The Wild Child Turns Six

June 2, 2024

Koda. Fittingly named The Wild Child several years ago by a dear friend who has had many many Goldens in her life. The nick name has been spot on!

When you Google the word tenacity you get pictures of Koda. When you say, “Hey Koda, you wanna fight?” she’s already in your face bellowing her trademark “Roo, Roo, Roo”. Koda is a tough cookie who doesn’t back down.

Koda joined our pack in September of 2018 as a four month-old puppy. She weighed 22 pounds. but, as I learned, in her mind she was much bigger. It only took her a couple of hours to figure out she could boss Kloe around. Kloe, two years old and around 80 pounds at the time at first went easy on Koda. She recognized her size advantage and instinctively knew not to go at full strength. While an indifferent Kali sauntered off to sleep in the sun, Kloe and Koda began to get acquainted. There were puppy poses all around and then they were off to the races playing chase. Koda’s confidence ~~grew~~ was immediately evident and enthusiastic wrestling ensued. Kloe continued to acquiesce to the size differential. But when the little whipper snapper refused to back down – as most puppies with a 60 pound disadvantage would do – Kloe decided it was time to school her new baby sister. Boom – take down for Kloe! Koda went rolling over a few times from the take down. That should do it, right? Nope. “Nice try Kloe”, Koda seemed to say as she got off her back. She shook off the dust and immediately initiated more rough play. And so it went for the day and weeks to follow. And to a large degree still does albeit at a much more reasonable level.

To say that time has flown is a trite and overused term to express surprise at the passing of so much time. So instead I will say that the earth must be spinning faster. How could our little puppy Wild Child be turning six? I would love to say that over these past six years the “wild and child” have evolved into “calm and mature”. [The author shakes his head and mouths the word “Nope!”] OK well maybe a little bit…

Over the years Koda has matured and ~~follows~~ understands the rules and what is expected. But she is the stereotypical third child:

Child #1 (Kali): I follow the rules
Child #2 (Kloe): I’m the reason for the rules
Child #3 (Koda): The rules don’t apply to me

The Good and not so good of Koda:

The not so good; the sneaky thief: A few weeks after joining the pack Koda stole half of a hamburger bun off my plate when we were prepping dinner. I realized it was missing as she was circling the table planning another sneak attach. But wait it gets better. A week or two later I enter the kitchen to see Koda on top of the table foraging for non-existent food! Wow! Probably looking for the other half of the bun…
The very good; loyal to all ends: Koda was around two when Holly and I went out for a few hours. As was the routine when we left during the day the girls – Kali, Kloe, and Koda – were left out on the deck with access to a big chain link fenced area of the property we call “the pen”. When we arrived back home Kloe greets us and and Koda comes running up from the pen barking emphatically and looking back at the pen. She insists we follow her to the pen. When we get there we see Kali stuck in a hole unable to get up due to her bad legs. Although I can’t say for sure I am convinced that Koda stayed by Kali’s side until she heard us pull up and came a running to tell us Kali needed help.

Although Kloe is the pack protector Koda is Kloe’s wingman always providing back up. Even if she doesn’t know what Kloe is barking at or running towards Koda is by her side ready to rumble. I am convinced, and I hope I never have to find out, that if Kloe was physically threatened by another animal Koda would step in front and be the first to fight.

Now at six, most of the tenacious and challenging qualities in Koda still exist but they are tempered. To be fair she has matured. She is a good girl, and if I’m honest, I’m glad she remains a wild child and still has the spirit and energy of a puppy under many circumstances. I’m glad because those qualities make Koda who she is. I used to hope she would change. Once I realized I needed to change and adapt she and I grew much closer. Another lesson learned from one of the four legged pack members!

So, happy sixth birthday to this crazy, loyal, and dedicated wild child Red Girl of mine.

Kloe greeting the Wild Child Koda for the first timer.

The Wild Child all grown up

Sorry Kloe!

January 7, 2024

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 !

The Sigh….

