Abi and the Wilds

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Abi and the Wilds

🐾a girl & her pack 🌲dog focused 🌖wander obsessed ⛰️prev WildlingWanders

20/06/2024

If you aren’t a regular Stories Watcher 📺, you probably missed that we have a new *temporary* resident in the house! The handsome Berner Boy is Coast 😊 He was placed with me to get some training & find a new home. He’s been with us since Monday & is settling in well! We went for his first wander with us yesterday & he was very into that - he loves car rides 🙌🏻

Coast is almost exactly a year younger than Hallu & while he is a bit shorter - he definitely weighs more 😅 Wolfdogs are basically just legs, especially in the summer 🥵 Coast was raised with love & had an excellent start in exposure to things, but we have a ways to go with formal obedience. You’ll see his progress in stories, mostly!

19/06/2024

In beginning the planning process for the next Great Wander, I can’t help but think about trips from the past. This was Wild’s. I know I’ve talked at ✨length✨ about that last trip but I can’t explain how important it was then & how important it became when he died. I’m so glad we circled this exit more than once waiting for a parking spot to open up, I’m so glad we took the time to drive an extra 4 hours to visit Forks (for the joke, but also it’s surrounded by gorgeous landscapes so come on), I’m so glad we did the extra day at the beach…I’m just so glad.

There’s a part of me that wants to show Hallu every single place that Wild walked. I want him to visit the spots that his predecessor loved & I want him to love them too. I’ve already done that a few times; he got to see Wild’s favorite beach when I first picked him up but I mean, he was essentially still a slug at that point so I doubt he remembers it 😅. There’s also a part of me that knows that some places are going to be just Wild’s. Like this one.

Multnomah Falls is one of the more popular tourist destinations in the area & since it’s literally right off the interstate, super accessible to those just passing through. I was nervous taking Wild there because of the crowds, more because of the potential for dogs not being under control than people, though. Wild was dog selective & was pretty dramatic when he didn’t “select” a dog to be a friend 😅 While he was always under extreme control (we also muzzled often just to make sure everyone gave us space), seeing a High Content Wolfdog being dramatic is pretty off putting if you don’t know that it’s 99% noise, 1% maybe action. I never ever want my animals to be the reason somebody thinks Wolfdogs are unpredictable or dangerous. Ever. But we did it. We hiked this hike & I took off his muzzle for this picture (leash edited out 🫡) & he handled the crowds. We handled the crowds.

Hallu doesn’t have much dog selectivity, but his shyness of people would make a stop like this completely unfair to him. He would try. He would really try. But he would be so uncomfortable & I would be uncomfortable. And that’s okay. This spot is Wild’s.

16/06/2024

Monday’s coming 😳 (it’s Hallu & Bet; they’re Monday).

11/06/2024

I went to edit a photo today & realized that it’s been almost a MONTH since I’ve used my camera 🤯 I used to take photos of Wild weekly. At minimum. I don’t think I’ve fully processed how his loss has impacted my interest in documenting life in the way I did with him. I’m still carrying my camera, I’m still taking a ton of phone footage, I’m just not as compelled to take & edit “real” camera photos anymore.

This has nothing to do with Hallu being a “bad” subject 😂 He’s actually way more patient & willing to pose than Wild was most of the time. I think some of it is that I go out less now than I used to & when I do go out, I’m usually not going out with Hallu alone. Wild took a lot of work, mentally & physically, & while Hallu has his own intense moments, I generally feel more comfortable taking him AND another dog on outings than just him alone - where, with Wild it was much more common for just the two of us to hit the trail because he required more focus.

I think I used to say “I’m going to try to do better!” with photos but honestly…I think I’m doing what I need to be doing. Instead of trying to force something & being frustrated that I’m not capturing things in the way that I think I “should”, I’m going to work on not feeling guilty for leaving the camera at my side. It’ll happen when it’s meant to happen.

