Huckleberry's Third Birthday

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It’s my dog’s third birthday! I’ve recently been getting questions about him, so I’m using this as an excuse to tell his story.


Huckleberry is a labradane — that is, half Lab, half Great Dane. His litter was accidental, and I adopted him from a family in eastern Washington when he was almost four weeks old. We fed him teaspoons of goat milk out of a tiny bottle until he was old enough to start on puppy food. When I brought him home, he weighed six pounds. Now, on his third birthday, he’s 120 pounds of muscle. He can be a little intimidating at first glance, but that doesn’t last once you get to know him.

His hobbies include: exploring the dog-friendly hiking trails around the Pacific Northwest, collecting enormous sticks, and hiding his rawhide bones inside my bags before I leave for climbing trips. He does this all the time — so frequently, in fact, that I recently found a bone he’d hidden in a duffel that I took from Seattle to Kathamandu. I’m not sure whether he’s hiding them for safekeeping or whether he thinks I’ll need nourishment for my journey, but either way it secretly makes me feel loved.

Because people ask: He eats Taste of the Wild, which I occasionally spice up with tripe, salmon, or turkey. He went to Ahimsa Dog Training, which was wonderful — truly, I can’t say too many good things about their positive training techniques. I also read The Art of Raising a Puppy (by the Monks of New Skete), which I recommend to friends all the time.

His collar is from Bold Lead Designs, and his leash is from Found My Animal. When we go on adventures, we take his Ruffwear backpack and warm coat. He lives for Greenies, and he’s on Connectin, which I absolutely swear by.

If you’re interested, I recently made him an Instagram hashtag: #adognamedHuckleberry. Feel free to follow our adventures, and we’ll enjoy following yours.

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