Sit and Stay

I am not one of our regular bloggers. Nor am I a Pet healthcare expert. I have, however, worked at Banfield for over nine years and, like all of my colleagues here, am a Pet lover. I decided to write this week because something’s been on my mind for a while— my dog, Niko. He’s the only Pet in our family, which otherwise consists of my husband, Rick, and our two young boys who are 4 and 2. Niko will be 12 this summer and he’s a large dog (about 95 lbs.), which means he ages faster than smaller dogs. We’re not exactly sure what type of mix he is, though we’re fairly certain he’s part German shepherd, possibly Doberman and some sort of Northern breed, which I think is what led us to nickname him “Bear.” People always stop to ask us what type of dog Niko is and Rick always replies with the same one word— “handsome.”

Just after moving back to Oregon from the East coast in 1998, Rick and I adopted Niko from the Oregon Humane Society when he was about a year old. The adoption fee at the time for a dog his age and size was $40. On the way home from the shelter, we loaded up on supplies at PetSmart (this is before I worked at Banfield) and headed home. The first time we left Niko home alone, he ate our house— literally in four hours he chewed up everything in our house— walls, floors, furniture, curtains, you name it he tore it up. We spent $40 to adopt the dog and within two days were out a few thousand. We quickly learned that Niko had been abused by his previous owners and that a kennel was the best way to protect him (and our house) when left alone. At that point Rick and I made a promise to support Niko and help undo the wrong that was done to him in the early part of his life.

Niko is a gentle soul— you can see it in his eyes— he’s always been low-key and mellow— unless he’s left alone or you’re a squirrel and then all bets are off. He is everything we’d ever want in a dog. He is our best friend— he is likely my husband’s soul mate, and he’s as sensitive as any creature I’ve ever known. Our family and friends joke that Niko hit the jackpot when we rescued him but we’re convinced it’s the other way around. I’m sure it sounds silly to some but Niko has been our rock, making it easier to face some of life’s greatest challenges. We’ve often remarked that we don’t know what we would do without Niko.

Which brings me back to the harsh reality that Niko is 12. His age is showing in so many ways. He’s still having fun, loves his walks, treats, our boys and the dogs that live across the street. But his life is getting harder and each day is unfortunately a reminder that we will at some point have to face life without Niko— a reality none of us are ready for.

I’m thinking that aside from the steak dinner we’ll have for Niko’s birthday this year, I’m going to run a Wisdom Panel- on him. A Wisdom Panel is one of the available DNA tests for mixed-breed dogs designed to identify their breed composition— the results can provide insight into their behavior, appearance and help with customized care. Though it will be fun to find out what makes up the dog that has brought infinite joy and true companionship to our lives, there’s one thing it won’t tell us that we already know— Niko is truly handsome, inside and out.

If you have thoughts as to Niko’s breeds, I’d love to hear them. And I’ll keep you posted with the results later this summer.

Niko, December 2008