# On Good Dogs and Big Rivers



## junkshowriverchick (Oct 3, 2008)

Every good boatman (or boatwoman of course) needs a right-hand man. Your very own Sundance kid. Robin. Doc Sarvis. Whatever.

I am speaking of a river dog. Mine have accompanied me everywhere, from my lonely semi-homeless nights as a rookie on the Arkansas to ethereal slot canyons behind the La Sals. We endured the monotony of front range winters together, and the freedom of BLM wandering.


Now my call for help:

Other than rowing rivers, my passion is rescuing dogs. Between 3 and 4 million are killed in this country every year simply because there are not enough homes to go around. So please, if you have ever considered bringing a 4 legged boating friend into your life, check out your local shelter.

The most rewarding thing about rescuing a dog from certain city-shelter death is the mutual love, companionship, and adventure you can share together. Sleeping on your boat with your dog at your side is priceless.

If you happen to live on/near the front range and have been thinking about a river dog, check out Hope for Animals. This is a nonprofit group out of Georgetown/Evergreen that I volunteer for. We are a network of foster homes and boarding kennels who integrate dogs, who have been pulled from city shelters before they are killed, into our own homes for a time to get them accustomed to family life. Here is our website with a listing of our current adoptable critters. We are in desperate need of foster/adoptive homes, being filled to capacity in this crappy economy.

Hope For Animals - Clear Creek Rescue (formerly CCCARL): Animal rescue

Thanks for reading my ode to real river life (and my canine cohorts),

Kate C


PS Sorry this was kind of off-topic...but it is fall now and therefore there are less pressing high water discussions occuring...and if anyone would like to share the story of how they met their canine/s, I for one would love to hear it!


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## shappattack (Jul 17, 2008)

I met my shelter dog when he was 6 weeks old when my wife brought him home. He is 12+ years old now and been boating all his life. Some pics of his likely last river trips this summer (salmon and owyhee). He goes to work with me every day.


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## NathanH. (Mar 17, 2010)

I am trying to rehome my Chocolate Lab Puppy right now if anyone is interested.

10 Months old! She's an absolute sucker for the water and will be a very large lab.
Currently up on shots and house broke, I'd really like to keep her but she is too energetic and continues to knock my 2 year old nephew over... 

If anyone is looking for a new river companion send me a PM!


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## scooby450 (Dec 4, 2008)

My story is a little different....a stray adopted me! Sparky was wandering the streets of south, central Phoenix a week before Chrismas two years ago. Night shift rescued him and he hung around the shop for a while. He is an all white, deaf, American Bulldog. No one at work could take him home. I was livin' in a van down by the river and didn't think I had room for him. Couldn't leave him at the office over the holiiday weekend so he came home with me. He must have liked it, he decided to stay. He is a great river dog. As 'chill' a personality as I have met in any species. I am blessed to have had him choose me to be his best friend. He too goes to work with me and most everywhere else too.


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## Wack-Attack (Oct 1, 2010)

Well so this is a very recent story, but there is this river chick I met in my Anat class last year. She has spent this last year learning my soul and decided that I need a river mutt! So she found this dog on I believe that site and dragged me along to meet him, and it was love... Now he is sitting peacefully next to me. All I need to know now is if he loves the river so the name Kirshbom can stand true, or maybe if he hates the river the name could still stand because really who likes swimming that rapid! If it weren't for that great lady this great dog would have been gassed today.


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## MountainMedic (Apr 24, 2010)

2 1/2 weeks after I sprung him from Colorado Malamute Rescue

































As you can see, it was a rough transition


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## caverdan (Aug 27, 2004)

Here is a shot of our dog on her second river trip. We rescued her last year from the local pound. Increadible thing you are doing, Kate. Keep up the good work. Our furry friends need good people like you.


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## catwoman (Jun 22, 2009)

My 11 y.o. mutt, adopted 10 years ago from Laramie WY shelter during his last days. He is making sure he isn't left behind. He and his sister, a Boulder pound pup adopted 12 years ago, enjoying the WY wildlife watching.


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## CO.rafter (Oct 10, 2010)

First of all, cheers to you for having a huge heart for our hairy river buddies. Secondly your dog looks alot like mine as well as your boat, when I saw your profile pic I thought maybe you stole it from me.


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## CO.rafter (Oct 10, 2010)

The boarder collie mix I rescued from a drunk lady down the road when he was a pup. The pit mix was rescued by a friend. 
Chillin' after a good swim!


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## The Mogur (Mar 1, 2010)

Here is my Norwegian Elkhound, Tanja, on the Rogue River. She loved being out in the open, but was terrified by the rapids. We figured out that if she faced backward on the raft and couldn't see the rapid coming, she would just hunker down and not panic. But she really wasn't much of a water dog.


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## brandob9 (Jun 13, 2010)

I've taken my Humane Society special Black Lab / Weimaramer on the river a bunch since we got her. She loves the camping and running around, but isn't so keen on the whitewater. She'll lean on me for security, usually getting in the way of a rowing arm at just the wrong time.


