Every Pawprint! Every Story!
A weekly conversation space where people honor pets they’ve lost, celebrate the joy pets bring, and support one another through pet grief. Each episode centers on a guest’s memories, the rituals that keep those pets present in daily life, and the lessons of love and loss that pets teach us!
Every Pawprint! Every Story!
How Hiking Dogs Daisy And Luka Changed One Shy Owner’s Life
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One day you’re chasing summit views with your dogs, and the next you’re learning how to measure a “good day” in snuggles, appetite, and the willingness to hop out of the car. We talk with Dane' about her two doodle dogs, Daisy and Luka, and how an adventure-filled life on Washington hiking trails turns into something quieter but even more meaningful when health scares arrive.
Dane' shares the origin story: adopting Daisy after the loss of a beloved cat, realizing how much a first dog can change your routines, your confidence, and even your ability to connect with people. We swap trail memories, from a frozen moment with two massive elk to Daisy sliding down a snowy slope like she’s on an escalator. We also dig into what makes hiking with dogs work long-term: thoughtful training, reliable recall, pacing on steep terrain, and choosing trail partners who respect the decision to turn back.
Then the conversation gets real about senior dog care and anticipatory pet grief. Daisy’s primary hyperparathyroidism and Luka’s gallbladder bring hard questions about testing, medication side effects, surgery, comfort, and what “best” means when time and energy are limited. Dane' talks about building a support network, carrying emergency harnesses, staying closer to help, and noticing how dogs reflect our emotions when we’re stressed. We close on a hopeful note with the joy of deeper bonding and even exploring animal communication as a way to stay present.
If you love dogs, hike with your pup, or are navigating end-of-life care and caregiver fatigue, you’ll find practical insights and a lot of heart here.
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Welcome And Show Purpose
SPEAKER_01Hello everybody, and welcome to another episode of Every Paw Print, Every Story. I am your host, Dan Popovic. For those of you new listeners to this show, what this show is about is it's a weekly conversation space where people honor pets they've lost, celebrate the joy pets bring, and support one another through pet grief. Each episode centers on a guest memories, the ritual that keeps those pets present in daily life, and the lessons of love and loss that pets teach us. The goal with this podcast is to inspire, guide, and support each other. And I'm excited today to welcome a special guest. I've seen some pictures of the fur kids already, so I'm excited to learn to learn more about the fur kids. And um, Danay, I got that right this time, right, Danay?
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01Okay, good. Welcome to the show. Thank you for uh agreeing to be on the show with us this morning.
SPEAKER_00Thank you. I'm excited to be here.
SPEAKER_01So let's yeah, let's jump right into it.
Meeting Daisy And Luca
SPEAKER_01How many fur kids do we have with us today?
SPEAKER_00So I have two beautiful dogs, uh doodles, uh Daisy and Luca. I got Daisy first, and how I got Daisy is I actually had a cat for 16 years. Um, and when I moved up from California to Washington uh to start making friends, I ended up getting into hiking that I hadn't done before. And so when my beautiful cat was um her time had come to pass, I felt it was time to to get a dog to have a furry friend out on the trails with me. And I truly feel that that my cat um guided me to Daisy. And uh she has been the most wonderful dog for my first dog as an adult. Um and so she's coming up on her 12th birthday.
SPEAKER_01Oh wow.
