Photo 1: One of his first days out in the park, early in June shortly after we took him home for the first time. He was transported in a basket that hang from the bicycle's lugage carrier. A few weeks later he started clowning around in it, standing on his head and leaning over to one side. Finally he was big enough to walk to the park himself.

Photo 2: In order to let him develop a taste for the good life he had a dinosaure-bone to chew on. And everywhere we went the bone had to be brought too, or he would miss it...

Photo 3: He loves to run around in tall grass, and play hide and seek in it. He was a naughty toddler for years, not responding when he heard us call him, but the grass moving around him gave his position away. His labrador-half tries to obey while his malamute-half wants to explore the world without interruptions.

Photo 4: Surprise, surprise, both ears standing straight for the first time. This only happens when he is alerted by strange footsteps approaching our frontdoor, in the woods when running and playing, and at the sound of horse-shoes in the street below. The presence of horses always brings about infinite enthusiasm.

Photo 5: Two guys, sharing one hobby: food, nice food and lots of it. At this age Holy Smoke wanted to taste everything we ate and mostly liked it. Corn, peaches, jalepeno, he tried it all. Now that he is growing up he has his preferences and dislikings.

Photo 6: Taking him everywhere we go made him the experienced traveller he is today. On this picture he lies on the hatrack of the car, and sometimes - on the way home - he sleeps there. He still jumps up there nowadays but he grew so big now that his black-haired body completely blocks the view to the rear. We always have to have both side-mirrors in perfect working order.

Photo 8 : This portrait shows a well-bred, sweet, wise and self-confident dog. Holy Smoke is now four and a half years of age.

Photo 7: He does this a lot every day. He stands on the park bench - which is covered with a deerskin to protect his feet - and jumps up to the wall of the balcony to overlook the parking lot in front of the appartment we live in. Lots of people wave at him when they see him there and apparently he appreciates that.

He was ill for a few months and his condition slowly deteriorated. First some bacterium from Southern Europe, and then one thing after another. We were at the vets quite often but nothing helped. On the early morning of October 4th, 2008, at 4 am he quietly passed on in his favorite sleeping place.

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Last Updated : Juni 2010