Thanks for the adventure, Tavish

Vizsla on wooded trail

Friends, the moment we knew would inevitably arrive has happened. Friday evening with our beloved vizsla Tavish was our last.

What many of you may not have known was that in March, Tavish received a serious diagnosis. In putting him first—and considering with our veterinary team his quality of life and all possible options and outcomes—we concluded that his medical issues were unfortunately beyond the power to fix.

So, we concentrated on sustaining Tavish’s best life. The commitment to take each day as it came and to make the most of each one, made all the difference in how Tavish (and we) approached the past nine months, surpassing all prognoses. Together we created many more happy memories, logging countless additional miles on hikes and visiting eight more National Park sites—his enthusiasm transmitted up the leash.

This week his body ultimately betrayed him, but his sweet personality never wavered…not once. It was a final blessing that his end came swiftly and peacefully—within a matter of hours—and that we were at his side for mutual comfort.

Tavish was a 14½-year gift who changed our lives in ways we never could have predicted. He effortlessly collected friends and unique experiences, and we’re grateful to have shared in them. Tavish visited more than 500 historical attractions, natural wonders, and cultural events in 19 U.S. states, the nation’s capital, and in Canada. He touched 400+ lives as an AKC-certified therapy dog making over 230 visits, mostly with children and the elderly. He’s won awards and been featured on Hungarian television, in a Voice of America broadcast, in a book about dog travel, in the Washington Post, and in Northern Virginia Magazine.

Everywhere we look there’s evidence of his impact and influence on our family. And that makes his loss (and our grief) all the more profound. But it’s also a powerful legacy. For those of you who have followed our Intrepid Pup via our website and social media, we’ll see what happens…. In the meantime, draw your loved ones closer. And if Tavish’s path has intersected with yours, please share memories with us as we try to find solace that he is now smiling on a trail free of discomfort, sorrow, and partings.

The coming days will be hard. Already we have opened the car door expecting our co-pilot to bound out. Pulled into the driveway, listening for a welcoming bark. Thought of a place we wanted to take him. Sat down on the couch and automatically left a spot for our friend to join. Reached out for the confidante who isn’t there. And, in the too-quiet, anticipated the clicking of Tavish’s nails on the floor signaling the Intrepid Pup’s trademark entreaty, “Come! Adventures await.”

Farewell, pup. Thank you for everything.

(June 6, 2005 – December 20, 2019)

Tavish for President

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Decision 2016: Tavish for President! Left? Right? Something in between? Intrepid Pup is a new breed of candidate to make America sane again. What do you think of his qualifications? Vote November 8, 2016.

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Intrepid Pup Bracketology: 2015 Edition

Pounceball
The treats came out, and the picks are in! For the fourth year running, Intrepid Pup Tavish has engaged in his own special brand of March Random(ad)ness to select who he thinks will be top dog in the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. On the all-important “Selection Sunday,” Team Tavish happened to be out of the country, so the mantle of responsibility for facilitating Tavish’s picks fell to extended family members. They had inquired whether there was any special technique required. Um, not really. As we’ve noted in past years, Tavish is consistently inconsistent. But so long as he’s motivated (read: has treats) and is presented with clear choices, Tavish is swift and decisive. Our stand-ins reported that there was much excited barking and that our 18-year-old cat Hobbes assumed his traditional role as impartial observer, emitting a low rumble if the proceedings came too close to invading his personal space.

Wait no longer, Pup fans, behold the picks:

Intrepid Pup's 2015 picks

How do your picks stack up to the Intrepid Pup’s? Click on the bracket above for a larger, printable PDF version. Enjoy the madness!

