Kaya was never the avid swimmer that Lakota and Zeak were. She did enjoy exploring smells and sights along the shoreline. The orange bandana was on her because it was hunting season. I always had the feeling that before she came to us she lived her life on the end of a chain or crated all of the time. That is why it was such a joy to watch her explore new things and expand her horizons.

Photograph by
Margo Bowblis

Drawing of Kaya by author, Margo Bowblis

Kaya was a stunning beauty. Her pure white and black fur, punctuated by her golden eyes, was a striking combination. It is hard to believe that someone abandoned this wonderful dog who is also so beautiful.
There are treasures in shelters.
These beautiful head shots were taken by photographer Laurie E. Krauss. They are two of my favorite pictures of her.

In Walking With Two Shadows, I describe how I used umbilical training to calm and bond with this terrified dog. It was so effective that by the fall-only two months later-Kaya was reliable off-leash and had a fabulous recall. She was still wearing a collar because we were not aware yet that someone had damaged her trachea before we adopted her.
Photo on the left by Margo Bowblis. Photo on the right by Bill Bowblis.

One day when I was hiking with Kaya, we ran into a man with an off leash Brussels Griffon dog. It was a very well trained dog, and I let Kaya interact with it, also off leash. As the two dogs sniffed each other, the man commented on what beautiful eye contact I got from Kaya. That eye contact was what every trainer wants from their dog. Trainers spend a lot of time teaching their dogs to do that, and also teaching their clients to teach their dogs to do that. But with Kaya, I never had to work at it. She just gave it to me. And as time went by, at home or out, it was always the same: if she wanted something, she looked at me and I would immediately know what she wanted. And if I wanted something, she looked at me and immediately knew what I wanted. It was some natural form of communication that existed between us.
Photograph by Margo Bowblis

Fluffy white snow and a visit from her best friend, Cooper, made this a perfect pre-Christmas day for Kaya. Both photographs by Bill Bowblis.

One of our favorite things was snow hiking. Sometimes we would go with a group of human and dog friends. Other times we would go alone and experience the peace and incredible quiet of the winter woods.
Photograph by Bill Bowblis

As I look at this beautiful picture of Kaya, I am struck by how the aging process is so different in dogs. The white fur around her mouth adds a softness to her face that makes her even more beautiful. I don't know any humans that feel that way when they look in the mirror as they age. Perhaps it is just because the longer we have them, the deeper our connection and our love becomes. Or perhaps, they are just more beautiful in the first place because their ability to love unconditionally shines out from within them.
Photograph by Laurie E. Krauss