SPEAKER_00But you know, I knew that my life was gonna change when I got a dog, but I really had no idea truly how much it was gonna change.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00And so I felt when I got her, you know, and after a few months, it was kind of like, all right, I'm in it, might as well get a second. So I got Luca. So they're two years apart. Uh Daisy was, you know, when I got Daisy, she was eight weeks old. And uh my goodness, I thought I had adopted Cujo. And I thought, oh my goodness, what did I get myself into? This eight-week old puppy, you know, they tell you to to whimper when they when they bite you, and she just came at me harder. And I had this little eight-week-old puppy pinning me against the railing, and so I got her in the crate, and I'm thinking, oh my goodness, oh my goodness. And I found this online doggy trainer and he had his five golden rules. And the first rule was you take like a cookie or a cracker and you eat it over their fruit bowl, and then you feed it to them. And as soon as I did that with her, she never came at me like that again. But she is the most beautiful old soul spirit in that, even though she was going through teething, she was always gentle with kids. And so she's just got this most beautiful, beautiful spirit. So I learned a lot from her. Thank goodness she was easy to figure out. But just watching her interactions, I still continue to this day to be just inspired by her intuitiveness in reading situations and reading dogs. Um, she's had a dog come up to her in her face, just literally a couple inches barking at her. She just stayed still and she let it get what it had off its chest, and then she went out about her merry way. Like she just knew that it had nothing to do with her. And it's just been an absolute delight and a pleasure having her. And with Luca, he's just a big, you know, snuggle bug. I mean, his sole purpose in life is love. And watching the two of them and their their uniqueness of each other, um, I've just wanted to give them the most beautiful life I can. So I get them out on the trails and you know, just enjoying nature. And my friends just know that really if the dogs can't come, I probably don't want to go because I if I can go and they can go, then I'm gonna have them with me.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00So I have I've taken them all over the trails uh in Washington. Um, I've taken them up to Canada a couple of times. I've taken them out to Idaho. We've been to Colorado, we went through Oregon and um California. I mean, I've taken them, you know, into Arizona, then we went up, yeah, out into uh I think Moab. So they've truly had as much adventure as I can possibly give them. Um, but I've gotten so much from having them in my lives and giving me purpose in a way, helping me come out of my shell because I'm a very shy person. I couldn't say it's really it's helped me, especially being in sales, um, helped me finding ways to to bond with my customers and to and to grow. So it's been quite amazing.
SPEAKER_01That's awesome. Um, and I can't wait to share the the listeners some of these amazing pictures with some of these these hiking trails that you're talking about. Um and then so you said so Daisy's 12, they're two years apart, so Luca's 10.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, they're uh they're coming up here. Luca turns 10 in just a couple of weeks, and then Daisy's turning 12 just a month after him. They're just yeah.
SPEAKER_01Any fun birthday plans you'd have for
Health Scares Change Everything
SPEAKER_01them? Do we do anything?
SPEAKER_00So um in December, um Daisy was finally, we finally got diagnosis of a condition um that's very serious. And so uh it's been a lot going through the process and trying to get answers and kind of figure out really what's ultimately best for her. Um, so she um they actually did not think she would still be with me. And so I have been going through that whole learning experience of figuring out what information do you listen to that you get from the doctors and what do you do with that, and really what ultimately is best for my, you know, Daisy and for for me and Luca. And then in the process of sitting there waiting for the internal medicine specialist to come in, I get an email from the vet worried about Luca.
SPEAKER_01Oh boy.
SPEAKER_00So both of them are in a very serious critical kind of care situation. So my hiking with them has been drastically different. Um, it really has showed me just how much they are really connected to me because going through that and my emotions about it, I've seen them take on those emotions. So when I tried to get them on a trail, they didn't want to get out of the car.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00Um we got through it, you know, we're managing through, and both of them are doing well, but I'm just enjoying every moment. So I've noticed that they are much like they've always been snuggly, but they've developed more regular snuggle bonding time. So now every moment every morning, you know, when we get up, they want to snuggle. So it's like they know and they want to savor the moment we have together just as much as I do. Yep. So it's it's been interesting, it's been a little overwhelming. Um fortunately, my coworkers have been very understanding and and supportive in being there for me. Yeah, you know, and customers have been really understanding as well. Um, so I take it as a win. I've gotten their weight back up, both of them. So that part's good and their spirit is definitely up. Um, but as much as I'm thinking, oh, they seem better, we can do a little bit more. Um, they show me no, no, just what we've been doing is good enough. So I, you know, I still get them out. I'm learning new trails, you know, where we keep to kind of more flat surfaces. Um, and so get them that, you know, that time out in nature that we we all thrive on, you know, for lifting our spirits. But yeah, it's it's it's been a process.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
Two Diagnoses And Tough Choices
SPEAKER_01So it sounds like yeah, you're really listening to them um and their signs as as as your approach and what's Mime asking what what was the diagnosis? What's the ailment?
