DROOL - Issue No. 7 by bixbi

BY B I X B I — I S S U E N O. 7

HE MAKES MODERN ART IN SLOBBER ON MY CAR WINDOW. HE’S DAMN NEAR PERFECT.

Photo by Ja San Miguel

HE’S EASY TO TAKE CARE OF. HE’S GREAT COMPANY.

FRESH MEAT. NO BY- PRODUCTS. ROCKSTAR DIGESTIBILITY.

BIXBI makes food from fresh meat and honest ingredients and offers it at a lower price than the rest. No weird by-products, no overprocessed “meat meals.” Just healthy, delicious, digestible dog food at a reasonable price. Damn near perfect dogs deserve damn near perfect dog food.

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BY BIXBI—ISSUE NO. 7

PUBLISHER

James Crouch EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Skarf

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Chris Nelson

MANAGING EDITOR

Alynn Evans

ART DIRECTION & DESIGN

Justin Page COPY EDITOR

Christian Glazar CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Bailey Bremner, Rowan Jacobsen, Janelle Kaz, Garrett King, Chris Nelson, John Webster CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Bailey Bremner, Kimberly Elliott, Sophie Gamand, Andrew Hangartner, Garrett King, Gray Malin, Jared Murray, Jeff Stockwell CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Alex Velazquez Brightbill, Elisa MacDougall, Zach Meyer, Max Rodgers, Kavel Rafferty, Martin Swift, Marcy Tippmann, Eva Toorenent MARKETING

Lindsay Kunetka, John Webster, Elise Cameron BIXBI Pet PO Box 7327 Boulder, CO 80306 303.666.1070 No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any shape or form without written consent from BIXBI. For general inquiries, story and photography submissions, contact us at droolideas@bixbipet.com. © 2022 copyright BIXBI Printed in the USA

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Issue No.

SEVEN

“AMONGST KIDS OF DIFFERENT ABILITIES IS WHERE I FELT MOST INCLUDED, WHERE I FELT LIKE MY MOST AUTHENTIC SELF, AND IT’S WHEN I FIRST REALIZED THAT I WAS JOSH’S SERVICE HUMAN.” 8

Be Like Josh

The Vibrancy of Gray

Mella and Me

The Legend of Gustave

A differently abled doodle teaches selflessness to his service humans.

An interview with fine-art photographer Gray Malin.

How to become the person your dog knows you can be.

A rescued Chihuahua becomes an unlikely truffle-hunting champion.

Sol Companions

3,000 Miles by Foot and Paw

Accidentally Wes Anderson

Hiking America’s Continental Divide Trail with a pair of pups

A dog helps run one of the quirkiest Instagram accounts out there.

Exploring the ancient mysticism of the Mexican hairless dog.

On the Cover Illustration by Zach Meyer. See more of his work in the story “3,000 Miles by Foot and Paw,” page 68.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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Sometimes you have to bite the hand that feeds you to get stuff done around here. I’ll admit that Drool has been wildly successful — James and his team have pulled together some brilliant stories, scouted some fantastic artists, and created quite the following — but at the end of the day, dogs are better at digging through the trash to find treasure, and it’s about time that they asked a dog to run this magazine. My name is Skarf, and I believe that the only reason dogs are good judges of character is because we cut to the chase by sniffing butts instead of making uncomfortable small talk and awkward handshakes. I grew up on the streets and, like any respectable mutt, I’ve done some time in the pound, but this isn’t some rescue sob story. I adopted several families before I found one that worked for me, and when I first looked into my human’s eyes, I felt understood and appreciated like never before. I didn’t expect to live at the heel of a human, but I’m glad I do now. In issue 07 of Drool, we celebrate the intrinsic companionship between man and dog. We meet Josh, a goldendoodle with cerebellar hypoplasia who

changed the core values of his “service humans,” and we get to know Mella, a senior Australian cattle dog who helped her person get in touch with his creative spirit. We share the epic tale of a woman who hiked the 3,000-mile Continental Divide Trail with her pair of pups, we study the mystical healing powers of the Mexican hairless dog, and we introduce you to Gustave, a truffle-finding Chihuahua who became a champion with the help of his mom. We sit down with a fine-art photographer who composes wistful images that blur the lines between a dog’s life and typical human existence, and we showcase work from four talented artists who find inspiration by looking into a dog’s eyes. When you look into my eyes, I look back into yours, and in a moment we communicate without words and recognize what is wanted of us. It’s too bad we can’t have conversations, but at least with one look, we can say all we need to say. Keep sniffing, Skarf

SHE PLAYS WITH THE KIDS. SHE CUDDLES WITH THE CAT.

SHE’S DAMN NEAR PERFECT.

Photo by Victor Grabarczyk

MY FLIP FLOPS ARE HER FAVORITE TOY.

AWARD-WINNING. DELICIOUS FOOD. PERFECT TOPPER OR TREAT.

Dogs go crazy for 94-98% meat, organs and bones in bite sized pieces. Damn near perfect dogs deserve a damn near perfect dog food, treat or topper.

E K

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JOS

A DIFFERENTLY ABLED DOODLE TAUGHT SELFLESSNESS TO HIS SERVICE HUMANS.

L I E

H B WORDS BY CHRIS NELSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF STOCKWELL, JARED MURRAY, KIMBERLY ELLIOTT, ANDREW HANGARTNER

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Josh kicks back in his wagon after a quick swim in a custom-built flotation device created by his dog dad, Andrew Hangartner, who holds the patent.

Jo sh the g oldendo o dle has cerebellar hypoplasia (CH), a d i s e a s e t h a t s t u n te d t h e development of his brain’s cerebellum, which is responsible for regulating his movements and motor impulses. Also known as “wobbly animal syndrome,” CH is most commonly a congenital hereditary disease that causes uncontrollable tremors and head bobs, as well as lack of balance and coordination. Dogs with this incurable disease require an owner’s constant attention and caution to help them avoid injury with every unsteady step. It is a selfless sacrifice that most humans aren’t willing to make, but those who do are changed for the better — like Kimberly Elliott was in the summer of 2017 when 10-monthold Josh came into her life. “ When I first met Josh, I wondered, ’What have I gotten myself into?’” Elliott admits. “My first thoughts were egoist and selfish, like how in the hell am I going to fit this dog into my neat, organized militant kind of world? But then he wobbled and bounced over into my lap, and he laid in my arms, and I knew I wasn’t going to say ’no’ to Josh; there was just no way. That was truly the moment when everything in our lives changed.” Josh the red goldendoodle now

has over 400,000 followers across his social media channels, and he inspired Elliott and her husband, Andrew Hangartner, to establish the Be Like Josh Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the study, advocacy, rescue, and rehabilitation of dogs with neurological disabilities. Furthermore, Elliott and Hangartner have decided to drive across America in a massive RV with Josh and their six other rescue dogs — including their two-year-old white goldendoodle, Ford, who also has CH — on the “Be Like Josh” tour so that adoring fans can meet the fluffy, wobbly doodle who inspires by being his gleeful, skippy self. Elliott and Hangartner have surrendered almost everything from their past lives to support Josh and this cause, but that’s what it takes to be respectable service humans. Seven years before Josh showed up at their front door, Elliott and Hangartner had recently opened a gym near Phoenix, Arizona, where they both worked as personal trainers. Elliott’s conscious orbit did not extend far beyond what she was doing in the gym and what she looked like, and she says, “We felt like it was our duty to influence and change the world through fitness, because up until that point, that was really the most pivotal thing

WHEN I WENT TO THE SHELTER, I REMEMBERED WHAT TRUE PASSION FELT LIKE AGAIN.

