About dogs

A content dog, free to roam, in western Yukon Territory.

A content dog in western Yukon Territory.

I have had dogs since I was born. However, my elderly Jack Russell is going to be my last dog. This is less about dogs than about modern life. Fifteen years ago, I could take Max on solitary camping/painting junkets. He ran free, earning his keep as an early-warning system.

All along the Trans-Canada Highway and the Alaskan Highway we saw graffiti made of colored rocks. In some places they were of the "Class of 66" variety, but most were more personal statements of "I was there."

All along the Trans-Canada Highway and the Alaskan Highway we saw graffiti made of colored rocks. In some places they were of the “Class of 66” variety, but most were more personal statements of “I was there.”

Today it seems that Max cannot go anywhere off a leash. The result is a whole heap of neurosis, behavior I see in many dogs that live in similar circumstances. Every house in town seems to have a dog, and they drive each other nuts. On lovely spring mornings, the tree in my front lawn in Rochester smells of dog urine, there being so many dogs leaving coded messages.

Our sod-roofed cabin in Tok.

Our sod-roofed cabin in Tok.

Yes, dogs are cogent beings, and they can suffer from the same psychological ailments as their human owners, but they’re generally easily cured—a romp in a sunny park, regular walks, good food and something to do during the day.

Kluane Lake near Destruction Bay.

Kluane Lake near Destruction Bay. We got out and walked.

Oddly, that sounds like a cure for human depression too. Of course, suburban America doesn’t wander with their dogs for the same reason they don’t walk anywhere: we’ve pretty much bred the walking and running out of ourselves. For the dogs, it doesn’t help that so many communities have enacted leash laws even in their most desolate parks.

A pool separated from Kluane Lake by the ever-present gravel.

A pool separated from Kluane Lake by the ever-present gravel.

The dogs we have met along the Alaskan highway have been more like the curs of my childhood. No overbreeding here: these are mutts. They are pleasant to visitors, but they don’t crave human attention. They’re off the leash and can roam, and they don’t chase cars with inane, single-minded purpose.

Autumn color west of Tok, AK. I'm getting tired of watercoloring in a moving car, I admit.

Autumn color west of Tok, AK. Painted in a moving car.

Stopped at a gas station, I watched a tourist take her tiny, well-bred, leashed dog out to relieve himself. Two happy, strong mongrels were mock-fighting nearby. They smelled fresh fun and loped across the parking lot. Tricky Woo* had barely cocked a leg before he was scooped up and returned to safety in the woman’s car. I feel sorry for the Tricky Woos of this world, looking at life through a window.

The beginning of snow-covered peaks, east of Tok.

The beginning of snow-covered peaks, east of Tok.

Our destination on Friday was Tok, AK. It was the northernmost point on our route so it was no surprise to see snow dusting the higher elevations.

Although the whole Alaskan Highway was finished being paved in the 1980s, there is endless repair work to be done.

Although the whole Alaskan Highway was paved in the 1980s, there is endless repair work to be done.

But it’s been cold even at ground level. For the last few days, we’ve seen our breath, and the temperature at Tok dropped below freezing on Thursday night. Snow fell in Alberta on the weekend. Fall is definitely in the air here.

Snow covered peaks in the St. Elias range. From my car.

Snow covered peaks in the St. Elias range. From my car.

We stopped at Destruction Bay to take a short walk along the shores of Kluane Lake. It was utterly silent; nary another human being was anywhere near us. The water was surprisingly warm, considering that the day was so chilly. There are gravel sand bars on every river and shore here, indicating that the spring melt can be violent. The gravel looks grey from the car, but up close it is comprised of small pebbles of various colors. The mountain across from us was streaked in similar tones of red and green and umber.

Back to the United States!

Back to the United States!

We reentered the US five days after departing, almost to the hour. While the Canadian customs officer had questioned us closely, his American counterpart had the odd habit of suddenly leaping from his booth to peer at something in the far distance. He seemed uninterested in us, even when I volunteered the information that we had a can of beer rattling around the back of the SUV.

Sled dog for sale in Tok.

Sled dog for sale in Tok.

In Tok, we found two sled dog puppies for sale. They looked like no Huskies I’ve ever seen, but I assume they’re bred for endurance and speed, not for chic. Despite the importuning of my adult children, we left without one. As grand as they looked here in their natural environment, they would be miserable trapped in a house in the Lower 48.

*Tricky Woo is a little dog in James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small. His medical problems come from too much luxury and not enough running with the pack.

Carol Douglas

About Carol Douglas

Carol L. Douglas is a painter who lives, works and teaches in Rockport, ME. Her annual workshop will again be held on the Schoodic Peninsula in beautiful Acadia National Park, from August 6-11, 2017. Visit www.watch-me-paint.com/ for more information.