few times with Evan and everything was ok with Laika. I had a good time with my new friend (we ate dinner with another of her friends and I drank a lot of coffee), then I left to return home around 8:30 pm...a bit later than planned, but so it goes. Around 10 pm-ish I called Evan to let him know I was going to be home at 10:30 and said that Laika's head looked a little large. I laughed at first because, well, it was funny. Then he said that it looked like she was having a mild allergic reaction and was scratching her head a bit. I asked him to give her some Atarax, instead of Benadryl, and said I would be home soon. I hauled butt to get home, hoping that the meds would help my poor baby in the meantime!

I got home in record time and upon entering the house, Laika "ran" downstairs to greet me...but her head was completely huge with her eyes almost swollen shut! Despite her puffy, red cheeks, she was smiling like usual, trying to lick me like crazy while her tail buzzed a mile-a-minute. I wanted to cry when I saw her, because she was obviously in discomfort...but I was also amazed and amused that she was not tipping-over from the size of her rose-colored, giant melon. I immediately put her in the car and we left for the emergency room. The whole way there, she was breathing a bit weirdly and rubbing her head on the car seat. I kept talking to her, to keep her focused on something other than the obvious itch. To say I was worried was a serious understatement, but I kept my cool because I had to; the whole time wondering if she had been bitten by a spider or stung by a bee when she was outside.

Luckily, it took less than 20 minutes to get to the vet because it was late at night...and when we arrived, they were, thankfully, not very busy. They admitted her right away because allergic reactions are more "serious" conditions. Again, she wiggled around like usual, miraculously counterbalancing her excited, puffy face. There was a couple waiting for their dog, so to take my mind off of things we started chatting. It turns out that they were friends with my old downstairs neighbor Bobby. This reaffirmed the commonly-held belief that Pittsburgh is a small place and you can meet friends of friends pretty much anywhere.

Mid-conversation, I was consulted by the vet and was told that Laika would be fine but just needed some IV antihistamines. Additionally, the vet said that if this were to happen again, Benadryl would be a better choice for acute allergies. It was a relief and very good to know (especially with an accident-prone, allergic hound). I asked if Laika had sustained a bite of some kind, because I couldn't find one. They said they didn't see one either, which meant that the cause was most likely something she had ingested. It was mysterious, but I didn't want to overthink it. I was just happy that Laika would be ok! I returned to my conversation with the couple, which was entertaining and light-hearted as they had also received good news about their dog. After me regaling them with several Laika tales, they were excited to meet her. She soon made her grand entrance into the waiting room and didn't disappoint! Laika emerged with a less-swollen head, bright eyes and buzzing tail, just like the pitty that I left earlier in the afternoon. The couple petted her a bit as she tried to give me a million kisses. We were both happy to be reunited!

Soon we were on our way home and she was fast asleep in the car. It was a complete relief that it was nothing serious and she woke up the next day a little groggy, but ready for breakfast like usual! I am glad that my roommate had told me when he did, because this could have very well been a more serious situation. Still, I wondered what could have possibly caused the allergic reaction. Laika wasn't necessarily one to eat unknown things outside. A few months later, she and I were at the regular vet for a check-up and I mentioned the episode. Apparently, animals that eat stinkbugs sometimes end up with acute allergic reactions like Laika...so, maybe that was the answer? I am still not sure, but it seemed plausible. As a pup, I did catch Laika trying to munch one, but I don't think she actually ate it that time. Maybe she enjoyed success during the afternoon I was away! Either way, the image of her swollen head is forever etched into my mind as something comically tragic...but with an ending of tail-wags and kisses that Laika was known for delivering.

Close-up of Laika's (unswollen) face!

Story 41: Model Bully

There is a local pitbull advocacy charity here in Pittsburgh called Hello Bully (http://www.hellobully.com) that has been around since 2005. This all-volunteer group of dog-lovers has grown a lot since the beginning and their influence on pitbull adoption and dispelling breed-specific stigmas has been awesome, especially in a previously infamous city for dog-fighting. Early on, Laika and I got a chance to "star" in a new pitbull parent information meeting to share our success story!

Following Laika's graduation from the Feisty Fidos class, she began to get a reputation around Animal Friends as not only a friendly former anxiety-case but as a pup that had put in every effort into enjoying life outside on-leash. I was so proud of her! Granted, she did have lapses when overstimulated, but don't we all? To see her before and after the course was pretty amazing! Around this time, the Hello Bully group was planning a sort of orientation session for new pitbull guardians at the Animal Friends facility. They wanted a "model bully" and parent to come to the meeting to show how positive-reinforcement training worked and how successful it could be. I was so excited and flattered that, through our trainer Lilian, they chose us as representatives!

I remember getting to the Animal Friends early on the appointed evening, because I wanted to make sure that Laika had time to exercise a bit and get more comfortable. She was going to have to stand around during the meeting, which she usually didn't like to do; so, for her sake, we took a little walk on the trails before going inside to wait. On our way in, we passed a pitbull with bleeding paws in the back of a truck that someone had found running loose and were waiting to bring into the shelter for care. Laika really wanted to meet the dog, but I got a bad feeling about it. I took her inside quickly. Not 20 seconds later, the pitbull in the truck broke loose and tried to attack another dog that was being walked outside! It was horrible to watch, but luckily the staff acted quickly and separated the two dogs before any lasting damage was done. I am not sure what happened to the pitbull, but throughout the whole episode, Laika calmly watched from inside the door. I was thankful for following my instincts to keep us both safe.

