Running Wild: Adventures & Ice Cold
My whole routine became centered around Stud. We logged 5-10 miles a day, explored Michigan parks, and traveled everywhere together. Then one winter day he broke through ice 150 feet out, and I stripped down and went in after him. After that rescue he looked at me differently, and from that day on we fully trusted each other.
My whole life was centered around him. I only wanted to do something if it involved Stud. I never wanted to do anything without him. At this point it became just him, my ex, myself, and our families.
The only time I would not see him is when I had to work. If my friends did not let me bring him, the friendship fizzled out. If I could not bring him to family functions I would argue that he would be fine outside the yard and if they still said no, I wouldn’t stay more than an hour, maybe an hour and a half max.
I no longer went to the gym. Instead I did all my exercise with him. I couldn’t keep up with him outside. I took Stud everywhere except work. Luckily there were many parks around my house, most of them hundreds or thousands of acres. The parks system in Milford, Michigan is one of the best in the midwest. The best ones were fenced in and did not allow trapping. Don’t get me started on that, you lazy cunts. Let me put your leg in a trap.
We explored almost everywhere within a 25-mile radius. I would walk, run, ride a mountain bike, canoe, and swim with him. It is not fair to a husky to “walk” them. No they need freedom to run. And so that is when I bought a mountain bike.
All my time after work was spent with him. 365 days a year no matter rain, blizzard, -20 degrees, or sunny we would go somewhere. The colder, the better for Stud. Minus degree temps were his paradise. I learned to like cold rain, snow, and freezing temperatures. I was locked into never moving somewhere warm.
During the first two to three years we took several trips together. We drove down to Florida several times. Hit Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Found my most loved location northern Michigan. Up North Michigan, what a utopian place. I have gone up north Michigan growing up, but never to the west side. My girlfriend at the time had family that lived up there. When I saw how beautiful it was and how dog friendly it was we started to go up three or four times a year.
Stud loved it. The open beach with soft sand. The miles of trails. All of the wildlife. Not that many people. And of course camping.
We were always exploring and both of us absolutely loved it. Every road trip was a dream. Looking back, they were the best, no worries, we were young. I cherish those moments and always will. This is around when I started having nightmares every so often about the day he would leave me. I loved the time I spent with him. Stud did not have a favorite location. What he loved the most was our pack. We certainly loved each other at this point and we could not be separated.
We did everything together. I finally saved enough for a house, keeping him at the top of my search for something with a big fenced in backyard. I found the perfect place for him.
I missed him so much every time I left for work. After work, I would spend all my time with him. Being frustrated with traffic, I usually showed up in a pissed off mood, but most of my anger dissolved when I saw him.
He would be waiting for me in the front yard if she was home or at the backyard gate if not. I would get out of the car, and we would run up to each other. He would run up to me in a low profile, shaking his tail and body. He looked like a happy wolf. He would put my arm in his mouth, and he would lead me around the yard.
He was a lot more comfortable having his own space with the people he trusted the most. If I didn’t give him enough attention, he would dig. He also loved to chase animals.
After I moved in to my own place it became an normal occurrence where we would just make him a full meal. He did have a sensitive stomach which I was able to help stabilize a bit, but never did cure it completely. Steak, chicken and fish for me, the same for him. We would still leave his kibble down and he would graze. I never had to worry about his weight, which is different for a dog. Maybe normal for a husky. After a year or two it turned into even if I didn’t make dinner I would still make it for him.
Also when I moved in I bought a reverse osmosis. All the water he drank from his bowl was R.O.. Besides the lake water which we were 5-6 houses down the street from so that was more often than not in the summer.
I never put chemical in the yard or around the house. In the house we rarely used chemicals. I tried my best to make sure he would live healthy an as long as possible.
Another thing I absolutely loved was when he drank water he didn’t get it all over and was quite. Most big dogs get more water on the floor than their mouth.
I remember my family went on a cruise. I didn’t want to go in the first place, not because I don’t love my family, it’s because I didn’t want to leave. Turns out I went, only to get off the boat to catch a plane home two days in. Yikes. Let’s say my family wasn’t too happy about that. I knew my time was limited with him, and I wanted to spend every second with him. I loved him.
Stud didn’t bond with many dogs, but there were two exceptions. He really loved my family dog a golden, his name was Sam. I would look out the window of my parents massive yard with all of this land and they would be laying side by side touching each other sleeping. They would always play. Sam would chase Stud. Stud was a little rough on Sam, but Sam would put him in his place every once in awhile. One of the only dogs Stud would obey.
The other one was Mo Zart. Mo was a very big German sheppard. He was a few years older than Stud. Stud never respected other dogs. These were the only two that he had respect for.
To this day, it is bizarre that I still do not understand why he did some things. One of these was always staying in the front yard without saying anything to him, there was no fence in the front. Dogs would walk by barking, rabbits and squirrels running around, and people would call him. Nothing made him step over. He loved sitting in the front yard people and dog watching.
He would not go on the couch unless there was a blanket. He would look at me like put a blanket down.
He would wipe his mouth on the grass or snow after eating.
He rarely barked. Most huskies are vocal, but he was quiet. Sometimes he would let out a howl when I left for work.
I never took Stud to get groomed. We brushed him ourselves and washed him down the street where they had tubs. He was not a fan of baths, but he tolerated it.
First Near Death Experience
There was a specific moment that altered our relationship. He was around 2 or three years old. We were walking in a park that was around 700 acres. It was a cold winter day in Michigan. The lightly dusted snow on the ground was shimmering from the sun.
While I was letting my mind wander, he took off chasing after something. Depending on several factors I would decide if it was safe to let him roam free. There were no other cars there, the park was fenced in, and it wasn’t hunting season.
Time passed and normally he comes back at this point when I call him. I started to scream louder and louder. I had a gut feeling something was wrong.
I started sprinting to find him, and when I stopped, I tried to calm my heavy breathing and listen. I heard a faint whimpering in the far distance. I kept running and stopping to listen, getting closer to him every time.
I ran my heart out to come down to the bottom of a big hill where there was a lake. Fuck, I looked and he was about 150 feet out, his front paws on the ice, and his body was in a hole. I started to panic.
People die every year in Michigan falling through the ice. I realized if I panicked anymore, we would both die. There wasn’t an option. I was in a big park where no one was within miles.
I took two deep breaths and prayed to God as I started to strip my winter clothes off. With every step I took, I went through the ice. I tried to lay on my stomach, but the ice just kept breaking.
The water was freezing, but I couldn’t even feel it, my adrenaline was through the roof. I was breaking the ice step by step until it got deeper, then leaning on it.
I finally got to him and broke into the hole he was in. He jumped on me, and I moved him to the broken ice, where he started to swim back. I followed him and then immediately put on my clothes.
I looked at him, and I could see he understood everything, almost like he thanked me with his eyes. I quickly said, “Be careful”. Then I started running to stay warm. After that day, he looked at me differently. I think he finally realized how much I loved him. At that point he fully trusted me and that meant fully listening. I listened to him and he listened to me. From that day forward he knew what “be careful” meant. He did not want to go on the ice again unless he was close to me.