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that we’d ever experienced: the challenge of changing your body and aesthetically becoming something else. That was the extent of our self-work.” In 2015, after seeing a news story that mentioned local dog shelters being overwhelmed and overcrowded, Elliott and Hangartner decided to host an adoption event at their gym for “purely selfish” reasons — everyone who adopted a dog would receive a free month of personal training — but after finding homes and fosters for almost 20 dogs, something changed inside of Elliott. “I will never forget how it felt when that was over,” she says. “It was like, ’Now what do I do with my life?’ How was I supposed to go back to the gym and be a personal trainer after I experienced that?” All day she dreamed about pulling more dogs out of kennels, so she hired her first employee to pick up a handful of hours at the gym, running some of her small group classes, and used that time to go to the shelter and save dogs in need. “It’s then that I realized I’d lost

my passion for my current career and might be in trouble,” Elliott says. “Fitness was my lifetime plan, but when I went to the shelter, I remembered what true passion felt like again. The importance of fitness started to fade fast after I saw dogs dying in the shelter. I mean, who cares if you ate too much, you know? That was the first time my priorities started to shift, but to be honest, at the time it was still all about me, not what I could give back. I felt like I needed to do this, but that’s all I knew.” Then she saw a social media post from The Farm Rescue in Mesa, Arizona, calling for fosters of three goldendoodles with special needs: 10-month-old Josh and a pair of five-month-old siblings, who came from a different litter but shared the genetic disability passed down from the male parent. Elliott had a goldendoodle who recently passed away, so when she saw Josh’s sweet face, her heart melted, and she immediately messaged the rescue to be a foster, knowing next to nothing about life with a differently abled dog.

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Left: After swim therapy, Josh loves to play around in the sand. Above: Ford is another goldendoodle who has cerebellar hypoplasia, but he doesn’t let it slow him down.

After two years of continuous rescuing and fostering, Elliott and Hangartner had developed a structured, straightforward routine for taking care of dogs, and a key part of that system was crating at mealtime, at bedtime, and when they left the house. They decided to treat Josh like every other dog that had come into their home, so that first night they lined Josh’s oversized crate with pillows to keep him from injuring himself and went to bed, expecting screams, cries, and thrashing — but no. “The next morning he was just sitting there, bobbing his head

with a smile,” Elliott says. “Then I took him out into the grass, he wobbled around and did his potty, and suddenly I was like, ’Oh, I can totally do this.’ From the moment Josh came into our house, he understood the assignment.” Still, caring for Josh required creativity. Elliott and Hangartner didn’t want to leave Josh at home when they took the other dogs for pack walks, so they put him in a wagon and brought him in tow. “It’s something I do every day now, but it was so monumental at the time, which makes me laugh,” Elliott says. “It felt so wild to put

a dog in a wagon, thinking Josh would scream and cry or jump out, but he was totally calm, peeking over the sides and bobbing his head.” After seeing neighbors come out of their houses to catch a glimpse of the adorable dog in the wagon, Elliott decided to share a video of their new walking routine on social media, and almost immediately it went viral. It wasn’t Elliott’s intention, and suddenly she felt uncomfortably exposed. “We were just getting into a rhythm with Josh, and everything was new and exciting, and the depth of our love was wild,

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George, 6, Great Pyrenees

Kevin, 9, Cairn terrier mix

Josh, 5, goldendoodle

Francine, 15, Chihuahua/Yorkie mix

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Ben, 6, pointing griffon/poodle mix

Ford, 1.5, goldendoodle

Greg, 12, pit bull

JOSH HAS RAISED ME. but all of these people were talking crap about him and about us, and it was awful,” she says. “Then came the sing-songy requests for collaborations from people selling puppy ice creams and dog bandanas, and I flat-out said ’No.’ Josh was so life-changing for us, and I didn’t want that cheapened. I knew what Josh was and what he was up against, and I didn’t want him to be one of those Instagramfamous dogs. I knew he could be more than that.” Elliott continues, “That’s when I started dabbling with the idea of the Be Like Josh Foundation and Josh’s inspiration to teach us something. I’ve since learned that disabilities do not exist as inspiration; individuals with

disabilities especially do not exist in the world to inspire us to be grateful. But in its infancy of me trying to put good out into the world, that was my mindset. Like, “Oh look, Josh has a disability, and he still gets through the day, so you can, too!’ That is actually a rather ableist kind of statement, but that’s why I tell people that Josh has raised me. He has made me grow as a person. It’s been almost impossible to be an advocate for Josh and others like him without getting slapped by the reality of my own ableism. In the beginning, my heart was in the right place, but I was just so naïve and didn’t have inclusive language tools. I just knew where I wanted to go, and I had no idea how I was going

WE WANTED TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT CANINE DISABILITIES ARE WORTHY OF CELEBRATING.

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Left: Having more than a half-dozen dogs requires a lot of leashes. Below: After parking their RV, Elliott and Hangartner take Ford, George, Josh, and Ben for a walk near the beach.

to get there.” She partnered with Jenny Braunwalder, who adopted one of Josh’s siblings, Olive, and is now rescue coordinator at the Be Like Josh Foundation, and together they visited classrooms with children that had disabilities, which was an enriching and lifealtering experience for Elliott. “Previously if I was around an individual with a physical disability or cognitive disability, I would become uncomfortable, which is a typical response from those who don’t have exposure to disabilities,” she says. “But when I went into these classrooms,

suddenly all of that was gone. After only a year with Josh, I learned to get beyond his disability, and now I don’t even see it. I acknowledge disabilities if necessary, but mostly it’s not even a thing anymore. In those classrooms, I felt at home. Amongst kids of different abilities is where I felt most included, where I felt like my most authentic self, and it’s when I first realized that I was Josh’s service human. I was an extension of him and was feeling ’othered’ in our daily existence, seeing how people looked at us and drew conclusions, but around people of different abilities, I felt seen.

That’s when things really took off. It was changing me.” Unfortunately, those visits e n d e d w h e n t h e C OV I D -19 pandemic spread, so Elliott refocused her efforts on rescuing dogs, especially those with neurological issues. “We realized that there aren’t just one or two or three or four neurological disabilities that exist in the canine world, but tons and tons of them, and many without names that no one’s ever seen before,” she tells us. “I started learning how many veterinarians recommend euthanasia for puppies born with neurological disabilities, so we got

really, really loud and pushed back, because we wanted to show people that canine disabilities are worthy of celebrating. Not just accepting, not just diapering and keeping alive, but celebrating them.” The Be Like Josh Foundation has helped 51 dogs with complex neurological cases. Elliott uses Josh’s social media platform to organize volunteers for transportation and fostering, and through the donations each dog receive s, has advanced diagnostics and mobility aids, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars. To adopt one of these dogs, you must be willing to look

past the disabilities and give the dog its best life by including it in your adventures with the aid of backpacks, strollers, wagons, or wheelchairs. “These dogs are here to have a good time and thrive,” Elliott says. “It’s not just about adopting a dog and being a pet parent, but rather being a service human. Yes, I’m a pet parent to my typically abled dogs and do all the things a typical pet parent would do, but I am also Josh’s and Ford’s limbs.” As the world reopens, Elliott and Hangartner are back out spreading the gospel of Josh, hitting the road in a 40-foot-long Tiffin RV that they will live out of

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for the next two years. Elliott says, “Our main goal with the Be Like Josh Tour is for all these people who have been following Josh and loving Josh from a distance — in middle America, the Midwest, the East Coast, the Southeast, experiencing him through their phone screens — now they get to touch him, hold him, hug him, see him, and understand how his body works and feel how he moves.” Additionally, Elliott hopes to meet more allies for the Be Like Josh Foundation, from veterinarians and neurologists to fosters and adopters. She also strives to build teams of people in every state to help with intake, diagnosis,

vetting, and adoption. When Josh came into her life and Elliott wondered what she had gotten herself into, she never fathomed being where she is now. While her husband still offers online personal training from the road, she has left that life behind in order to answer her call to service, and she couldn’t be happier about it. “I don’t feel like I truly started living my life until Josh came into it,” she says. “Previously, the things that governed my happiness were all fleeting, and none were rooted in anything real or meaningful. I can never find the words impactful enough to describe what Josh has shown me and taught me.”

