Off-leash blog:True love knows no breed

[Ben Swan]

Zach might be a Labrador-Shar-Pei mix, but when it comes to water, he’s decidedly aqua-phobic.

Having grown up in wet, wet Oregon, you’d think this dog would love to frolic in open water. Not so. On a recent visit to Laughlin, Nev., Zach remained true to his anti-water self.

On the banks of the Colorado River, Zach stayed close to the banks, hoping the current would bring in a favorite toy rather than force him to wade deeper in to retrieve it.

Not that he ever would. Over the years I’ve learned that Zach has his limits when it comes to water. There has been many a stick, Frisbee or obsessively sought-after item that’s been lost to a river’s current fancy.

I’ve been forced to dive after more of Zach’s toys than I care to admit. I initially thought I could help him get over his fear of deep water by wading into a river or lake, coaxing him from the shore. It worked for Beta, my Dalamatian-Shar Pei, but not for my brave boy.

My brother has a favorite story of how his golden retriever, Ollie, taught my black Labrador, Krista, how to swim in Alaska. He loves to tell people that Krista wouldn’t swim until one day he threw a ball into a pond for Ollie, and Krista soon followed, a virgin swimmer no more.

I don’t dispute the story, although with Krista I always imagined it was more desire than anything else. That willful dog only did what she wanted.

But Zach? He’d do anything for me. Except, it appears, swim.

That’s the thing about breeds. You can never tell. I’ve often thought I should simply stop mentioning the Labrador aspect when people wonder about Zach’s genetic make-up. He sure ain’t no water dog.

Claudia Inoue thought for sure her beloved Juanita was a corgi-and-besenji mix. After $160 for DNA tests and weeks of anxious waiting, the tests came back inconclusive. Apparently generations of in-breeding on Puerto Rico, where Nita was rescued, could give no clear breed distinction.

Discouraged, but not down, Claudia’s decided that Nita’s simply a dog’s dog. In the meantime, Scoop readers have had fun guessing Nita’s breed.

A dachshund mix of some kind was a favorite guess. Sandy Lemon thought dachshund and corgi, while Diego Sisneros guessed Jack Russel-dachshund or Chihuahua-dachshund.

Rose Holmes had a hunch about a German shepherd-dachshund combination, while Lisa Jaramillo guessed heeler-German shepherd and Mickey Rogers thought a dingo-Chihuahua was the right combination. Scott Dawson, who adopted a similar-looking dog from the shelter, says he calls his dog Petro a Pinchchawa, his name for a miniature pinscher-Chihuahua mix. Samantha Fortran also fell into the pinscher camp.

All good guesses, but all for naught. Still, a contest’s a contest, and we need a winner for “Name that Mutt.” On Wednesday I forced Claudia to help me pick the lucky ones. We decided since it was all about Nita, she should be the one to choose the winner.

We sprinkled the guesses (printed out on paper) on the floor of her shop, Toy Auto Man on Airport Road, and Nita picked her favorites. First prize goes to Lisa Jaramillo. Second prize is Diego Sisneros, while our third-prize winner is Rose Holmes. Jaramillo will receive a cool Santa Fe Shelter daybook, along with another book. All winners will receive beautiful origami peace cranes handcrafted by Claudia.

Claudia makes the cranes, which are also adorned with beads, as benefit for the shelter’s spay and neuter fund, something she strongly believes in. She sells them at the shop for $5 each, with all the proceeds going to the fund. Feel free to check them out at 4774 Airport Road, or call her for more information at 983-9463.

Not knowing Nita’s breed is disappointing, but that doesn’t change Claudia’s love for Nita. That was obvious Wednesday when I tried to take photos of Nita and Claudia. Nita wouldn’t stop giving Claudia kisses.

It’s the same way I feel about Zach. He’ll never live up to his Labrador credentials, but that doesn’t stop him from being an excellent doggy dancer. And a great companion.

[Lisa]

wish I was doing that! LOL It's a Monday alright..... I am running around doing damage control.

[Claudia Inoue]

I'm sitting here at my desk folding cranes....LOL

[Lisa]

Wow, you are quick on the keyboard this morning! =o) Think perhaps I need more coffee. LOL

[Claudia Inoue]

That would be very nice! :)

[Lisa]

If things go ok today, perhaps I can stop by. :)

[Claudia Inoue]

Yes, you do, Lisa! And if you come this week, you can buy a couple of cranes to help with Kermit, the wonderdog's vet bills!!! See my blog on front page of Scoop

[Lisa]

What a fun and wonderful article. Once again, it's what's inside, the personality that we fall in love with. I still have to come by some day and say howdy! :)

[Ben Swan]

BTW, one of our winners, Lisa, is so excited about getting a peace crane. Just wait until she sees how beautiful they are!

[Ben Swan]

I thought you'd get mad at me about the photo, which I really liked. But I know how some people are about perfect hair ...

[Claudia Inoue]

Thank you to Rose (Holmes), one of the names drawn by Nita. Rose was the ANGEL who flew to Puerto Rico for us many years ago to get our little boy Rico for us! Thanks also to Sandy Lemon for voting! She is Stephen's golf teacher.