SPEAKER_00So with Daisy, she has uh um primary hyperparathyroidism.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00And so it started three years ago, where they noticed in her annual, you know, blood work that she had elevated calcium level. So we had done some testing um with no answers. She wasn't showing any other signs, uh, just that. And then, you know, it's hard. Honestly, it got a little bit um to the point of frustration in not getting answers with the additional testing. And then part of me got scared. I I honestly didn't want to know because I was worried how that would affect how we're living our lives. And so I just more so was focusing on adventure, but it still was continuing to be there. Um, so we tried again with the testing and and finally got our answer. The downside is that typically with this condition, they don't last three years. And it took us three years to finally get that real diagnosis. Um, and so I did meet with the internal medicine specialist. I decided to still proceed with having the ultrasound done. And, you know, she does already have calcification of some of her organs. Um, what it is is the the thyroid glands, there's, you know, they'll tend to be like a tumor. In many cases, the tumor is is benign. Um, but they did say that it is even larger than they typically see. So there is a concern that it could be cancerous. And so when I look at the surgery, it's it's very extensive, like recovery. And just with the condition that she's in, I just don't see it being worth putting her through because she's already at that full age of life, you know. So now I'm just working through what's what's keeping her happy and still feeling good about, you know, being able to live her life and getting her out. Um, with Luca, he has um what they call gallbladder mucoselli, and so also known as bilary mucoselli. And so what that is is um they can tend to have uh a blockage and cause the gallbladder to rupture. Um, it can be underlying of other conditions. And so they they said we caught it early enough that they didn't see it solidified to there being a blockage yet. So they didn't feel that the you know, emergency surgery surgery was that answer. It was putting him on some medication. He had a severe reaction to the medication and was going diarrhea literally like every couple hours for three and a half days. They didn't want me to change his food, but I just didn't feel like we could continue with that. So I did change his food. They told me to stop the medication altogether. So now it's just waiting for him to get a blockage to have the gallbladder removed because they won't do it otherwise. And they won't do any additional testing to find out what else is going on until that's addressed. So I'm just in this kind of folding pattern with him. It's crazy.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00Um, we'll do a follow-up here in another couple of weeks just to check. So I'm just keeping eyes on him. So I worry about going too far out in
Safer Trails And Finding Support
SPEAKER_00nature. So I'm keeping to more local. Just heaven forbid if something happened on the trail and getting back to a hospital. I do have emergency harnesses I carry for both. So I do keep two on my pack for me. Heaven forbid I need help carrying them out. Um, there's so many lovely people on the trails that, you know, are there to help and any need. So I do keep those two. And I'm so glad I I do have them because I have needed help carrying out one of them at least a time or two.
SPEAKER_01Wow. That's that's an amazing story. And and sorry to hear all this, but it sounds like I mean, obviously, talking about it I I know helps, and you've got support, it sounds like you've got you know, support in a lot of different areas, and it sounds like you know, you're just kind of doing the best you can do right now.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's it's hard. You find sometimes it's best to kind of just have conversations with oops, certain people, just because you know, sometimes talking with too many people, too many opinions, it gets kind of hard to focus in.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00Right. So um fortunately with Luca's breeder, she allows us to freely post on her Facebook. So I have a lot of amazing friends, including friends with his direct siblings and then other siblings from the same parents, different litters um across the country and the world. And so it's been nice just having some of that support because a lot of my friends don't have dogs. Um, so having that you know support network there has been amazing.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, no, and that's awesome. Who was the who was the the furry little kid that was uh kind of walking around there and interrupting you? I'm kind of curious. I know the listeners can't see it, but it was kind of cute. Who is that?
SPEAKER_00Oh, that's Luca.
SPEAKER_01Okay. We we will definitely try to figure out a way for oh, what a cutie. Oh man.
SPEAKER_00Like I said, he's my snuggle bug.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Figure out a way to get this video for listeners to kind of see that versus just hearing it. Um let's let's yeah, he's a cutie top with all of the um, yeah, again, thanks for sharing that. It's amazing. Um, and I've got as we get close to the end of our talk, I've got somebody I might uh share with you or talk to you about, you know, might be a good person to talk to as well. But
Elk Encounters And Training Wins
SPEAKER_01what are some of the let's go back, you know, earlier years and all the hiking that you've done, just uh gosh, with all the hiking, ever any crazy encounters with with critters or wildlife to kind of talk about or just any crazy stories?