Left: Elliott and Hangartner pose with their big, furry family. Right: Josh’s curly hair gets covered in tiny snowballs after he plays in powder.

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“WALK ’EM,

TREAT ’EM, TAKE ’EM OUT THE HOOD, KEEP ’EM LOOKIN GOOD...

FEATURED ARTIST: MAX RODGERS

@mroddnerd

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Panzer, 2021

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Taco , 2021

Dozer , 2016

Max Rodgers Max Rodgers is an illustrator from New York who creates a variety of art in the form of prints, books, coloring books, stickers, and apparel. Animals have always been a source of inspiration and subject matter for Rodgers; he’s drawn to dogs in particular because he can both capture a dog’s larger-thanlife personality and mirror the similarities with its owner.

Chico , 2021

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Buddy , 2016

THE VIBRANCY OF GRAY

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AN INTERVIEW WITH FINE-ART PHOTOGRAPHER GRAY MALIN. AS TOLD TO CHRIS NELSON P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y G R AY M A L I N

Dogs of Aspen © Gray Malin

Y 26

You will spend hours studying every exacting nuance of one of Gray Malin’s photographs, whether it is a stunning aerial shot of colorful umbrellas perched on a pristine beach or a fantastically composed scene of dogs living lavishly in hilarious poses. The Los Angelesbased fine-art photographer who preaches the philosophy “make every day a getaway” puts astonishing care and detail into producing each and every one of his images, so it’s not surprising that he became a New York Times best-selling author that has worked with brands like Disney, Google, Ladurée, and Veuve Clicquot, and now he even offers his own line of luxury products for home and travel. Because we so admire Malin’s raw talent and commitment to craft, we are hugely grateful that he gave us a peek behind the scenes of his life.

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DROOL: How did you discover your passion for photography? GRAY: My love for photography started in high school. I discovered the dark room, and it was an addicting experience to watch my images slowly come to life in the developing trays. Simultaneously, I discovered André Kertész and his incredible work. I felt very moved by his composition and for the first time, I recognized that my connection to this art form went beyond just taking a class in high school. I went to an exhibition of Kertész in Paris a few years later, and I remember thinking I would love to be a professional photographer one day. DROOL: How did you find the confidence to pursue photography as a career? GRAY: When I graduated college in 2008, I got a job at a movie studio in Hollywood working in marketing, but I quickly realized that while I was surrounded by people passionate about movies, my passion was really photography. Unfortunately, the recession had just hit, and art galleries were closing left and right. Since I wanted to start selling my artwork and dip my toes into the industry, I decided to take a different route; one where I could sell directly to customers and interact with them

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Ski Pups, Aspen © Gray Malin

Chairlift Pups Vertical © Gray Malin

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Black Lab, Martha’s Vineyard © Gray Malin

I CHOOSE HISTORICAL PROPERTIES, ICONIC PLACES, OR UNIQUE NATURAL SETTINGS IN ORDER TO CREATE MOMENTS THAT ARE UNEXPECTED AND TIMELESS.

face to face. I rented a small booth at a Sunday flea market in West Hollywood where I started selling my work and building a customer base. My Prada Marfa series — a sequence of photographs I created on a whim with the assistance of the local township in Marfa, Texas — is the first series that really took off at the flea market. It is kitschy, whimsical, and generally conversation-provoking, and it was the art generated from this shoot that propelled me to pursue photography full time. DROOL: For your epic travel photography, how do you decide which destinations to point your lens at, and where are you most excited to visit next? GRAY: Deciding where to shoot

varies according to what I’m trying to accomplish. For an aerial shoot, I want to capture the natural elements, beauty, or geometric shapes that create a work of art from above for the particular destination. These details are how I choose the locations of the beach, snow, or city locations that I shoot from this unique perspective. Sometimes, I am drawn to a certain lifestyle of a place and want to shoot it from the ground to capture the features that I feel evoke the spirit of that city or region. For my shoots that are more produced, I choose historical properties, iconic places, or unique natural settings in order to create moments that are unexpected and timeless. Although I do love traveling to the

far ends of the Earth, I am truly looking forward to going back to Michigan this summer to spend quality time with my family and friends at our summer home. DROOL: How important is a wellorganized team and production to the success of your work? GRAY: For stylized shoots like Dogs of Aspen I have a creative team that helps me with all production execution. We start out by creating mood boards, curating the type of aesthetic we are looking for and will be trying to achieve. Then we typically narrow down locations for the places we’d like to shoot; for Dogs of Aspen we shot at the top of Aspen Mountain at a beautiful vista, on one of the chairlifts, down at The Little Nell, and at

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Spotted at The Little Nell, Aspen © Gray Malin

Ajax Tavern. Then it is important for me to map out exactly what I want to shoot, complete with what kind of dogs and models, and the wardrobe and accessories that will go with each, and what I want the overall shot to look like. This way, on shoot day we know exactly what we need to accomplish in order to get the finished product that I am looking for. DROOL: When did you start bringing dogs into your series work? GRAY: Throughout the years, dogs have been included in my more stylized work. For example, I made it a point to have a pup in my Gray Malin in Aspen and Palm

Beach series. As we dog lovers know, it’s hard to resist artwork with a beautiful dog amongst incredible scenery or in an iconic destination, and the popularity of these images proved this to be true. From there, I took a leap of faith and decided to depict dogs living at the Beverly Hills Hotel for my Dogs at The Beverly Hills Hotel collection, and it is now one of my most beloved series. My next dog project was in New York City, where dogs have such a unique and joyful role in city life. Then I chose Aspen because I wanted to recreate moments from my original Gray Malin in Aspen series to produce a timeless series that included the

unexpected addition of beloved dog breeds. I wanted this series to be an expansion of my love letter to Aspen that brings joy and a snowy escape to all. It was such a treat to realize these dogs as tourists of Aspen in vintage accessories and the most fabulous life. DROOL: Is it difficult working on set with dogs as models? GRAY: For all of the dog shoots, we work with an incredible dog trainer that has over 20 years of experience. Most of the dogs that he helps us cast are either already very well trained or generally well behaved, so it makes working with them a lot easier. However, as we

AS US DOG LOVERS KNOW, IT’S HARD TO RESIST ARTWORK WITH A BEAUTIFUL DOG AMONGST INCREDIBLE SCENERY OR IN AN ICONIC DESTINATION...

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Pool Day, The Beverly Hills Hotel © Gray Malin

Table for Two, The Beverly Hills Hotel © Gray Malin

THE CHALLENGE, ALTHOUGH SURPRISING, WAS NOT STOPPING THE DOG FROM EATING THE BAGUETTE.

all know, these animals have a mind of their own and sometimes they want to explore what they see out of the corner of their eye instead of holding their pose, so we are always prepared to be flexible and patient. DROOL: What is the funniest dog story you can recall from a day on set? GRAY: On my shoot with the dogs in New York, I photographed a picnic scene in Central Park. The idea of having a baguette in one of the dog’s mouths was stuck in my head and so I wanted to make it happen. The challenge, although surprising, was not stopping the dog from eating the baguette. Instead, it was that none of the dogs could hold still with the baguette in their mouth because it was too big! The German shorthaired pointer, who is the one pictured in the final version, was the only one that was able to hold still long enough for me to get this shot. I’m so glad, because it’s one of my favorite images, and we were all laughing so hard on set.

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Picnic Party, Central Park © Gray Malin

Sunbathers, Top of The Rock © Gray Malin

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SEEING THESE ADORABLE DOGS IN A FUN AND WHIMSICAL WAY PUTS A SMILE ON PEOPLE’S FACES.

