Angry One, Loved One

“He was called Sol-Leks, which means the Angry One.”

Call of the Wild, Ch. 2

When I read Call of the Wild as a kid, I imagined a team of dogs pulling me through the Yukon. Rather than Buck, it was the other dogs that came into and out of Buck’s life that stuck with me more. So when I saw that German Shepard puppy bound into the room ten years ago, I wanted to name him Sol-Leks.

In some ways, Sol was like his namesake, Sol asked for little and gave a lot. Like his namesake, Sol instinctively had a job to perform, and was most content when performing his job. He found his duties and carried them out. In other ways, Sol was nothing like his namesake. He was not angry, he was not quick to fight, and he did not want to be left alone. Sol was tolerant, Sol was caring, and he loved us. We were hesitant when we brought our baby home, but Sol welcomed him with the tiniest lick to the forehead that we’ve ever seen.

Sol was the guard and protector of our house. Nothing happened outside the house without him knowing about it. When we lived in the city, the house was surrounded by constant activity and sounds. He never seemed to calm down. When he was inside, he was watching out the windows, barking at anyone who walked past. When he was outside, he would patrol the fence line, sometimes barking at the people passing by, but most of the time, chasing the squirrels. But when there was a string of robberies in the neighborhood, our house was never touched, and we are sure that he was the reason why. When we moved to the ‘burbs there was less action for him to monitor, and he seemed to calm down. His favorite place became right outside the back door sitting at attention and watching out over the back yard.

Sol joined me on a few adventures, like the time that we hiked part of the Ice Age trail in July. The bugs were pretty bad and it was hot. The flies didn’t seem to bother Sol as much as it looked like it should. There were so many biting his ears. We came to a stream and he laid down right in the middle of it lapping and letting the cool water flow around him. When we were outdoors he would explore, but wanted to stay close and follow me. Often though, he stayed home with my family letting me know that they would be safe and cared for while I was away.

Through it all for the last ten years, Sol was my friend. He would greet me when I came home, and he would check in with me though the night. Over the last year, he spent more time with us. He started sleeping in our room, and waking me up throughout the night to say hi. He still wanted to survey the back yard, but often did it from a laying position at the back door.

In Call of the Wild, Sol-Leks, met his end plunging into the icy water of a spring-melt river, driven there by uncaring owners. Throughout the story, the best treatment he received was enough food to survive and respect for his hard work. I hope that Sol differed from his namesake in that he felt and knew my love, and not just persisted and survived, but was content. Sol and I spent so much of the last ten years together, yet never spoke a word of conversation. I would talk to him in my language and he would speak in his, and we were each left to intuit what the other meant. I have no way of knowing, but I think that he knew that he was tasked with the most important of jobs that I could entrust – the protection and caring of my family, first just my wife, and then our two boys who have never known life without him.

Each day, I see things that remind me of him, and it brings back the happiness of my time with him, albeit with the tinge of loss and longing to pat him again. The happiness that Sol brought to me in small amounts each day, is built up in my heart to be released back out in memories of him over the rest of my lifetime.