04/06/2024

Hallu & I accidentally recreated the first picture last night - it was taken ON THIS DAY in 2022 🥹 I had already swiped through my Facebook memories & saw that another photo of Baby Hallu sleeping on the fireplace hearth was posted, but I didn’t realize that I had taken one of him sleeping on the couch like this - with the red blanket even! - until I went to post the one from last night in my stories & was looking for a close match. I love when things like that happen 💛

29/05/2024

It’s Whim’s SIXTH birthday today 🎉 I think I share this photo every year but that’s because it’s one of the only waterfall photos I have of Whim 😂 She very quickly let me know that she wasn’t a water-dog & that, really, she wasn’t a wander-dog either. Don’t get me wrong, she loves the act of hiking & exploring! She just really hates the process of getting there.

Whim’s idea of a Good Day: sunbathing, watching for squirrels, running after flyers (what we call 🐦‍⬛ since we have our own Bird now 😅), curling up on a dog bed for hours at a time. Honestly, I wouldn’t hate that day either. Whim is an independent spirit but a cuddler at heart - she just can’t ever figure out what to do with her legs. She helps me immensely by starting chase games to tire out the other dogs & even though she doesn’t accompany us on many wanders - I’m glad we get to share life together 💗

(Picture is from 2018)

23/05/2024

This week marks Wild’s Gotcha Day (May 21st) & Dude’s Birthday & Hallu’s Gotcha Day (May 23rd for both)! I can’t believe Dude is officially EIGHT 😳 He was kind of the first “life is short, get the puppy” of mine & I don’t regret adopting that life motto 💁🏻

He’s helped shape Hallu into the dog he is & I just know that his time with Wild influenced the dog Dude is today, too. He & Wild basically grew up together even though they were a just a little under a year apart. While he may not always join me on my longer adventures anymore, he is always always always ready to go when it’s time.

16/05/2024

The unquenchable thirst for a long wander has begun making itself more present in the forefront of my mind lately. I typically do one “big” trip a year & it can be hard to schedule with my job + most of the places I’m wanting to travel to being at least a day or two drive away.

Traveling with dogs is never easy, but adding in a wolfdog means you have to not only find dog-friendly spots but also WOLFdog friendly spots 😅 There are states to avoid, counties you can’t sleep in, & even cities it’s best to just drive around. A trip that may only take an average dog owner a few hours to do might take a wolfdog person an entire day because they’ve had to circumnavigate around an illegal area.

Aside from the legal standpoint, there’s also the fact that Hallu (nor me) isn’t a people-pup. So any “tourist” spot that I might want to see, I need to make sure that there’s somewhere nearby that is lower key for the little mouse to get out & explore. I’ve found some really neat places in my travels due to wandering off the beaten path & I’m grateful for that! But…sometimes you wanna see the Grand Canyon, you know? 😂

I don’t have any concrete plans for our trip this year but I’m in the beginning mental sketch phase & enjoying the possibilities that the new van may afford us. This picture is from Wild’s SECOND big road trip of 2019, boy was a traveler 💙

11/05/2024

Bet has reached the “just legs” stage of life and, well, Hallu never left it 😅

08/05/2024

The epitome of a “maaaaaahm 😒” face 😅 He’s so tolerant of my photo taking in general, though & even when he’s annoyed, he still looks so sweet 🥹

05/05/2024

It’s CICADA SEASON here in middle Tennessee & the dogs are quite excited 😅 We have a 13 Year Brood hatching this time, so that means that in addition to our normal annual crop, there are literally thousands more 🙃 The one I’m holding in this picture is a freshly molted one that I rescued from the depths of Hallu’s mouth, but as they dry they turn to their normal dark coloration with 🔴🔴 red eyes! Cicadas are harmless, in that they can’t bite you in their adult form & are just here to flail around & make more cicadas, but they’re not so great at flying…or walking…or hearing…so they’re often in the way & bumping into anything that’s moving. We still have a bit to go as far as the initial emergence but they’re already in the trees singing their songs 🎶 Do you have a cicadapocalypse headed to your area this year?

24/04/2024

This hike popped up in my Facebook memories today & this is one of those photos that I think I only shared the one time, even though his soft expression here is one of my favorites 💙

I took Wild to this waterfall a couple of times, the drive there is pretty long & you never knew if you were going to be the only souls present (like this day) or faced with a crowd of folks at the base having a swim day. That never-knowing part of hiking is hard for me 😅 I’ve often wished my fav trails had cameras in their parking lots so I could check in before heading out.