 

Sergeant Stubby Wearing Military Medals

A decorated World War I veteran and Georgetown University’s living mascot, Sergeant Stubby was truly an intrepid pup. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Cut to the chase, and you’ll see that in Tavish’s world, Georgetown will be the 2015 champs. While it remains to be seen whether the team can go the distance, there’s no denying a great canine connection. Even though they’re known as the Hoyas, among the school’s earliest mascots was one heck of a tenacious bull terrier named Stubby. In 1917 this stray pup was rescued by Private J. Robert Conroy and smuggled aboard a ship bound for France to accompany the 102nd Infantry, 26th Yankee Division. Stubby ultimately saw action in 17 engagements throughout World War I. After nearly dying in a poison gas attack, he was so sensitized to the smell that he would warn troops of its presence. Also uncanny was his ability to find wounded American soldiers in enemy trenches; he would hone in on voices speaking English and then stand guard and bark to alert the medics. He buoyed morale by visiting troops in the hospital and even knew how to salute! General Pershing presented Stubby with a medal for heroism, and the dog went on to meet Presidents Wilson, Harding and Coolidge.

HoyasDog

Tavish sizes up the Hoyas bulldog emblem near the Georgetown University campus.

When Private Conroy returned from the war and eventually enrolled at Georgetown to study law, it went without saying that the much-decorated Stubby would go with him. The dog’s celebrity status made him a shoe-in as Georgetown’s living mascot. With Stubby’s passing in 1926, the New York Times ran a half-page obituary. Stubby’s taxidermied remains were ultimately donated to the Smithsonian Institution, where they are currently on view as part of The Price of Freedom exhibition at the National Museum of American History.

Over the years, Georgetown had other live dogs as mascots, including a terrier named Hoya, a Great Dane named Butch and a series of bulldogs. Today the bulldog mascot “Jack” remains, but it’s a student in a dog costume.

GO HOYAS!

Retail Hound

Tavish at Orvis

Dogs Welcome: The sign is right at dog’s-eye level! Tavish can’t read, but fortunately he didn’t need to. He spotted the water bowl just inside the doorway instead.

While adventures at national parks and historical sites are the usual fodder for IntrepidPup.com, this time we’re exchanging the woodland trail for a little detour down Main Street and an adventure of a different kind:  shopping. Yep, the retail jungle.

It’s de rigueur to bring your pet to places where you’ll be shopping for them (think: pet boutiques, PetSmart®, Petco®, etc.). But, honestly, where can you go when you happen to be out shopping with your pet? For a variety of perfectly justifiable reasons—usually having to do with local ordinances or health codes—many businesses don’t allow Fido or Fluffy unless they’re assistance animals, so it’s unrealistic to expect every commercial establishment to welcome your furry friend with open arms.

When traveling with Tavish, leaving him unattended isn’t an option, so we’ve mastered the drill of taking turns going into stores while one of us remains outside with him. And that’s okay. Seriously. We’ve ended up having some wonderful conversations with folks over the years by virtue of waiting outside a shop with the Intrepid Pup. But when there are exceptions to the rule and we can bring him inside? Those tend to be memorable win-wins.

Here’s our roundup of six favorite dog-friendly re(tail)ers from the road this past year:

 

Dogging the (Retail) Details

42°17’49.82″N, 83°52’12.60″W
Motawi Tileworks,
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Tavish at Motawi Tileworks, Ann Arbor, MI

Tavish got the royal treatment at the tileworks. They even snapped a photo of him for Motawi’s Facebook feed!

Fact: We’ve been fans of Motawi Tileworks for years and have quite a few of the company’s signature art tiles in our home. Nawal Motawi started the business in her garage in 1992, and today it’s a tour-de-force in interior design. Carried in more than 350 showrooms and museum shops nationally, Motawi tiles have been featured in Huffington Post and will appear in a 2015 episode of PBS’s acclaimed “Craft in America” series. So when our travels took us through eastern Michigan last autumn there was no way we weren’t going to visit the Motawi factory. It’s in an unassuming industrial park a little ways from downtown Ann Arbor. With Tavish along for our Midwest road trip, we parked in the lot and figured one of us would walk Tavish around the grounds while the other reconnoitered inside.

Tavish at Motawi Tileworks

Motawi’s “Boneyard”: Tavish was a little disappointed there weren’t real bones here, but the humans were excited! It’s actually the firm’s seconds room, where tiles with slight imperfections can be found at reduced cost.