DROOL: Do you have a dog of your own? GRAY: Yes, I have a rescued 13-year-old black Lab mix named Stella. She has been part of the family since before my husband and I had kids, and we’ve been through a lot with her. She is getting up there in age, but I love to spend time with her and play fetch when she’s up for it. The kids also really enjoy going on walks with her, so we try to do that as often as we can. DROOL: What do you think it is about dogs that captures our admiration and adoration? GRAY: There are endless reasons in my opinion, the obvious ones being that they are incredible companions and undeniably cute. However, I think that dogs can resonate with people’s past experiences, feed into their interest in certain breeds, remind them of the joy that their dog gives them, or speak to their hope to have a dog in the future — all of which could be the case when someone views my artwork. Seeing these adorable dogs in a fun and whimsical way puts a smile on people’s faces. www.graymalin.com @graymalin

SHE’S LEARNING HOW TO SIT. SHE’S LEARNING HOW TO STAY.

SHE’S DAMN NEAR PERFECT.

Photo by Tanner Crockett

SHE THINKS SHE DESERVES A TREAT JUST FOR BEING CUTE.

BITE-SIZED. IRRESISTIBLE FLAVOR. PREFERED BY TRAINERS.

Whatever the accomplishment, BIXBI has the best way to say "good dog." Low calorie and high value. Damn near perfect dogs deserve damn near perfect dog treats.

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BECOME THE PERSON YOUR DOG KNOWS YOU CAN BE.

ME L L A AN DM E WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY BY GARRET T KING

038/096

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Early morning ferry ride back from a frozen adventure to Spirit Island in Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park. Mella was pretty cold from the wind and snow, so her dad bundled her up for the trip.

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In 2010 I flew from Denver, Colorado, to Lubbock, Texas, to visit a farm that was sheltering a litter of newborn puppies who needed homes. One of the five-week-old, caramel-faced babies caught my attention by being the calmest, so I named her Carmella, because of her coloring and her mellow demeanor. Even though my sweet Mella just turned 12 years old, I remember so vividly those first days with her, as I bottle-fed her and watched her fall asleep in my arms. Life then looked nothing like it does now, with long, thankless days spent working at a design agency. During the week, the only quality time I had with Mella was when we went on quick runs on my lunch breaks or took late-night walks, and it took an emotional toll on both of us. Weekends were dedicated to her. We went camping and hiking as much as possible, always getting out to explore somewhere new, and that’s when my interest in photography first sparked.

From behind a lens, I discovered a voice I didn’t know I had, and as my confidence and style bloomed, I turned into a different version of myself. I fell in love with photography as a form of expression and soon amassed a following on social media that made me think, “Maybe I could do this as a full-time job.” I could work as much or as little as I wanted and pioneer a stylistic path for myself, all the while having Mella at my side. I quit the agency grind and wholly changed the pace of my

life, and immediately I noticed a shift in Mella’s mood as she walked with her nub of a tail wagging and the happiest pep in her step. P ursuing photography was, without a doubt, the best choice I ever made — for both of us. Mella has been an incredible adventure partner from the beginning; wherever I was going, she was going, too. Our first big road trip together started in Los Angeles, California, and took us up the Pacific coast to Seattle, Washington, and while it was a

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FROM BEHIND A LENS, I DISCOVERED A VOICE I DIDN’T KNOW I HAD.

A photograph taken moments before sunrise in Telluride, Colorado. Mella and her dad camped up in the mountains to capture content for a campaign he was shooting at the time.

pain lugging around her food and figuring out dog-friendly places to stay, we quickly found our groove and had a lot of fun together. As I started working on bigger projects, the trips we took were even more epic, and Mella has joined me in trains, planes, boats, and canoes as we traveled across the United States, drove through the Canadian Rockies, visited Iceland — twice — and so much more.

I felt terrible when I had jobs where Mella couldn’t join me. I remember when I first left on an eight-day shoot, and how Mella understood that I was going and that she would stay behind. She knew the instant I brought out a suitcase and didn’t say anything to her that I was out the door and that she’d be taken care of by my friends; after that, leaving her never got any easier on me.

Fortunately for Mella and me, my career has stabilized to a point where I can travel if I want to or stay put, which is a much healthier way of life for both of us; I get a routine and she gets more quality time with me. We still adventure from time to time and go on road trips, but she’s showing her age and it’s not as easy as it used to be. Sometimes it makes me sad, but when I look back on the crazier

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AS THE WORLD CHANGED AROUND US, TOGETHER WE ADAPTED, ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES AND TURNING LEMONS INTO LEMONADE.

times that she and I have shared, I can’t help but smile. I remember when I was dead broke, living in a dark and dingy apartment in Denver, and I couldn’t afford dog food for a week or two, so Mella and I ate peanut butter sandwiches together for every meal, and her smile got me through that tough time. She was happy with so little if it meant that she was spending time with me. I felt like I had failed her, but it motivated me to pick a different career — one where I could make the rules — and her influence and character brought me out of a rough patch and into a new life. She’ll never know how much that meant to me. She’ll also never understand how she made me a better person, no matter how many times I try to tell her. Mella taught me about re sp onsibility, compassion, patience, empathy, trust, care, and grace, and she’s always stayed by my side through long-distance moves to new cities, huge career changes, horrible heartbreaks, and whatever else came our way. As the world changed around us, together we adapted, rolling with the punches and turning lemons into lemonade. This life has been wild, sweet, and everything in between, but having Mella at my side has made it that much sweeter.

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AN EXCERPT FROM TRUFFLE HOUND BY ROWAN JACOBSEN

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Truffles are incredibly aromatic balls of fungus, similar to mushrooms, that grow underground throughout the world. Their prized scent and elusive nature makes them the world’s most expensive food, with prices that can run from hundreds to thousands of dollars per pound. For centuries, people have used trained dogs to sniff out the delicacies. Pigs were once used, but pigs are too insistent on eating the truffles they find; dogs work for treats. Most famous of all are Lagotto Romagnolos, Italian dogs bred especially for truffle hunting. Although the most famous truffles are found in Europe, North America has excellent truffles of its own, but we never had the truffle dogs to find them. Now that is changing, and a truffledog craze has begun. Much credit goes to the Oregon Truffle Festival, held each winter since 2006, which celebrates the native truffles of the Pacific Northwest. In 2015 the festival launched the Joriad North American Truffle Dog Championship, in which amateur pooches from far and wide compete to sniff out the most truffles over three rounds of increasing difficulty. The first few years of competition were dominated by Lagotto Romagnolos and other breeds known for their tracking prowess, but in 2018 a surprise underdog stunned the competition and made national headlines, proving that America is indeed the land of opportunity.

This is his story.

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How cool is it that Gustave’s mom, Marcy Tippmann, did all of the illustrations in this story?

You are not the kind of dog who should be at a place like this at this time of year. In January, Oregon’s Willamette Valley is a desolation of drizzly skies, short days, and bone-chilling fog. But that is when the truffles are at their peak, and that is when the Joriad Truffle Dog Championship takes place. So here you are, scrambling over fallen branches and mossy hummocks in a Douglas fir forest

as a chilling rain soaks the ground, racing the four other finalists to find as many truffles as possible in one hour. The conditions don’t seem to be fazing the other dogs in the final round — like Ciaran, the chunky black Lab, and Autumn, the fancy Lagotto Romagnolo descended from generations of truffle hunters. But when you are a short-haired Chihuahua, it’s another matter. You’ve aced the first two rounds of the Joriad, where dogs search for buried plastic tubes holding truffle-scented cotton balls in the sheltered (and flat!) confines of the Lane County Fairgrounds horse arena, but here in these dark, dense woods, you’re finding it very difficult to concentrate. So many distractions. Strange smells. Big dogs (never your favorite). Judges.

