My granddog, Yuki, is staying with me for a couple of weeks while my son and daughter-in-law are skiing in Japan.  Yuki, meaning “snow” in Japanese, is an absolutely gorgeous, regal Samoyed whose hair is so full around his neck and chest it gives the appearance of a lion’s mane, yet his spirit is pure gentle heart.  His name suits him perfectly since he is as white as pure snow and as fluffy as a cream puff.  His face is so adorably sweet and always smiling, it’s like looking at a stuffed animal that you simply want to cuddle.  Samoyeds like to “talk”.  He actually forms his mouth to speak rather than bark sometimes.  He’ll often watch my lips very carefully with his head cocked and expressive eyes as if he truly wants to understand what I’m saying so he can respond.

I must admit, as much as I love him, it felt daunting to commit to taking care of him for that long.  It’s been a while since I have had someone or something completely dependent on me for a length of time.  I have relished my independence these past many years, the total freedom to do as I wish when I want on my own terms.  Since I do not have a yard, the commitment is taking him on several walks per day and not being able to leave him on his own for more than 3-4 hours at a time.  He is extremely well-behaved so I am able to take him with me to most places.

Taking Yuki on walks, is a fascinating and, sometimes frustrating, experience.  Yuki does not take walks for exercise.  Instead, he views walking as an exercise in exploring the world through scent.  This means we, literally, must stop every few steps so he can smell everything in-depth, and I’m not exaggerating.  He doesn’t just sniff.  He actually glues himself to the spot and drives his nose into the ground, bushes, grass to get the full experience.  It gives a whole new meaning to “stop and smell the roses”! It seems to take forever to get to the park which is only a couple blocks away from my home.  Even if I take him on the same route to and from, he finds something new to capture his attention for smelling.  What could possibly smell that interesting?  Perhaps the lesson for me is to slow down enough and learn to enjoy the experience of smelling the world.

Yuki is a show-stopper on walks and eating at outdoor restaurants.  Somehow, he knows how attractive he is and carries himself like a show-dog with his fluffy white hair bouncing as he prances down the sidewalk.  People openly comment on how beautiful he is, are compelled to pet him and want to take his picture. He must understand what they are saying because he looks at them with the “yeah, I know” face.  Young children are in awe of him.  Being that they are not much taller than he is, they are wary but drawn to him and ask sheepishly, “can I pet him?”.  One child asked, “is he a polar bear?” with a look of worry on his face. Fortunately, Yuki is as genteel as he is arrogant and patiently allows anyone to pet him.  Having him as my companion ups my social life considerably with both men and women!

My daughter-in-law says Yuki is “socially awkward” which makes me laugh.  His absolute favorite pastime is to visit the dog park because he is SO excited with the opportunity of making new dog friends.  Once he gets there, though, he’s not sure what to do.  He wants to play but isn’t quite sure how to go about it.  It’s as if he doesn’t know how to communicate with other dogs.  I have to wonder if it’s because, since the time he was a puppy, he has been with people 24/7.  My son and daughter-in-law got him as a young puppy just before COVID, so the three of them were holed up together non-stop for almost two years.  Perhaps Yuki thinks he is more human than dog.  

Other things I wonder about is:  how are dogs able to sleep for so many hours in a given day and still sleep through the night?  Have you ever noticed that?  And, they fall asleep instantly!  Or, when he is awake just lying there looking at you, what is he “thinking”.  How does one think without a vocabulary?  I wonder that about babies, too.  Right?  What is it about the connection we have with animals that is so different from fellow human beings?  It feels like a communication that is beyond words, a connection from the soul.  What an empty place the world would be without our furry friends.

I am getting quite accustomed to having him by my side day and night and am already wondering what it will feel like when he returns to his own home.  No doubt, there will be a a new void in my life.

By the way, Yuki has his own Instagram: yuki_thecloud