October 23, 2023

At night Kloe and Koda sleep on their mats next to our bed. Kloe usually on Holly’s side and Koda on mine. In the middle of the night, if I’m awake, I listen to their breathing. It’s peaceful and calming to me to hear my girls breathing in cadence as they lay sleeping peacefully and oblivious to any worries or stress.

Even better is “The Sigh”.

Often times, in the dark of night, I will hear Koda stand up and conduct a routine that her species has done for thousands of years: nesting!

From Google in reference to a dogs behavior as they prepare to nest: Dogs in the wild slept on grass, leaves, and various other natural substrates. In order to create a comfortable bed, dogs would scratch and trample down the area with their feet and paws, flattening spiky vegetation and removing rocks and sticks, to create a comfortable bed. This is called nesting, and it likely wasn’t only about comfort.

And that describes Koda: scratching her mat with her paws, sometimes for as long as 15 or 20 seconds. She then circles a few times, and lies down. As she lies down, there is a long and audible sigh. She is quickly fast asleep and her world, and mine in that moment, are peaceful and calm.

Bedtime Preparation

August 27, 2023

Being creatures of habit The Red Girls and I have many rituals and routines. Morning, mid-day, dinner time and bedtime. There are steps, dialogue and processes carried out in much the same way each time. One of those is bedtime preparation.

Bedtime preparation includes letting the girls outside to pee. There is more to this than just the action of peeing… Kloe is usually first out. As soon as she hears the door open she’s on her feet heading out for her nightly patrol of the property in order to”secure the perimeter”. Kloe is the protector of the Golden K and Koda, Holly, and I are lucky enough to be part of her pack. Some nights I have to go back out and look for her usually finding her perched high on the deck performing sentry duties. She’ll reluctantly follow me back in even though she’d prefer to stay on duty.

Koda usually needs some “encouragement” to go out. Typically she’s fast asleep with no interest in peeing or doing anything other than to stay where’s she’s at to slumber the night away. I call to her, “C’mon Koda, get busy!” Get busy is our term for “go pee”. “Come on, Koda. Time for bed. Get up. Go out and get busy”. Usually nothing changes. I try another tact, “Your sissy is outside patrolling. She may need some back up if she finds any intruders”. Koda asleep with thought bubble over her head: “Zzzzzz”. I walk to her and nudge her with my foot. She immediately rolls on her back in a prone position with all legs in the air. I stick my foot under her back; she pretends not to notice. Finally, she will pop up and comply. I’m not a fan of this part of the bedtime prep! And Koda is probably not either.

The girls eventually arrive back at one of the doors and ask to come in (unless I have to go get Kloe). They then retire to their mats set out next to our bed, or if hot, a cool spot on the laminate floor.

As they come in, and in an effort to discourage any lallygagging, I proclaim, “First come first serve. Sometimes just to mess with them I’ll say, “Last come last serve.” My humor is usually lost on them…

Cuddle Time

First come first serve refers to the first one on their mat gets to cuddle with me first. Cuddling usually involves me down on the floor next to them. I’ll pet them softly, hug them with my whole body, and whisper secrets and sweet nothing in their ears. Kloe, wide eyed, stares deeply into my eyes sometimes emitting small grunts to tell me she loves me too. Koda’s squirms a bit and tries to lick my face. In both cases both of them are usually content and glad to be left alone to go to sleep.

In her later years Kali would typically lay in the middle of the room, whether hot or cold, with plenty of space around her.

So now get ready for full disclosure….. Kali and I would spoon.

Me on the outside with her back pushed up against my chest. My arms and sometimes a leg would complete the spooning position and we’d lay there. I warned you – full disclosure! :). Sometimes we’d lay there quietly just breathing, usually in unison. Other times we talked softly to one another. Kali was a great listener! Occasionally I would fall asleep and wake up minutes later or longer, with a smile as I headed to my own bed.

Thinking of this the other day it hit me!