Given this shocking event, my nervousness about Laika and the orientation session evaporated. Armed with the knowledge that I wanted to share and a pocketful of treats, we were definitely more than ready to show others that hard work and understanding between guardian and pup can work wonders for even the most anxiety-plagued bullies. There were about 20-30 people in attendance and from the get-go, Laika was on her best behavior. Her personality and goofiness were on full display and she knew it! She sat and wagged her tail continuously throughout the meeting, except during the short training display with the clicker and treats and a finale for her one-trick! She was so proud of herself and I was also so proud of her, like usual. Laika's joy was contagious and she got many compliments from attendees. She was, indeed, a Model Bully!

I was then able to share a little bit of background about Laika's anxiety issues on leash and the training methods that we used. I made sure to note that her current behaviors were a result of training both of us, since a large part of her behavior was influenced by my own actions, intentions and thought habits while she was on leash. Laika calmly laid around, as I answered questions, scratched her ears and gave her treats more or less continuously for the duration. (She was in heaven!) I got some good questions about techniques, the amount of time we had invested in training and if problems still persisted. I told them that neither Laika nor I were perfect, so there were still times of anxiety, but given our understanding and familiarity with the positive-reinforcement methods we were able to resolve the episodes quickly.

Before concluding the session, I shared the most important thing that Laika had taught me up to that point: learn your companion's boundaries. Trying to push the boundaries a little bit will yield results with the right support and approach, but constantly putting an anxious dog, friend or child in a situation that is known to be overwhelming is unfair and unhelpful in changing habits. (I have applied this wisdom to myself and other relationships, too, many times since.) I noted that at first, I had envisioned taking Laika to the park to relax or to bringing her to picnics. However, she wasn't that kind of dog. At first, I thought I should be able to take her, she will learn; but given her personality, it wasn't to be. Understanding that, I said, was key to connecting with Laika and finding things that were enjoyable for both of us which did not promote anxiety, like running and visits to the off-leash dog park.

Everyone thanked us for coming and sharing our experience. Laika was so happy with the attention that she was wiggling from tail to nose. In her biggest moment yet, she proved that she was committed to controlling her anxiety and able to be challenged in new situations. I could not have been more proud of her that day. It was a good introduction to Laika's courage and strength that she would display again and again throughout her battle against cancer!

Model Bully and expert co-pilot.

Story 40: Wizard Robe

Let's being our second foray into the fashion world of Laika...

In pretty much every recent picture of Laika, she is wearing a shirt. Aside from being fashionable, there was a practical purpose to her wearing them all the time: to protect her tumor area from scratching and the elements. She honestly didn't seem to mind wearing the shirts. I think this stems from the fact that she hated being cold. From the previous story of Laika as the Blanket Monster, the conclusion can easily be drawn that she loved being warm and cozy more than anything in the world!

Laika had short hair, which was great for the summer. However, the climate here is unpredictable in the winter and it was extremely cold the first few weeks that I started taking care of her. So, from the very beginning Laika was kept toasty and warm both outside and inside the apartment (we didn't use the heat a lot, because the downstairs neighbors kept their apartment at actual tropical temperatures). At first, she wasn't too keen on wearing sweaters, because they were a bit more snug than she liked. She would usually rub her back all along the hallway wall, tumbling and rolling on the ground to try to get them off. But, she liked the cold weather even less, so she adjust very quickly to wearing them.

The real breakthrough was a "sweater" that my mom bought her, which was actually more of a hoodie. It was a fancy blue velour fleece with a hood that sported a snowflake and paw-print design on the inside and a single embroidered snowflake on it. Due to Laika's boxer-ish waistline, I used my mom's sewing machine to tailor the body of the hoodie to fit her better. Saying that Laika loved wearing this hoodie was a complete understatement. Granted, she never actual wore the hood up, but the dimensions of the hoodie were just right; a little looser than her other sweaters with a wider neck-hole which made it easier to take on and off. The fabric was also not as heavy, but seemed to insulate her really well. When I dressed her in the hoodie, Laika would parade around happily and rarely try her rubbing routine to take it off. In fact, she liked to wear it all the time.

Most times that we would return from walks on a cold day, Laika would actually sprint back to either her bed or "my" bed and curl-up among the blankets while still wearing the hoodie. If it was wet from snow, I would have to wrangle her out of bed to remove it. But, if it was still dry, I would just let her sleep cozily until she woke up. She would even like to run around the house and play while wearing it. The hoodie had become her signature apparel.

At one point, several of my friends were over and we were discussing how much Laika loved the hoodie. While talking, we were watching Laika cavort around the house like a lunatic wearing the sweater. Suddenly, she did some sort of acrobatic trick in the room that made all of us laugh. I think the connection of this and all of Laika's other special behaviors immediately made us refer to Laika as some sort of wizard because of her magic skills. And what do wizards usually wear? Clothes...but more specifically robes (at least in the depictions that I've seen). So, Laika's blue hoodie with the snowflakes was dubbed the "Wizard Robe." It was a perfect name for the perfect piece of clothing for the most imperfectly hilarious and goofy pitbull pup.

Among my friends, Laika's Wizard Robe was sort of legendary. It fit her personality so well that it seemed like it was made specifically for her. Laika happily wore her "robe" on countless snow-filled adventures and lazy mornings in bed. Magically, the hoodie never seemed to get too small for her and continued to fit really well throughout her life. It was amazing to say the least. The "robe" even went missing for a while and resurfaced in near perfect condition right before our last move. I am beginning to think that this was a one-of-a-kind Wizard Robe that was a gift of the cosmos; empowered by Laika's spirit and special abilities. I will never forget the joy Laika radiated when she would run around in the snow, cozy and warm in her magic hoodie. The Wizard Robe is still folded in my closet, but I wouldn't be surprised if I come home some snowy day to find it damp from a frolic in the snow with its eternal owner Laika the wonder-pup.

A young Laika models her magical Wizard Robe while keeping an eye on my parents neighbors.

Laika modeling the pre-tailored Wizard Robe with Elaina.