I haven't talked too much about Sawyer. She is the smallest of the sled dogs, and the loudest. For most of this winter, she was living in the dog house next to Pico's. Every time we came and went from the house - usually taking Pico inside with us when we came home - she would raise a holy racket of indignant shrieking. She would tear around on the end of her chain, yelping and howling. If you went over to her, she would quiet down but rarely sit still enough to be petted then raise a racket again the second you moved away. Her saving grace was that once we were inside, she would immediately quiet down, but these initial verbalizations did not endear her to us. Unlike shy, quiet Leo, who I was struggling to connect with or sweet, cuddly Dottie, Sawyer was sort of the third wheel of the borrowed dogs. She demanded attention, but wouldn't accept it.Sawyer has the best coat of all the dogs, and routinely chooses to sleep outside. As soon as she moved in, she pulled most of the straw out of her house and made a nest outside on the ground. In temperatures down to thirty below, she would be curled up in a contented ball under the stars.
Two things initially warmed me up to this pup, and has made her, at this point, my favorite of the three. The first thing I noticed was her drive on the line. Although not comfortable up front, in wheel she pulls hard and never stops. Her back end tucks far under her with each stride, making up for her shorter stature.
The second thing that helped me fall for her is her singing. After our runs, once everyone is watered and things are put away, she lifts her nose to the sky and howls, singing intermittently for twenty minutes or so after we get home. At first, she was the only dog singing although recently Leo has been coaxed into joining her.
As Sawyer has settled down into her winter home, some of her initial squirreliness has disappeared. When we bring her inside, she is curious, polite and affectionate, giving sweet kisses to Peter and I and growling like a pit bull if Augie or Pico approaches. In fact, she is quite the Alpha. Now that I let all the dogs loose after a run while I prepare food it has become clear that Leo may be the lead dog but Sawyer is the boss.
Of all the winter dogs, this little tri-color mutt is the one I am most tempted to keep. Her drive, songs and affection have endeared her to me in a way I never would have predicted during our initial rough adjustment period. Peter has started calling her Sparrow, and I think if she does stick around that moniker may stick with her.
