Memories of Lukka by Jill Fike of Pineridge Kennels
Lukka and Una duly arrived in Canada while probably thinking they were still in Iceland as they came with a charter flight of 70 Icelandic horses! This was in the summer of 1996. We just had Eric at that time, so there was huge excitement for him, seeing two little Icelandic puppies arriving.
Lukka was a feisty little puppy right from the start, while Una was a little older and much more laid back. They had lots of room to run and had a happy time growing up together. We put Lukka in with our sheep and she always enjoyed moving them around.
When she was older, we were re-doing our fence between our farm and our neighbours' farm and frequently their herd of cows came to visit! With virtually no training except for verbal encouragement, she soon became adept at rounding up Bob and Bonnie's cows and returning them to quite a distance beyond the fence line! On occasion, with no verbal encouragement, she also decided to move our horses for us!
Lukka was just an exemplary mother - she just loved her puppies. The most memorable litter was the one where we had seven people on a waiting list for little girls and she had seven little boys! This was the largest litter we've ever had. Suffice to say nobody had been planning to breed and as I think most people will agree, Icelandic little boys are every bit as affectionate as little girls, the little boys went to the little girls waiting families!
Sadly our vet diagnosed Lukka with cancer and said it would be very painful surgery for her and as she was no longer a young dog, it would be kinder to let it take its course. Aside from one more vet trip about a year ago, she showed no signs of not feeling and behaving as she always had until Easter weekend, when she wasn't quite her normal self. I spent some time with her before we both went to bed on the Saturday night and she didn't wake up on the Sunday morning.
Lukka's legacy is still living on in various places in North America and we thank her for her contribution to many families' happiness. She will always have a special place in our hearts as a loyal, loving friend and companion.
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