I was just daydreaming and thought back to Coyote the only wolf hybred we only ever owned and i think it was possibly illegal to own him but hey its the past. I remember I was 6 or seven when my dad brought Coyote home and what an ugly dog he was!!! He was from a man selling puppies and offered my dad Coyote he was in a back lot with a few other dogs half of his right her was chewed off he had an eye infection and mange. He also was one eyed probley one from the same fight that took halph that right ear.
Coyote was 2 years old and so my dad had high hopes of training this dog to work with the team. You have to remember my parents are more traditional then i am and their dogs live their lives on the runs and in the box kennels. So I wasent always around Coyote but those first 7 months he lived in the house with us because he was so weak. He reminded me of a the geeky kid in class very quick to apologize and very subdued. He looked like he could have been completely wolf he had a black, gray, and brown coat and pretty yellow green eyes probley the only pretty thing about him I thought or should I say eye
. I think after a few weeks of Coyote's stay my dad started to catch on on how much Coyote disgusted me little did I know that this dog was to teach me a lesson I will never forget.
My dad gave up complete care of Coyote and said he was my responsibility while he was sick and that when I would get up in the morning Coyote would be the first dog I was to tend to and when i got home from school and got my homework done he was my dog to work with. I hated the thought of it and nicknamed him Ugly out of spite. But after a couple weeks of feeding, medicating, massaging, exercising, and grooming Coyote he became one of my favorite dogs on the farm. I had a great time with him and cared for him and his sores I was there at every vet visit and paid attention so i knew what to do for Coyote. I sometimes thought of not giving Coyote his meds simply because i knew once he went out to the run i would see very little of him. The cold hard truth was Coyote was my fathers dog and my dad has always beleived a mans dog is a mans dog and it must only be loyal to him. And i knew once Coyote would go out on the run he would no longer see me and know then that my dad was the alfa the one he must love and be loyal to.
And so I made the most of mine and Coyotes time together and when that faithful seventh month came up it was the worst day of my life the day Coyote was taken to the run. i was playing with Coyote out in the yard when my dad came up. "he's running real nice" he said I froze "yup i answered my eyes welling up with tears "an his coat is nice full and thick now huh?" "yup I answered back petting Coyote as he leaned against my leg (his trade makr move) "and the blind eye doesent seem to stop him from doing anything he wants to" "yup i answered again. Finally my dad told me there was no getting around it that I knew this day was coming and that Coyote needed to move in his training and life. I had to say goodbye right there I wasent aloud to walk back to the Run with dad and Coyote in fact it was a privilage to be able to go back to the run at all at my age.
From that day on Coyote was just anouther dog in the team to me after that day. I saw him in passing when me and my mum and siblings would be there to watch a race he never looked my way and i wondered if he even remembered me. Coyote became one of my dads favorites and when he would talk about him it would break my heart. I did'nt come into touching contact again with Coyote until I was 11 years old and he was 5 or 6. I was moving up in my training I was finally graduating from puppy socialization to full on caring for the run dogs!!! They were all friendly and happy to see me healthy happy dogs ranging from chunky to muscular. I learned all the tricks of the trade the a diet for each dog and the work each dog needed on a daily basis i was told to keep it strictly professional these were dads dogs and me and my siblings were there to learn the family business not to make friends. It wasent what I was thriving for but seeing Coyote and petting him everyday was enough.
Coyote lived for three more years and then died of natural causes. I think of Coyote often that ugly dog that came into my life that evening. Coyote was obviousely not a breeding dog and was neutered so he left no living legacy but none of us have forgotten him. I have alwasy said since then if i was ever to run into a Wolf hybrid in need i would openly welcome them into my home. Coyote broke down barriers for me he got rid of everything i had ever thought of hybrids he showed me that now matter how ugly and rough the exterior the heart is what matters. He was a true dog through and through and I give him alot of credit for where i am in life.
Coyote was 2 years old and so my dad had high hopes of training this dog to work with the team. You have to remember my parents are more traditional then i am and their dogs live their lives on the runs and in the box kennels. So I wasent always around Coyote but those first 7 months he lived in the house with us because he was so weak. He reminded me of a the geeky kid in class very quick to apologize and very subdued. He looked like he could have been completely wolf he had a black, gray, and brown coat and pretty yellow green eyes probley the only pretty thing about him I thought or should I say eye
. I think after a few weeks of Coyote's stay my dad started to catch on on how much Coyote disgusted me little did I know that this dog was to teach me a lesson I will never forget. My dad gave up complete care of Coyote and said he was my responsibility while he was sick and that when I would get up in the morning Coyote would be the first dog I was to tend to and when i got home from school and got my homework done he was my dog to work with. I hated the thought of it and nicknamed him Ugly out of spite. But after a couple weeks of feeding, medicating, massaging, exercising, and grooming Coyote he became one of my favorite dogs on the farm. I had a great time with him and cared for him and his sores I was there at every vet visit and paid attention so i knew what to do for Coyote. I sometimes thought of not giving Coyote his meds simply because i knew once he went out to the run i would see very little of him. The cold hard truth was Coyote was my fathers dog and my dad has always beleived a mans dog is a mans dog and it must only be loyal to him. And i knew once Coyote would go out on the run he would no longer see me and know then that my dad was the alfa the one he must love and be loyal to.
And so I made the most of mine and Coyotes time together and when that faithful seventh month came up it was the worst day of my life the day Coyote was taken to the run. i was playing with Coyote out in the yard when my dad came up. "he's running real nice" he said I froze "yup i answered my eyes welling up with tears "an his coat is nice full and thick now huh?" "yup I answered back petting Coyote as he leaned against my leg (his trade makr move) "and the blind eye doesent seem to stop him from doing anything he wants to" "yup i answered again. Finally my dad told me there was no getting around it that I knew this day was coming and that Coyote needed to move in his training and life. I had to say goodbye right there I wasent aloud to walk back to the Run with dad and Coyote in fact it was a privilage to be able to go back to the run at all at my age.
From that day on Coyote was just anouther dog in the team to me after that day. I saw him in passing when me and my mum and siblings would be there to watch a race he never looked my way and i wondered if he even remembered me. Coyote became one of my dads favorites and when he would talk about him it would break my heart. I did'nt come into touching contact again with Coyote until I was 11 years old and he was 5 or 6. I was moving up in my training I was finally graduating from puppy socialization to full on caring for the run dogs!!! They were all friendly and happy to see me healthy happy dogs ranging from chunky to muscular. I learned all the tricks of the trade the a diet for each dog and the work each dog needed on a daily basis i was told to keep it strictly professional these were dads dogs and me and my siblings were there to learn the family business not to make friends. It wasent what I was thriving for but seeing Coyote and petting him everyday was enough.
Coyote lived for three more years and then died of natural causes. I think of Coyote often that ugly dog that came into my life that evening. Coyote was obviousely not a breeding dog and was neutered so he left no living legacy but none of us have forgotten him. I have alwasy said since then if i was ever to run into a Wolf hybrid in need i would openly welcome them into my home. Coyote broke down barriers for me he got rid of everything i had ever thought of hybrids he showed me that now matter how ugly and rough the exterior the heart is what matters. He was a true dog through and through and I give him alot of credit for where i am in life.
