Life with Levi (The Free Dog)

Life With Levi (The Free Dog)

Levi with his bear

It was Labour Day weekend 2012. Tim had called and said that their new dog was going to have to go to the shelter, it was just too much for them to handle, a new dog and two-year-old Ellie.

Levi in Saint John, September 2012

Patti said "We're getting the dog."

"No way" I said.

"He's too good a dog to go to the pound."

"No way."

“We're taking the dog.”

“No way.”

Later that same day, we got a Golden Retriever.

Levi, Thanksgiving weekend 2012.

Perhaps I should clarify.
Levi was Golden all right but the Retriever portion of the program was a fairly loose interpretation.
If you threw something for him to fetch, he'd go get it.
Once.

If you threw whatever it was again, we learned early on that it was a good idea not to throw it very far, you were the one going to fetch it because he wasn't going to bring it back to you again.

Perhaps he decided that if we threw whatever it was a second time we really didn't want it in the first place. 

There can be no doubt that before he ended up in our family, Levi suffered abuse. If Patti went anywhere near him with the vacuum nozzle, broom or mop and moved even the slightest bit quickly, he'd lower his head, shake and cower, expecting to be hit. On the other hand, I could rake, shovel or swing a golf club and he'd carry on as normal. He'd never go into the doghouse that a friend had left for us, not even for a second. We theorized that was how he was punished. It took a very long time for him to realize that Patti was not going to harm him.

While we thought he certainly wasn't the most gifted dog when it came to brains he immediately endeared himself to anyone and everyone he ever came into contact with. He approached anyone new with his head down as a sign of submissiveness. All he ever wanted to be was loved. About the most vicious thing about him was that tail. Always wagging. Always.

Levi's first (we think) Christmas present

"Beat that dog, beat that doggy every day." He'd roll over for belly rubs when he heard that.

More dog abuse

He invented a game for himself very early on. We called it "tobogganing". He'd climb up the snow roll at the end of the driveway, flop over on one side and propel himself down the hill with one back leg. When he reached the bottom, he'd stand up, shake himself off and head back up, flop onto the other side and do it all over again.

It did not take long for him to figure out exactly what CAR meant.

Whenever that word was mentioned he'd turn into an excited round-and-round golden tornado until the house door was opened and immediately bound to the back of the Escape looking forward so much to whatever adventure was about to take place.
So, we'd try to spell the word instead. Figured that out soon enough as well.
Truck? Nothing.
Vehicle? Not a chance. No reaction.
Perfect... let's call it a "ROAD TRIP!"

Golden tornado each and every time. It could be a trip to the grocery store or a six or eight-hour turnaround. As long as he got to go, it didn't matter. I never saw a dog who traveled as well.

Ready for a road trip with his bed and "Ziggy", his zebra.

“Cookie Time” and “Ten o'clock” became synonymous.
 In hindsight, perhaps he was smarter than we thought.

I was hit with GBS in late March 2013. Patti was left to look after Levi and Grace (the cat) alone.

Sometimes for twelve or fourteen hours he was left in the house. Never an accident. Not once.

I couldn't even begin to imagine the number of Patti's tears that he tried to lick off her face not to mention the conversations they had when she would put him on his leash and out they'd go for walks.

Snuggle time with Patti

I was brought all-too-briefly to Lillian Fraser Hospital around the first week of April.

Grace came to visit in the room and Levi got to see me and talk through the window.

Then they took me to Restorative Care Unit in Pictou. Levi WAS allowed to visit there.

Jumped up in the bed with me immediately.

Home the middle of May but couldn't do much that summer.

Levi, Grace (the cat) and me. Sometimes it got crowded in the bed.

We had him on the boat a few times in 2013 but we never left the dock while he was aboard.
Started the engine a few times and he was fine with it.

First time aboard "Ever After" June 2013

Levi would not go below that first trip down to the boat. 

Once we went inside though, he was good with it too.

This was his first time in the Vee-berth, apparently it wasn't too bad. He wasn't going to let anyone out of his sight though.

2014 and 2015 were a different story.

We had him out a few times for day sails. Handled it like a champ. Learned it was OK to pee in the cockpit sole. Things were coming together.Took him to the old marina on French River to go for a swim.

In for a dip at the abandoned former marina on French River

Then a bath

... and a blowdry.

Levi went everywhere (and I mean EVERYWHERE) with us in 2016.

Day sails on "Ever After", countless day trips in the car, Saint John for a weekend getaway numerous times (He loved stopping at McDonald's in Sackville or Magnetic Hill where he'd get his burger patty treat), Cavendish PEI (on the ferry- both ways no less) and Cheticamp
.

Aboard mv 'Confederation' (both ways) Labour Day weekend 2016

... and finally to St. Peter's, Cape Breton on the boat.

We had sailed out of Barrachois around quarter after eight in the morning and by two-thirty in the afternoon we were abeam of Pictou Harbour. Six hours into his first big trip.

Sea was pretty much flat calm and the tide was falling. We were flying at over 8 knots SOG.

“We need to make miles while we can.”

“What about Levi?”Patti asked.

"We'll put in at Arisaig if we have to. No harm in trying."

We put up the dodger extension for shade and SPF 30 sunblock on Levi's nose.

And continued to motor sail along.