A film crew from CBS. Squirrels! Yo u w e i g h e i g h t p o u n d s dripping wet. Your batlike ears are frozen. You haven’t found a single truffle in 30 minutes of hunting, and it’s all starting to feel like too much. Despite the hot-pink coat you’re wearing, you begin shaking so badly that your human, Marcy Tippmann, has to pick you up and carry you. The film crew finds this pretty cute, but you’re not here to be cute. When you finished in the middle of the pack at last year’s Joriad, that was cute. Not bad for a Chihuahua, they said. A typical backhanded compliment. But you’re used to such things. The underdog jokes. The insinuation that you have an advantage because your nose is lower to the ground. You took it in stride — okay, short strides — and

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Pigs and Lagotto Romagnolos are traditionally capable truffle hunters, but it turns out that Chihuahuas can be pretty good at it, too.

At that point, a lesser Chihuahua might pack it in. But you’ve been through worse. Much worse. now you’re back to win. Yet here you are, shaking like a leaf and being carried while the big dogs race through the woods like wolves. Humiliating, honestly. Marcy tries to hide her disappointment, but you can tell. “It’s okay, Gustave,” she says, raking water off your fur with her hand. “It was a fun day.” At that point, a lesser Chihuahua might pack it in. But you’ve been through worse. Much worse. As a rescue dog, your origins are shrouded in mystery. When Marcy, a graphic illustrator from Eugene, found you online a year and a half ago, you were about nine months old. She’d been searching for the right dog for months, and as soon as she saw your photo, she knew. With that wiry tricolor coat that

makes you look part jackal, you represent the more rustic end of the Chihuahua spectrum. What else might be in the mix? Who knows. Your puppyhood is a haze. All you really remember is that at some point you were very, very, very hungry, and you are never going to let that happen again. No piece of food will ever pass you by, including things that might serve as food in a pinch. Kibble, chocolate bars, newspaper, plastic, it all helps quiet the fear. In October, just two months after Marcy rescued you, you fell gravely ill with an intestinal obstruction. You needed emergency surgery, but the bill was going to be $4,000 — money Marcy didn’t have. You endured days of crippling agony, and at some point you just lay down

and waited for the end to come. At the last minute, Marcy’s relatives ponied up. The vet removed a mass of hair and toy parts from your gut, and you bounced back as only a Chihuahua can — fast enough to enter the Joriad. There were no signs of greatness in your maiden performance, but come on, the scars were fresh. Since then, you and Marcy have been training every day. You make a game of it. Marcy drips truffle oil on a toy and hides it in the house. “Zoeky,” she says (her special word for seek), burying it under blankets. It’s a great way to pass the winter evenings when it’s dark at 5:00 p.m. Sometimes she drops truffle oil onto kibble and scatters it in the grass outside. Yum! The

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Truffles grow underground and form symbiotic relationships with the tree roots around them.

truffle oil reminds you of some good part of your puppyhood from before the bad times. When the weather’s nice, you practice in the park. Marcy fans out her palm across an area of ground where she wants you to look. “Zoeky!” It took you a while to put it all together, but eventually you learned to find the scent cones rising from the ground like streamers on the breeze. Of course! Just follow them to the point where they all converge in the earth. Then Marcy is so happy. Plus, treats. It all paid off in the opening elimination round at the indoor horse arena, in which each dog

had three minutes to walk past a line of 16 plastic boxes filled with dirt and pick out the two that had the truffle tubes buried in them. Each team was allowed one wrong guess. Two and you were out. Honestly, you began to shake at the start, just standing next to the other 24 entrants. There were several Lagotto Romagnolos, the Italian truffle-hunting breed. There were Australian shepherds and G erman shepherds and English shepherds. There was a bloodhound! You were seriously outgunned. They all had different tells when they found truffles. Yours is to dig fast with both paws and then look

up urgently at Marcy for a treat. Marcy calmly walked you down the line of boxes, letting you think it through before making your calls. You tried to block everything out and just stay with the smell. Nose low, tail high, you scanned your snout back and forth. Wait, that box you just passed! Scent cone! You doubled back, sniffed, confirmed, dug fast, stared at Marcy. She glanced down at you. “You sure, Goose?” Yes. “Truffle,” Marcy said to the judge. The judge kneeled down and dug through the box, unearthing the plastic tube. “Truffle!” he

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Little Gustave keeps his nose to the ground as he sniffs out prized mushrooms.

shouted, arm pointing straight up. The bleacher of spectators cheered, which startled you momentarily. Never in your life had such a noise been directed at you. You shook it off and returned to the line of boxes. No. No. That one! “Truffle,” Marcy said. The judge checked. “Truffle!” Boom, two hits, less than a minute, no errors. As you trotted off the arena dirt, a murmur rolled through the crowd. Only half the competitors made it through Round One of the Joriad. In Round Two, the truffle tubes

are buried scattershot around the horse arena. Dogs must find five as quickly as possible, and the five best times move on to the finals. You and Marcy received a huge cheer when you entered. Who wasn’t rooting for the Chihuahua? There was also some laughter, which you chose to ignore. All that mattered was making Marcy proud. You got down to work. Calm and focused, you nailed four tubes faster than any of the other dogs, and suddenly the cheers weren’t patronizing any more. “That dog’s got game!” someone shouted. “Go, Gustave!”

But it’s one thing to be hunting scent cones with your human in the park, and another to be doing it when a bunch of strangers are shouting your name. You lost your focus. For a full two minutes you wandered the arena in a daze, following the scents of the other dogs, hearing Marcy’s pleas as if through a fog. The clock ticked toward the five-minute mark. Then— directly beneath you — scent! You scratched, Marcy shouted “Truffle!” as the clock expired, and you grabbed the last spot in the finals. The crowd cheered wildly, but it was clear they

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The bleacher of spectators cheered, which startled you momentarily. Never in your life had such a noise been directed at you. thought your luck had run out. And maybe it had. Here you are, shivering like a Pekingese, truffleless after 30 minutes, and being carried. You are no Lagotto. Marcy puts a second jacket on you and places you back down on the ground. “Let’s get you warmed up, Goose.” A little stiffly at first, you start ambling. Fallen branches loom like boulders. All you can smell is duff and squirrel poop. But the second jacket feels good, and soon you are warm again. Now the woods feel different. The other dogs are far ahead, and the film crew got bored with you and headed off in pursuit of Autumn the Lagotto. It’s just you and Marcy, a judge trailing behind. “It was a fun day,” Marcy says again, smiling down. You glance up at her, your savior, and your little heart floods with love. Snippets of your near-death experiences flash through your mind. You want to make her happy, and you know you can do it. You are a truffle hound. There in the freezing woods on that bleak January day, with 30 minutes to go, you pull it together. Your mind is calm, your senses open. What’s that over there? Some crazy scent, cutting through the fog of squirrel poop like a knife. So obvious. How could you have

missed it before? You dig furiously with your paws, unearth the little white nugget, and gaze brighteyed at Marcy. Truffle! “Good boy! Yay!” Marcy cries, kneeling down to slide a treat into your mouth. You wolf it down and suddenly realize you would like some more of those. And, what do you know, there’s a second scent cone around this same tree. Truffle! It all begins to click. There’s another on a nearby tree. And another! “Zoeky, Zoeky,” Marcy says, keeping you on task. Check this tree. Then this one. You sniff, dig, and scamper, treats surging through your bloodstream. The rest of the world fades away. You are just a nose sailing through a sea of scent cones. So many truffles. So many treats. Marcy follows behind with her tiny hand rake, scooping up the truffles and handing them to the accompanying judge. When the hour ends, you have nailed seventeen truffles. That seems pretty great to Marcy, but who knows? The other finalists were out of sight, and the judges keep the results under wraps until the Parade of Dogs awards banquet at the hotel that evening. You wear your best tartan plaid coat. You’re feeling good in it, but the banquet is a tough scene for you. There are dozens of big dogs

in the ballroom, including this year’s Joriad contestants, some from previous years, and others who were at the festival for the training program. Some are on their best behavior. Others, not so much. The elevator was nuts. Before the winners are announced, Marcy compares notes with one of the other finalists. How many truffles did she find? Two, the woman says. Marcy gives you a wide-eyed stare. As it turns out, it isn’t even close. Second place goes to Ciaran, the black Lab, with ten truffles. You win in a landslide. Marcy holds up the Oregon-shaped wooden plaque to wild applause. You take a little victory trot around the ballroom while the cameras flash, field a few interviews with the press, then duck out early. Long day. Your brain is fried, and your bed is calling to you. Not long after that, you and Marcy announce your retirement from competition. The Joriad is open only to amateurs, and like many an Olympian before you, you’ve decided to go pro. If anyone is in need of a very small truffle hound — preference given to flat, dry terrain — just reach out. The world is full of funky nuggets, and they must be found.