 

 

 

Long story short, the showroom manager caught sight of us through the picture window and beckoned us all in. “Oh, we’re absolutely dog-friendly,” she said, and then added somewhat cryptically: “People are going to be really excited.” With that, she disappeared down a hallway, and moments later, several employees piled out of the back to come fuss over Tavish!

This ended up as a classic example of how being dog-friendly can make good retail sense. Because Team Tavish didn’t have to split up, we were able to browse at a more leisurely pace. What could easily have been a hurried 15-minute stopover turned into a great, nearly hour-long customer experience! Motawi staffers got their dog fix, and we purchased several new tiles as mementos of our visit.

Tavish at Reiner's

“Say, do you guys know where they keep the treats?” Tavish befriends the menagerie at Reiner’s.

43°15’17.49″N, 79° 4’16.79″W
Reiner’s
, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada

Last year our travels took us across the border to Ontario, Canada, and we spent an afternoon in charming Niagara-on-the-Lake. While eating a light lunch on the outdoor patio of café Taste, the window display of the shop next door caught our attention: finely crafted leather ottomans in the shapes of hippos, rhinos, bears, bulldogs and more! It turned out to be a newly opened flagship store for Reiner’s. Established by German immigrant Reiner Henneveld in 1967, the company has remained in the family all these years, and the pieces are handmade some 90 miles west in Kitchener. The two saleswomen (the store manager and a new trainee) eagerly welcomed Tavish, shared a bit about the company’s history and showed us the various animals. Before long, we’d decided a moose ottoman would not only make a good Canadian souvenir but also a nice addition for our living room. Better yet, we were able to select the leather and have the piece custom made. It was shipped to us about six weeks later—a nice reminder of our dog-friendly shopping experience!

Saks Fifth Avenue

Tavish was particularly fascinated by the woman setting up her Cartier station. Treats? Are those treats?

40°45’28.95″ N, 73°58’38.35″ W
Saks Fifth Avenue
, New York, New York

Cartier, Prada and Gucci, oh my! Although we’d read that Saks was dog-friendly, we were still dubious in approaching this grand dame of Fifth Avenue establishments. Really, a fancy department store? But the doorman assured us we weren’t mistaken, and so we were ushered into the opulence of the women’s accessories and fragrances departments. When presented with big echoing spaces, Tavish has a damning habit of barking a few times, and the glittering ground floor of Saks was no exception. He must think it’s a riot. We, however, were cringing and thinking the doorman would reappear at any moment to escort us out. Au contraire. Tavish’s excited barks turned out to be the siren song that summoned every boutique associate within hearing radius to come over and pet him. Charmed life, mon ami.

 

Tavish at Annapolis Pottery

Amid platters, vases and coffee mugs, Intrepid Pup found a selection of pet bowls, too!

38°58’42.20″ N, 76°29’24.00″ W
Annapolis Pottery,
Annapolis, Maryland

Head to historic Annapolis, Maryland, and an array of dog-friendly options await—from patio dining to taking in views of the Chesapeake Bay or strolling through the picturesque campus of the United States Naval Academy. But if ceramics are your thing, then don’t miss the Annapolis Pottery located on State Circle in the shadow of the Maryland State House. Much to our delight, it’s dog-friendly! For more than 40 years the shop has carried functional and decorative ware hand crafted by talented potters working onsite, as well as sourced from ceramic artists around the country. There’s a dizzying array of forms in colorful glazes, and your well-behaved pup’s visit just might be rewarded with a complimentary dog biscuit or two!  Bonus: the well-stocked Paws pet boutique is just a few doors away.

Tavish seated inside Orvis by the books and fly fishing equipment

Scanning the retail horizon at Orvis. Adventuresome and outdoorsy…hey, that appeals to me, too!

The Orvis Company, Inc.
(67 retail locations and 11 outlets in the U.S.)

Since the founding of Orvis in 1856 in Vermont, the company has become the oldest mail-order outfitter and longest continually-operated fly-fishing business in America. The company’s retail locations both in the U.S. and in the U.K. sport rugged yet stylish outerwear and clothing, fly fishing equipment, and gear for hunting upland birds. It just so happens they have a pretty extensive selection of dog beds, collars and travel gear, too.

