The Dalmations

[PixieSticksandTricks]

We I was younger and we lived on our farm we had a large number of everything including dogs. Most were house pets but we did have two "barn dogs" and those were our two Dalmations Zahi the male and Gabi the female. Zahi and Gabi were trained by my dad to help bring in the horses in the evening and to protect them. Every show we ever went to we brought Zahi and Gabi with us. They were also trail dogs and were always running along side the horses on the trail rides we would take.

Okay lets face it they really didn't have much of a job but they did love it. They were never alowed in the house like Duke, or Harley or any of the others. But they were okay with that because they had so much energy and loved to just zoom around the yard or pasture. We never bred Zahi or Gabi simply because around the time we would the Dalmation craze blew up and my dad decided against it. I think he knew that the puppies wouldn't end up in truly safe homes most likely. So instead they were spayed and neutered and that was that.

I remember we would take them to the lake in the summer as that was their special time to just be happy go lucky dogs. They loved to swim especially Gabi who would probley swim across the ocean if you let her. Actually there is a funny story about Gabi and her swiming addiction. We had taken a trip to visit family in Florida along with we were also delivering a horse we had sold. Anyways my uncle had offered to take us out on his boat one day. And we decided to take Gabi and Zahi with us. We were out I swear in the middle of the ocean lol because we couldn't see land around us for miles. I was already nervouse because well you know Jaws and everything. And next thing i know I hear a splash and I hear my mom yell Gabis name . Dang dog jumped right out of that boat and was just happily swiming away from us. At that point Zahi is ready to take the plunge as well . So my sister grabbed Zahis collar and held him back while my uncle dove in and caught trouble maker Gabi.

Gabi really was known as the family trouble maker. She was always the one to pop the lids off the garbage cans and knock them over. She would then eat her fill of what was there and then leave the rest for the raccoons and opossums . She also had a way of trying to play with the horses and could actually get a few to chase her. But they weren't playing so that always scared my mom half to death. She also didn't have very nice manners and liked to knock me over the most. Or of course this one was always fun she would see a small animal or something while i had her on a leash (though my parents always warned me she was never really leash trained). And then she would take off after it with little me being drug on my butt or stomach across the yard or gravel driveway too clueless to let go of that leash and screaming . But other then that she did listen well to my parents and my brother.

Zahi had his "Gabi moments" but for the most part was the better behaved of the two. He had the need to guard the horses most of his time and always seemed aware of any potential danger. Which I have never met a dalmation like him since. I could walk him around in the yard on a leash though. But he did seem pretty bored with the whole pointless thing. He did like music though my mom would play old blues or jazz music on the barn speakers and it just seemed to comfort him. We could usually find him laying on a stack of saddle blankets or bail of straw laying there calmly and slowly wagging his tail. He was my moms favorite dog we have ever had because she insists he had a very old soul. She also likes to say that he had to be and old romantic poet in anouther life or something. I wish I could remember more detailed things about his personality like she can.

We had Zahi since I was 1 years old and Gabi since I was 4. Gabi was the first to leave this world. And she died in a horrible way that I will never forget. We were visiting relatives and friends in PA and Gabi was about 9 years old at the time but didn't seem it. She still seemed like a 2 year old puppy lol with her love for everything around her. Anyways we were at one of my dads friends visiting and we lost track of Gabi which was odd. We never never lost track of Gabi I mean yes she would run off but never far. My dad and his friend went off to look for Gabi when Zahi came back alone. I was sent inside while they left to look for Gabs.

I remember his friend walking in hours later and I remember him saying to his wife that it was so bad they had to end her misery. No one ever told me what truly happened to Gabi until a year or so later. Turned out Gabi had taken off after some critter or must have because she had run quite a ways. Well they had alot of woodlands around where the lived and everyone hunts around there. Turned out she got caught in an old forgotten I guess you would call it a bear trap but it was a smaller one so I don't know. But you know the ones im talking about the ones with the teeth in the top and bottom and clamp down on your foot? I guess it was so bad that her paw was just dangling there. A dog who loved to run who lived to swim a dog who would chase leaves in the wind. My dad knew it would be unfair to put her through not being able to do what she loved to. And so he put her out of her misery right there. It breaks my heart and makes me cry thinking about it.

Zahi died in a more silent and peaceful way a couple years later. He did develop cancer in his later years and seizers that were not constant but he did have them every once in awhile. My mom insisted we bring him inside after the vet told us he didn't have much longer but that he wasent in a great deal of pain. He then simply stopped eating and drinking and spent even more time sleeping. Eventually one day he just didn't wake up and our old soul was gone and my mom was depressed and didn't leave her room for weeks. I do remember that and will never forget it.

They weren't pets or inside dogs but they were loved and are missed. Would I own a Dalmation again? In a heartbeat but i would be very picky about who I got it from. So many nowadays don't have the heart of the working Dalmations I was raised around.

[smkie]

well written and obviously written with love. I enjoyed learning about their lives and yours. THanks for sharing with me!

[Brattina88]

aww...