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“I’M INTERESTED

IN THE WAY WE HUMANIZE THEM, HOW THEY MIRROR US OR WE MIRROR THEM.

FEATURED ARTIST: KAVEL RAFFERTY

@kavelrafferty

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Bobby Dazzler, 2022

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Kavel Rafferty After traveling to, and living in, many different places around the world, Rafferty settled in the coastal town of Margate in Kent, UK. She had — and still has — a successful career as an illustrator for clients around the world, working on book covers, travel, and everything in between. In recent years, Rafferty has shifted much of her attention to her fine art, exploring collage and abstractions. She shares her life with Bobby Dazzler, a goofy dachshund that loves beach walks.

Loser, 2022

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Cutie Pie, 2021

Teckel, 2022

Group Therapy, 2021

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A N A N C I E N T A Z T EC S H A M A N D O G W O R D S B Y JA N E L L E K A Z PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOPHIE GAMAND

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Also known as the Mexican hairless dog, the striking Xoloitzcuintli, or Xolo (showlow), was revered by the Aztecs and other ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica as a healing soul companion that guided individuals through death and into the underworld. The breed’s name originates from the dogheaded god of sunsets, Xolotl, and the Aztec word for dog, itzcuintli. In Aztec mythology, at the end of the sun’s journey across the sky, when it descends below the horizon into the depths of the perilous unknown, Xolotl is solely responsible for guarding the sun and ensuring it returns safely for

a new day. This canine deity has the power to escort the sun — and our souls — through the night, from death to rebirth, from dusk to dawn. The Aztecs believed that our time is the fifth era of a creation and destruction cycle; all life on our planet has been obliterated four times — four suns — before our present age. At the end of the Fourth Sun, the feathered serpent god, Quetzalcoatl, and his dogheaded twin, Xolotl, ventured into the graveyard of the underworld to retrieve the bones of life, and it is from these bones that humanity was restored and an earthly dog companion, the Xolo, was created. One of the oldest dog breeds

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Captiontk Ferferessum, non consenditio. Nam, corum quatis es quam repudant ullescipsae. Itaesto bla dolorep tatur, et eum inus dolecab orecepr ovideles abo. Volut volest voluptae necabo. Ustotae sincim nonsectate debis dem eat peligenti s am, ullam quasimo lectaspedi

THIS CANINE DEITY HAS THE POWER TO ESCORT THE SUN— AND OUR SOULS— THROUGH THE NIGHT...

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Symbolized by the evening Venus star, but occasionally mistaken for a chupacabra, Xolos are healers and sentinels in life. Illustration by artist Alex Velazquez Brightbill.

in the world and potentially the first known in the Americas, the Xolo crossed the Bering Strait into the new world about 11,000 years ago. The oldest statues of Xolos date back to 3,700 years ago, with ceramic effigies found in a staggering number of burials throughout Mexico, possibly as a symbolic representation of their guardianship through the afterlife. Generally, we see these depictions of Xolos in ancient Mesoamerican art, with their welldefined, spade-shaped, erect ears and wrinkles in the skin to indicate a lack of fur. As the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan — present- day Mexico City — flourished through trade, couriers walked long distances to the coasts of Central America and back, accompanied by the larger, standard-sized Xolos, which acted as vigilant companions and cuddled up with their owners at night to provide warmth for an aching body. The miniature and toy-sized Xolos generally stayed behind in the villages, protecting homes from evil spirits, watching for anything out of the ordinary, and keeping their humans cozy in their beds. Xolos typically bond strongly to one person, needing a great deal of interaction from them, but they treat the whole family, including other pets, to warmth. The bodies of the hairless Xolos radiate heat more intensely than those of coated dogs, at around 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Keeping these divine canines close is an effective remedy for pain as their heat boosts circulation, increases oxygen-rich blood flow, repairs d a m a g e d m u s c l e s , re l i e ve s inflammation, and alleviates stiffness. Xolos have been known to draw out other types of sickness and chronic pain, from arthritis

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to fibromyalgia and rheumatism. Accounts also tell of Xolos curing insomnia — and even toothaches if you used one as a pillow. Their hairlessness is the result of a dominant genetic mutation, one that may have been adaptive at some point, perhaps as respite from prolonged exposure to intense heat or as protection from skin pests that burrow away in fur. The thing about stunted hair growth, genetically speaking, is that the teeth go with it; dogs with canine ectodermal dysplasia, as it is known, have missing or abnormally shaped teeth in addition to near or complete hairlessness. This makes

identifying remains of this breed relatively easy at archeological sites, as the skulls typically lack premolars and sometimes incisors and canines. That said, some litters of Xolos contain a mix of coated and hairless or semihairless puppies, who have tufts of hair on their heads, feet, and tail. In addition to being covered by a short, flat layer of fur, the coated varieties have all of their teeth. The thick skin of hairless Xolos should be cared for like a hide, bathing with a moisturerich shampoo, such as argan oil. Afterwards, a coating of coconut oil will help keep their skin hydrated, focusing particularly on the back,

I M AG E CO U R T E SY O F F R I DA K A H LO M U S E U M

Xolo effigies date back over 3,000 years, holding a place of special significance for ancient Mesoamerican cultures. The fate of the Xolo breed became uncertain until their revival after the 1910 Mexican Revolution, when artists such as Frida Kahlo embraced them in her life and work.

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head, and ears, areas which receive direct sunlight. Sunscreen, as you can imagine, is recommended for harsh sunlight. Adolescent acne can happen, especially with a suboptimal diet, and some owners believe that diet is more important for skin health than a high-maintenance skin routine. Another fascinating anatomical feature of the Xolo is its dexterous paws, with fingerlike toes that are excellent at grasping and pulling. They can open doorknobs and cupboards, figure out how to reach under doors to pull them open, and wrap their paws around you for a true embrace. Genetic and

archeological evidence reveals that Xolos evolved naturally, rather than being shaped by human influence, so the breed has a high level of genetic diversity, and as such Xolos generally do not suffer from congenital diseases. They retain genetic traces of ancient indigenous dogs and are still somewhat primitive in their behavior. Therefore, the Xolo is adaptable, athletic, extremely intelligent, and often reacts instinctively, with swift reflexes. Socialization is key, and structure and consistency help them feel secure. An animated and elegant breed, Xolos move lightly and bound gracefully, jumping with

the agility of a gazelle. It’s easy to understand why the Aztecs were so enamored with this otherworldly creature. In their culture, sacrifice was one of the most respectable ways to die, and beloved Xolos were sacrificed to be buried with their humans, and even consumed for ceremonial purposes as these domestic animals could provide a reliable source of protein for a large gathering of people. Not for daily subsistence though; their meat was said to be medicinal, enabling prophecy. When Spanish conquistadors claimed Mexico for the crown, however, they demanded the renunciation of

ancient rituals, exterminating and consuming dogs en masse. By the end of the 16th century, Xolos were rare, surviving mostly in remote mountain villages of Mexico. For tunately for us, Xolo s subsisted, and today we can enjoy their fables as we rest our heads against their warm, hairless bodies. If ancient legends are right, we are lucky to have a beloved soul companion that will stay at our side and accompany us into the unknown. This mystery lies just under the horizon, and through its shadows, the loyal Xolo will bring us into the light.

