Kuuhaukun Tähtisumua

2003-2012

It's been some time since our dear and beloved Valo died of cancer. Dogs bring great joy and deep sorrow but I still wasn't ready for this. When Valo got sick we tried everything to find out what was wrong. We took dozens of urine and blood tests and spent two whole days at the vet - everything was normal. Two veterinarians were working on his case and I contacted many more. We took x-rays of him twice - hips, back and intestines were all fine. We sent many different samples to lab (thyroids, Cushing's syndrome, fine-needle aspiration etc.) and never found anything that was wrong. We took ultrasounds and electrocardiography, nothing abnormal was found. Valo was also on a diet if he had problems with liver or kidneys.

All this time Valo was happy and cheery. We took walks in the forest and let him stay free on our yard so he could do what he pleased. Valo was very happy of his new diet and always ate with good appetite. He never showed any pain and never lost weight. For two last weeks I slept on the floor so Valo could sleep next to me and I could always see and hear him if things got worse. I could not stand it if I didn't notice something or if Valo had any pain. He slept sound and was always the happy Valo he had always been. I had contacted specialists and we were going to do more tests in Aisti that week, tests like MRI because the neurological problems were the only thing we hadn't tested yet.

Just few days before I was out with Valo and we saw a meteor that burned red for a while. It reminded me of the old Chukchi tale of the dog team that rides across the sky. Valo passed away at home with his family around him. Just a moment and he was gone. Our veterinarian and nurses helped us with things concerning the autopsy. Sero and Odessa said their goodbyes and I know they had known about Valo's disease for a long time. I didn't feel relieved I just wanted my dear Valo back.

Valo gave us a lot of extra time. He stayed brave and strong and I didn't have to deside over his life. Not until the autopsy we knew what was wrong. He had malignant tumours (not neurological) and lymphoma - there was nothing we could have done to save him. We were said that he was exceptionally strong to live so long and without pain. And I know how brave and sweet he was.

Other dogs have been doing well. I don't know what I would have done if Sero had passed before Valo because Valo loved his "big brother" so much. Odessa has shown some strange behaviour though. When it's starry sky or moon is bright she sits on her chair by the window and looks outside. I woke up one night it was after 5AM. I joined Odessa and looked out the beautiful starry sky. She swept her tail and I saw a shooting star. We will always love and remember our Stardust.

There are so many people who met and loved Valo and I thought I owe to tell about this. This tore my heart but it's only a small part of what Valo was and still is for me. I have a "theme song" for each of my dogs. I don't know why and how they are chosen but this is Valo's song.
  

Blue Foundation - Bonfires

This is what I give
A circle is complete
Another circle spins
There’s life within
Within

西伯利亞雪橇犬

Here is my new pack member imported straight from Chongqing, China. I'm glad he wasn't too big and fitted well in the airplane :D. His name is Valdemar and he needs his sweater because it's sooo cold here in Finland. Wo xi huan gou! (I hope my Chinese teacher won't see that last comment).

1 week

So I'm having a vacation for a one week before work. Actually I'm still in school for a month and I've got many things to do but I'm staying away from the city for this one week. I'm also doing our Siberian Husky Club's magazine which should be printed soon and I should update our web pages and.... Oh, if you haven't noticed yet the SHCA have completed some illustrations of Lorna and Leonhard! 

We wrote about this project a year ago in our club magazine so this is not new information for anybody! The completed illustrations doesn't look too bad because I was expecting much worse and I knew they would differ from the old illustrations which is a shame. I was hoping they would look at the old photos from the 30's and 40's (or they should not be called Leonhard and Lorna) and make the illustrations based on them. Luckily the illustration of a moving Siberian is not the awful ”show movement” which is seen in the show ring way too often. My main concern is that the male looks too feminine which already is a fault seen often in the show ring.

There are many faults in the ”Leonhard” profile. This dog has the ”hanging chest”, the deepest point of the chest should be level with elbows... Very common fault with show winners. He also has too short and upright upper arm and he is too long in body. It's good that the hindquarters aren't exaggerated but they could be much better so I'm not even starting with that! I know how hard it is to make an illustration even when you know how all different parts should be but when you try to put them together... Well that's why I just used pictures of my own dogs when I was making illustrations for my pages. Link to already completed SHCA illustrations: http://illustratedstandard.com/shcacomp.htm

I've got so many things to write about but not the time for it. So here are few pictures for you!

Here is the team after a run. There were 10 dogs pulling the truck (oh, and the trailer for 12 dogs) and YES they can pull it without help and it's not animal cruelty, these dogs are working sled dogs under strict supervision. I guess we had 14 different dogs but BABY Sepe was way too young for pulling ;)

Almost 11 years old Sero wasn't the oldest one in the team. Here running in the wheel with his daughter Odessa and winking at the girls: How You Doin? This was first time for them both to run in front of a truck (and not seeing me :') ) and they did just awesome.

Lovely boy, I didn't even think of stealing him... This BABY HUSKY was supervising the team inside the truck... And being all cute.

I love this photo. Here is Joiku in his kennel and Henna outside roaming on her own. Henna is Joiku's 16 years old grandmother, both from Troika kennels.