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Monday, August 15, 2011

Special Guest Post - Dawn - Team Bloodhounded

This obviously isn't The Salty Dog Part Two however, life has it's priorities. Our guest blog today was written by my wife and my rock, Dawn. We have a story to tell and Dawn puts it in such beautiful words in this post it quite literally welled up my eyes and, well, I'll let her tell you. Dawn from Team Bloodhounded.

One of the best things about geocaching is that it isn’t just for humans. Many of us have a canine companion to tag along with us on our adventures. That is actually how Team Bloodhounded got its name.

Bloodhounds were a bit of a fascination of mine. I read about their incredible sense of smell and the amazing stories of their ability to follow a scent trail days old. I set my DVR to record any and all programs that involved bloodhounds. I searched for books, fiction or nonfiction, about bloodhounds. One Christmas, my husband surprised me with the news that he had put a deposit on a puppy soon to be born.

The following February, we journeyed into the big city to meet the breeder who was in town for the Westminster Dog Show. It was (puppy) love at first sight! She was so tiny that I was able to hide her from the cold city streets without so much as a bulge in my jacket.

That didn’t last long. Within a year, she was a 100 pound ball of joyful, slobbering energy. She loved to go on long hikes with me. I swear she could read my mind. I would just think to myself maybe I will take Molly for a walk, and she would be right next to me howling with excitement. Changing my mind wasn’t an option. She loved swimming, something we found out by accident when she took off swimming across a nearby lake as we went into panic mode trying to figure out how to get her back. She loved people. If an intruder ever broke into our house, she would have subdued him by pinning him to the ground and licking him with her extra long tongue. Only once did she ever exhibit aggression towards an individual. We were out walking when we encounter a man with a tool box about a hundred yards ahead of us. Molly’s nose went up in the air and then she went crazy, fiercely barking and growling like never before. Even the hair on her back stood up. Several days later I met that same man. He was in the area studying rattlesnakes. As it turned out, the day Molly and I saw him, he had a rattlesnake in the box he was carrying, but Molly already knew that.

Obedience wasn’t her strong suit. We took a class at a local dog school. I worked hard to teach her the things that seemed to come easy to the others. She was so stubborn! If I didn’t have the treats to back me up, she wouldn’t perform. Sometimes I felt embarrassed for other dog owners because if the other dogs didn’t follow a command that Molly did, the instructor would say, “If Molly can do it, your dog should too. She’s a bloodhound and they aren’t wired for obedience.”

But enough stories about Molly, after all this is a blog about geocaching. I walked Molly religiously. For me there is nothing more peaceful than a long relaxing walk with my dog. I often tried to get my husband to join us but he just didn’t enjoy it as much as we did. He needed a reason to walk, a place to get to. And so it began...

Geocaching and dogs are a natural combination. What better way is there to spend an afternoon than walking with your dog while searching for treasures? Naturally, the first geocache I ever went on was with my husband and our two bloodhounds. (Yes, we added another bloodhound to the family a year and a half after Molly. His name is Otis.) After that it became a family thing. Molly and Otis tagged along enjoying the sights and smells of each new cache while the kids argued over who would get to open the cache container.

It wasn’t long before we found all the caches within a reasonable distance of our home. The road trips became longer and it became difficult to load 200+ pounds of bloodhound into the van, especially since Otis hates car rides. It seemed we left Molly and Otis home more and more.

Sadly, Molly recently left us. But she left behind many wonderful memories and a hobby my family can enjoy together. Next time you’re out caching, take your dog and enjoy the journey. I would give just about anything to take Molly on one more cache.

3 comments:

BigAl said...: Dawn, Kevin, and kids, I am sorry to hear of your loss. You did a wonderful job with this post and it is a great tribute to Molly. Even though I never met her she seemed like a wonderful bloodhound. Enjoy your time with Otis and take him on many caching trips. Thanks for letting me get to know Molly for a brief period of time.; Mon Aug 15, 07:17:00 AM
Benizerith said...: That was so sweet! I'm so sorry for your loss. I can tell how important she was to you all. Made me tear up as well.; Mon Aug 15, 12:48:00 PM
Kim@Snug Harbor said...: You broke my heart with this post. I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing.; Mon Aug 15, 11:01:00 PM