When I lay and cuddle with Kloe and Koda it’s for them. I’m protecting them, my babies. Of course I take great pleasure out of this 1:1 time, but my intentions are for them. To make them feel loved, safe, and protected. With Kali, our cuddle time was for me! Cuddling and spooning with Kali made me feel safe. It made me feel secure. My entire body would relax. If there was any stress in my day it would all seem to dissipate at once. Although I know Kali enjoyed our special time together I now realize that it was her giving to me. Not the other way around. What a gift! Who rescued who, right?

Even though Kali’s been gone for over a year and a half I continue to learn from her. I know our relationship before she crossed the bridge and now is not unique. But, my Golden Kali was about the most special gift one could ever hope for!

Kali in her later years

A Great Big Deal

August 20, 2023

Koda had dental surgery recently. She had a couple of cracked molars that had to be extracted. She’s doing fine and aside from learning how to navigate chewing with less teeth she is back to her regular feisty self.

Koda would be under general anesthesia for the procedure so she couldn’t eat after 8:00 the evening before. No big deal. We are mostly early risers up and about by 6:30 am or so. My normal routine with the girls is to let them outside to take care of “business” and then return inside for breakfast. This means that they are usually eating by around 7:00 am or so.

But on this particular morning of Koda’s surgery she couldn’t eat and she wasn’t due to the vet until 8:30. We decided that Holly would feed Kloe once I left with Koda. No big deal.

And it wasn’t. A big deal that is… When the girls came inside from taking care of business I was at the kitchen table with my cup of coffee and iPad reading and they each laid down next to me and mostly went back to sleep. And then it hit me. If Kali were still with us it would have been a GREAT BIG DEAL!

Kali was an incredibly flexible and easy going dog. She went with flow. She readily adapted to life in America as a five year old rescue from Taiwan. She didn’t miss a beat when we added another puppy (Kloe) to the pack. And then within a few weeks later we moved to the mountains. No big deal for Kali!

When no big deal is A BIG DEAL

But meals for Kali were A BIG DEAL! Until the day she crossed The Bridge meal time was A BIG DEAL. To get an idea of how big a deal it was think of Snoopy from the iconic Charles Shultz creation “Peanuts” singing and dancing to the song “Suppertime“.

Dinner time for the girls is usually around 6:00 pm.

When Kali was with us dinner time was always at 6:00 pm. Also being a creature of habit and routine I was usually sitting in my recliner watching the evening news by 5:00. By 5:15 or so Kali would position herself somewhere between me and the cupboard where her food was stored. She’d lay there ~~looking at me~~ with her eyes laser locked on me. She seemed to use every ounce of her Golden subliminal powers to make me rise from my chair, move to the cupboard, and feed her. She didn’t flinch or seem to move a muscle the entire time. I could feel the heat of her laser locked eyes on my neck but I was always resolved to finish watching the news. On occasion I would dare to look her way and make light of the situation. “I see you Kal” I’d say. “It’s getting close but you know, if you could tell time you’d see it’s not quite six o’clock yet. [chuckle] If you had opposable thumbs you could fix your own dinner. [guffaw] C’mon you can do this. Trust me. I have faith in you.” In spite of my chuckles and occasional guffaws Kali found none of this funny. She would remain motionless and maintain her laser locked stare on my jugular. The only thing that seemed to change was the intensity of the laser energy she was preparing to launch my way in order to get my butt out of my chair. But Kali was smart. She also knew that if the laser was too intense it could knock me out or worse. Then she’d really be up a creek without a food bowl! So she would then ratchet the power down to stun…

Six O’clock would eventually arrive and I would announce: “The time has come!” This proclamation would break the trance Kali had worked herself into. She would stand and begin her dance; the twirls, the head nods, and the tap tap taping of her nails on the kitchen floor. (See Suppertime above)

This is how meal time was with Kali. Breakfast wasn’t much different except the wait time was shorter but the expectations just as high.

