Sunday morning

[ksmith]

Just returned from the morning Gaby walk. I could tell she’d had enough because as soon as she got inside the house, she sprawled on the cool hardwood. It’s not particularly warm yet, thanks to movement of air from over the lake, but it is humid and the sun is a June sun. If one is wearing a black jacket, said jacket is soon removed and tied about the waist.

Saw a couple of deer. It’s funny to watch Gaby as she becomes aware that Something is out there. The parkland grasses are high enough now that she can’t see overtop them, so she doesn’t catch movement right away. But she hears something, so she will stop and perk and listen. Then, if the air movement is right, she will catch a scent in the air–then she will pace, stand up on her hind legs to look over the grass. Then it’s nose to the ground and sniff sniff sniff.

If she actually catches sight of whatever, she will often try to take off after it. At these times, I am glad that I have her in a harness attached to King’s old 120-lb limit extend-a-lead. I also realize why 35-40 pound huskies** are capable of pulling sleds across vast icy wastelands. Little suckers got pull.

**according to DNA testing performed back in ’08, Gaby is part husky. Some vets scoff at the results, but others see it in her tail, coat, and certain behaviors.

Mirrored from Kristine Smith.

Comments

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

Every non-purebred dog in Alaska has husky in it, so for a moment there I was like "duh, of course she's part hus...oh, wait, maybe it doesn't work that way in other places..." :)

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

IIRC, the reason one vet scoffed at the results was because all dogs are descended from wolves, huskies are the closest genetically, and so because the same markers will turn up in most every dog's reading, those markers will be associated with "Husky".

But folks see Gaby's tail, her coat, her love of cold weather, and her behaviors--vocal, prey drive, big whiny baby when coming out of anesthesia--and think, yeah, husky is possible. Given where she was found, though, I honestly don't know how likely it is. Pit bull, yes. But I don't see many huskies around here.

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

ah, well, that makes sense. OTOH, again, being from where I am...if a dog looks like it's got wolf in it, it's usually not because it's part husky... :)