In Loving Memory of Loki Fra Oddholi

In MemoryLoki frá Oddhóli 2000 - 2006
By Andrea Barber

Sadly in the beginning of December we lost our Loki. We lost our joy.

We brought Loki home from our honeymoon in Iceland. We had gone there in search of a new horse and instead came home with a special puppy. The three of us shared that special bond. From the day we brought him home from Iceland on the plane he gave us - and everyone around him - endless joy.

But try as we might (and we tried everything) we could never seem to cure his love of wandering. That’s the downside to having such smart dog - he was always able to find any opportunity no matter how small. As much as he loved us, he loved exploring the world too. His was an independent spirit and something not to be contained.

I guess for him his last night was as close to perfect as it could get. He spent most of the evening with us, getting lots of attention and enjoying the last of the leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Then later that night he was able to get out and he was off exploring at will when the accident happened. We can tell that he probably died instantaneously and felt no pain. So for him it was probably a good way to go. But not so for us as we just miss him incredibly.

To add to our pain, as many of you know Loki was an active therapy dog. He brought joy to many with his love to people and his gentle nature. At least weekly, sometimes more, he visited a center for children that have severe emotional problems. For many of these kids Loki’s visits were something they dreamed of all week long. Many of the kids would often hug Loki over and over telling everyone that Loki was their best friend. Imagine how hard it is going to be for us to have to tell these kids that their special buddy is never going to come back. These kids have had so much abandonment and sorrow in their lives - this is going to be a real blow to them. As a strange coincidence the unit he was to visit on his next visit is called “Valhalla”. We guess he decided to make that trip a little early - on his own.

Our only solace is that coincidentally during Loki’s last visit Steve also brought our other dog Tasha (also a registered therapy dog) for her first visit to start her career as a therapy dog. She was a big hit – the kids loved her. Although then we never would have realized she would have to take up the torch for Loki so soon.

In addition to being a great pet Loki was also a super representative of the breed. As many of you recall he was the winner of the 1st annual North American Virtual Icelandic Dog Show. He was also the first, and still the only; Icelandic Sheepdog to be temperament tested by the American Temperament Test Society, Inc. and receive the TT title. Even for an Icelandic Sheepdog his temperament was a standout. I have yet to meet even another ISD with Loki’s charisma and bubbly personality - something he received from his sire, IS CH Snælukku-Kátur frá Garðabæ. This great character combined with lots of smarts allowed him to breeze through his CGC and therapy dog tests. Although always with an independent streak he did love to learn new tricks and visit new places.

Loki sired two litters for a total of nine puppies. Now we are even more grateful that we made the decision to offer him for breeding. We get great comfort in hearing how much joy these pups are giving to their families and seeing how beautiful they turned out. One is even a successful therapy dog just like his sire.

It’s hardest now when we go out early in the morning to take care of the horses. Sometimes you feel that you can hear his bark in the wind. You want to whistle and see him coming running towards you full tilt with that smile on his face. You want him to stop short at your feet and sit there, looking up at you, his tail quivering with delight. But then all you hear is cold silence and realize this is a joy you will never have the pleasure of experiencing again.

Goodbye dear friend –