January 2024 – Golden Kali

Kloe could have never hung out with the Seven Dwarfs. Mainly because of Sneezy.

Sneezy is one of the seven dwarfs in Disney’s 1937 animated feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. As a result of severe hay fever or cold seasons, Sneezy is prone to eruptive, unpredictable, and uncontrollable bouts of sneezing, hence his name.
From the Fandom Disney Wiki, https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_Disney_Wiki

Eruptive, unpredictable, and uncontrollable bouts of sneezing do not go over very well with Kloe! When Kloe hears a sneeze she will stop whatever she’s doing, or isn’t doing as the case may be, and run to my side and lean her entire 80 pound body into me all the while staring with her beautiful chestnut colored eyes into mine. But honestly, after 8 years I am still not 100 percent certain if she is there to save me or for me to protect her.

When Kloe was a puppy there was a time when we used a “Pet Protector” to discourage certain behaviors. You know, like not cleaning her room, skipping out on her chores around the house, and not getting homework done on time. Just (obviously) kidding… Unwanted behaviors like jumping up on visitors, digging where she shouldn’t be, etc. The Pet Corrector lets out a loud hissing sound from compressed air in a can. It always got Kloe’s attention and she would immediately cease the unwanted behavior and come running to Holly’s or my side with fear in her eyes. Although the Pet Corrector stopped the unwanted behavior it also scared the poop (not literally) out of Kloe so we didn’t use it very long. I want my pups to behave but not out of fear for their lives!

A sneeze sounds a lot like the Pet Corrector. So for the longest time we thought Kloe was having Pet Corrector flashbacks whenever someone sneezed.

Kloe is a highly sensitive dog. She senses when people are sad or not feeling well. At those times she will go to that person, lean her body into them, and gaze at them with loving, caring, and her aforementioned beautiful chestnut colored eyes.”Feel better, get better”, she seems to plead. We began thinking that Kloe interpreted the sneeze as a sign of illness or distress for the “sneezer” and took it upon herself to care for that person.

But that theory didn’t last very long. We soon realized that if Holly sneezed Kloe would come running to me. Holly would say, “Thanks Kloe; I’m the one in distress but you’re worried about Dad?!” So more recently we are back to thinking that sneezes just scare Kloe whether because of the Pet Corrector days or just because she’s a sissy wimp. 🙂

So these days whenever one of us sneezes we’ll say “sorry Kloe” as she comes running to our side. I even go so far as to run into another room when I feel a sneeze coming on so Kloe won’t hear it. The things we do for our pups, right? Our friends have even become acutely aware that if they sneeze Kloe will react. They too will say, “Sorry Kloe”.

But here is the kicker. Kloe understands the word “sneeze”. If I feel a sneeze coming on – and don’t think I can make it to another room or closet to sneeze – I’ll say, “Sorry Kloe, I think I am going to sneeze.” Kloe will immediately come to my side as if I had already sneezed.

Moral of the story: If you are within earshot of Kloe, avoid Eruptive, unpredictable, and uncontrollable bouts of sneezing at all costs !

New Years Day. A clean slate. A countdown to the next one in 365 days (or 366 as the case in 2024 which is a Leap Year). For the past two years, January 1st marks another year passed since my precious Golden Kali crossed the bridge.

But it’s not a sad day. Although I miss Kali desperately I don’t mourn her passing. I suppose that’s because we had many healthy and happy years together. And, in the end she passed on our collective terms with dignity, grace and in the comfort of our home, The Golden K, which was named for her.

This is the second New Years day without Kali. After two years I feel no less connected to Kali than the day I held her head in my lap as she passed. It’s comforting to me knowing that although she is no longer in the flesh she continues to live vividly in my heart. I can still smell her. I can still feel her soft coat and hear her gentle breathing as she slept by my side and on my feet. In my minds eye I can see the subtle nuance of her gentle personality as she moved about her day which was mostly by my side. I feel her with me now.

There is not a day that I don’t think about Kali. She still “visits” me in my dreams where we hug as we did so often in flesh and blood. In so many ways it’s still just me and Kali. A guy and his dog walking the trail, taking in the early morning sites and smells, sitting and looking off into the distance at nothing in particular. And of course Kali prancing as I prepared her meals.