CARNEPARK'S LOKI

May 11, 1985 - February 1, 2000
Rejoice as you run in the winds
As you play with your family and friends
And know we will meet again

LOKI'S STORY
By Carol Slattery

There are events that will change your life forever. That event for me was the day my husband Tom and I met Loki. After the death of our first Norwegian Elkhound I didn't know if I wanted another dog. All I could do was walk by the dog's dishes and feel sad. Tom's reaction was different. He wanted a dog the next day so I gave in and called a local breeder. She was having a litter, but all the puppies were spoken for. My husband pointed out there was another breeder out of town, and I called her. It just so happened that she had a two-year-old that she had gotten back, but couldn't use him in her breeding program because he had mild hip dysplasia. The day we went to meet Loki it was a warm March day - one of those days in Minnesota where you don't know whether to wear your winter or summer jacket. It was one of those days where the melted snow is making puddles and everything looks wet and gray. We were very nervous, but at the same time very excited. When we arrived the owner of the house said "have a seat - I'll go get Loki." In came this Norwegian Elkhound who looked nothing like my first dog. We were sitting on the floor and he came over, gave me a curious glance, and then put a muddy paw on my white sweater and leaned on me and started talking. That was 11 years ago. We took him home that day. Loki is 13 1 /2 years old and as I was watching him wobble out the door this morning I felt the need to write about him while he is still with us. The first time Loki even left the house he was born in was to go to a dog show. He was a six month old puppy, and he and his littermate were left overnight in crates in the Civic Center in downtown St. Paul. The next morning he was so frightened, he didn't want to come out of the crate. After that experience he was terrified at dog shows, and the people who bred him decided he was "brain damaged" and called my friend to tell her they were going to take Loki and his littermate to the University to be used as experimental dogs. My friend left her job and "rescued" the two dogs. Loki's sister went to live with the owner of the stud dog, and Loki came to us. We also had made up our minds that we could handle two dogs. Because my husband and I worked full time, we felt it was important that Loki have a companion. I mentioned this to the breeders. They were about my age, and we had an instant camaraderie. They said "why don't you make your next dog a show dog and travel with us." This was absolutely foreign to me, and I hesitated. My husband said,"let's do it." So I said I would, but don't give me pick of the litter in case I don't like showing, and I certainly wouldn't travel far - maybe to Wisconsin and Iowa. A year later we got our first show dog, Sonja. She wasn't pick of the litter. In fact, she didn't finish. She did, however, take us to places as far away as Oregon and Oklahoma. Along the way we made new friends all over the country. She got me involved in competitive Obedience. She taught me a lot about animal behavior and got me interested in that topic. Loki and Sonja taught me the importance of proper socialization and stimulation for puppies early on. We were hooked.    I now own 4 Norwegian Elkhounds. There was another one within this time period and her name was Chilly. Chilly died from leukemia at the age of four. I learned the down side of my new passion, but the death also taught me how to grieve, and showed me the thoughtfulness of our "dog" community. Along with our 4 dogs, we have 9 crates, jumps, 3 sets of scent articles, many dumbbells, training bags, shelves of dog books, a wall of show pictures, agility equipment, leads of every length, grooming equipment, vet bills, fur under the beds, paw prints on the linoleum and nose prints on the windows. We also have fun and endless, unconditional love. We have all of this because Loki hated dog shows.    Which brings me back to the reason for this article, and that is Loki. He is a lovely, gentle dog. When people come to my house, he leans on them and makes grunting noises. What he is telling them is his life story and how happy he is now. He loves staying with my mother-in-law, as he goes and sits next to her chair and she pets him all day. He has only curled his lip a couple of times when the young dogs have gotten too rambunctious and invaded his space. The youngsters always back off and grovel to get his love back. This gentle dog is the leader of our canine pack.    We love our senior dog, Loki. His legacy will be the new friends he brought into our life. He will be remembered as a true ambassador of the breed. Everything I do and everyone I love at this time in my life points back to the day he put that muddy paw on my white sweater.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I'll Always Remember Loki…
By Marlene Oliver
...grabbing at his tail and spinning in a tight little circle going faster and faster...for his jaunty graceful gait as he pranced through the house or galloped full speed outdoors...for his gentle manner; his love for people and other dogs...for his handsome face with those big brown eyes that sparkled of contentment...for all he overcame to live life to the fullest. To truly appreciate the spunk of this wonderful and marvelous dog - the Loki we all know and love - one needs to know his roots. Carnepark's Loki was born May 11, 1985. It was a joyous week for just three days earlier his mom's sister whelped a litter of five girls; one being the loveable and charming Ch Peer Gynt's BitaBrit ShowBiz CDX (Bizzy). These cousins are two of my most unforgettable characters and for very different reasons. Their lives were as different as day and night - Bizzy's life was full of fun from Day 1; Loki had to learn how to have fun. I was at the show where Loki and his sister Babe made their ring debut. The pups were so afraid ; they didn't know how to walk on a leash much less how to gait around the show ring; they were not trusting of people. Their breeder/owners left them crated in the show hall over night and came to me for help in getting them out of the crate for that day's show. I told them to pack up and take those babies home and I made a vow right then and there I would get those puppies away from those people one day and at the same time concentrate on getting their mom back. Babe soon vanished from the show scene but the owner continued to drag Loki from show to show and it was obvious Loki didn't want to be there.    The Duluth show in July 1987 was the beginning of the end for Loki's life in hell. Loki succeeded in wrapping himself around his owner and tripping her up in the ring. While I'm in the ring showing Bizzy she's outside the ring mumbling and sputtering that the dog is brain damaged and she's going to have him and his sister put down. At the end of judging I'm feeling mighty cocky, having just won the points that finished Bizzy's championship, so I decide now is the time to confront these people. I held my tongue as what I wanted to say was, "It's not the dogs that are brain damaged; it's you!" but instead said, "If you plan to put them down why not just give them to me." They said they'd think about it. July 16th Bev Evans called me at work and said, "Get up here. They're giving us Loki and Babe but we have to pick them up now." On record Loki and Babe were born in 1985 but in reality their life began July 16, 1987. We sent Babe to Canada to live with her sire's owner and Loki resided with Bev while waiting for the perfect home . In March 1988 he was placed in the trusting arms of two very special people who taught him how to have fun and enjoy life - thank you Tom and Carol Slattery for giving Loki a reason to live - he'd found his perfect home.    And what of Amtra (Ch Peer Gynt Act II Morning Mood)? In March 1990 I was successful in rescuing Loki's mom. She was a few months shy of her 8th birthday; she lived to be 13 years old. There's not a doubt in my mind the final five years with her new family were the finest of her entire life.