Kiera

It has been extremely difficult to adjust to everyday life without Kiera. She was 14 ½  when we had to put her down due to the withering atrophy of her hind legs. I hope in the future that type of nerve problem can be resolved since the rest of her was healthy and happy. Dr. Gearhart and her team were exceptionally supportive and offered wonderful care to ensure she was as comfortable as possible.

Kiera was my science and engineering dog. Her curiosity for all things happening came to my attention when we finally got air conditioning installed in our house when she was 1 year old. Kiera sat at my side watching the mechanics bring in the tools and materials. She went over to inspect the tools and sat next to the installer for the next several hours. She patiently watched his progress and sniffed each tool he removed and replaced in his kit. This behavior was repeated with the plumber, the painter, the flooring installer, the car mechanic, the tire guys and doctors. Even at the vet she inspects and sniffs each instrument, including shots.

 Kiera was featured in many of my teaching projects, presentations and personal adventures.  All of my students loved seeing her in class videos and reports. She posed in company gear, biking gear, welcome videos, grammar videos and even a VR  gear headset video that a veterinarian used at a conference.

Kiera was the fastest learner I’ve ever worked with. I only had to show her once – maybe twice- and she nailed the task. She also thought for herself. When I was bed-ridden after a car accident, I had her water and food bowls placed next to me. She would lift the food bowl at dinner time so I could put food in it. A few days later she left the bedroom and returned with a food bowl. She stayed in the doorway with that classic head tilt. I realized it was the backup bowl from the pantry. She figured maybe bringing any bowl could result in food?

It took 2 years to get her into water for the river rescue classes. I took her to lakes, rivers, beaches and even swimming pools. She cried at the edge but would not get in the water with the other dogs. The trainers thought I should give up but I knew she just had to try it in her own time. Sure enough, one afternoon, all of at the training heard a huge splash and turned to see Kiera -who had jumped off of a small rise over the lake- splashing mightily in the river downstream from our secured area. I thought immediately that I would have to go in after her, but she gamely swam upriver, grabbed one of the target buoys and brought it to shore. After that, I couldn’t keep her out of the water.  A side benefit to her love of swimming meant that when she  began hydrotherapy she was thrilled.

One of our annual rituals was to play soccer outside every fourth of July. As soon as she heard the firecrackers in the evening, she grabbed her soccer ball and headed for the door.  It’ was critical to keep her steady around loud noises , but it always melted my heart to see the happy trust in her eyes as she excitedly looked for the jolly ball.