Rarely have I written to you in a story half-told. Perhaps never. I regale a tale completed, once it’s risen and formed. Yet today, after weeks of avoiding it I find myself here, half-told, asking for your help to write the ending.

And…this is why I didn’t want to write this post, because as I type, 3 short sentences in, my stomach is in knots, and tears threaten to flee their watery world beneath the surface. Why?

The Fluff.

Here’s where the story begins:

It was mid-September, a day like any other except I was EXTRA happy. The Chief and I (ok, mostly me) were blasting Lizzo, drinking coffee, and getting ready for our day. Off he went into his and off I danced into mine, breaking out my best moves as I got Ollie ready to head to Storytime at the Library. We were in our new home in our new city of Anchorage and things were feeling extra joyful. Leto and Ollie hung harmoniously (finally) as Leto’s frustrations with Ollie as he’d become hyper-mobile and all too interested in “petting”, had seemed to fade in the prior weeks. I kept a close eye but had felt myself calm around their interactions.

As I finished the dishes I heard a small growl (a common occurrence in our house) and went to grab Ollie to give Leto his peace.

I was too slow.

Leto bit Ollie.

To answer the most important question first: Ollie is OK. He is not traumatized by Leto or by dogs and he healed up well.

To answer the hardest question next: yes, we are looking to rehome Leto.

Does my stomach turn at typing that?
You bet.
Do I know it’s the right thing for everyone, even though it feels absolutely terrible?
Yes.

It’s been a long time since I’ve avoided the click of my keyboard and the truth that noise brings. This is the truth:

we need your help.

Help in finding Leto his new home. We’ve had Leto leads but nothing has been quite right so, I’m coming to you for help. I know what I’ve told you doesn’t exactly emote a Gosh I Want That Dog kind of squishy feeling but I would never give him to someone without being completely honest and outside of this absolutely crap incident, he’s been an incredible joy in our life. There’s also a lot more to Leto than this story.

Like:

The pros:
– Leto is a freaking gem. Everyone who meets him falls in love with him. The Chief walks him at the park every morning and the boys’ and the girls’ Cross Country teams both STOP running every morning to take a “Let’s pet Leto!!!” break. They call out to him from a hundred yards away. It’s the highlight of everyone’s day.
– He’s quiet. Every once in a while he will let out a random howl but other than true protection barks (“Mom! There is a bear!”) he is quiet and calm.
– He’s very tidy. He poops in the same locale every day or off-trail if on a walk. Malamutes are tiiiiidy.
– He travels well. He will just put his head down and wait until the trip is over (and we’ve driven a lot with him. Like…driven to California and back a lot). He’s chill. Won’t try to jump in the front seat or bug you.
– He’s hilarious. Seriously, this dog has a personality.
– He’s great with everyone (including all children, except for Ollie).
– He LOVES going to the vet. His last vet moved to Hawaii and still sends him Christmas cards every year.
– He’s calm. A barking dog will run up to him at the park and he will simply keep on walking.
– He skijors (I can’t vouch for how good he currently is at it as I haven’t done it in 2 years due to being pregnant but back then it was a great steady pace).
– He’s great off leash (but doesn’t understand cars so needs to be put back on when cars are nearby). Whenever we come to a fork in the road, he waits, or circles back to me.
– He’s pretty mellow with grooming. His undercoat is thick so we normally take him to a groomer when we can and then brush him (which he loves) and clip his nails (which he’s fine with) in between.
– He’s a road dog. He will go anywhere with you, any time. He wants to be with his pack. BUT he’s also ok at home and has never once gotten into the trash, ripped things up, peed inside, etc. Like I said, the boy is tidy.
– He’s smart and happy to learn new tricks. He’s so quiet that we taught him to bark on demand just to hear him do it (which he does in a very dainty “woof”).
– He’s very gentle, delicately taking snacks out of your hand.
– He’s handsome: Every time you go outside with him, someone will want to take his picture. My friend keeps telling me to just make him a dog model so we can all quit our jobs already. Our loss is your gain, I guess (his Mama was a show dog after all).

The Cons:
– He’s handsome: Every time you go outside with him, someone will want to take his picture (this is only a Con if it’s a con to you, hence it being in the Pros section).
– He’s a Malamute so…he can be stubborn BUT treats melt all stubbornness. I just found out he could jump into the Subaru by throwing a tiny sliver of Havarti back there. Seriously, treats do the trick.
– He sheds. Refer to above: he’s a Malamute. Comes with the territory. But I’ve heard that Roombas cure-all.
– He’s good on leash but does pull if he gets scared (I just learned he’s scared of trains. Whowuddathunkit?!).
– As I mentioned above, he doesn’t understand cars (since all the cars where we live stop for him). If there are cars around, he MUST be on a leash.
– He doesn’t like to be humped and has gotten aggressive with dogs who won’t stop humping him. No bites just lots of growling and teeth gnashing on both sides. It’s a dominant thing and he is a dominant dog. I can see it happening before it gets to that and normally get ahead of it by just leaving the situation. It hasn’t happened in a year or more.
– If you have a couch, he will want to get on it. This isn’t a con for us, but maybe it is for you.
– He loves children but shouldn’t be in a home with little ones, obviously.

Stats:
Age: 4 years old (born on Valentine’s Day 2019)
Breed: Malamute
Gender: Male (neutered)
Weight: 85 pounds
Vaccines: Up to date
Microchipped: Yep
Does well with other dogs? Yes but prefers to live alone
Does well with cats? He’s curious about cats. He’s been swiped by a few and hasn’t tried to hurt them but I can’t vouch that he wouldn’t attempt it so better in a house without cats or where they can have separation.

Comes with bed, kennel for travel, lots of love, and a guarantee that if for some reason it doesn’t work out, we will take him back.

So…who’s his love match?
Someone who wants to love on him. Dote on him. Let him be the baby again. People with older kiddos or those not planning to have kiddos are perfect. Someone without other pets is ideal. Someone who likes the outdoors but also likes a good couch snuggle. Someone who doesn’t live in our town (Anchorage is fine but we think that MXY would be too hard for everyone).

Thank you for reading this and for sharing it with anyone you think might be interested. Please reach out if you have a lead.

With a lot of love (and a ton of tears),

from Alaska

P.S. Thanks for allowing me to Scorpio this past while and bury myself in this until I was ready to share. Thank you for following along in our adventures, both happy and hard.