Nikka’s journey continues…
I am not sure why it is, but any dog I’ve ever had always seemed to need reassurance that everything was fine. With my Samoyed’s, the only thing that worked when they were afraid of something was if I cuddled them and told them a story to prove that everything was okay.
With my Malamute, I had to do the same. Nikka absolutely hated other dogs that barked. She loved cats and birds, bunnies and any other animal that didn’t bark. Quiet animals fascinated her and she would watch them for hours without giving chase.
In my other story about ‘THE FOX AND THE MALAMUTE’, Nikka developed a love affair with a fox. Daily, she checked out the window to see if there were any foxes playing in the field. If she spotted any fox at all, she would whine until we put her out on the deck so she could watch them. Rarely did she ever leave the deck.
One night when my husband was away, I heard the foxes cry. The cry of a fox sounds exactly like a baby crying. It’s a mournful sound. I know that it just rips my heart out. I was truly surprised to note that Nikka turned to me and looked distressed. She wanted me to do something. She ran from room to room and peered out the windows and into the darkness beyond.
Usually the fox cry only lasted for about two or three minutes at best, but that night, it lasted for over an hour. I explained to Nikka that it was a baby fox waiting for his mother to bring him some supper. My explanation of the cries seemed to settle her down until the next cries moments later. With every new cry, she would get agitated and cry herself. I didn’t know what else to do. All of a sudden, a shot rang out and echoed around the neighborhood and shattered the still darkness of the night. The crying ceased.
The sound of the shot made Nikka more agitated. I knew what it was all about, but I couldn’t explain that to Nikka. Some redneck on the next street had killed the crying fox. Even though I couldn’t tell Nikka, she seemed to know that something bad had happened. I think she must have sensed it. She just lay on the floor with her head down and whimpered for a while.
A few months after this event, Nikka passed away peacefully with me by her side. I really miss my dear friend.
THE END