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## yesimapirate (Oct 18, 2010)

*my 1st crontribution*

this picture is a perfect example of my old dog getting in the way of rowing too. she loved being on the water, camping, and barking at geese. we had to put her down last winter at almost 15 yrs. this thread brings back some great memories with her. thanks for starting it!

i'll post the 2nd dog's photo when i can track one down.


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## dgosn (Sep 8, 2006)

Here's a 'vicious' Rottweiler from the pound, a few days from death. He was terrified of water and everything else when I got him, now he sleeps on the cat whenever it is in the driveway. Only time he acts remotely protective is when someone strange touches the boat, my beer cooler is safe!


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## TakemetotheRiver (Oct 4, 2007)

*This thread brought tears...*

So I have to share. I rescued my Molly off the Bisti Highway south of Farmington when she was no bigger than my two hands. She was the dogstick- the dog by which all other dogs should be measured. Last November, at 14 years old, I had to put her down due to cancer. I'm not ready yet, but when I am, a rescue dog will be the way I go again- a more grateful dog never lived.


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## brandob9 (Jun 13, 2010)

Found a photo from the Deschutes this year.


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## Ryanrugger (Jun 7, 2005)

*My river gargoyle*

This is my river gargoyle. She watches me playboat and tries to jump in to come out and "save" me. I have seen her take a few trashings in strong eddies. Gotta love a friend that will do that just to be next to you. She is a friendly pup, but has a protective side when comes to my boat, beers, and babe (wife). Here's to the friend that don't care if you swim, don't have any money, and haven't taken a shower in weeks!


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## junkshowriverchick (Oct 3, 2008)

I LOVE everyone's pictures and stories! Your mutts are beautiful!

We have 3 river dags, all of which are pound puppies. The dog on my profile is Hank, who is the most experienced of them all- and even though he does not like to swim, he loves to make rafting! I don't really like to swim either though...

The other two are a lab-pit-greyhound mix who was on her third trip at the pound due to her extreme activity level and a young pit who was going to be killed at the Denver shelter. Now they swim like fish for hours, and will run beside our mountain bikes bombing downhill sections for miles!

I've got to get a picture of all 3 of them.

We had a rottie who loved to boat as well. Rosie was not the most graceful swimmer...she sank like a stone...

And Dan, my friend Diana Wacker has been talking of a May Deso trip and your name has come up a couple times. Hope you've been caving a bit 

peace!


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## caverdan (Aug 27, 2004)

I've been down Deso twice with Diana......I'd love to go again if I can break away from work. It's hard to do that time of year when you own a nursery and everyone wants their landscape installed. I've never done Deso on a private trip....always as a guide for the high school trips. If I can break away.....I'll be there!!!!

If you ladies want to go caving.......let me know and we will go.


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## wheretheriverflows (Mar 4, 2010)

Wacker! 
Let's do Deso/Gray in May! My birthday is May 5, and in '09 when we hit the canyon on 5/9, the flow was a perfect 17K.  
I may even have a dog by then to keep yours company... 
spelunking soon? count me in...
mark mueller.


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## Wack-Attack (Oct 1, 2010)

Mark, Oh no you found me! Yeah I got a little, not so little man. Sadly no dogs in deso then... You should check out that site and at least foster one, though knowing that you may fall in love and have to keep them! Deso trip will probably have to be after the 5th though because of finals more like the 15th or so.

Dan it would be an amazing time for a private trip and could get a little more wild then with those high schoolers. YES I would love to do some spelunking again with you and i am sure Kate would too. So let us know when we can join.


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## junkshowriverchick (Oct 3, 2008)

count me in! i love caving. and rafting the big verde 

mark, if you are thinking of adopting a mutt, please get ahold of me through diana. i can help you find the perfect best bud!


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## yesimapirate (Oct 18, 2010)

*2nd contribution*

Here's our current dog(inherited/adopted by marriage). As others have said, she too does not like to swim but she does love sunbathing on a paco pad!


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## caverdan (Aug 27, 2004)

Whoever wants to go caving can E-mail me at caverdan at comcast.net. Any weekends are best for me and I still have access to all the caves on Cave of the Winds property. Come on down to Manitou and lets go caving!!!

To get us back ontopic.....Here is my mutt learning how to relax on Ruby Horsethief. She's not much for rapids either. Nice thing about a dog is they don't mind walking them.


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## hullflyer (Aug 22, 2004)

*Best Score Ever*

I found my little wingman on the side of a deserted farm road at the end of a rainy September Day. He was tiny cold ,wet, and had been attacked by some sort of animal. He was 9 weeks old and scared out of his mind. I coaxed him into my truck and gave him some of my sandwich. He's been by my side ever since.


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## jwey (Aug 14, 2008)

Two great dogs one rescued from a pound the other from friends who couldn't keep him...


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