Misty Home At Last

Note: I wrote this in August of 2002 for Ernie (in the story) who was in the hospital at the time. It is one of our favourite stories.

Misty stood in the large kitchen looking at David, “wuf, wuf, wuf,” constantly, annoyingly, repetitively.  She turned in circles, walked back and forth from the middle of the room to the sliding glass doors.  “Shut up dog.”  She would not.  He was distracted and could not see any reason for her antics even though her message was pregnant with meaning.

Misty is a husky lab cross.  She had lived in Edmonton with her master and friend Ernie.  Ernie loved Misty and there was no question the feeling was mutual.

My family and I had just moved to Twin Creeks, an eight-acre farm on Vancouver Island.  We have two horses, Montana and Rango.  I was looking for a dog to go riding with me.  Our property backs onto the Trans Canada trail.  I can ride for miles but it is bear and cougar country and I was a bit nervous about riding alone.  A large dog seemed to be a good idea.  Turned out, Ernie was no longer able to stay at home.  He needed to sell his house and go into a Long Term Care facility.  His niece, Val, and I worked together. That is when I first heard of Misty.

Misty was Ernie’s pride and joy; she was his purpose for living.  He had been around dogs all his life and had done his own training, mostly for hunting.  Ernie’s training methods were very aggressive.  He was the ‘Alpha’ member.  No questioning authority, ‘you do it my way or else.’  Misty was a very sensitive dog and this was hard for her.  However her lessons were tempered by love and consistency so she learned quickly and well.

Ernie had become ill and lay in an acute care hospital bed.  Val took Misty in to visit him.  Misty moved hesitantly into the elevator and then cautiously down the hospital corridors and finally into Ernie’s room.  He looked down at her his eyes filling with tears and asked her up onto the bed.  She immediately complied, arranging all her seventy pounds comfortably alongside him.  She had wondered where he’d gone. She’d been pining for him over two weeks.  She’d lost weight.  But it would be all right now, her best friend was found and she was home at last.  Ernie fondly stroked his dog.  He didn’t know how to say ‘goodbye.’

Misty came to us from Edmonton via plane.  Val picked her up at the airport and brought her by car to Twin Creeks.  When she arrived, she promptly jumped out, quickly looked around and then came over and greeted, my husband Kip and my son David and myself.  She seemed very composed, very centered after her long trip.  Misty was four years old at the time.  Her coloring is white, gray and black.  She sports a husky mask, husky tail husky smile and lab nose and ears.  She was beautiful and we loved her at first sight.  After introductions were done we headed over to the field so Misty could stretch her legs.  Mactavish, our little ‘Scoodle,’(Scotty, Poodle) came too.  Tavvy, as he is affectionately called, is thirteen years old and deaf you would never guess it watching him, he can still go likety-split!!  Misty and Tavvy hit it off right away, running, jumping, dive-bombing and playing through the grass.  Romp over, Misty returned and walked sedately by our side back to the house…a real lady!!  After tea I put Misty’s leash on and waved goodbye to Val and her husband as they left.  I was concerned about Misty running away so I kept the leash by the door.  I needn’t have worried; she soon convinced me she wasn’t about to run off anywhere.  She seemed completely resigned to her new circumstances.  I say resigned because she didn’t appear to be happy.  She still wasn’t eating well and was a bit under weight.  Her manners were impeccable, but she reminded me of a little girl visiting, on her best behavior.  Her real personality seemed locked up inside somewhere.  I think she was homesick and depressed for the first few months.  Although she loved to run and play outside with the horses, when she came in she just didn’t have the same enthusiasm. 

I don’t think Misty had ever seen a horse before.  At first she thought they were big dogs, she tried to play with them a little to rambunctiously.  Rango took exception to her wild enthusiasm and took a kick at her.  Misty was a quick learner and toned down instinctively, not that she didn’t play, she played with Montana especially.  They’d take turns chasing each other.  They had some great games going.  Rango would just watch the antics with detached distain.  For the most part she still gives Rango a wide berth but with no hard feelings.

