Sunday, July 27, 2014

Happy First Birthday Alaka'i

"PR" BrownStone Cascade Mt. Karuk
Karuk (Mt. Shasta, Mr. Green) is now Alaka'i - which means something fitting in Hawaiian - was whelped quite dramatically between the front and back seat of the van on the way home from the vet. Fortunately Karmin was in the back seat and able to catch him when he came flying out as Koyuk jumped to be with me in the front seat. Unfortunately we were not prepared for a whelping and there was no place to pull over, so slippery Karuk and his placenta were placed in the warming box with his sister and brothers to ride the last mile.
(If I haven't said how wonderful Karmin is, I do need to.  She is a teen girl. This was her first whelping and thus far she had caught fraternal twins while I was across the room with Wy'east and with nothing more than an: "oh, Kay Lee we have another puppy", dealt with a birth in a moving car. She stayed for all the births and came over to help with all the weigh-ins and milestone pictures. I could not have whelped this litter without her. And past about week two, would not have had the pictures).
Alaka'i (nickname Ka'i) weighed 11 oz when we got him back to the whelping box.
 By week 4 he was 4 lb 14 oz. Maybe Alaka'i means "stout and determined" in Hawaiian.
Or maybe Alaka'i means "super adorable or inquisitive" in Hawaiian. The vet was enamored.
By 8 weeks he was inquisitive, stout, adorable, and determined all wrapped up in one boy. (Can't say that for his porcupine.)
Alaka'i went to live with the most creative and fun forever family (who send me great pictures with fun captions).  His beach beach play ground wore him out daily at three months.
Alaka'i had already spent weeks camping up and down the west coast by 3 1/2 months old.
With high 5's he passed his AKC STARS test at 4 months.
 Alaka'i and porcupine at 4 months.
 At 4 1/2 months he was in his first dog show and won Best of Breed.
 At Christmas "Ka'i had heard that reindeer could fly and thought he would give it a try".
In February I received this picture with: "Beginning "Human Wrangling" A.K.A. "Obedience Class" is in the bag and got a pretty ribbon to prove it! Onwards to learning intermediate level treat appropriation methods and more cookies!"
In March Nari wrote: "I am amazed and grateful on a daily basis for how happy-go-lucky Alaka'i is. He is now wearing an e-collar to stop him from licking his skin rash (vet guesses from an environmental allergen) and though I know he is itchy, irritated, afraid, and disoriented by the cone, he seems to be making the best of it. After circling with the cone on for a few minutes, he realized people were ooh-ing and aw-ing even more. As if realizing the cone gave him extra cuteness power he started giving everyone kisses and tail wags until we walked out the door. Love this guy".
 Ka'i at 8 months.
Alaka'i at 9 months. Celebratin' 9 months of lickin', chewin', and tail waggin' with my trusty porcupine pal and lots of fresh-outta-the-oven turkey jerky! Sending love to the BrownStone Cascade family!"
In April Nari wrote: "EARmotional" I was describing the many ways Ka'i carries his ears depending on his mood. To this Justin replied "he's just ear-motional." Love it. I think this is my new favorite Chinook word".
In May Nari captioned this picture with: "Trying to feign enthusiasm for "Sit-Stay" when all he wants to do is keep running. Love his goofy, pre-drool, treat-begging grins".
This picture came titled with:  "Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope." - Maya Angelou
June found Alaka'i out socializing. "Why won't she play with me-eee-eee?!" Despite the attempted licking, play-bowing, and whining, Ka'i just can't get this cat to budge. Disappointed Doggie".
 Yup, Nari and Alaka'i have a great time.
 "Happy Tongue Out Tuesday!"

For a year summation Nari wrote: "We are still working towards earning a CGC. I'm trying to convince him that "sit-stay" is more fun that "jump-play." It's a hard sell but we're getting there. Our trainers reassure me that they see a difference with each passing class. Even after the CGC we'll continue on with obedience training. I've decided to wait on re-entering conformation workshops and shows until he is calm enough around other dogs to safely walk the ring.  He has a great personality and is a social butterfly, but that doesn't seem to translate well to conformation practice. We haven't given up though!  Should Alaka'i ever lose interest in every bug, rock, or leaf on the ground, I think he would be great at rally competition! He is smart and responds very quickly. We'd like to try a rally competition within the next year (or so). We love hiking with Alaka'i so we'll start working towards a pack dog certification as well. Other than that Best of Breed we won at the AKC 4-6 month puppy show, we have not tried entering any other shows. He has earned many titles and nicknames around our house, some of which are: Sir Sniffs-a-Lot, Crazy Ka'i, Whiny McWhinerson, Marky Mark, Hungry Hungry Hippo, and Dirty Dawg. I'm certain he thinks that "Leave It" is his name as well.
Admittedly I have become one of those people who thinks that every story about my dog is the greatest thing EVER.. If I could summarize the past year with Alaka'i in a word, it would be "compromise." One of the funnier compromises is that we no longer shut the bathroom door, but he must patiently wait at a polite distance. Haha. Instead of poking his nose into our shower while we bathe, we have him bring us a pile of his toys and we will play fetch as soon as we're done.  Alaka'i would wake us up with frantic cries at the crack of dawn and run crazy circles trying to give us a morning tongue bath.  If he is willing to wait quietly until the alarm goes off, the absolute first thing we do is give him 5 minutes of morning cuddle and belly rub time before leaving the bedroom. No exceptions. Who can complain about starting their day with puppy snuggle time!?! I can't remember what life was like before Ka'i cuddles, but it has replaced coffee (gasp!) as my morning pick-me-up. I have never had/met a dog like Alaka'i who responds to things in such a clever and sensitive way. It seems as if the more freedom we give him, the more positively he responds.  Alaka'i reminds us to be more attentive, present in the here and now, and to follow our instincts rather than trying to follow a rule book. He, like us, is just a happy goofball, often going against the tide, and we love him all the more because of it!"
 Happy Birthday you handsome, 66.7 lb, boy!