Yesterday was an emotional day for me - Beaufort lost his last puppy canine tooth remaining in his lower jaw, and in doing so marked his first real step into adolescence. Still as active as he has ever been, he still is growing and in testing his limits shows his expanding abilities to try us - and love us.
   He will never be a puppy again. Reality is sometimes difficult to appreciate, as I try to get in as much loving as his life with me will allow. I can't turn back the clock, but I can bask in the memories - and his bright future.
   

 

   So the question is raised as to how a Service Dog and an Arctic Kayaq are connected, especially in this blog?
   Raised on Kodiak Island, the Brown Bear capital of the world, I am often asked what the best bear protection is. Out of several answers from bear spray (pepper spray on steriods) to a very large rifle, my first choice is a good dog. Better companionship, alarm system, and response time. No fumbling - the dog has it down, and it isn't the mean ones that I've found to be the best. You want a confident, loyal friend out there, because when the bear pops out of nowhere (and they are quite good at it) you want your first line of defense on top of his game. When the bear is in full charge is no time for buck fever. 
   And the wonderful thing is, blood is seldom if ever lost over the issue. My dogs have stood down at least two boar brownies, the sow mentioned in the article previous, a blackie that went after my children, and untold aversions cleared along the trail - and each time the bear left without a fight. Upset and noisy, thrashing the woods in frustration on occasion, but never with any injuries. Wildly pulsating coronary arteries, perhaps, but the pup was cool, and everyone came out better than the alternatives... 
   So as the shop expands to accommodate the extra workload, he grows and learns - as we bond together into the team we will need to thrive. The Kayaq's design is configured to accommodate us, supplies pondered, procedures thought out. 
   A work in progress that evolves around the heart of my friends...

  
   

   He grew - fast. In less than two weeks he was pushing over three pounds - and by four weeks he was out in the bush following whatever adventure his nose could find.
   

 

And by ten weeks he was in the Veteran's Hospital in New York helping to heal the wounded.

Jonathan's gift was quickly proving his worth, maturing into the intelligent powerfully motivating companion of service that would build the foundation of healing that drugs and human mistherapy could never provide. Only the heart can reach another heart - and this pup was confirming he had that courage in abundance. 

Little did we realize how much - but we were soon to find out.