Tavish, the original Intrepid Pup
Who knew that the journey begun in 2005 on a farm in rural Maine—whelped among Devon cattle, Nigerian dwarf goats, Katahdin sheep and miniature donkeys—would take Tavish (and us) so far in exploring not only the United States but also the profound meaning of friendship?
By phenotype, Tavish was a Hungarian vizsla, officially described by the American Kennel Club as “gentle-mannered, demonstrably affectionate and sensitive though fearless.” He was all that. But he was also part whirling dervish, part couch potato, part mischief, part clown. An athletic hiker. Enthusiastically food-driven. Sometimes vocal. Comfortable in front of a camera. A deep sleeper but vivid dreamer. A good listener. A living, breathing heating pad and a crucible for empathy from which most people could learn a thing or two. He wiggled with a puppy-ness that belied his years; his tail wagged with an intensity that invariably elicited comments about harnessing it as an alternative energy source. There seemed to be no proverbial “bad day” with Tavish, and he stood ready to brighten yours with a hand nuzzle or quick lick on the ear, maybe even a paroxysm of unbridled joy: the full-on pummel. He was easygoing with other dogs and the cats with whom he shared a home, but it was people he gravitated to most, seeking an invitation to lock into their orbits and, once firmly established, remained unconditionally loyal.
The millennia-old bond between canines and humans is cited in everything from scientific journals to reality TV. And these days, given the growing, multi-billion-dollar pet services industry, cherishing one’s dog is hardly unusual. To tout Tavish as “the best” would diminish all the other great relationships people so fortunately have forged with their pets. Yet Tavish was our best, and we’re lucky to have found so steadfast a companion: an intrepid pup who was our co-pilot in all seasons to parks, museums, and monuments across the United States and in our nation’s capital. Eager to take on the seashore, the mountaintop and all the woodland trails and urban jungles in between, Tavish made road-tripping more fun, got us to realize it’s as much about the journey as the destination, and challenged us to be more observant along the way.
Intrepid Pup Yonder (5 weeks old)
After Tavish passed away at the age of 14½, there was a vizsla-sized hole in our hearts. It took us 2½ years before we were ready to continue the journey. Yonder joined us in September 2022 at 15 weeks old. He, too, is a Hungarian vizsla from New England, and we figured out that he is actually Tavish’s first cousin four times removed! Yonder is lively and inquisitive, and we can’t wait to see how his personality and interests develop. To quote a famous Dr. Seuss book, “Oh, the places we’ll go!”
