Can't believe I almost missed National Pet Day! If you've followed me for any length of time you've probably noticed a pair of huskies that make a frequent appearance in my posts. That's because, of course, these are my boys! Freki & Floki. And while their handsome mugs constantly pop up, I rarely share much about them. So let me share a little bit about the dogs that keep me inspired and on my toes.
Floki joined our family in the Fall of 2018 (I think). Perhaps my most well-behaved and calmly dis-positioned husky in a long line of ornery Nordic companions. Floki was 10 months old when he found himself lost and alone on the mean streets of Englewood. Picked up by animal control and without any identification he did a brief stint in the Humane Society of the South Platte Valley. Perhaps he was scared straight? Because after he came home with us he was a remarkably well mannered pup. Given his wandering nature, and the beautiful black mask he had at the time, we named him for a famed Viking explorer, and also one of our favorite characters on the tv show Vikings.
Though his first week was more of a workout than we'd been expecting. For reasons known only to him, Floki was terrified of stairs. I mean, throw yourself on the ground and quiver terrified. Given that we lived in a 3rd floor walk up, that presented a bit of a challenge. The first day we just carried him. The next we tried treats and coaxing, and our senior dog even paced up and down the stairs to show him how it was done. With a bit of patience and a lot of encouragement he eventually found his feet, but it was one of my more interesting dog-mom experiences.
Floki always amazes me at how cooperative he is with photos. As long as I've been a photographer, my own dogs have always been the most difficult to photograph. They quickly learn and lose interest in all my wonderful tricks & noises. But Floki seems to be almost endlessly photogenic. Which is absolutely fantastic when I need to try out new things. I think this can probably be chalked up to his unexpected breeding. From puppy-hood he never seemed quite husky. He's got a longer back than hunches when he sits, like a German Shepherd. And he's just too eager to be a good boy and do what's asked. So just last year curiosity overcame me and a doggy DNA test was ordered. I was not overly surprised to find out he was only about 74% Nordic breeds, with a little Border Collie, White Swiss Shepherd and German Shepherd making up the other 25%, and some Newfoundland for good measure, though he hates the water, so I'm not sure about that one.
Early in 2021, I felt the need to add a little variety to our life and unintentionally adopted a Tasmanian Devil. Tiny Freki came to us by way of H2M2 husky rescue & transport. He was just 8 weeks old, boney and full of worms after having been born in a Texas shelter. We knew we wanted to stay with our Nordic trend and came up with a list of names while we awaited his arrival. When the day came and a good friend drove in relay to get this little munchkin I felt like a kid at Christmas. It'd been almost 2 decades since I'd brought home a puppy. So I wasn't entirely prepared for the chaos that would reign down. As the hungry little guy devoured his first meal so quickly that he choked and needed assistance. My husband brought up the name Freki, which translates to "Ravenous One" and is also the name of one of Odin's two pet wolves. While there is still great debate of how it's actually pronounced and I'll admit I change my own inflection from time to time, it seemed to suit him well. As he not only devours every meal like it might be his last despite receiving 3 times the food of his adult brother, but many many other items in our home, including two tv remotes, my cell phone, 4 doggy pools, every potted plant in the yard, pots included, every toy Floki ever had, and part of a wall.
Though somehow, just when I'm at my wits end and "this is why we can't have nice things" has been said for the millionth time, he is somehow also the most adorable, loving puppy in the world. He does this thing that reminds me of a toddler where he'll grab the sleeve or edge of your shirt and pull it gently for attention. Or more recently he's taken to full-force snuggles when I sit down in my favorite overstuffed chair after a long day. Which is basically him throwing his entire body weight on top of me and then wiggling from nose to tail until I wrap my arms around him and hold him.
In case you were curious, we also had his Wisdom Panel done, and he's a grande mutt supreme! A total of 13 breeds make up our wild child. Ranging from the expected husky & shepherd to Dalmatian, Mexican Street Dog, and African Mastiff (Borbol). I can see traits of many of these dogs in his unique personality. I don't know that I've had a dog try me quite like this little 85 pounder does. And yet, come Hell or high water, he is an indelible part of our family.
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