23/04/2024

The only time Bird is in the backyard with the big dogs is when I’m also in the yard with the big dogs & she usually gets to the edge of the fenced area pretty fast to make her rounds while the bigs are being silly around me. This morning, she was sticking closer to the porch & I lost sight of her - so did Hallu.

I could tell he was scanning the yard the same way I was & then we both (seemingly) had the same thought at the same time: oh no, she’s under the porch (it’s screened off from the bigs but a chihuahua could fit). We look at each other (I know it sounds impossible but it happened 😂) & I said “is she under the porch?” & we both headed that way.

We peered around the steps together (him from on the porch, looking down), & under the steps (his big noggin poking between them). She wasn’t there! I called out & Hallu looked at me like “😳 she is nowhere”. I looked up to scan the rest of the yard & finally saw her proud little self trotting our way from her usual route, her expression very much a “y’all, I was RIGHT here 🙄” 😂

I know dogs can’t laugh, but the look of amusement that passed between us definitely felt like laughter to me. I appreciated his collective concern & lack of judgement for my worries 💛 (cell phone photo because why not)

22/04/2024

Happy Earth Day! So grateful to live (relatively) close to so many places like this 💛

20/04/2024

It’s Hallu’s SECOND birthday! 🥹 This past year has flown by & I can hardly believe he’s already 2. It feels like just yesterday that I picked him up for the first time & instantly knew he’d be different than Wild. Not different bad. Not different good. Just different.

It’s hard trying to wrap up what a dog means to you in an instagram caption, so I’ll just share something I told him the other night while cuddling on the couch before bed:

“Did Wild leave all his love for you to add to your own? Because you just have so much to give.”

So much love 💛

19/04/2024

I just feel like y’all should see this 😂 Captured mid-zoom from the water, Scully & Bet’s faces are just too much. Despite the scary appearance, this is just Scully being silly!

13/04/2024

Wild would’ve reached “senior dog” status today. Seven. I will always mourn the fact that he didn’t get to grow older but I do find a little bit of humor in the fact that he never had to act like a true grown up. He reached “adulthood” in high content wolfdog terms, spent a year there, & then decided that was enough I guess.

I won’t lie & say I wouldn’t change anything about how we lived those short years together - but it is complete truth to say that I would do it exactly the same all over again if that meant I could do it for longer this time. He was a force to be reckoned with. He was intensity in fur. He was love. And he was loved.

Never a senior, always 4 💙 Happy Birthday, Wild

11/04/2024

I have to get a new car. I know that sounds like a very silly problem. But this is the car that took Wild & I on so many adventures. I had a van when I brought him home, but we only took one trip in that before I got the expedition, so this car really feels like Wild’s to me.

We slept on so many forest roads, in so many parks, in quite a few parking lots 😅 This car took Wild to meet see his sister further East of us & took us all the way to the west coast (twice). It took us up mountain passes & to the literal lowest point in the United States. We drove through snow & we (ill advisedly) drove through sand.

I know it’s just a car. But it’s our car. It was his car. And I’m having a weirdly hard time saying goodbye.

31/03/2024

Happy Easter X 🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰 I’ll post their photos in stories so you can truly take in the Whim vibes 😅

23/03/2024

It’s ! I don’t think I can choose who was cutest 🥹 (Dude, Whim, & Hapax all joined us when they were around 4 months old, so no baby puppy pictures of them). Puppies are cute so we don’t hold it against them when they wake us up at 3am or chew that important cord we didn’t realize was in reach 🙃

22/03/2024

Today is this spotty boy’s FIRST birthday! He is the bounciest, happiest, jumpiest, sweetest boy & I feel like he’s been here for much longer than he has 😅

While we haven’t done much in the way of titles yet (I really need to send off some videos 😬), he has been “working” with me & my clients since pretty much day 1 & is such a good distraction dog & confidence builder with others. When we’re working together, nobody else exists & that’s just hard to beat!

Here’s to your first year, Hapax, & all the years & adventures to come 🎉

20/03/2024

✅No Tulips Were Harmed in the Creation of this Content✅ 😅 Puppies gonna puppy!