So on the morning of Koda’s procedure, as I sat there with my coffee and the two unfed Red Girls by my side, I thought of Kali. My sweet princess. My “heart dog”. My easy-going, take-it-how-it-comes-girl. My whatever-works-for-you-works-for-me-sweet-angel.

And I chuckled and thought to myself: If Kali was here this would be A GREAT BIG DEAL!

Kali: ready to fire a warning shot towards me with with her specially fitted laser glasses

IQ versus EQ

August 7, 2023

A lot has been written about IQ – “intelligence quotient” and EQ – “emotional quotient”. A quick Google search and review of various website definitions boils down to this:

IQ tests measure your ability to solve problems, use logic, and grasp or communicate complex ideas. EQ tests measure your ability to recognize emotion in yourself and others, and to use that awareness to guide your decisions
https://www.healthline.com/health/eq-vs-iq#bottom-line

This is of course referencing IQ and EQ for humans. But what about dogs? Do dogs have a similar set of measurements. Can IQ and EQ be applied to dogs when assessing their strengths and tendencies? I think they do. This is not a scientific blog. It’s a blog about dogs. So I am not going to try to corroborate my opinion with anything other than my experiences with my own dogs.

I’ll start with Koda, my five year old. I believe she has a very high iQ. She is the most intelligent dog I’ve had. She is good at problem solving, she is an effective verbal communicator, and attentively listens for direction understanding the words I say and actions I ask her take. I can see it in her eyes when I speak to her. She processes the information and in parallel formulates a response. If she disagrees she lets me know.

Kloe’s strength is her EQ. My non-expert opinion is that Kloe would have made a very good service dog. We considered that for a time when she was younger but for various reasons never pursued it. Kloe can read the room and know when someone is upset or not feeling well. She will gravitate to that person, if she is able, and sit next to them and lean in or lay at their feet. When a visitor comes to the house Kloe is instantly in love. With a wildly wagging tail, she attempts to sit at our visitor’s side as they enter our home. She groans in pleasure and stares up a their eyes. And all the while Koda is jumping and barking (much to our chagrin) as she competes with Kloe for our visitor’s attention. We scold Koda and say, “Down!” Kloe immediately goes to a down position in an attempt to defuse the ~~craziness~~ situation.

I know these are very common behaviors and tendencies with most dogs. My point is that in my girls I see similar distinctions as it relates to IQ versus EQ.

All this is not say that Koda doesn’t have compassion or that Kloe is dumb. Not in the least. If Kloe senses a threat – real or otherwise – to one of us or our property she goes into protect mode as the Guardian Of The Golden K. Kloe will begin barking and patrolling. Koda often will try to see what Kloe sees (sometimes nothing) and look back at me as if to say, “Dad, I don’t see anything. Tell me what to do”.

Kloe feels. Koda thinks.

Maybe this is what makes these two a good team. Long time followers of the Golden Kali blog may be thinking, “What about Kali? Where does she fall on the question of IQ versus EQ?

That’s fair and good question. As I’ve been writing this I have also asked myself that question. The same long time followers know my bias and how special Kali was, and remains, to me. So I will answer that question like this:

Kali transcends the question of IQ versus EQ. She thinks on a different level than most humans and canines. Kali played 4 dimensional chess in her sleep. Kali could levitate. Kali was a Jedi Master of Dogs and I was fortunate to be her Padawan ( A Jedi’s apprentice). Kali’s Midi-chlorian counts were the highest ever recorded in a dog. [Sorry – did I jump the shark with that last reference to Star Wars?]

Stick Art

July 16, 2023

It’s a good thing we live in the forest! Because Kloe loves chewing on sticks. With pines, oaks, and cedars all dropping their deadwood around the Golden K Kloe always has a wide variety of sticks to choose from.

When Kloe was a puppy I worried that she might swallow a big piece and choke. Or that the accumulation of stick particles would cause harm to her mouth or stomach. But she doesn’t really eat any of the stick. She gnaws on the larger sticks and shreds the smaller sticks. Kloe can take a moderate size stick – say a half inch to an inch round – and make toothpicks. With larger sizes she is like a wood carver. She’ll create various shapes – sometimes over a period of days with the same large stick – until the stick is small enough to then shred into toothpicks.

