Dale Matson
Susie Cooling Down
(Click Photographs For A Larger View)
Susie is really a ‘cool weather’ dog. There are two problems
that arise in the summer. She needs to be on a lead while on the trails. She is
only too willing to chase any animal she sees. If she were off lead, she would
run and run and get lost and never come back. She is like the DEW line (Distant
Early Warning). I may not be aware of an animal but I can even tell what kind
of animal is around by how she reacts. She has tried to chase coyotes, deer and
even pack Llamas. She gets less excited by mules and horses but a lizard causes
her to lunge hard enough to strain a biceps tendon. She has also barked and
growled at animals we have never seen, perhaps bears or mountain lions. Thanks
Susie.
Susie And I Were Surprised By The Llamas
A second reason she is a cool weather dog is that she does
not like warm feet. Even in the mountains in summer, the trail surface is hot
for her feet. As the day warms, she begins a silly dance as if she is walking
on hot coals. Her feet are not being burned but she is simply a pansy about it.
I have seen other dogs on the trail that don't seem to even notice the warm
trails. Now Fresno at noon in the summer is not the place you want to walk a
dog on asphalt.
She has never done well with dog “booties” and lost two in
the muck of Edison Lake the day after I bought them for her, so much for that
idea. Carrying a dog pack is too hot for her, at least that’s what she has led
us to believe. We carry extra water and treats for her.
Drama Queen On A Warm Spring Day Near Kaiser Peak
Susie Plowing Through Deep Powder
Icy ponds and streams are just fine with her and she will
jump in for a drink at the drop of a hat. I have always kept in mind that she
could fall into a tree well in winter and carry a 30’ nylon strap.
The greatest fun for us is in the winter when she and her
younger brother go off leash and run free. They love to flip on their backs and
make Airedale Snow Angels. When the snow is chest deep or deeper, we can keep
up with them when we are on skis. Eventually, they get tired of running here
and there and follow the trail we create in the snow with our skis. When there
is too much snowfall at one time, the powder is simply too deep even for skis
and certainly too deep for dogs with no skis. I have often wondered how the
coyotes get around in the deep powder.
Baldy Lookout Seven Miles From Tamarack Trailhead
The scariest time for us was one spring when Tamarack
Creek opened up and the snow no longer provided a bridge over it. The banks
were two feet high but the snowpack added four more feet. Susie saw some ducks
in the creek and jumped in after them. Much to her surprise, there was no way
out for her. I was able to lasso her and pull her over the bank to safety
before she got hypothermia.
Susie In Trouble In Tamarack Creek
MU 52 On Duty 24/7
It is times like this when a pet is a companion. Airedales
appear to be less intelligent but it is really because they are more willful
than other dogs. Susie is not funny at home but on trails, she makes me laugh
and laugh.
Here is a Youtube video I made of Susie and her younger (but bigger) brother in the backcountry snow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSYsgbEm6wY&list=UU0G3jx2PLv6FOw2NM5Aa6Yw
Here is a Youtube video I made of Susie and her younger (but bigger) brother in the backcountry snow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSYsgbEm6wY&list=UU0G3jx2PLv6FOw2NM5Aa6Yw
Susie is now 12 years old and we still do our daily walks together. We usually do about 3-4 miles at the local park. The trails at elevation are too difficult for her now and her human companion is not doing much better but still managing to do the trails at a slower pace.
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