Trying to figure out what to post on the main feed after all the intro posts has been…challenging. I haven’t posted super regularly since Wild died & I don’t think I’ll ever go back to posting every single day on the main feed (taking that many photos again sounds exhausting), but I am trying to get back into the groove of posting photos more than once or twice a month.

As much as I hate answering this question myself: what kind of content do YOU like to see on the main feed? I’ll continue to overshare via stories 🫡 so nothing will change there!

14/03/2024

This photo is from this week last year! I hope to make it back to the tulips this season 🌷 I think this was the first time I decided to really commit (a little too hard 😂) to this editing style. I love showcasing Hallu’s softness 💛

07/03/2024

Once again, I was debating on whether or not to include this in the Meet the Pack “series” but as the account is now “ABIandthewilds”, well…that’s me so 😅

::deep breath:: I don’t love photos of me, does anyone really?, but this is the very last selfie I took with Wild, august 19th, 2021. As I’ve said a billion times before, he truly disliked taking photos with me but he was distracted at this moment by a noise in the distance & I was able to get this photo without too much fanfare. Why am I talking about Wild on a post about me? Well. A lot of who I am now is because of who he was. He changed my life in a very big & literal way. So sometimes it’s hard to separate myself from him, myself from the dogs that I have intertwined my days with.

But I’ll give it a go. My name is Abigail (Abi/Abby/Abs/hey you), & I’ll be 36 this year - I felt that only fair to add since I was sharing all the other pack members’ ages 😅. I’m a pretty peak millennial; I was on tumblr in its peak & I’m still in those trenches today. If you’ve watched basically any of my stories, you know that I love a good media hyperfixation & info-dumping is my fav love language. If I could get paid to binge watch a (probably now cancelled) tv series & text my friends vague plot points via gifs alone, I would be set for life. Alas.

I train dogs. My job is my life & my life is my job. I work predominantly with your average pet dog that needs to learn not to jump & to come when called but occasionally I do some fun media projects (commercials, print shoots, a play once, etc) & that spices things up. I love figuring out how a dog figures things out. There are so many ways to train a dog & it’s a trainer’s job, imo, to find the one that works best for both dog & owner. It’s a puzzle & getting to put in that final piece is just 🧑🏻‍🍳💋

When not consuming media or training dogs - I’m traveling…with dogs. Road trips are my favorite because you never know what you’re going to see. Back roads & random interstate finds are the best. Most of my Top Rated sleeps have happened on some random pull off in some random National Forest on a road trip.

That’s me in a nutshell. Back to dogs now 🫡

06/03/2024

Meet the Pack: Baby Bet! Even though I just introduced our newest member a couple of weeks ago, I couldn’t leave her out of this series 😅

Bet is a 10 week old Belgian Tervuren that joined us this year! She is a feisty girl with lots of personality that she’s still showing us the sparks of. She is a “grey” Tervuren, so when she grows up her base coat won’t look too dissimilar to how Wild’s looked with light grey/tan & black hairs intermixed on the top/sides. She will, however, have black masking unlike Wild or Hallu.

My goals with Bet are similar to my goals with all my dogs: dabbling here & there & having a Good Time no matter the venue 😊 We are working on her basics right now (she’s doing great) & will continue shaping her into a dog that can handle many environments & as many sports as she’d like.

I did intentionally get a breed/color that could possibly play “wolf” in media projects & that will always feel a little controversial to me 😅 As somebody that owns an actual wolfdog & has to deal with the public at large being constantly confused about what a real wolf/wolfdog looks like, there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to be involved in additional misinformation. I will always always always correct people when given the opportunity, but I also see value in being in spaces (like sets) with a non-wolfdog where I can explain why I’m there with her rather than Hallu, an actual wolfdog. Hallu wasn’t made for the limelight - he prefers existing away from the public & that’s 1000% okay with me - so if Bet can take “his” place on a rare occasion, I think that still allows for me to be able to educate some people that wouldn’t otherwise know that there’s a difference.

I don’t do a TON of media work, it’s a very small part of my work life, so we’re mainly going to focus on the things I do regularly: obedience, rally, some agility, maybe tracking 🙄 (I hate it but it’s so helpful for things), whatever other sport I feel like dabbling in for a bit & of course hiking.

