Mylo ~ Kiva ~ Miika ~ Nushka ~ Tuukka ~ Ozzi ~ Zorro

Dougal - Ermintrude - Bed

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

Lecibsin Hapmi x Pennardane Peekaju of Honeybears

 Honeybears Barley Ann at Lumikoira

28/6/2006 – 21/12/21

Mylo

“I don’t want us to get a dog” said Louise, “it will change our lives too much” she added in justification. But in August 2006, after a long, long wait, and thanks to Toni Jackson and Carol Stuckey, we did get a dog and it did indeed change our lives – a change neither Louise or I will ever regret because Mylo was a one off, a one in a million dog.

Mylo was a great ambassador for the breed as he was a regular at Discover Dogs and helped convince the visitors that a Finnish Lapphund was the breed for them. Mylo was also one of the first Lappies that many families met when they came to visit us at Lumikoira for an introduction to the breed.

Mylo wasn’t a fan of the showring though – the only Lappy to slip its lead and run out of the ring, twice! However, Louise and I were extremely proud that not only did he eventually win one of his classes but that he also qualified for Crufts.

Being Mylo meant that rather than strutting his stuff in the show ring he preferred doing exciting stuff. Stuff like agility, rolling in cow pats or fox poo, being on TV - he was the featured dog on Animal Madhouse and was also a star of an episode of the Alan Titchmarsh Show, and doing stuff like catching birds in mid-flight, cornering squirrels and herding ducks.

Mylo was also an incredibly photogenic dog, I don’t think that there is an unflattering photo of him anywhere, and we were delighted and honoured that a Mylo photograph was selected to be the cover photo of a breed society's inaugural calendar back in 2008.

When Mylo was 12 months he was joined by Kiva who became his best friend and companion. In an ideal world there would have been Mylo x Kiva puppies but unfortunately that was not to be, however he did prove to be a great surrogate dad to all of Kiva’s pups, and those of her offspring, helping to raise over 30 Lumikoira pups.

Mylo was also a perfect and courteous host to the many guests that came to board with us at Dogs to Stay, and since 2007 he shared his home with over one hundred different Lappies without a single complaint or grumble.

Mylo was an incredibly healthy dog, only needing to visit the vets for routine examinations and bloods (we stopped vaccinating him when he was four) and weight watchers. However, in January 2021 he became off-sorts; not eating and looking very sorry for himself. A visit to the vets showed that he had a stomach abscess. This was treated with antibiotics, and he soon picked up and returned to his normal self. Sadly, in December it looked as though the condition had returned and despite the best efforts of the vets, including an overnight stay, he showed no signs of responding to the drugs being administered. Louise and I had discussed the various “what if” scenarios and it was with heavy hearts that we decided to give him peace and we were fortunate that, along with Kiva, Ohra and Kassi, we could say goodbye to him a final time and be with him when he went to Rainbow Bridge.

Mylo had been called many things over the years, some highly complimentary; Legend, Magnificent, Amazing, MyMylo, Special & Unique, and some less so complimentary; Marmite & ASBO for example – just please don’t ask why his registered name seems to be feminine!

When we first met his breeder, we told her that we would be calling him Barley – that swiftly changed to Mylo, however we had countless pet names for him but to us he will always be our Smiley Miley – rest in peace mate, we miss you so much.

Elbereth Osmo X TabanyaRuu Sisko

TabanyaRuu Hyppia at Lumikoira

29/06/2007- 28/10/2023

Kiva

In her 16½ years Kiva touched the lives of so many people, and we will be forever grateful to her breeder Liz Mowatt for asking us to be her guardians.

Kiva came into our lives unexpectedly, it’s not every day you get an email from a breeder, with whom you have little contact other than being members of the same Yahoo chat group, suggesting that one of the pups from her current litter come and live with you. It took Louise and I quite a while to decide whether we should take Liz up on her offer – probably a nano-second, maybe a fraction longer – and a couple of weeks later Kiva came to join us, and Mylo, over the August Bank Holiday in 2007.

Over the previous year we had learnt a lot about Lappies, the pros and the cons, and as a result we were able to adjust to having a second Lappy far more easily than we were with our first – then again maybe Kiva was just wired differently, because she really was faultless.

From day one her recall was 100%, her willingness to learn at training classes a constant, her joy at strutting her stuff at ringcraft evident for all (she qualified for Crufts in every year that she was shown, her high-point being Reserve Best of Sex in Crufts 2010) and her tolerance to, and understanding of, other dogs uncanny.

She was also a wonderful ambassador for the breed as she was a regular attendee at Discover Dogs. She was also the reason a number of families decided upon a Lappy rather than any other breed as Kiva would spend weekends living with potential owners as our “try before you buy” initiative.

Kiva was a perfect mum, taking to motherhood like a duck to water. She had 3 litters, one of which we kept a pup from. There were 44 Kiva descendants born in her lifetime; 12 children, 15 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren, and a lot of these Lumikoira pups were what we refer to as Kiva clones, both in looks and temperament.

She was a healthy dog. Her only medical conditions being a cyst that needed to be removed from her eyelid in 2016, and a case of pyometra in 2022. However, in the late summer of 2023 she showed signs of deterioration in condition, appetite, and demeanour.

Our vets suggested several treatment plans which, for a while, did stem her decline, however in late October a final consultation with the vets identified a serious liver condition, so we did the right thing, for the right reasons and, we believe, at the right time and after her living with us for over 16 years she was given sleep and reunited with Mylo.

Dallas Jethro Gibbs Du Domaine D'Arinella Blanca x TabanyaRuu Hyppia at Lumikoira

TabanyaRuu Karuselli Miika

16/8/2010 - 08/04/2021

Miika

Jane has written quite a lot about living with Miika and our old website had her account up to him being six.

She kindly contributed further articles documenting his next six years, including his battle with cancer. Miika's story can be seen here.

Dallas Jethro Gibbs Du Domaine D'Arinella Blanca x 

TabanyaRuu Karuselli Nushka

16/8/2010 - 05/08/2022

Nushka

"A heartbreaking day after having to have our wonderful Nushka put to sleep today. She would have been 12 on the 16th of this month but the cancer decided she would not make her birthday. She was a beautiful girl in every way and we were so very lucky to have had her in our lives."

LapinLumon Karvajalka of Honeybears x TabanyaRuu Hyppia at Lumikoira

Lumikoira Tuukkatuu

19/11/2011 - 06/10/2022

Tuukkaa

Tuukka was a stunning dog and was loved by both families with whom he lived, he passed away within 48 hours of falling ill with pancreatic failure. 

TabanyaRuu Onnea Kissa x Lumikoira Valkosuklaa

Lumikoira Sanaleikke Oscar

02/05/20 - 25/09/2021

Ozzi

Life sucks and nature can be cruel at times, especially when one of the pups you have bred passes away at a comparatively young age, in Ozzi's case it was after a short illness that affected his liver and kidneys, so Tom and Nicole gave him peace at just 16 months.

Oberitz Trollnisse x Lumikoira Tahtimimmi

Lumikoira Luminaamio

29/12/2020 - 27/08/2022

Zorro

If ever there was a dog destined for great things it was Zorro. In the short life he had he accomplished much, a trainee search and rescue dog and a medical assistance dog to his owner Rachel. Zorro suffered a brain tumour and putting him to sleep was the only thing that could be done.