Ella
I was a survivalist, which is why I made it to almost 16 years old, despite having degenerative myelopathy in my final years. I had specific skills that I applied in various dangerous situations.
When I was a young pup, I wasn’t afraid of thunderstorms, until one day I was out on a run with mom and we got stuck in a hail storm at the absolute furthest point from the house with nowhere to take cover. We had to run as fast as our legs could carry us, while getting pelted by hail, to get home.
After that day, any time there was the slightest rumble of thunder, I would take cover wherever I could. Most often I hid in the bathtub. Hours later, I would make my way back out when the danger had passed. If the bathroom wasn’t available (i.e. if a storm happened at night and we were in the bedroom), I would squeeze myself under the bed. Mom made the mistake of getting a new bed that was lower to the floor, so I had to lay next to the bed and put just my paws underneath – it wasn’t great, but it was better than nothing!
The worst scenario was if I happened to be in the backyard when a storm rolled in suddenly. In that case, I crawled under a wooden platform next to the fence. It was pretty tight under there; I had to dig down into the dirt a bit to get myself fully under. Mom would try coaxing me back out, but it was even more of a struggle to get out.
On a particularly snowy and windy winter day, we were out snowshoeing. I felt that it was too dangerous to keep moving, so I stopped and started digging a hole in the snow. I had it deep enough for me to curl up in when mom and her friend got me to acquiesce. We turned around to take a different trail that didn’t have such a headwind. Mom asked when I had taken a winter survival class, but it was just my keen instincts that caused me to dig that snow shelter.
I was never a fan of camping. The first time I ever slept in a tent was when mom decided it would be fun to go camping with a group of friends to celebrate her 30th birthday. A couple of mom’s friends brought stuff to make s’mores over the fire, which was fine by me since I got some graham cracker out of the deal. Unfortunately, they left the bin with the s’mores supplies outside that night. After we’d all gone to bed, a fox (or some kind of wild animal) came along and got into the container, then came sniffing around our tent. I was so scared that neither me or mom slept a wink that night.
We went camping about once a year. Mom would pull out my air mattress dog bed and set it by the fire for me, because I did not like to lay down in the dirt. My bed was ok, but anytime a fellow camper would get up to use the bathroom, I would pop up and steal their chair. A chair is definitely better than laying on the ground!
When it came time to go to sleep, I would walk towards the car to try to remind mom that we didn’t need to sleep outside with only a thin piece of nylon between us and the wild animals and any potential storms. We owned a house for goodness sakes, or we could always stay at a hotel. I loved fancy hotels. My favorite hotel was Elevation in Crested Butte, Colorado, a four-star hotel. The first time we stayed there, there was a bell hop who catered to my every need. “Oh, you need some treats? Let me get some for you.” Or “You forgot Ella’s bed in the car, I’ll go get it and bring it to you.” Adam was great!
Anyway, back to survival. I was always up for an adventure, but I didn’t have a lot of faith in my sometimes irresponsible mom to keep us safe, so I did my part to ensure our survival. On windy roads, I would get on the floor of the car between the back seats and front seat to be in the area of the car least impacted by the curves.
In the summer months, if we didn’t start our hike early enough, and it had warmed up too much, I would trot from shady spot to shady spot along the way. I would move as fast as possible through the sunny areas to get to the shade where I could take a break. I’m sure you can understand – my dark fur soaked up the heat from the sun, and it’s not like I could take my fur coat off. I was always sure to drink enough water too.
Be sure to always check the conditions before you head out on an adventure, and bring what you need to stay safe. Be prepared for sudden changes in weather, especially when in the tall peaks of Colorado, when a storm can roll in at any time. Get to know your surroundings, and stay alert at all times. If you apply these skills, you’ll enjoy a long, healthy life.