Alpine Trefenwyd of Moonsong aka Tay, crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Saturday, December 20th. Tay was my first breeding Chinook. I did not start with females but instead with a male that I used at stud. He was the beginning of Moonsong Chinooks. He produced litters for SpringCreek, Seven Lakes, and Moonsong Chinooks. His pups and grandpups went on to produce litters for Frontier Chinooks, Desert Sol Chinooks, Brownstone Chinooks, Silvertree Chinooks, Rain Mountain Chinooks among others. He was not a great show dog and he did not garner a lot of attention unless you knew him. He did so much for me as a breeder and he was a great dog under harness but he was a very unassuming boy. He did not feel the need to posture or show off to other boys, he was very sweet and soft tempered. He loved children and was the easiest dog to live with. He NEVER caused trouble. To know him was to love him. I had a Chinook that suffered from frequent seizures and Tay would come get me when Hyak was having an episode. One time I was not at home but my friends were there when Hyak had a seizure. He stood over her and protected her- it was a very unTay-like behavior to be assertive or protective but he did it for his packmate this one time because he felt he had to.
Tay at a few months old getting the feel of a harness. Right after this picture was taken, he was run over by a tractor and seriously injured his back. It took months for him to recover and we always had to be careful of his back but he was able to sled. Keeping his back muscles limber and fit help him stay mobile, along with massage and acupuncture
Tay was a quiet boy and people always thought he was quite serious but he was, in fact, a great lover of life.
Tay getting in shape and training for some pulling while we still lived in Florida
Tay had a very pleasant face and a great smile
When Tay was 8 years old and was getting a bit too stiff to pull, he retired to a local home that had kids that adored him...
...and the feeling was mutual
Tay surveying his yard
Tay had a nice coat and was a handsome boy
Like father, like son- Tay shows Brett how to chew a knuckle bone
It was love at first sight when I picked Tay up from his breeder in Washington. He was the sweetest pup and I was so excited to have a breed potential pup to raise and possibly breed someday.
Tay loved to snuggle
Rolling around in the grass with Frontier Candy- Tay LOVED puppies. When bred to Mocha and Sky, who were both protective of the pups, even with their own housemates, he was allowed to get in the whelping box with them. The dams knew he was no danger to the babies.
Such a great smile!!!
Tay helping me with the gardening
Tay was quite ferocious in one area- he was a great killer of rodents. I once saw him pick up a chainsaw and chuck it out of the way in his pursuit of a furry critter. When my friend Ginger moved onto acreage that had been neglected for a few years, Tay came in and exterminated countless mice, rats, moles, and voles in just a couple days. He was also a great hater of snakes. I assume he learned it from the other dogs in Florida but when he saw a snake, he would stiffen and stare and puff up but would not attack. I could tell his snake posture right away and would go out and remove the snake. He was very smart about it.
Tay's love of pulling and his great heart was passed on to his pups and grandpups. Here his son Brett and granddaughter Rosie compete in a race. This is one of my all time favorite Chinook photos.
Tay, Katsuk, and Chili, after a run of several miles, are ready to take a break and play some fetch at the lake. Tay loved to fetch and passed that on to some of his pups.
Tay could run lead ( shown here in co-lead with his son Brett)...
,,,or he could run wheel or swing. He was very willing in any position and had great heart. He never stopped pulling
My first sled team. 3 of the 4 dogs had some health issue ( bad back, seizures, and a terminal, congenital immune disorder) but they were all absolutely wonderful sled dogs. They made me fall in love with the heart and desire in the Chinook breed. Tay anchored this team
Tay's daughter Cornelia inherited her sire's willingness to train other dogs to harness. She also looks a lot like her dad in many ways.
Tay's Deadliest Catch litter
Tay and his sons Goodwin and Brett
Tay and UConn were fast friends. When Uconn died several years ago, Tay was inconsolable for quite a while. It has been a long time but I know UConn was waiting at the Bridge to welcome Tay and they are now together as buddies again. God Speed Tay