The first time I took Misty riding with me I knew I had the right dog.  She ran well out in front and kept up the pace easily.  When asked to stop and come, she’d come immediately.  When asked to go behind she’d do so willingly. However she did make it clear she’d rather be running up front clearing out all the lions and tigers and bears for me.

The first day Misty was here she found a pal up the road.  His name was Jake.  He was a very handsome yellow lab and quick as lightning.  They’d play for hours to see who was the fastest the strongest.  They’d chase each other til they both fell down exhausted.  Then they’d drag themselves to the creek for a long cold one!!  Unfortunately, Jake has since been confined to house arrest.  He was caught red handed chewing on one of the neighbours’ chickens.  So unless he plays truant Misty rarely sees him anymore.  It’s probably just as well.  Who knows what kind of trouble they would have eventually gotten themselves into?

Now Misty has other friends, a nervous pit bull from next door and a shaggy border collie from out back.  She is very social and makes friends easily.  However she is never tempted to leave the boundaries of the property. 

At first it was difficult for Misty to stay at home with Tavvy when we had to go to town.  She’d howl the roof down.  If she was outside she’d chase after the car and no amount of coaxing would convince her she must stay home.  A couple of times Kip wouldn’t see her following and she’d be brought home by an understanding neighbour.   I guess she thought we might leave and never come back and she wasn’t about to let that happen again.

Now she can be found each morning lounging on the back deck.  She loves to bake in the sun.  She walks out to the end of the long driveway with Kip and Tavvy to get the morning newspaper.  She then does her proprietary walk around the perimeter of the acreage.  This is her habit twice a day, morning and evening as she surveys all in her new domain.  She is often found positioned under the old maple tree, a vantage point where she can see everything going on in her world.

One day, a few months ago, Kip and I were out and David was at home alone.  He was in the kitchen making himself something to eat.  Misty had come in from out side.  She stood in the large kitchen looking at David.  ‘Wuf, wuf, wuf.’  David tried to ignore her.  ‘Wuf, wuf, wuf,’ she turned in circles, tail curled, walked back and forth to the door, ‘wuf, wuf, wuf’.  “Shut up dog.”  She continued, careful to stay out of his way, but insistently demanding his attention.  Fed up with her and unable to keep her quiet, he put her outside.  Now she barked loudly at him and in earnest.  He had to let her back in, ‘wuf, wuf, wuf,’ the process repeated itself.  This procedure would continue for about an hour and a half, according to David.  Finally, tired of the racket and a little curious, he gave in.  “Alright what do you want?”  She immediately stopped barking and went over to the patio doors and walked out onto the deck.  David followed.  Misty led him down the back stairs around the side of the house, down the driveway and over the bridge to the back five acres.  He opened the gate and they both went through.  Rango stood looking at him from about halfway up the field.  Misty moved out ahead, turning every few seconds to make sure David was following.  Rango joined them.  When they had moved three quarters of the way up the field they all stopped.  David looked around, “Where’s Montana??”  He looked carefully through the trees and in every corner, no Montana! .  It was then he glanced over to the left towards the next farmers field.  He caught a glimpse of Montana’s yellow gold coat.  At the same instant as he saw Montana both Misty and Rango, “went nuts,” as David puts it.  Rango started calling, running and bucking, Misty chased her tail and fell all over herself…with joy, I think!!!  Finally! 

Mission accomplished!!!

Montana, never satisfied to stay where he is put, had managed to find a way out of the pasture by going under the bridge and through some barbed wire.  He’d managed to get out but was unable to get back in.  I’m sure it had seemed like a good idea at the time, but adventures aren’t always all they are cracked up to be.  Good thing a guy has friends he can count on!  Rango made a beeline for the fence and Montana came over to rub noses with him and say thanks.  David opened the back gate and asked Montana to come back in which he did post haste.

Misty has been with us nine months and has settled in nicely.  She is now sharing some of the exuberance she has thus far reserved for her animal buddies.  Her appetite is healthy and she is most certainly happy in her world.  Sometimes I wonder what it is she thinks about out there under that old maple tree.  Whatever it is it certainly hasn’t distracted her from her perceived responsibility to this family.  Misty has proven to be a wonderful friend, companion and watchdog ‘extraordinaire’.  Misty, home again, at last!