My new paddling partner, "Luca"

[Jatfomike]

Six years ago, we had to put down our beloved Black Lab Missy. She was 16 years old, had been blind in both eyes for a couple of years though one would ever know it. Her body started shutting down and it was time. Other than my daughters cat who eventually went off to college with her, Missy was the only pet in the house. We knew we wanted to get another dog, but didnt have the time to devote to properly training/raising one. Fast forward a few years and we are now empty nesters and the time seemed right. My wife and I had several discussions over it and agreed upon a mid-size dog of no particular breed, 1-3 years of age and started searching local rescues. We were not in a hurry or so I thought. Over Christmas, my daughter was home and showed us that a niece of ours in Asheville, NC had posted on Facebook that she was fostering a couple of puppies from a local rescue. They were cute. Over the next couple of days more photos appeared on Facebook as well as a plea to family members for someone to adopt these puppies. My wife and daughter conspired against me. Asheville, NC is a 15 hour round trip drive from our home, certainly there are some local rescue puppies. My wife then reminded me that we did a 15 hour round trip drive last May to pick up a canoe. So much for that argument. We do some checking and discover mom is a Great Pyrenees. Not a small or mid size dog. Males can grow to 160 pounds! I might need a bigger canoe! The wild card is dad, he is an unknown. Apparently the local vet that examined the litter thought a Blue Heeler may have been the culprit. We will never know. Basic puppy training has begun! He loves the snow, do not know about water yet, all of the local lakes and rivers are frozen over. The vet says 90% of their growth comes in the first 6 months so I should know by early Summer whether or not I need a bigger canoe.

Mike

 

[snapper]

Best of luck with your new partner. We're a year in with our rescue dog; Juneau. She was about a year old when we got her and we know that we're her third family at the very least. Not sure why she didn't work with others as she's a great companion. She is a border collie/lab/retriever mix but there's definitely some hunting dog in her as well based on her behavior on our old farm. Luckily she has transitioned well to the canoe (both our tandem and my solo) and she loves the winter. In fact, I think winter is really her favorite season due to her thick double coat. We went out xc skiing yesterday after work and she was reluctant to come back inside. She and I have been out in below zero weather and you'd think it was the middle of summer the way she acts in it. As a winter camping enthusiast (along with xc skiing & snowshoeing), it's great to have a companion who doesn't complain about the cold.

That's all for now. Take care, continued good luck with the training and until next time....be well.

snapper

 

[clemency]

Oh my. Those eyes will be hard to resist. My wife and I are in our second year of being without dogs. I don't think it will last much longer.

 

[cflcanoe]

Snapper we have a mix like yours. Just substitute Irish setter for retriever in the recipe. We also have a ABCA boarder collie. From observing these two dogs and the boarder collies first home they need room to run, time to be with you, and a purpose. Leave them alone all the time inside and bad things happen. The border collie likes to sit facing me in the canoe. Watching for my moves. He tries to keep the canoe completely stable by shifting his weight.

These two will most likely be our last dogs. So we are enjoying them as much as we can. Life is less with out a dog. Has Luca been able to sniff and walk around the canoe?

 

[gumpus]

As they said in the movie Jaws, you're definitely going to need a bigger boat!

Just fyi you can get Luca DNA tested if you are curious. My wife got Zoey free at the longest yard sale in Kentucky. Turns out her father was pure blue tick coonhound and her mom was half Terrier and half Lab. The DNA test tells you the last three generations.

 

[Bob B.]

What

 

[Bob B.]

Oh my, it appears my post above disappeared. I intended to say that is such a beautiful pup! I am an avid solo tripper, however my trips are so much more meaningful when I experience the back country with my dog Jake. After spending so much time together, he just gets me and I believe that is what makes him such a great partner. I hope you do everything with Luca, from walks, ice-cream in the back of your truck, training, wilderness travel ... everything.

Dogs have a way of getting deep into one's soul ... with eyes like Luca's I bet he is already there. Enjoy your training and travels with your new pup - the more time you spend together the better dog he will be. Good on ya!! I hope to read future trip reports about your adventures together.

Bob.

 

[Odyssey]

Yeah, those eyes are probably a dog's best defence. Melts my heart every time.
Our eldest son has a young pup, less than a year old; she looks exactly like yours Mike. We think she has stopped growing now, but whew!, had us wondering for awhile just how big she was gonna get. It's always funny when they hit that growth spurt and that clumsy stage. Tail wagging knocking stuff off tables, awkwardly bumping into things as they wander through the house, trailing water from their dog dish all across the floor...at the Christmas dinner table I was stupid happy but feeling just a little "crowded" when the two family dogs put aside their differences to walk up to me and sit by my side, and just looked up at me with those eyes.
Oh jeeze. I never stood a chance.
Our son was told by the Humane Society his pup is a Black Lab x German Shepherd. Coat colour and body build fits that, although she is a bit small for her parentage. Without tests or proven first hand knowledge who can tell what she is. But she's loved. That's all that matters to us. Mike, have fun puppy training. Canoe shopping. And allround everything good that comes with having a dog in your life.

 

[sailsman63]

He looks like he'll be an awesome companion... He's already got the 'sad eyes' technique down, though! Watch out!

 

[Pringles]

What a beautiful dog!

 

[Jatfomike]

Thanks everyone for the positive comments. The boats are all racked in the garage so Luca hasnt had a chance to play in one yet. Soon. We had a warm snap over the weekend and the rivers started opening up. It will be a while for the lakes. Luca did find a couple of big puddles and enjoyed playing in them so I will take that as a good sign.

Mike

 

[Pringles]

We need more Luca pictures.

 

[Robin]

I love dog stories. Your wife sounds like my wife, "you'll drive 15 hours for a canoe" haha, they never forget God Bless Them.