RIP DUBS

Last weekend Lee and I made the tough decision to put our beloved dog, Dubs, down. Dubs had a tumor for 4 years that did not interfere with daily life and caused very little discomfort until a few months ago. He was a fantastic character and beloved member of our family. Dubs was the start of our adventure. Lee and I got him after I came home from my last summer in Alaska. I was determined to start my own team of alaskans. The only problem was that I only new Siberian Husky owners.

So one day when reading the Burlington Free Press I saw a Free AD for GSP/Husky Mixes from a sled dog home. I called the number but the pair had already been picked up. A few weeks later I saw an ad of the same dogs on Sled Dog Central. A super nice guy had gotten the two but once home saw that it was not going to work out. Dub's brother was not so friendly and attacked Dubs nearly killing him. His brother was put down and Dubs was not fitting in with the heavy coated dog in his small group. We picked Dubs who at the time was being called Gabe. His original name was Ghost. We brought him to our little home ( which was really a shack in the middle of no where) to meet our dog Deklyn. So we were now a group of 4. Two people, two dogs living in a one room shack 1/4 of a mile off the grid.

Dubs was not used to people or anything related to how they lived. He knew how to pull and be tethered, and could not be off leash.

The first time we let him in the house is something neither of us will ever forget. We let him off his tether and walked him up the porch he followed Deklyn in at full speed and hit the center in the room and froze. He stood legs all out at angles, still as come be and then slower than a sloath he turned looking around all wide eyed. He had clearly had never been inside a human dwelling with a stove and furniture. It took a few minutes of him slowly slowly walking around to start to relax and then he layed down in the middle of floor in front of the stove like a sphinx un-moving. It did not take long for him to settle in to Human living.

He was a big fan of recliners and dog beds. The last few years he has been a constant companion on hikes and in the kitchen. Dubs was a great pet as well as a fantastic sled dog. He never lacked enthusiasm on the team and in a pinch could lead us through some tough spots. His last race was the Stratford Nighthawk race last year where we came in second!

I could go one with a novel about our Dubsy Bear but will leave you with the biggest lesson he taught us. No Matter what wrongs you there is always a Brighter side around the corner. Even though he was in extreme discomfort at the end, he was always happy to see us, to eat, to cuddle and interact with the other dogs. We will be forever touched by our time spent with Dubs.

R.I.P Dubs

9-22-01 - 12-10-11