05/03/2024

Meet the Pack: Hapax! Hapax joined our crew late last summer & will be ONE in a couple of weeks 🎉 Honestly it feels like he’s the same age as Hallu & Bird 😂

Hapax is a Dalmatian (long coat) & is the bounciest dog on the planet. He is pretty obsessed with me, ngl 💁🏻, & that makes training him super fun. He meshed with the other dogs really quickly & has been very easy to fit into our 10000 piece puzzle of a life.

I was drawn to adding him due to the ready to go nature of a dal & their ability to excel in so many avenues (with consistent training & the right dog, of course). Hapax has loved every thing I’ve introduced him to so far! Well, he’s not super into swimming but his fomo is too strong to not follow where we go 😅 Our plans include AKC rally (his first trial is next month) & obedience as well as media work if he’d like. At this point, Hapax has already been very helpful as a demo & distraction dog with my clients - even at his young age 😊

04/03/2024

Today’s Meet the Pack member is BIRD! Bird is a long coat chihuahua who will be 2 at the end of this year! She may be the smallest in size but if you’ve watched a single story featuring her, you know she’s the largest in personality 😅

After the loss of Lemon, my almost 15 year old chihuahua, in 2020, I didn’t think I’d ever have another chihuahua - especially while also having wolfdogs. Wild respected the rules but Lemon was essentially sleeping her days away so the temptation to bother her was minor. Bringing in a tiny puppy with an exuberant wolfdog? Seemed like a very bad plan.

But then Hallu came into my life. The gentlest soul to ever live 🥹 Yes, he’s still very very large & does enjoy playing with his teeth & his paws - but he listens extremely well & respects boundaries (set by both me & other dogs) excellently. So. I decided to take the risk. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to find somebody willing to place a puppy with me due to Hallu but when the right puppy comes along - it comes along.

Bird is the funniest, loudest howling, most motivated to work creature. She thrives on action & loves flirting with anyone who will look her way. She has done a media project, started her conformation career, & has one leg toward her AKC Beginner Novice obedience title! She’s also not too much of a diva to say no to hiking - this girl adores getting into mud on trails & there hasn’t been a car ride she’s said no to yet.

Life with Bird is colorful & so very sweet. Nine times out of ten, she curls up just below my chin to fall asleep at night & I drift off to the sounds of her nuzzling in. I couldn’t not choose this photo from because it captures her nosy-self so well 😂

03/03/2024

Hi, from Hallu 👋🏻 Can you believe we’re already at Hallu on the Meet the Pack series?? 🤯 He’ll be 2 in April!

Hallu’s addition to the pack, of course, is a bittersweet thing. He wouldn’t be here if Wild hadn’t died, so there’s this dichotomy of feelings often when I think of how much joy & love he’s brought to me. I wasn’t sure I ever wanted another wolfdog, to be honest. They’re a lot of work 😅 and there’s an emotional toll that loving a dog that hard takes when you lose them. The opportunity arose, though, to bring home Hallu - Wild’s half-brother (same mom) - & I decided to dive back in. I joke that I “re upped my contract” for another decade+. I knew there was a risk that I would constantly compare this new puppy to Wild. I knew there was a risk that he would grow up to look super similar & would break my heart every time I saw him. I knew there was a risk that he would be even more work than Wild was. But I took it anyway.

Hallu couldn’t be more different from his half-brother 😂 Where Wild was cocky & a conflict seeker, Hallu is silly & sweet to a fault. Wild was sharp edges & Hallu is a soft embrace. Wild’s dark masking made him appear as fierce as he sometimes felt & Hallu’s toasted white gives him the most huggable expressions. Wild needed all of me, all the time, but rarely actually wanted affection from me for more than 30 seconds at a time. Hallu wants every moment I’m willing to spare & as much physical contact as I’ll allow.

I don’t say all these things to make Wild sound bad. Wild was a good egg. The best egg. I say all this to help explain how there’s so much more time & mental space & heart-room now to allow for pack expansion that there just wasn’t with Wild. Hallu isn’t lacking anything, he’s just more willing to share.

