Happy 25th Birthday Hawk! Was Hawk watching over River during her bloat surgery?

Puppy Hawk with Suzy and Jessie. Suzy was my parent’s half Karelian Bear Dog – Half Rough Collie. She was rescued from being drowned. An amazing girl. Jessie was my second Rough Collie. God she was smart and pretty!

Such irony. Today is the birthday of Hawk, who was known as Hockey Puck or Puck Man. He survived bloat and torsion. And now, I am sitting here with River, who is recovering from the same thing. My vet told me that to have two dogs survive this is a real blessing. I wonder if Hawk was looking down on River? Or maybe, my Dad was looking down on her…

Hawk on the day he was born. We practically chose him at birth. There were two males and bitch in his litter. His mother was Sigrid Appelt’s dog Heide who was a lovely girl and the spitting image of Covy Tucker Hill’s Rosemary. Hawk’s great grandfather was CovyTucker Hill’s Mazarati, a littermate of the dog Manhattan who won Westminster with Jimmy Moses.

Hawk and Jessie, 1987.

 He would have been 25. I wish I still had him, I loved that dog so much. It was Hawk who is responsible for my love of German Shepherds. He survived bloat and torsion in 1991, and earned his TD 6 weeks later – he was my first tracking dog. He bloated after one very hot morning of tracking – after which I took him for a swim then played with a stick. Yikes, it is a recipe for bloat. And yet, I can’t think of a thing I did with River to cause it – it is just one of those things.

Deja vu – Hawk’s bloat scar, 1991

Above and below – River’s scar.
PS I have a crappy bedspread on the bed as she insists on sleeping there.

He was 4 at the time. We were so lucky to land in on a vet on a Sunday who knew exactly what to do. She had no technician, so I actually held Hawk’s intestines over my arms while she worked to get to his tummy. I had no idea I could do that – but when it comes to our dogs, we can do anything. On Sunday night, I helped to shave River’s tummy and I helped tube her for the surgery. So many memories of Hawk came back to me – but it was not until today that I realized it is his birthday.

Hawk was my first tracking dog! I was hooked. 1991, TD.

Hawk also sang Happy Birthday on command. Here he is howling it for my BF Linda Siczkar and her Belgian boy Task joins in.

His full name is Lindau’s Knighthawk CD TDX TT. Tracking was his true love. I spent so many days in the fields with him. There was no urban tracking then. Sometimes, he would be tracking so silently that if I said good boy, he would jump. I learned about tracking from him and he was my first TDX dog.

I walked and walked with Hawk. Isn’t he a handsome devil? Northwestern Ontario has more Crown land and places to walk a dog. But just today I was out with the Border Collies. I just love walking my dogs. It is like meditation.

Here are the dogs today – Jet and Ben in the background and the ever-joyful Ted with a stick! Some things never change, such as the joy of finding a great stick. And me taking pictures of it.

Beyond all of the above, Hawk was one of those wise old souls. He lived to be 13 and died at home one January night in 2000. He actually looked into my eyes, then put his head down and sighed his last breath. I had spent the entire day sitting with him. It was even a perfect death, for a perfect dog.

Hawk always treasured a glove or mitten, tracking being his passion!

Love to you, Hockey Puck-Buddy Man. I know one day we will be together again.
Thanks for sharing your life with me for the time we had together.