Life with Siberian Huskies
The Journey is more important than the destination
Cooper Lee earns his keep
I’ve never had anything like this happen before with any of the dogs who have shared my life over the years. I want to pass along this telling of how Mr. Cooper Lee saved the basement.
Cooper is a strapping lad for a husky. As big as he is (27Inches at the whithers, and 63 lbs.) He is a dog of his own convictions. Sometimes aloof, and occasionally needy of ear rubs and being close to me. He prefers to be outside most of the time, and rarely comes inside our house unless its raining. He truly hates the rain but loves the cold.
Last night just before bed, I went out the back door to call Queen Nikki. She is a much different husky in size and attitude. She enjoys a good snuggle and the softness of my bed.
I holler out the door…Nikki comes running and so does Cooper?
I had to admit that I was a bit shocked that Cooper wanted inside. I’m fine with that and let him in. He immediately goes into the laundry room. I’m sure there are more people than us with a room like this. It’s tucked away in my basement, full of things we don’t know exactly what to do with. Many of them are slowly going through the process of being wanted/needed to eventual disposal if I can get my wife to let go.
Also, in this room is heater/AC unit, and so many ducts and pipes it would make the inside of a submarine jealous. Cooper goes into the room and at first, I think he’s after a mouse that was dumb enough to sneak into a house with three cats and three huskies.
He is worming his way back to the corner. The very back corner where the pressure tank for our well is located. I call him and he ignores me which isn’t so unusual. I want to know what’s the deal? and bring him out by his collar. He is protesting this move by laying down like a little kid who doesn’t want to do something.
I drag him out from all the junk pilled out, and then strategically stack some more junk so that he can’t go back there again. It makes no difference, he is determined to get back there for some reason I can’t figure out. He is a husky and no amount of junk is going to stop him from his mission.
Cooper was in fact trying to tell me something… but I’m not hearing it! He doesn’t talk, but his actions that are so unusual, make me eventually find out what the hell is the problem back in that corner. It’s winter and so it can’t be a snake. I’m wondering if its a mouse or some other vermin caught in the corner?
I work my way back there weaving through our junk, to this corner where he has put himself. It’s then that I notice the floor under the well pressure tank is wet. As soon as the flash light comes on I see the wall is wet as well. Water is dripping down from someplace and that is never a good thing!
With some inspecting I finally find a pin hole in a copper water pipe. The well water has finally succeeded in eating away enough of it… that its sprung a leak. A very tiny leak, with just a small little jet of water spraying out at the wall behind it.
Somehow, Cooper knew something was wrong. Even from outside the house he knew it! This tiny leak makes no noise I can hear, but I’m sure with his hearing it was obvious. I feel bad now that I was scolding him for insisting to clamor back into that corner.
I shut off the water to that pipe and that will be todays project to repair. But I have to stop and write this as a lesson to all.
I pride myself on knowing my dogs as well as two separate species can. And I have to admit after being awake since 4AM and finding this behavior at 10PM made me a bit cranky towards his actions. But he didn’t back down at all. He knew something was wrong, and tried to tell me about it. Eventually I figured it out, inspite the mental fog of being tired from a long day. It wasn’t a life threating event, but had I gone to bed it very well would have flooded a couple of rooms in my basement.
Cooper didn’t hold it against me. He knows I’m a dumb human and don’t have his well-tuned senses. Even when the leak was shut off he maintained guard for a few more hours before deciding it was okay to come out of that room for some well-deserved rubs and cashews (his favorite treats.)
I’m very impressed with his actions! And it served me a lesson as well. A reminder to listen to my dogs when they talk. They may not use words, but they converse in the only way they have. Body language and behaviors.
There is a reason for every way that they act. As leaders of the pack it is our duty to try and understand what our furry charges mean.
That is the difference between having a family member, or a slave out on a chain in the backyard. Dogs speak volumes, but we have to learn how to listen.
Life with Siberian Huskies 
So true! I love the look on my dog’s face, the sheer satisfaction, when he realizes I understand what he wants.
LikeLike
So true.
I always get what my dogs are trying to tell me. My family ask, How did you know they wanted that? They never understand when I tell them, “Because they asked.” They just shake their heads in disbelief cause they don’t see it. They think I’m a dog whisperer 😄
LikeLike