I think it was about four and a half months ago, while I was training, I noticed it would
be really nice to have someone, so I decided I would look for a dog I could take with me.
And this idea didn't work out in the end, it's really sad.
And hell, what a story.
Mario was a seven-year-old Scandinavian hound who was trained to participate in racing,
so due to his training and his experience, he was able to take specific commands like left
or right or fast and slower. Apart from that, he was really eager to learn things quickly,
so getting up and down the stairs was something Mario learned just in a few days
after he'd come to Gränschmark.
So all in all, one can really say that Mario was really eager to give his best,
but about one and a half months after we'd started training, he started to limp.
At first I thought he'd just strained himself, but just to be on the safe side, I went to the
vet, so a vet looked at him and sadly said that he was beginning to get an arthritis, and therefore
Mario wouldn't be able to join me. So even though I'd chosen a dog for long distances,
the worst-case scenario would come true.
Of course, I'm really relieved that this has happened before I left.
It would have been a catastrophe if it had happened on the way. On the other hand,
it's really sad to see how Mario still enjoys our trips, even though he's not going to be able
to come with me. Despite his problems, one can really see how he lights up when he sees the
bicycle, and he's really eager to go, so for a while I thought, oh well, perhaps it's going to
be okay, and I tried it again. But after a longer trip, his limping returns, so it's definitely not
going to work. With Mario definitely not being able to participate in my journey. I luckily
found a place for him to stay at a colleague's place, just out of town on a big farm, so despite
of the disappointment of having to leave him behind, I now know that he's got a great place
he can stay at. Despite all the facts, one really has to take into consideration that it would have
been quite a risk to take him. Especially the first part of the trip through Alaska is going to be
quite tricky, because due to the fact that I'm traveling through places where there isn't a
supermarket for 600 kilometers or so, I'll have to take all the food I need in order to reach the
next city. So of course I took into consideration that I would have to carry the food for Mario as
well, and it's not that bad, because I don't have to carry it on a backpack. Nevertheless,
this may sound funny in a way, but if I'm honest, I think not having to carry the food for Mario and
just having to focus on the food for me is going to make the trip a little easier, and perhaps I
even be able to travel a little faster, which shouldn't be the worst thing considering I'm
traveling through Alaska during the winter season. I've been in touch again and again with my
colleague asking how Mario's getting on, so at least know he's getting on all right.
Of course, I still have a bad feeling about leaving him, but I think knowing that he's found a new
home makes the situation bearable.