While we’re *pretty* sure that Tavish couldn’t read the “DOGS WELCOME” decal right at dog height on the door, he did see the water bowl just inside the doorway and made a beeline for it. We hadn’t visited an Orvis store in years (there wasn’t one near where we used to live), so Tavish pulling us in was a homecoming of sorts. We got reacquainted with the brand while the sales associate got acquainted with Tavish, lavishing him with a couple of dog treats that “magically” appeared from behind the counter. Hey, whadya know, it ultimately resulted in our purchase of three men’s shirts and a sweater. Retail therapy? Sure, but here’s another thing to feel good about: Orvis is a socially responsible company, donating 5% of its pre-tax profits annually in support of environmental initiatives, community projects and canine well-being. Orvis also runs a cover dog contest for its biannual “Dog Book” catalog and since 2009 has specifically raised over $1 million for canine cancer research grants. Two paws up.

Tavish at Torpedo Factory Art Center

So many studios! Tavish takes in the view from the Torpedo Factory Art Center’s main concourse.

38°48’17.57″ N, 77° 2’23.19″ W
Torpedo Factory Art Center
, Alexandria, Virginia

The Torpedo Factory Art Center was among the early paragons of the adaptive reuse/working studio movement. In 1974, the founding artists took over a dilapidated, former munitions factory on the Alexandria, Virginia, waterfront, converting the cavernous industrial space into a hive of creativity. More than 40 years later, it’s still going strong:  home to 82 artist studios, six galleries, two workshops and an art school. Explore all three floors and you’ll discover jewelry, ceramics, fiber art, sculpture, fine art photography and works on paper and canvas to fit any budget. Each studio is part workspace and part retail, meaning you have surprising access to converse directly with the artists, ask questions and gain insight into their artistic processes; many accept commissions. What might come as even more of a surprise are the studio dogs.

Tavish with Opie in Studio 16

When studio dog Opie (right) is in residence in Studio 16, he’s as big a hit as owner Lisa Schumaier’s whimsical creations in papier-mâché and raku.

Indeed, many generations of artistic muse in canine form have accompanied their owners to the Torpedo Factory and made the studios their homes away from home. Peer past the gate by the counter in Studio 226 and you might just catch a glimpse of Lab mix Donut contentedly lounging in the sun. Look closely, and you’re just as sure to spy Rocky the chihuahua curled up in Studio 214 or dachshund Chester sitting patiently in Studio 321. And it’s because of these resident pups that yours is welcome at the Torpedo Factory, too. So grab a leash and soak up an art scene like no other!

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Lucky Dogs All

Tavish at Shenandoah National Park

Tavish at Shenandoah National Park with his 2014 award for “Best Dog Blog.”

2014:  A good year to be Tavish the Intrepid Pup! Back in May, his website (IntrepidPup.com) took top honors for “Best Dog Blog” in the BlogPaws 2014 Pet Blogging and Social Media Awards. The announcement came during an exclusive red carpet, “Oscar style” awards ceremony presented by Pet360, Inc. in Lake Las Vegas, Nevada.

Guided by a strict set of criteria, a distinguished panel of industry experts had judged more than 1,200 entries and selected finalists across 12 distinct categories. BlogPaws’ co-founder Yvonne DiVita remarked, “These are among the highest honors in the pet social media world. We’re very proud of the Intrepid Pup for this achievement.” BlogPaws first began hosting its pet-friendly social media and marketing conference in 2010, and it has grown annually into the biggest event of its kind with literally hundreds of bloggers, brands and media professionals attending from around the world.

As for us with Team Tavish, we couldn’t be happier for the Pup and feel pretty humbled not only to have been nominated by great fans but also to actually win. After all, BlogPaws is internationally known as a premier networking and influence group, and to be recognized for excellence as the result of its thoughtful peer review process is really gratifying and validates what IntrepidPup.com is all about.