SPEAKER_00So I was hiking a main trail when Daisy was a puppy. I want to say she was maybe 11 months old. And I had her off leash, and uh we came across what I had never seen them myself in person before, two huge elk just popped up on the trail right in front of us. Wow. I mean, they looked like deer, but they were massive, right? So um they were in front of us probably maybe 20, 30 feet, and we all froze. The two elk, Daisy, and myself. And it was kind of like, uh-oh. All right, which way are we all going? And so then the two elk ran up the hill. Daisy ran after them, and I'm calling her back, and she comes back at, you know, towards me on the switchback and she looks at me like, but mommy, you know, and she ran up to take one more look. And so ever since that, she's had more of that curious nature and wanting to kind of be a little more front on the trail. But both dogs, like when I got Luca, I was quickly overwhelmed with his personality. So I did end up sending both of them away for training um to the absolute most amazing trainer. They were gone for six weeks in what was like Disney World for dogs, where the focus was just with them. And then I got three days with the trainer with the dogs. So it was the best opportunity for me and getting the training to understand them. That was the best thing I ever did. Um so they have been able to be on the trails and I can have them off leash and and trust them, you know, because they do have good recall. Um, we've not had like they're good where we haven't had any other big encounters so much, like maybe some deer, but they've been really great. But I did have one other situation that was pretty funny, also with Daisy. Um we were in like deep snow. Like I said, I've I've done a lot, actually. I've uh I've been on some pretty big mountains, done mountaineering ice acts, all that. So they both have been on some really serious, serious trails. But with Daisy, this was deep snow. And when you go in deep snow, sometimes you're going out, but then it was a straight up climb, very steep climb up to the top ridge. And so I remember a friend posting the day before they'd taken a friend up, hadn't done it before, and they slid down on their butts. They didn't make it to the top. And as we're climbing and we're almost to the top, I look over at Daisy and I notice that she's on this, like what looked like a butt slide area. And all of a sudden, she starts sliding down the hill. She's just standing there like she's on an escalator and she's just looking at me calmly as she's sliding down the hill all the way back down out of view. And I'm thinking, oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. I hope she comes up. So she's smart. She figured, okay, that probably was not the best place for me. So she did climb up and she came up underneath me, but it was just too funny looking over at her as she's just sliding down like she's on an escalator.
SPEAKER_01That's why.
SPEAKER_00That was quite cute. And then with Luca, I'll tell you, these kids, I mean, I've taken them on multi-night backpacking trails. And um, like I said, we've done some pretty serious stuff, very steep. And they just they know. So, like I'll have a 35-pound pack on. There's barely any trail. It's so steep, I'm having to sidestep down. And they just know that they need to go slow and at my pace. So I don't need to worry about them pulling me down. I'm just so proud of these kids at how good they are and understanding and reading the situations and that we've been able to navigate and have these experiences like that. I mean, I looked back at the trail that we were coming down that um steep mountain. And I I mean, you just can't even see the trail was really almost non-existent. And I'm just so proud and impressed of, you know, what we've been able to do together with things like that. And so, yeah, they're pretty amazing, but they're also good at letting me know what if they're not comfortable in a situation and that we need to turn back. So it's been important to me. I've adjusted who I go out on trails with, that I'm with somebody that can understand that if I feel that it's not safe for us, that we do need to turn around, that they understand that we need to turn around. Because I have learned through the process, some people don't understand that. And ultimately, you know, I need to look at what's best for me and my kids. Yeah. And if they're concerned, then we need to turn around.
SPEAKER_01Right.
Names And Capturing Their Story
SPEAKER_01That's amazing. Sounds yeah. Have you uh wow, have you been like journaling and writing about all of these trail excursions? I know you got a lot of phenomenal pictures.
SPEAKER_00Um I need to do that. You know, I've got a lot of friends that I've made, you know, whether it's my hiking friends or through the the puppy group, um, that are living vicariously through my posts. And they keep asking me to build, build that book. They would buy that book or calendar of Daisy and Luca's adventures. And I would love to do that. I just don't know how to do that. We talked a little bit about that. So, you know, it would be great to get help and support in doing something like that because yeah, I mean, they've really had a lot of amazing trail adventures, you know, and it would be great to share that, you know.
