 Crystalcreek Alaskan Malamutes and German Shepherds | sitemap | log in
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Kodi
Arctictreks Yukon Quest
(Storm Klouds Chosen to Win at Hawkam x Arctictreks Indiana)
12/03/1995 - 13/03/2008
Kodi arrived at a very bad time for me because I had not long had to have my first dog Jessie put to sleep from cancer. Needless to say I was distraught and for a short while I considered not getting her, however, as I had been waiting a year for her, I felt it was not like I was “replacing” Jessie. Kodi did basic obedience training, passing the Kennel Club’s Good Citizen Certificate in July 1996, at age 16 months. We also did agility and following on when she was old enough, I hoped to run her with Nico in Sled Dog racing; however, after a couple of years of that, she decided that she much preferred agility!! So, that was that, Nico was back to running on his own and Kodi competed in agility shows with my new GSD, Casey. When Casey qualified me for Novice/Intermediate classes, Kodi had to compete at the same level. She was very successful for her size and managed to get three novice placings in her time. Even at 12 years old, she still enjoyed it and could do an hour’s training with ease.
Kodi was just about the mellowest Malamute I have ever come across, a dog who knows herself completely and is absolutely confident in her skin. She was very intelligent, but like all mals, used that intelligence for herself. She was a very laid back dog and didn't hurry for anything, all the others used to rush out in the morning, but Kodi just walked out in her own time. Kodi was a great matriarch, other dogs respected her authority without question, she never had to use force to discipline, just a look would do. She was rarely on a lead, I could even walk her down a street off lead she was that good. She was also very patient and very subtle; her favourite hobby was to clean out the tea cups and no matter how much you think you are watching her, she knew when your concentration lapsed and was in there so quietly she had drunk it before you could react then walked away with a smile on her face. Because Kodi was so laid back, I thought she would be an ideal candidate as a PAT dog (Pets As Therapy). She started off going to homes for mentally disabled people and would allow herself to be pulled around and patted by them. We also visited a local hospital where I thought she would be great for the children, but although she enjoyed visiting them, when we left that ward and went to the old peoples ward she pulled me all the way there - this from a dog that never pulled on the lead in her life!! Why? Well, because elderly patients always have biscuits by their bed and they loved to give her one, her party trick was howling on command and the old folk loved getting her to "talk" for a biscuit.
Kodi helped many a child overcome their fear of dogs, she was so gentle that despite her size they soon came to love her. She was on TV several times, including an appearance in a kids programme called Havakazoo, an episode of a C4 sitcom called The Wilsons with a gang of other dogs and a title sequence for a BBC2 sitcom called Bad Books.
In May 2007, just as Star's pups were born, a lump was discovered in Kodi's mouth. I knew what it was, and the vet confirmed my fears - its name was Canine Melanoma, one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. Not a killer in the mouth, but a fast spreader, she was given a 3-6 months to live as the tumor was diagnosed as Stage 3. We went to the Glasgow Vet hospital for referral and after much discussion and as she was so fit and healthy in every other way and not really showing signs of her age, I decided to go ahead with removal of the tumor. This unfortunately resulted in the removal of half of one side of her top jaw due to the position of the tumor to ensure good margins. I was advised that the recovery from the op would be fairly quick and she would be eating normally soon. In all it was about a month after the operation before I could say she was back to normal and apart from being half shaved from all the tests and pain patches and operation. It took a bit longer for the fur to grow back but she continued to do agility throughout the summer and was fit and healthy in every other way. They still only gave her about 6-9 months to live after the op as I refused chemo to clear up any stray cells that may have been already on their way. The treatment would have lasted about 5 months and would not have given her much more time and I decided not to make half of that time with her being ill. I gave her 30ml of Colloidal Silver a day, which has been shown medically to revert some cancer cells, so I figured this was a better risk for her and if nothing else, it would help her immune system and keep infections away. Sadly on her 13th birthday and 10 months after the operation, Kodi had a fit. She then had 3 more in quick succession. I took her to the vets and we both knew what it was, but she was so inquisitive in the vets that we agreed to give her one shot to see if it would help, sadly it didn't and in the early hours I took the decision that no-one likes to make. She was a one in a million dog and I thank Barbara Stanier every day I had her. The hole she has left in our lives is huge and will take a long time to heal.
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