Macey

I know, I know...we're like a doggie motel. At least that's what our neighbor's tease us about when they chuckle at how many dogs we've had in such a short amount of time...

A week ago, I got a call from Wildman, who was at work. He said that two dogs had been abandoned in the parking lot at Macey’s, and how about I come look at them? He knew I had just returned Chani a couple of days previously, and decided that it’s not the right time or place for us to have a dog. I was a bit speechless that he was suggesting I come look at the dogs. I decided to go, but brought all the animal control and rescue shelter phone numbers for Wildman. I got there and walked up to the entrance, where I saw two beautiful huskies, calmly lying there watching everyone walk in and out of the store. I found Wildman and he introduced me to them, and told me the brief story about how they were abandoned at the store. He asked if I wanted to take one or both home. He said he actually felt good about these dogs, and he was willing to give it a try. Because I trust my husband’s intuition/inspiration, I agreed to take one of them. I liked the lighter colored dog and said so. Wildman said he was drawn to the other one, the darker one. Because he was actually expressing his opinion, I followed that, and agreed to take the darker one. Her coat was full of burrs, and looked quite neglected. As I walked her to the car, I saw for the first time how tall /big she was. This was NOT a little border collie. One of Wildman’s employees took the other dog home. Wildman named her Macey.

It has now been a week we have had her. She doesn’t bark, especially not at Lee. She is great with the kids, and she stays close to home, so doesn’t need to be tied up. I took her to the vet, and she is about one year old, and “probably all husky”, though she could be a mix between an Alaskan Malamute and Siberian Husky (or something else).There is a category of dogs called “Alaskan Husky” which is not a breed, but a term used for any working dog (pulling/sledding) of Northern heritage. So, we’ll say that she is an Alaskan Husky, though some people have thought she looks part german shepherd, or even part australian shepherd.

Her personality is so different from any dog/ breed I’ve known. She is friendly and loves company and companionship, but isn’t interested in constant interaction and affection, though the longer we have her, the more she seems to enjoy it. She is quite independent. She has had very little if any training, yet seems to have a healthy dose of common sense and “street smarts”. She responds to body language much better than verbal commands, so different from the border collies I’ve been around that rely on verbal commands and learn them so quickly. She learns commands at a slower pace, yet is very steady, and prefers to watch instead of listen. No, she’s not deaf, though that crossed my mind briefly in the beginning.. She has been very shy around adults, but not kids. She is definitely warming up to us and learning to trust us. She is such a sweetheart, and so gentle with people. She is SO soft. She is like a big teddy bear. Her fur is as soft as a fluffy cat. Lee loves her! Where Chani chased him around and growled and barked at him, Macey follows him and just quietly hangs out with him. He is excited to get a dog harness and have her pull the kids around in a sled this winter! Wahoo! She is so funny. Her mannerisms are very like a wolf-pup, and she will practice her “skills” by silently stalking and pouncing on Ringo. He has to keep alert. They play and play and play, she adores Ringo and he is so patient with her. She has tried hunting the “caribou” (cows) out in the field, but they don’t run, they just stare at her. So she goes back to “hunting” Ringo. Their play can look quite rough, yet both dogs are having a blast. She is also a water dog. She loves to go splashing through the pond or river. She is never cold, which is good, because she is an outside dog, and we live in the freaking arctic.

So, in a way, she found/was led to us. We all love her and have so much fun with her. I’m excited to see how she handles meeting the horses and going on a horse ride…