SHE’S SO SWEET. SHE WOULDN’T HURT A FLY.

SHE’S DAMN NEAR PERFECT.

Photo by Alvan Nee

SHE GUTS A SQUEAKY TOY IN 10 SECONDS FLAT.

100% USA-SOURCED MEAT. DELICIOUS TREAT. IRRESISTIBLE KIBBLE TOPPER.

Up to 98% fresh meat. Picky eaters are no match for LIBERTY Freeze-Dried Toppers. Damn near perfect dogs deserve damn near perfect toppers.

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3,000

MILES BY FOOT & PAW SPENDING SIX MONTHS ON AMERICA’S CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL |

0 6 9

MAP BY JUSTIN PAGE

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REMNER WORDS BY BAILEY B

I L LU S T R AT I O N B Y Z A C H M E Y E R

A 70

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Prima the German shepherd and Skittles the border terrier pose for a picture beneath the Chinese Wall in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness.

A little over a year ago I moved Homer, Alaska, a town of approximately 5,000 people located about five hours from Anchorage. I had no friends, no furniture, and next to no daylight, which sounds as depressing as it was. I landed the dream salary job that I was supposed to want, but after I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about my dogs, Prima and Skittles, and wondered what it would feel like leaving them home alone for eight to 10 hours a day. That’s when I started thinking that I should chuck it all and thru-hike the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). At this point in my life, I had hiked three long trails, though admittedly none came anywhere close to being as long as the CDT, where you walk from Canada to Mexico along the Divide. I’d always considered hiking the CDT as something that would be done after the dogs passed away, as the rate of completion on those trails with a dog is notoriously low. But the previous summer

I’d finished a 750-mile hiking route with Prima and Skittles, and when I remembered that the following summer both dogs would turn eight years old, I realized that the clock was ticking on how much longer they would be able to physically keep up on an adventure of such epic proportions. If we were going to give this a go, then this was the time. I quit my job and spent the

next several months planning and preparing. On June 12, 2021, we arrived at the northern terminus of the CDT, which typically travels through Glacier National Park, but since dogs aren’t allowed on backcountry trails in national parks, we had to take an alternate route down from the Canadian border; we faced this issue again with the other two national parks along the route: Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone. After the happy pups and I soaked in the moment beside the little metal monument that marks the start of the trail, we turned our sights south and started walking. The first few weeks were blissful. I could finally decompress in this newfound freedom and found great joy in watching the dogs investigate various smells along

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the trail as we entered the magical Bob Marshall Wilderness. With four legs instead of two, Prima and Skittles were much better equipped to handle downed trees and snow on the trail, and to thrive in rugged environments like those found in northern Montana. Few things brought me as much joy on the entire CDT as seeing how excited they were by the hordes of ground squirrels we met along that section. Central Montana presented new challenges, with extreme heat waves and wildfires plaguing the Northwest. Many days we took a six-hour siesta during the hottest part of the afternoon, because with the dry, waterless ridges in this part of the state, it would not have been safe for the dogs to do otherwise. Then Skittles began to develop blisters on her pads, similar to what a hiker wearing wet boots might encounter. Fortunately, a visit to a veterinarian in Helena and some time off over the next few weeks made a huge difference, and because of it, her feet were like iron the rest of the trek. Prima wasn’t as lucky. While many people say that dogs’ feet just need to be properly conditioned to handle any terrain,

AFTER THE HAPPY PUPS AND I SOAKED IN THE MOMENT BESIDE THE LITTLE METAL MONUMENT THAT MARKS THE START OF THE TRAIL, WE TURNED OUR SIGHTS SOUTH AND STARTED WALKING. that was not at all my experience; Prima’s paws needed to be closely monitored and periodically pampered throughout the trip. Fortunately, after a week off in Butte, things took a turn for the better. We left the CDT in favor of an incredibly scenic shortcut known as the Butte Super Cutoff, or Big Sky Variant, which routed us away from the wildfires burning on the Idaho border. Prima struggled on with some sore feet, but overall things were much easier, and neither dog could get enough of the frequent wildlife sightings or interesting smells.

At the end of July, we crossed our first state line into Idaho. Skittles celebrated by rolling in the dirt while Prima looked less than impressed. When I realized that the water source I was counting on had gone dry, we ended up walking over 50 miles in about 48 hours before coming across the next water source. After a handful of days in Idaho, we crossed into Wyoming, just south of Yellowstone National Park, and the weeks that followed were some of the trip’s best. From atop a bridge, Skittles watched as a family of river otters played in the Snake

River before we hiked through the beautiful courthouse-like peaks of the Absarokas. T h e i n c re d i b l e m o u n t a i n s cener y continued into the Wind River Range, where both Prima and I found the increasing amount of granite to be a bit bothersome for our feet, but with careful management we both remained healthy. Completing the Knapsack Col route in the Winds had to be one of the high points of the trip. Both dogs traversed large boulder and scree fields to ascend the 12,000-foot-high off-trail pass, defying all of the other hikers

who told us it was too difficult for dogs. The granite spires of Titcomb Basin and the remnants of Twin Glacier are surely some of the most picturesque places we visited. We were hiking from 20 to 25 miles a day as we crossed into Central Wyoming, with a decent amount of daylight, close to a thousand miles under our belts, and the knowledge that winter was coming. At the end of August, the Winds gently spun us out into the Great Divide Basin, which is, in many ways, desolate. There are no trees, so the wind often roars across the open expanse. The most common occupant is the Angus cow, and most of the water to be found is shared with the herd. For all its brutality, I found much beauty in this extreme landscape, but that didn’t make it any easier to hike with the dogs. We were fortunate to enter the Basin at the tail end of a cold front, which kept the temperatures bearable for much of our walk toward Rawlins. The first of September marked our re-entry into our home state of Colorado. This presented many opportunities to meet up with friends along the way, which helped keep my spirits up as the days became noticeably shorter and the nights colder. The first snow of our hiking season arrived the night before hiking over the highest point of the CDT: 14,278-foot-tall Grays Peak, which was Prima’s first-ever hike six years prior. Unlike the last time, though, we didn’t do an out-andback on the standard route and instead dropped down the taluscovered southwest ridge into Chihuahua Gulch. As September stretched into October, we enjoyed a wonderful

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FROM ATOP A BRIDGE SKITTLES WATCHED AS A FAMILY OF RIVER OTTERS PLAYED IN THE SNAKE RIVER BEFORE WE HIKED THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL COURTHOUSELIKE PEAKS OF THE ABSAROKAS. mixture of golden aspens and snow. Prima especially seemed to thrive in the colder temperatures, and watching her lead the way up snow-covered passes in the Collegiate Peaks gave me great hope that we would actually make it to Mexico. With the snow already accumulating, and more on the way, I made the decision to bypass the San Juan Mountains by heading through Del Norte and Platoro. This gave us a few days to visit some of our favorite human and dog friends in Durango while

bracing for the coldest stretch of the trip. Single - digit temp erature s welcomed us back to the CDT, and as the day slowly warmed, the dogs got mucky and wet as we hiked over Indiana Pass. With the shortening daylight, there was no choice but to camp in the snow somewhere near 11,400 feet above sea level. Skittles solidified her habit of sleeping inside my quilt that night, and Prima snuggled up close as well. We all managed to keep our toes, and while the few