A variation of the stick chewing is when Kloe methodically dismantles a pine cone -scale by scale- placing the scales in a pile until the pine cone is reduced to what looks like a corn cob with all the corn off of it. If I try to pick up a pine cone with my bare hands I get stuck if not careful. So it always amazes me that Kloe can pick pine cones up with her mouth with no regard for the sharp needle-like ends of the scale.

Kloe takes her stick chewing pretty seriously. Her focus and intensity is a lot like the aforementioned wood carver carefully planning and then executing each stroke of the knife. Or in Kloe’s case, each chomp of her jaw. She demonstrates quite a bit of artistry with her sticks!

About a year ago I came upon Kloe in one of her favorite chewing spots and captured the photo below. Taken with my iPhone in portrait mode this shot highlights my sweet girl at work in her “studio” carving away with a large inventory of sticks nearby for future Stick Art projects.

Happy Seventh – no singing please….

March 12, 2023

Kloe had a birthday this month. We don’t usually make a big deal for our girl’s birthdays. Honestly, every day is a party for them! They are quite spoiled and I’m ok with it. Especially since it is mostly me doing the spoiling… 🙂 So Kloe’s seventh came and went without much fanfare other than me singing Happy Birthday to her before dinner.

As is our usual routine the girls gather near my legs as I prepare their dinner and then follow me to the area that I put their bowls down. They sit, ~~look adoringly at me~~ wait patiently for the signal, and once the signal is given (a clap of my hands) they stand up and begin their meal.

It’s usually only a few seconds before I clap my hands to release them to their bowls and they are very good about waiting. They know to “watch” me, not the bowls, and once I have their full attention I clap. Kloe has always been good at “watch”. She will hold a watch with a fixed stare into my eyes forever. The longer she watches the farther back her head tilts. I’m sure if I made her watch long enough she would topple backwards! Koda is less, let’s say, focused. Before I release them to their bowls Koda’s eyes alternate between my eyes and her bowl of food. Little flickers back and forth without moving her head; just her eyes, It really delays the process much, I’m sure, to Kloe’s chagrin. With Koda, any little movement on my part that even looks like I am going to clap makes here lean towards the bowl. When she doesn’t hear the clap she pulls back. If she was a track runner her nickname would be “False Start”!

So on this seventh birthday evening I placed their bowls on the ground and they put themselves in a sit expecting a quick watch, a clap, and then delicious food entering their bellies. But instead I began singing Happy Birthday to Kloe. Very slowly I sang, “Happy birthday to you, [pause] happy birthday to you…” [pause]. Both girls sat there looking at me a little confused and hungry. By the time I got to “Kloe” as in “happy birthday dear Kloe” Koda had enough and quickly moved to her bowl and began eating. Kloe looked at me and gave me a figurative shrug of her shoulders with her eyes, and also started eating.

I feebly clapped my hands while muttering to myself, “happy birthday to you oooh…..”.

Happy Birthday Klo-Klo. My Klois Marie, my Kloe Bowie, my Sugar-lips!

Kali – The Golden K Anchor

February 12, 2023

Kali crossed the bridge over a year ago and there is not a day that ends where I haven’t thought about her at least once. I find myself day dreaming about her. At night she is often in my dreams. Her name comes off my lips at times when I am speaking to one of her sissies. Sometimes I call out to her for no reason in particular other than to beckon her sweet spirit. And I will speak softly to her when I see a picture of her on my computer or in a photo frame.