In conjunction with the honor, Tavish received a personalized trophy from BlogPaws (see photo above), and on behalf of all twelve category winners, BlogPaws gave back to the conference’s host community by presenting canine body armor to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and pet oxygen masks to the Henderson Fire Department.  As an incredible bonus, sponsor Only Natural Pet committed to providing the non-profit animal rescue organization or shelter of our choice with 400 pounds of its newly-released Canine PowerFood™ Red Meat Feast Formula. This premium quality kibble is the latest in the company’s line of holistic pet food. Made in the USA with fresh pork and lamb, locally-sourced fruits and vegetables, and PowerBoost—a blend of probiotics, digestive enzymes, pumpkin, green-lipped mussels and sea cucumber—it’s formulated to provide optimal health benefits.

So…who did the Intrepid Pup designate as the recipient of the 400 pounds of food?

Lucky Dog color logo Lucky Dog Animal Rescue (LDAR) was our charity of choice, and in coordinating with LDAR’s founder, Mirah Horowitz, Intrepid Pup earmarked the food delivery for one of LDAR’s partner shelters: the Florence Area Humane Society (FAHS) in South Carolina. At least once a month, FAHS sends anywhere between 25 and 35 dogs to Washington, DC, via its relationship with Lucky Dog. Once the dogs are confirmed for rescue, FAHS’s amazing volunteers frequently foster them in their own homes until the transport departs for DC.

 

About Lucky Dog Animal Rescue (LDAR)

Tavish with Lucky Dog Sasha

Tavish knows about Lucky Dog Animal Rescue because his neighbors are frequent fosters, and he gets to “chat” over the backyard fence with many of the pups. Here’s Tavish getting acquainted with the beautiful and very sweet Sasha. Lucky Dog had worked with a rescue group in Puerto Rico to transport her to Washington, DC. This is one of countless Lucky Dog tails/tales with a happy ending; Sasha found her “forever home” at a Lucky Dog adoption event just two days after this photo was taken!

LDAR is a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing homeless and abandoned animals, primarily dogs from high-kill shelters where there are few resources and even fewer adoptions. Most Lucky Dog rescues come from Virginia, West Virginia, the Carolinas and Puerto Rico. LDAR doesn’t operate a shelter of its own, but by working with volunteers, foster homes, local veterinarians, trainers and boarding facilities, LDAR is able to rescue hundreds of animals every year, providing loving temporary care and matching animals with carefully-screened forever homes. LDAR is equally committed to ending pet abandonment and therefore provides resources and education on responsible pet ownership, healthy nutrition, positive behavior training, and the importance of spay/neuter.

LDAR reaches potential adopters with a large online and community presence, as well as through weekly adoption events held throughout DC, Maryland and Virginia. With a base of more than 1,000 volunteers working tirelessly to find permanent homes for these animals, LDAR has saved more than 6,700 animals since its founding in May 2009.

It’s true what they say about a picture being worth a thousand words. And it just so happens that a film about Lucky Dog premiered in January 2014 entitled, The Lucky Ones. It sums up just what Lucky Dog  is all about—a journey intertwining the lives of homeless animals with rescuers devoted to making certain they’re homeless no more. Give it a watch, and see for yourself (if you’re prone to happy tears, keep a Kleenex handy):

Lucky Pups of Florence County with food donation

A couple of the lucky (and highly adoptable!) dogs from Florence, South Carolina, pose with some of the food donated in November 2014 by Only Natural Pet via Intrepid Pup’s award. Many thanks to Stephanie of FAHS for the photo!

In mid November, we were delighted to hear from Stephanie with FAHS that the shipment of food had arrived! It’s heartwarming to know that the food not only helps minimize the financial burden on FAHS foster families but is also part of the considerable arsenal of TLC these rescuers provide in the days leading up to a Lucky Dog transport to a promising, certain future.

Click to see what a 3 on the Wag-A-Meter meansAs many faithful followers of the Intrepid Pup know, one hallmark of Tavish’s adventure-related articles is an Intrepid Pup wag-a-meter reading…and as a salute to the Lucky Dogs everywhere, this one’s  a “3”!