In Memoriam


Remembering Mishka

(2009 - 2021)


About Mishka

Remembering Mishka

I was born in Rialto, CA on the summer of 2009 but soon moved to the beautiful coastal little town of Dana Point. (Thank god for that, it was much cooler there).

As a young pup my parents took me everywhere and they say that I was the most photographed husky in town. Went for many walks at the harbor and when I was old enough to go to dog parks, they took me to Laguna Beach Dog Park. Wow, I was rubbing elbows with the rich pooches. Made lots of friends like Moose, a big gentle dude. Also Peaches, a crazy pit bull that liked to wrestle with me. Enjoyed getting in lots of trouble by playing in the mud and getting very dirty. This place was huge and enjoyed running all over the natural hills with all the other dogs. A regular daily routine that my parents faithfully did.

Later on they discovered Creekside Dog Park in Dana Point and that become my second home. My close friends Dancer, Jazz, Jade, Bella, Deacon and so many others. I played with everybody that was up for a good run of chase the entire length of the park, or the "Run around the trees" (My favorite game) I used to have over ten dogs chasing me. I was pretty quick in my young age.

My parents took me on so many walks in different places. From peaceful walks at the beach to hiking on Northern CA, where I also got the pleasure of staying boarded at a working ranch. That was a cool place. Played all day and crash at night time.

Or the time they took me to Chicago and got to stay at a working farm and play in the snow with a Big Saint Bernard. We played all day and came inside at night time. Oh yeah I was full of energy then!

In summer we went on walks by the beach, they bought me a pair of sunglasses and I looked really cool. Chicks liked me then.

I have seen many sunsets, sunrises, early morning walks, sipped Starbucks coffee (well they did, I just got iced water) and everybody pet me. Traveled to National Parks like Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Yellowstone.

Later on my parents moved to Idaho. At first I went to Camp Bow Wow in Meridian but then they found the most wonderful place to play every day: Doodle Dog. They loved me there so much and had some of the most wonderful play days. Cathy and Gregg, the owners were so special to me, always giving me so much love and also Danielle. One summer in Nampa went to the Pool Party and participated in a Contest at the same park. I was the "Hollywood Producer" for Doodle Dog

We went camping to many places some close, some far away like South Dakota Mount Rushmore. My favorite place was McCall ID. There I got to play with my bucket and ball at the dog park.

In the last couple of years I started to slow down, had some health issues and have not been feeling my best. But in looking back at all these years, I had a Great Life!!

I left on my next journey on March 19, 2021 at 16:40 local time, to that great place called Rainbow Ridge. Some of my friends are waiting there for me. Also waiting are Tahoe, Marley, Nikita and Bandit.

Bye McKenzie and Montana, will miss our camping trips together. Lots of love to the members of the family, some of you camped with me (who can ever forget those days watching them fish or the famous Jordan's campfires)h the kids all loved me so much. To my ex-neighbors from Dana Point Suzanne, Ken and Rosemary, Sonja for being so kind to me and for all the treats an love. I do love you all very much! Bye Mom and Dad, love you very much. Until we meet again!!

March 19, 2021

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Q and A


Where did you get him?
Rialto, CA from a local breeder. Mishka's parents were big and so was Mishka

Where did you get him?
Rialto, CA from a local breeder. Mishka's parents were big and so was Mishka

Where did you get him?
Rialto, CA from a local breeder. Mishka's parents were big and so was Mishka

Why did you name him as such?
The Siberian is from a very ancient lineage dating back perhaps 4,000 years or more. The husky was the dog of the Churchi tribe in northern Siberia for many centuries. He was an all-purpose dog for the tribe. Our first husky was named Nikita. Nikita was friends with Natasha, a female husky belonging to my brother in law. So we liked Russian names.

Why did you decide to get a pet? And why him in particular?
We waited a little over three years after loosing Nikita. We have always liked the breed and never considered any other breed.

What was he like? Describe his personality.
From day one we knew Mishka was going to be a handful. Mary and I went to see the puppies, she liked one that was very mellow. But from the moment I saw Mishka with his mischievous personality, I knew he would come home with us. (Mary let me have my way, again)

What adjectives would you use to describe him?
Stubborn, like me, great personality, always very independent but also very lovable. We have been so blessed with both huskies. Nikita was more docile, lovable and quiet. Mishka was the "Life of the Party" type personality. He would enter the dog park and start to play with everyone when it was young. Perhaps the closest friends were Jazz and Dancer.

Can you share a funny moments with him?
Mishka had many funny moments, but three standout in my mind: The first one was when he was at Laguna Beach dog park, he was very young, found a puddle of water and dirt and played for like an hour. Then he looked at me like saying "What, I didn't do anything wrong" The second was when about ten dogs were chasing him in his "run around the trees" game at one point he turn his face and was in shock so many dogs were behind him. The third one happened here in Nampa Dog Park. They had just built a natural pond, were dogs went swimming. It had a ramp. Mishka walked to the end of the ramp and decided to jump in. The look on his face was priceless. Like "Why did I do such a dumb thing?"

Can you share touching moments with him?
As a young pup, Mishka made friends easy at dog parks. At home there were cats. Him being mister Macho, tried to put Tahoe in place. Needless to say Tahoe put him in his place. We didn't call Tahoe "fearless" for nothing. Days later, Tahoe an Mishka relaxed sitting on the couch side by side and that was a great moment.

Did he do any tricks?
Yes. He could always make treats disappear. Huskies don't do tricks, they are good looking by nature and they know it. So chicks really flock to them.

Was he your first pet?
No, our first pet was Bandit.

Was he adopted, found, adopted or bought?
Most of our cats were rescued and so was Nikita. However when we decided to get Mishka we looked for a breeder, after searching for a puppy to adopt without luck. We thought a puppy would integrate better in our household. Rescued cats sometimes don't have patience to deal with a grown dog unless the dog is very mellow.

Did he have pet siblings or other animals that he bonded with?
Mishka was loner in a way. He would play with other dogs but often times you would find him exploring on his own. Huskies are super-intelligent and they are escape artists by nature. They like to roam and run, but in an urban setting it can be very dangerous. Nikita too had a loner personality.

What do you miss about him?
We miss seeing him first thing in the morning and the last hug and treat at nigh time. He was my buddy. Loved when I would drive him anywhere, I could look on the rearview mirror and see him all happy. As I write this, tears come flowing. We both miss him tremendously and we are very sad. What we miss the most is seeing him so happy whether he was playing with other dogs or getting so excited before leaving to go to play group. For almost 12 years "It was all about Mishka"