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WATCHING HER LEAD THE WAY UP SNOWCOVERED PASSES IN THE COLLEGIATE PEAKS GAVE ME GREAT HOPE THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE IT TO MEXICO. remaining days to the New Mexico state line were by no means balmy, they were certainly warmer than that night. Crossing into New Mexico meant that only one state stood between us and the Mexican border. It also meant that we were past the worst of the potential snow and, barring disaster, would most likely make it to the end. The appropriately named Land of Enchantment offered impressively varied terrain that conspired to wreck Prima’s feet. The lava rocks were particularly devastating, especially around the town of Grants. At least we had

plenty of time to take days off, so we ended up resting for at least two days in every town thereafter. The last great hurdle to be crossed was the Gila River, an alternate route I chose not only for its acclaimed scenery but also because I was tired of carrying six liters of cow water every day. But my decision came at a cost. The already short days were even shorter in the deep canyons of the Gila, so the river froze over where it was still, and the low air temperatures made it difficult to keep the blood flowing in the feet. We enjoyed one day hiking through the incredible pink

pinnacles before bailing to the high route and taking a different path to see the Gila Cliff Dwellings. After that, the pups and I enjoyed Thanksgiving in Silver City before restarting our trek through the desert. In many ways the last 120 miles were the most magical of the trail. We had complete solitude among the yucca, creosote, and mesquite. The weather was perfect for the dogs, the sunsets were incredible, and sleeping out under the stars was the stuff of movies. There were still difficulties, but getting to cuddle with the dogs and laugh at their antics made me wish that the trail was never going to end. On December 7, 2021, we filled up with water, struck camp, and walked south for the last time. The Big Hatchet Mountains embraced us in all their glory before releasing us into the flat valley of the borderlands. We arrived at the fabled Crazy Cook Monument in the golden light of a beautiful afternoon, ending our six-month trek. As I lay in my tent on that last night, I again pondered the lives of my dogs and wondered — as I still do — if I could have done anything to make their trip more pleasant or comfortable, and if thru-hiking with dogs is a good decision. But as I rewatched the videos of them observing ground squirrels, rolling in the dirt, and scooping up snow like excavators, I knew that the love and friendship they have brought to my life has paid dividends for them, as well.

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“I HAVE TO TAKE

PILLS AND ASTHMA MEDICINE WHEN I VISIT MY DOG. BUT HONESTLY, IT IS 100 PERCENT WORTH IT.

FEATURED ARTIST: EVA TOORENENT

@evaboneva

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Momo the Eater of All Things, 2020

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Eva Toorenent In 2018, Toorenent participated in an “Inktober” challenge where she drew something every day for the month of October, and she not only started gaining followers but really found her artistic voice. While she deeply loves dogs, Toorenent is very allergic to them and even needs to take allergy meds when she visits her family’s Labradoodles. In her eyes, it’s 100 percent worth it, and it certainly hasn’t stopped her from incorporating dogs into her art; in fact, Toorenent almost sees it as a way to show her love for dogs, even when her allergy keeps her from interacting with them.

Mermaid Dog, 2020

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Carl the Coral Dog, 2021

W E Y S L L A A ND T N

S R

N O

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C I

D E

083

DROOL

ISSUE NUMBER SEVEN TWO THOUSAND TWENTY TWO

WORDS BY JOHN WEBSTER PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ACCIDENTALLY WES ANDERSON

DEXTER

ADVENTURES OF

& THE

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In the summer of 2017, Amanda and Wally Koval launched an Instagram account, Accidentally Wes Anderson (@accidentallywesanderson ), to “explore the unique, the symmetrical, the atypical, and the distinctive design and amazing architecture that inspires us all.” In their digital space the Kovals shared the most beautiful, idiosyncratic, and interesting destinations on the planet, and did so in the unique cinematic style of one of the most recognizable modern film directors, Wes Anderson.

I Yoda in Lofoten, Norway. By Maria Vanonen

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Rorbu Cabin & Yoda By Maria Vanonen

After posting photos that captured the vibrant colors of and mimicked the symmetrical framing of scenes from films like Isle of Dogs (2018), Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), the Accidentally Wes Anderson account commanded the attention of those who felt drawn toward the director’s defining aesthetic. Today, Accidentally Wes Anderson has built a community of well over a million people and has published a gorgeous coffee-table book.

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Mila in San Diego. By Jenn Kilbourne

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Prague By Jake Hargreaves

IN THEIR DIGITAL SPACE THE KOVALS SHARED THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, IDIOSYNCRATIC, AND INTERESTING DESTINATIONS ON THE PLANET

Craigievar Castle By Yazmin Cooper D R O O L — I S SU E N O.7 87

Typical Home By Claire Walker

Huerta de naranjos By Fernando Merlo

The Kovals have since enjoyed countless adventures exploring new cities and towns looking for the best in architecture, culture, recreation — and of course, dogs. When they come home to their small apartment in Brooklyn, New York, they enjoy spending time with their dog, Dexter, who has incidentally become the face of the Accidently Wes Anderson account, seeing how the Kovals prefer to stay behind the lens.

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Juneau The Hound By Rod Trevino

Roux in Kansas City. By Erica McCarthy

Olive By Sanaz Lavaedian and Jess Rona

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Faced with a chronic case of rabies, Spitz is a hardened guard beagle who faithfully protects Mr. Boggis’s chickens from Mr. Fox and his crew. Unfortunately, Spitz has a weakness for blueberries, which his foes lace with tranquilizers.

(2009)

SPITZ

(2018) A former stray dog who finds himself quarantined on Japan’s Trash Island, Chief is an unlikely leader who jumps into action, saves lives, and helps bring peace to the people and dogs of Megasaki.

CHIEF

FOUR (& Three) LEGGED LEADS

DEXTER’s Four Paw REVIEWS of Wes Anderson’s

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Snoopy’s life started outdoors, surrounded by kids with lots of hiking, sniffing, and snacking, but that changed in an instant when Snoopy was struck down by an errant arrow. “Was he a good dog? Who’s to say? But he didn’t deserve to die.”

(2012)

SNOOPY

(2004) The three-legged dog, Cody, becomes Steve Zissou’s companion when the dog is mistakenly left behind by his pirate owners, only to be returned to the pirates after the Zissou crew forgets Cody on shore.

CODY

Tenenbaum’s neurotic midnight fire drills, only to find himself on the wrong side of a 1964 Austin-Healy and an Eli Cash mescaline bender.

(2001) In a roller coaster of emotion, Buckley survives a tragic plane crash and Chaz

BUCKLEY

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“IT’S THEIR

SILHOUETTE, THEIR SWERVES AND CURVES...

FEATURED ARTIST: ELISA MACDOUGALL

@elisatheillustrator

More Hounds, 2021

ELISA MACDOUGALL

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Saturday Strolls, 2021

Elise Mac has been interested in art for as long as she can remember. Encouragement at a young age gave her the confidence and practice to pursue art as a career. Still, Mac recognizes how important it is to make art for pleasure and the process; that’s how she stays true to her artistic voice and shares meaningful art with the world. She loves drawing dogs’ beautiful and often comical silhouettes. While she’s aways had an affinity for sighthounds, bringing home her whippet, Lolly, has only deepened her love for incorporating dogs into her art.

Whippet, 2021

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Spring Equinox, 2021

HE DOESN’T BARK. HE DOESN’T DIG.

HE’S DAMN NEAR PERFECT.

Photo by Ruby Schmank

HE HAS FOUR DOG BEDS AND STILL SLEEPS IN MINE.

FRESH MEAT. FREEZE-DRIED COATED. ROCKSTAR DIGESTIBILITY.

How do you make the world’s best dry food for dogs better? Simple: coat it in more meat. Freeze-Dried coated BIXBI RAWBBLE, the end of picky eaters. Damn near perfect dogs deserve damn near perfect dog food.

DAMN NEAR PERFECT DOG FOOD