Six hours into Levi's first cruise, abeam of Pictou Harbour

Levi slept on the lazarette while we covered him with a wet towel and kept soaking it.

Pulled into Ballantyne's Cove at 8:20 pm.

Twelve hours pretty much to the minute.

He woke up and we took him ashore on his leash.

We were worried about him not being comfortable sleeping on the boat that first night.

No problem. Had his cookie and went to sleep on the quarter berth, starboard side.

We were storm stayed by winds in Ballantyne's for an extra day, we explored the beach, the boatyard, the Tuna Interpretive Centre, the fish and chip shop, everywhere.

A happy boy alongside in Ballantyne's Cove Marina.

The next day we headed across St. George's Bay and locked through at Canso Canal.

Didn't faze him in the least.

Spent that night in Port Hawkesbury Marina.

The following day landed in St. Peter's leading to the very best summer ever.

Levi was in his glory. There were lots of new people to meet every day and he made sure he greeted them all.

With Bill and Susan in St. Peter's

Whatever was going on in the boat, he was sure to be in the middle of it. Bill and Susan (above) just loved him.

Walks at the St. Peters Canal, Battery Park, everywhere we went we took him on his leash.

Sleeping arrangements were Grace on the curved quarter berth, Levi on the straight berth with his blanket and his bear, Patti and I in the V-Berth.

Levi and his bear

Breakfast as soon as the sun came into the companionway, Grace would usually do the “heavy lifting” jumping onto the V-Berth (and us) saying “Mrrrr” and the Levi would walk up and put his nose on the berth as if to say “Good Morning, it's time for our breakfast.”

Then we would walk to the parking lot or over by the mast rack and the little beach. I lost 12 pounds on these little journeys, Patti lost more than that. On the return trip I would always undo his leash and let him trot down the walkway saying hello to everyone along the way until he arrived at our slip, second last finger on the right. He'd slip under the lower lifeline as if it wasn't even there and head into the cockpit or onto the foredeck.

It didn't take him long to figure out that the pointy end was closest to the action on the dock

We took a cruise around to Dundee where we met Kim, Kelly, Matt, Logan and of course Russ and Verda. Logan just loved Levi and enjoyed walking him. He enjoyed it as well I'm sure because she was able to go a lot further than Patti or I could.  

Levi with Logan and Kelly Shaffner in Dundee

We stayed a couple of days and made our way back to St. Peter's Marina. While we were under motor, Levi pretty much had free reign and liked being up forward with Patti.
Looking back, we have come to the conclusion that he just didn't like to be left alone anywhere which worked out perfectly. We didn't want him to be left alone either.

On seal watch heading toward Cape George Harbour Lighthouse and St. Peter's Inlet.

Most days we would leave the Marina around 10 in the morning or so and head out onto the Big Lake. Levi soon found that if he wedged himself between Patti or me and the coaming when we were under sail and heeling it was the perfect place for him to be. Under motor he liked to have his own lazarette and watch other boats pass by. We did that each and every day until we came out of the water.

He liked being wedged between someone and the coaming when underway.

Under motor in St. Peter's Inlet.

If it got too warm, we'd put a wet towel on him and kept him wetted with water.

Usually he'd fall asleep.

Fast asleep under a wet towel in very light winds, sailing a beam reach, starboard tack.

"Beat that dog" was even fun on the boat for him.

I believe it was Labour Day weekend and there was a ceilidh up at the clubhouse. We took Levi up on his leash to see all the goings-on. There is quite a steep lawn where we sat to watch the festivities of Highland dancing and music. After he greeted all who were there as spectators, he flopped over on one side... and started tobogganing. He had about 12 feet he could go and, just as in the winter was propelling himself down the hill with a back leg, shaking himself off and doing it all over again. We heard a child say "Mom, look at that silly dog having fun".

We hauled out for the winter on September 20, which was early for us. When we stopped in Port Hawkesbury A&W for lunch that day, the lady at the drive-thru window saw Levi in the back of the Escape and asks if it'd be all right if he had a treat. "Certainly, Thank You". Sorry Grace, you weren't conspicuous enough. (Relax, she got the bacon off my Teen burger)

We went back to St. Peter's two weeks later to finish putting the boat to bed.

Of course Levi was in for that road trip. (and bacon this time at A&W).

And another when we brought home a boat battery that had gone bad.

On Hallowe'en night he was running around in the yard while the trick or treaters visited.

The morning of November first, Patti makes his breakfast and Levi, not really enthusiastically, finishes it.

That evening at cookie time (“Ten o'clock”) he didn't touch it at all.
Odd, we thought.

November 2nd, he had no interest at all in breakfast just before 8:00.

Patti put him out on his chain to pee.

She then took him on his leash which usually is a source of great excitement for him.

He slowly walked behind Patti over to the river. Patti brought him back into the house, he's so listless.

Now we know that there is something very wrong and we begin to get dressed to go to the vet.

Levi was laying down in front of the fireplace, unsteadily rises to his feet to come over by the couch, lays down beside us (I'm sure so as not be alone) and draws his last breath. He was gone in mere minutes from the time we realized that he was in trouble. He was only eight years old.

We took Levi for the last time toward the river which he so loved and with tears in our eyes, laid him to rest on his bed with his blanket and his bear.

And said "We Love You Buddy".

Did we ever.

We hope he'll be waiting at Rainbow Bridge for us.