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hibben.org
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The Dogs
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We love the dogs! Their lives are intertwined with ours ... we travel together, we eat together, we play together.
Buddy joined us on 31 December 1999, the same day my father died ... we believe he was sent to us by my father
to help me get through the difficult time adjusting to life "as an orphan." Buddy has lived up to his task.
He was given the name my dad had as a child. Since his death on 3 January 2011, we have felt an empty place in our lives,
but knowing that he is no longer in pain (he had colon cancer) gives us a sense of peace.
Klondike joined
us on 27 July 2008 (he was born 1 June 2008). He is still acts like a puppy and clearly misses his "big brother," trying
to follow the example of the "big red dog." Rogue (official name: Del Mar's Rogue) joined us on 18 December 2010. She was born on my birthday, 25 May, in 2006 so has already had a busy life. Did I say busy? She gave birth to 13 puppies, 5 of which went on to become champions, and she herself was a show dog, specializing
in agility training. But she is retired now and content to live a peaceful life with her new family. She is much calmer than
Klondike and loves cuddling the best. (And, contrary to early reports on the first link provided here, Rogue loves to ride
in the camper and no longer drools - she just curls up with Klondike and they sleep the trip away.) Lorena (Rain)
came into the family on 27 March 2012. We celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary the day before and it actually took
a couple of days to complete the adoption process as she had to have her "surgery" before the animal shelter would
release her to us. She is a rescue dog from the Inland Valley Animal Shelter in Pomona, CA. Butch found her accidentally while
surfing the web from one link to the next . . . all of a sudden he found himself face-to-picture of her, with an adoption
availability date of the next day. All our household plans changed in that instant. We went to meet her, fell immediately
in love, and were first in line (before the shelter even opened) to sign the papers. Her personality blends well with the
Klees (both came with us on adoption day so we could see if it was a "match" - it was). Rain (so named by the shelter)
has a lot of Buddy's personality and quickly learned to "high five." Unlike Buddy, she is more open to strangers.
She loves to run and cuddle. The three dogs thunder through the house like a mini-wolf pack.
| 2 January 2011 |
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| Butch is holding Rogue, Jean is holding Klondike |
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IN MEMORY
Buddy the BlunderDog!
The delinquent of his obedience class, Buddy had a lot to learn about proper behavior, but, when he wanted, he did a
decent "sit," "stay," and "high five." What more could we ask? He loved people food, though
it was never allowed when we'd travel as his stomach had clearly defined limits. In his later years, Buddy was very affectionate
and thought that the more people he befriended, the greater the number of pets he would receive. Lying on the floor being
petted by the hands of 3 of our granddaughters put him into complete nirvana. Buddy was part Chow and part Coyote.
Since he adopted us, walking onto our property of his own accord, we could never figure out if there are other dog types mixed
in, but he was a Spitz-type dog with many of the Spitz characteristics, including strong paws that would grab whatever he
felt should be his (kongs filled with peanut butter were always a favorite).
When cancer took over his body, he
continued to focus on pleasing his people. It was hard to believe he was in pain when he would run out to greet one of us,
but then, when no one was looking, he'd limp back to his favorite sleeping place by our bed. We decided he had had enough
when he could no longer manage the stairs without help and was clearly unable to enjoy his life. He never lost control of
his biological functions (he would have been so embarrassed) and up until the very last he was our precious, fluffy baby.
He is much missed, and by many.
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Klondike, the super Klee
Klondike is an Alaskan Klee Kai - aka, miniature husky (also of the "Spitz" family - see link below).
We sought him out by looking for a dog that had the same personality as Buddy, but in a small size (he probably will not be
more than 20 pounds at his adult weight). He is still young, so we aren't sure about all his characteristics, but
he won our hearts at first meeting, so we are hopeful that he will grow into the predictions: loyal to "his people,"
a good watchdog (but poor guard dog), likes children, intelligent, and quick (to learn and to escape). He doesn't
bark as much as he "talks." To learn more about Alaskan Klee Kais, go to http://www.alaskankleekai.com/spurlin/index.htm. So far, Klondike has gone through "puppy class" and graduated at the top (OK, only one dog showed up
for graduation, but he went through the "tunnel" - with a little bribery from Butch & the treats that were laid
out) and was given a "good down" (command) on his diploma. He has learned "sit" and "down"
very well and is working on "leave it" and "stay." I think it will be a lengthy training.
He has grown quite a bit since these photos were taken (he weighs about 8 pounds now). His fur is taking on a darker
hue and we will post more recent pictures as soon as he sits still long enough and we have a camera on hand at the same time
(these are more difficult to orchestrate than one might think).
More info & photos of Rogue to come. Meanwhile, here are some family shots
of Buddy and Klondike:
"Do they get along," you ask? Well, check for yourself:
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