SPEAKER_01100%. Yeah, you uh off top, you and I could talk about that. So we can we can pick pick that back up different conversation. Um, you know, because I kind of did the same thing with the book that I wrote and which inspired this podcast. Um, but yeah, you yeah, I think like you said, I just seeing your pictures, I'm like, you're inspiring me looking at your pictures, and you know, I I know that'd be a big hit for people to kind of see and all the hiking and the adventures, and just keeps them closer. You know, I lost Marley two and a half years ago and it's kept her closer to me. Um so that that's phenomenal. Uh, I'm curious, and I know we're getting close to the end of our segment. I know you've got a hard stop, so I want to be respectful of that. Um I'm curious on the names. Did you get to name them?
SPEAKER_00Yes. So what was interesting with Daisy, her name was Upsy. So it's basically like Upsy Daisy. I had a little doll when I was a girl named Upsy. So I it was just funny when I came across her. She was actually a cancellation. And I found her video on Facebook. And as soon as I saw her and they started describing her as being more reserved, I don't know. I could just, I just knew she was for me. And then when it was Luca, I saw his picture before and I just knew in my heart the breeder was going to end up picking him for him for me, because she would do the picks based on the families you don't get to pick.
SPEAKER_01Oh, interesting.
SPEAKER_00And I just knew that he was gonna be mine. Um, and I just I wanted him to have a special name. So it really took took a lot of time to find it. Um, but Luca is bringer of light. Oh, wow. And so um my mom suggested the spelling of L-U-K-A instead of L-U-C-A, just being a little bit more masculine. Um, but yeah, he really has lived up to his name. I mean, he's he's such a little social bug, loves dogs, people, kids, amazing. Both are amazing with kids. Um, yeah, I mean, I'm just telling you, this little kid, he's just like he's just my little smuggle bug.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna have yeah, I got some pictures. I'll have to get some more from you. I'll have we gotta get them in front of the viewers of this of this podcast to see the the fur kids. Um, but no, I just I you know, because I know we're coming towards an end here. I I just I appreciate you, you know, sharing today and and um you know I'm definitely here, somebody to talk to as well. Hate to hear everything you're going through. Um I've got somebody I interviewed a couple podcasts ago. Um, she wrote a book called The Furry More Furry Mortals, the Oliver Project, and she had lost two of hers, and that book inspired her. And now she's kind of helping people guide that what she calls end-of-life care, the so you know, the the caregiver fatigue might be a good person. I might have her kind of connect with you, just to at least support and sounding bored.
SPEAKER_00Thank you.
SPEAKER_01Um, but yeah, anything I can do as well. Um, but before we close, I mean, anything else comes to mind this year? I mean, you've definitely shared a lot.
Learning To Communicate With Animals
SPEAKER_00So I um I am on the spiritual side and I took a course uh for fun, but I, you know, was interested on how to communicate with animals. And it was so much fun. And it's been interesting since I took that course, just watching my kids become so much more expressive, like they know that I want to communicate with them. And so they've found their own ways in communicating back with me, whether it's you know, blinks, um, shaking their head in response to when I'm talking with them, um, you know, talking more. It's been such a joy. Again, it's just been the journey with them as we've continued to grow and I've continued to, you know, develop that stronger bond with them. It's been so much fun. I've just loved it so much. And they've taught me so much each time. And so yeah, I just I so appreciate having them in my lives. I think I'll always have animals in my life, you know.
SPEAKER_01That's but that was yeah. That's awesome. You'll have to you'll have to send me a link to that. We'll have to share that for other listeners. And uh, I I can tell um, you know, they probably stare at you as you're talking to them and just understanding everything you're saying, right? They probably give you that kind of a stare.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. It was kind of funny. My brother, who's not used to being around animals so much, like they were doing that with him. He's like, I'm not used to seeing dogs look at me like that.
SPEAKER_01That's funny. That's awesome. That's awesome.
Closing Thanks And Subscribe Reminder
SPEAKER_01Well, I know we've we we've got a close. Definitely we'll probably want to get you back on it's you know, what wonderful story. We'll definitely you and I will definitely keep in touch, you know, with as you know, with this journey. But for the listeners um on this show, um, again, I just I wanted to thank you for sharing, you know, sharing with us uh in everything you're going through. You know, obviously we're here to support. Um, but again, and you know, listeners on this show, you know, like it, subscribe, you know, let me know if there's any other folks, you know, in your family that want to come on and just really talk about the fur kids. But again, just don't don't go anywhere just yet. But as we come to an end, again, just wanted to thank you for sharing with us today.
SPEAKER_00Well, thank you. I've I've really enjoyed this, appreciate it.