I miss her desperately. Not in a deliberating way, or even in a sad way. But in a way that stops me in my tracks and takes my breath away as I realize what an incredible relationship we had and what a very special dog Kali was. Her history is storied having been rescued in Taiwan and flying across the world into our arms in the SF Bay Area. Two years later we moved to the Sierra Nevada Foothills and she was an instant local. Nothing ever phased her. She adapted within minutes to any new environment or situation. And like a true Golden she loved all people almost as much as she loved food. 🙂

Recently a picture came up in my Facebook Memories. A photo from four years ago. In the photo Kali, Kloe, Koda, and Holly were all lying on the floor sleeping. Everyone was tired from a day of playing off and on in the snow. What struck me about this photo was that as they slept on the floor Kloe, Koda, and Holly each had their heads resting against Kali. She was our anchor. She was our energy. She was our heartbeat. Kali was and remains the pulse of The Golden K!

Kali, anchoring a power nap after a day in the snow. February 5, 2019

Kloe The Lover (not a fighter)

January 8, 2023

Kali was the first and oldest. She had a storied history long before Kloe joined the pack. Kloe always looked up to Kali and considered Kali the alpha until the day Kali crossed the bridge. Koda, the youngest, has always been ~~a loud mouth~~ gregarious. From the day she joined the pack at 4 months old, Koda demanded vocally and physically the attention of everyone in the room and general vicinity. So with Koda, Kloe usually has no choice but to play second banana. And I think for the most part that’s ok with Kloe.

Kloe The Puppy

Kloe was 7 weeks old when we met her and her litter mates. There was “Green”, “Purple”, and “Red” as designated by the color of their ribbon collars. We sat on the lawn in the yard of the rescue group’s organizer watching the puppies romp around. We picked them up, sat them on our laps, and interacted with them in our effort to see which one would be right for us. OK, full disclosure: I laid on the grass and ~~let them~~ encouraged the puppies to crawl on top of me and smother me with golden love!

After about an hour we decided that “Red” was the one for us. We liked her her confidence and calm demeanor. At only seven weeks she seemed interested in more than just her siblings and these new human visitors as we observed her looking beyond her immediate surroundings with a serious and quizzical look. And, she had a little pouty face that I fell in love with! We decided Red’s name would be Kloe. Two weeks later we went back to pick her up and bring her home. That was almost seven years ago.

Kloe The Lover

There is a saying, “I’m a lover (not a fighter). That’s Kloe!

Approaching seven years this Spring, Kloe has been a full fledged Golden Retriever adult dog for over three years. She has always been rather serious and never displayed some of the goofy and silly attributes that make many Goldens so fun and entertaining. That’s not to say Kloe doesn’t have fun. It’s just she approaches things with purpose. Whether it’s catching a ball, engaging in play with her sister Koda, or mealtime. Kloe is also very earnest; especially when meeting new people. She tries her best not to get too excited as we remind her not to jump). She’ll place herself in a sit at her new friend’s side looking up at them the entire time while her tail wags excitedly. She lets out deep groans as if to say “I just met you but I love you so much!”

Kloe Our Protector

Kloe, even as a 6 month old puppy, has always had a very deep bark. As docile as she is Kloe’s bark is a force to be reckoned with. If Koda’s high pitched bark is the “alarm” then Kloe’s bark is the ancient battle horn calling the troops into formation and ready to charge! The alarm sounds, the battle horn blows, and she is off to defend the Golden K with little sister Koda along side as her squire. Kloe typically starts out her day by smelling most of the front and back areas of our home along the fence lines. She methodically, much to the chagrin of her less interested sister, inspects every inch assessing what critter may have been there the night before. When she finally arrives back at the kitchen door for her breakfast meal I sarcastically ask her if the perimeter is secure and she ~~nods affirmatively~~ looks up at me expressionless and sits and waits for breakfast.

Kloe Our Conscience

When I look at Kloe I see honesty. I see compassion. I see a peace maker. Sure, these are human traits but why not also true for dogs? Kloe’s eyes tell the truth. Her body language adapts to the people around her. And when confronted with the choice to share or fight for what is hers (a ball, a bone, or a stick) she will usually acquiesce to the perpetrator (Koda). Admittedly I’d prefer to see her stand up for herself more but that’s Kloe; always willing to stand down to keep the peace.

Because remember, she’s a lover (not a fighter).