Tarka's Story
Nine days after Muddy died, Maria Kirylo of Playing Again Sams, Wisconsin Samoyed Rescue, asked if we would agree to foster a dog she had agreed to adopt out of a shelter in Iowa. We weren't sure we were ready to take in another dog so soon, but, after seeing the photos of this sad creature (left), how could we say no?
Tarka had been picked up as a stray and was in danger of being euthanized at a county shelter. Luckily, Anissa Sadhegi who runs West Hancock Canine Rescue, worked to find a Samoyed rescue group who would take him, and Maria said yes. On October 14, 2009, Anissa sprung Tarka from jail, bathed and groomed him, and the next day had him vetted and neutered. On October 17th, Tarka was part of a well-organized 40-animal transport to Joliet, IL, where I met him and brought him home.
Tarka was very afraid in the car but quickly made it clear he did not want to stay harnessed in the back, and curled up in the passenger seat beside me. But as soon as we got home, his reaction to Willie was a different story. I walked him around the yard on leash, then went in the house to bring Willie out to meet him.
The second Tarka saw Willie on the back porch, he ran up to greet him. They formed an instant bond and have loved each other since that very first day. Tarka, who is very afraid of human strangers, immediately started taking his cues from Willie and sticks close to him when he's anxious. And Willie, who was a little lonely after Muddy died, was thrilled to have a new brother, playmate and seeing-eye dog.
Tarka did not know what to do with toys when he arrived, but Willie (who only learned about toys himself a few weeks earlier) very patiently kept taking toys out of the box and showing them to Tarka. As you can see from the photo on the right, the toys are being put to good use nowadays (though between the two of them they've destroyed more toys in three weeks than Muddy did in eight years). Tarka loves carrying toys around the house, out into the yard and into the garage, especially when he's excited about an imminent walk or outing.
Below, Tarka stands in the shadow of his "burly protector" (that's a Simpsons reference) as they investigate some noises on our street.
Tarka arrived extremely thin at 33 lbs; he was treated for parasites before his transport, and has since tested negative. Our vet, Jane Lohmar at Family Pet Animal Hospital, has examined him too; he has healed well from his neutering (despite developing a scrotal hematoma which required a visit to the ER a few days after he arrived) and, other than being underweight, is quite healthy. He has gained a few pounds and, for now (as of November 2010), seems to have stabilized at just over 45 lbs. It does seem that the only flesh on his body is on his powerful little thighs, which are solid muscle and provide him with amazing jumping skills. But he's healthy and strong, and his coat is thickening nicely. He's eating well and loves his raw diet (see Diet and Nutrition), but he's extremely high energy and may always be a skinny boy. He is very small (especially compared to giant Willie), and probably now about two years old so he should remain about this size. We do think he's primarily Samoyed, rather than American Eskimo: he is too tall for an Eskie, and his head, paws as well as temperament, seem very Samoyed-like. We have several other friends who have rescued or adopted the more fine-boned, smaller Samoyeds that our country's despicable puppy mills are producing nowadays (of course.......smaller dogs are easier to keep in cages), and Tarka bears a strong resemblance to these dogs.
Tarka's name comes from the Henry Williamson book, Tarka the Otter. It's also a delightful film, though with a sad ending. The name Tarka means "little water wanderer", (and Tarka has learned to love playing in lakes and creeks!). And we failed our first fostering assignment: we fell in love with little Tarka and in November 2009 we adopted him as a permanent family member.
Tarka is very relaxed with us at home now; unless we have visitors, he seems like a "normal" dog, seeking petting and treats, and playing enthusiastically. He has learned what fun can be had with a ball in the hands of an enthusiastic male human, and this video of him playing with Marc was taken just three weeks after he came to us. The photos below were taken on his first trip to the beach - looking pretty pleased with himself - but he now runs off-leash at the beach and is a far cry from the scrawny boy you see in these photos.
He loves being in the car and feels very safe there; in addition to our neighborhood walks, we do one or two outings to different places most days, to provide him with a variety of experiences. He loves our morning excursions to Portage Park, where his considerable prey drive springs (literally) into action at the sight of squirrels and crows (Tarka is convinced he can climb trees as well as fly). He's become extremely self-confident out in the park, and has earned my trust enough to play off-leash with other dogs. I wouldn't say we have perfectly reliable recall: in typical Samoyed fashion his response is "OK, OK, I can hear you, but I'm busy right now and I'll come when I'm ready". And he does. He loves exploring and pushing the limits of my comfort zone, but he keeps an eye on Willie and me and circles back to us often. So he and Willie romp for about 90 minutes every morning with a great group of friends, and sometimes in the evening too. Here's a video of the group playing, taken on New Year's Eve, 2009. Tarka has very good dog sense and seems to get along well with all the other dogs, but he especially loves to play with Stella, a Lab, Ava, a Doberman, and Puddle, a Great Pyrenees, all young dogs who enjoy chasing and wrestling games with him.
Tarka even gets quite close to the humans he sees every day in the park; he will now beg for (and accept) treats from several people he sees regularly, and will allow a couple of them to pet him. He's even taken treats from near-strangers. In other circumstances, he is still wary, especially when he is on-leash (and feels more trapped) and it will probably take him a few more months to lose that fear.
Over the past year we've had quite a few guests in the house, and while we only have one friend who Tarka knows well enough to approach, he is usually curious enough to emerge from his initial hiding place beside my desk, and sticks quite close to me, even with a group of people sitting around the dining table. He also did surprisingly well on our road trip to Taos last February, and you can read about that on our blog.
We know we have lots of patient work ahead of us with Tarka, but he is becoming a wonderful, loving, playful dog, and it is a joy to watch him run and frolic every day.