I’m so grateful I took the risk on this giant Mouse Prince, he has my heart completely 💛

02/03/2024

Time to meet IDGIE! Idgie joined our crew in 2020, which means she’ll be 4 this year! Idgie was the last puppy to be raised by Wild & has the unfortunate luck of sharing a birthday with the day he left this world 🥺

Idgie is a Golden Retriever (this seems obvious to many, but some have never seen a darker/leaner golden 😅) & quickly followed in Scully’s competition & media foot steps. She has multiple titles in obedience & rally, a title in barn hunt, agility, FastCAT, CAT, & is working on achieving higher levels in several of those things. She is an intuitive & sensitive worker who is into doing whatever it is you’re doing.

On sets, she takes her job seriously & has been able to meet challenges head on as they pop up. Her credits include commercial, “print”, music videos (her very first job was a music video at only 8 months!), & even a feature film. She lives for food, pets, & especially a tennis ball 🎾

Idgie’s role in the pack typically surprises people but because she was the last puppy that Wild raised - she never knew what it was like to lose “puppy privilege” from him (those privileges meant that he would defend her right to have whatever - whenever - she wanted that happened to be in the possession of others, among other things). With the exception of Hallu, on rare occasions, if Idgie wants it - Idgie STILL gets it with very little fanfare. Pack dynamics are a constantly shifting beast, but it’s been interesting to see how long lasting those ideas that Wild instilled have been.

01/03/2024

Today’s the day to meet WHIM! Using another one of the pictures from our shoot with because it so captures Whim’s nooooooodle self 😂 Whim joined us in 2018 & will be SIX this year! Which is just 🤯 to me.

Whim was the first permanent addition I added after bringing Wild home & to be honest, I wasn’t sure how that was going to work out 😅 Wild required SOMUCH of my time & mental energy, so bringing in a new puppy was a risk. To her credit, though, Whim has been fairly consistently easy since day 1 😊 She is a quiet soul (except in play) that really just wants somebody to pet her ridiculously long neck & let her stare at squirrels all day. Done ✅ & done ✅

Whim loves adventure but she strongly dislikes the process of getting there 🥴 While she doesn’t get car “sick” anymore, she still gets quite stressed when away from home & doesn’t love eating on a regular basis even when in the safety of known environments 🙃 She & Dude have similar stances on eating while out of town (“no thank you ☺️”), so she doesn’t travel as much with me because of that. And, yeah, we’ve tried ALLTHETHINGS - there was one trip we took where she broke out in full body hives so it just isn’t worth it to me for the internet to feel like she’s included.

Most of the time, if she’s not outside staring at squirrels 🫡, she’s curled up on a dog bed sleeping the day away. As an Ibizan Hound, she truly embraces the lifestyle of the sighthound that she is: run run run, sleeeeep. She’s extremely gentle with puppies, excellent at soliciting play from dogs that may be a little nervous, & the best retriever in the house - you read that right 😂

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Group stays are my fav 😌 #thewildsandi (if this posts twice just pretend it didn’t)

I’ve been coming to this property for almost 10 years & I don’t think I’ve ever seen a deer here 😅 There’s a first time for everything! #HalluHikes

Everyone needs a friend like Hallu…well. Maybe not *everyone* 😅 #HalluHikes

A life doesn’t have to be extravagant to be good ❤️ #thewildsandi

Maybe next time, Bird 😅 🎤🎶 #thewildsandi

Better watch out for those flailing legs though 😅 #HalluHikes

He’s ridiculous 😂 #HalluHikes

She does her best 😅 #thewildsandi

Longer version on TikTok but no love like a wolfdog brother’s love 🥹 #HalluHikes

Them: Chihuahuas are just lazy lap dogs Bird: 😏 #thewildsandi

Just a babbbbyyyyy 🥹😅 #HalluHikes

Blew her mind 😂 (he was howling in answer to Bird, but she usually stops when he starts - you can just hear her at the very beginning; the other “howl” is me trying to encourage him to continue) #thewildsandi

He’s like “can’t we play with this toy instead of doing parkour?” 😅 #thewildsandi

We don’t play this game a ton for safety reasons but these three live for catching air so I couldn’t NOT do a Leap Day post 😅 #thewildsandi

Until Bet finishes her vaccines, she’s in Puppy Pouch Prison 😂 Thankfully, she actually seems to love it! This is just a Kavu brand bag that I’m wearing backwards but it does the job on short outings. #thewildsandi

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