About Komu

Komu was born about December 21st, 2010.  I first heard about him when he was six months old.  He was chained to a tree in Lakewood, WA, and he was being fed by the office workers next to his yard because his owners would not feed him.  A volunteer of Missing Pet Partnership, Jessica, asked me if I could do anything to help, so I went to take a look.  Looking into his eyes, I knew I had to help him if at all possible.  His collar was obviously too tight.  His chain was wrapped around the base of a shrub, and he was pinned down, unable to move much at all. 

I didn't have much of a plan, but I went to the front door to talk to his owners.  I said something like, "I was at the office building next door and I heard your dog crying.  His chain seems to be caught on the shrubs, and I was just wondering if I could help him at all."  They unhooked him and brought him to the front door.  In spite of the way they abused him, he seemed remarkably happy and friendly.  They said they didn't have time for him, and they wanted to sell him for $100.  I showed them the $75 I had in my pocket, and they said they would think about it.  I should have gone to the ATM right then, if I was thinking straight.  Instead, when I called back, they said he was sold.  Jessica called them, identifying herself as a volunteer from MPP, and they told her he had been sold.  Vashti, of Saving Great Animals, called in response to their craigslist ad offering him for sale, and she did not identify herself as being affiliated with any organization.  The agreed to sell him for a hundred dollars.  I brought the money and stayed out of sight as Vashti met them in a park and bought the poor puppy from these people.  The puppy was free from his chain.

I took him to the vet to be checked out.  They said he seemed to be in reasonable health.  Jessica and I took him to Petsmart to get a collar and a tag.  At the tag engraving machine, I asked Jessica what name we should put on the tag.  I suggested Ruggles, but she didn't care for that.  I suggested Mocha, and she liked that better.  When it came time to engrave a phone number, we had to decide where he was going to stay.  I had three dogs at the time, and I knew Kelsy would not be happy about a puppy.  Jessica had cats, and she didn't really have time for a puppy, but she decided her number should go on the tag, and she offered to take him home.  Mocha lived with Jessica for two months, and his name became Wakomu, which is Chippewa for Family.  Jessica called him Komu for short.  Komu loved living with Jessica, but life was not easy.  He chased the cats, although just playfully.  He broke into the house by jumping through a window screen.  He needed someone to look in on him in the middle of the day because Jessica worked long hours.  Finally, Jessica and I decided to try him at my house to see how he fit in.

He did not fit in.  He had a grand time harassing the other dogs, but they weren't happy.  I had to keep him on a leash inside the house so he wouldn't wander off and destroy something.  The time from eight months to twelve months was an ordeal.  He had extreme separation anxiety.  He had food issues.  Although he had been housebroken at Jessica's house, he decided he wasn't housebroken after all.  We had fun, as you might expect with a puppy, but those four months were not happy overall.

When he turned one year old, we evaluated him for finding missing pets.  He showed great enthusiasm and aptitude for finding both cats and dogs.  Since Kelsy already had the position of dog finder, I decided to train him for finding cats.  This training really focused his energies and made him much easier to live with.  Komu has always loved his training, and his work.  He learned quickly, and he was a pleasure to work with.  He could be a menace to society any other time, but once the vest went on, he was ready to work.  He responded to commands, went everywhere I asked him to, and showed an ability to detect a cat as successfully as any other dog I had worked with.  The first time we took the certification test was the first time in six months of training that he failed to give an alert on the hidden cat.  I blame it on the heat, the windless conditions, and the approach I took.  It was not his fault.  We took the certification test another day, and he passed with flying colors.

From May of 2012 to May of 2015, Komu has conducted at least 200 searches for missing cats.  He has found remains of the deceased cat about 50 times.  He has found the missing cat alive about 25 times, according to my records.  There may have been a few instances where he did locate the missing cat, but it darted off as we were approaching, and the cat was found in the next 24 hours.  Komu has worked long hours in the heat, rain, wind, in blackberries, steep ravines, and yards filled with junk and debris.  He is a most excellent dog in any number of ways.

On November 8th, 2012, I trapped a little white poodle that had been runnng loose on the freeway.  I tried to find his owners, but his name became Fozzie, and he became part of our pack.  Every single day for the past several years, Komu and Fozzie have played together for hours.  Fozzie started at 11 pounds and has grown to 14 pounds.  He throws himself at 75-pound Komu with the viciousness of a wolverine.  Komu gets a squeaky toy in his mouth and squeaks it at Fozzie to egg him on.  For many hours every day, it's Rarrr, Rrarrr, Rrraaarrr, Squeak, Squeak, Squeak.  Fozzie lunges at Komu, and Komu zooms down the hall, through the living room, bounces off the couch, and races back to Fozzie with a play bow and a squeak squeak.  Other times they wrestle more gently.  Komu will lie on his back to get lower than Fozzie while Fozzie bites him all over with little puppy bites and soft growls.  Komu has his own little puppy, his little play toy.

Komu is not a perfect dog.  He has stolen a box of cookies, half a tub of margarine, several partial boxes of dog treats, and many other food items that weren't adequately placed out of reach.  He has learned to climb on things in search of food, so there are fewer and fewer surfaces safe from the marauder.  Komu will also bark at an inappropriate time.  I don't mind if he barks, but sometimes he will bark at a perfectly innocent child or dog at just the wrong moment.  Also, when people greet him and try to pet him on the head, he will open his jaws in a gesture that appears menacing but is not.  This is the fault of the people who try to stick their hands on the top of his head, instead of stroking him under the chin, but it would be nice if I didn't have to worry about him scaring people.  With all of his imperfections, he really is a perfect dog.  I wouldn't want him to be too civilized.  Life with Komu is never boring.

Once you get to know him, Komu is the most affectionate, cuddliest dog you could ever hope to meet.  He sleeps in the bed next to Kelsy and me.  He will curl up on the couch with anyone he can.  With his fearsome jaw and muscular build, he is still capable of such sweet and tender gestures.  He can look at you with soft eyes, and you know he is saying that he loves you.  I am extremely fortunate to have Komu in my life.  I tried not to get stuck with him, thinking he was too much work for my current situation, but I am lucky that he bombed out at Jessica's house.  I can't imagine life without Komu.  He is an excellent working partner, a fine companion, smart, graceful, athletic, sweet, everything you could possibly want in a dog, or a person for that matter.  The little unwanted puppy chained to a tree has become a member of my family, a valuable contributor to society, helping people find their missing cats.  I love my work because I love to help animals, but I am especially proud of my work when people get to see Komu working, using his skills and abilities to help lost kitties. 

Komu's practice search in Federal Way

Komu did a fine job, even with the lack of wind.  For a trailing dog like Kelsy, who starts on the scent trail to begin with, the lack of wind is not so much of a problem.  For a detection dog like Komu, no wind versus light wind can mean the difference between discovering the cat three feet away or one hundred feet away.  Although Komu usually finds a cat on every search we do, he must know by now that he is guaranteed to find a cat on training day.  He is very happy on training days.  Well, I guess he's very happy every day, but he's even happier on training days.  He works eagerly and takes direction when he is wearing his search harness.  On this day, he searched where I pointed and his nose was working the whole time.  As you will see in the video below, Komu detects the cat from about eight feet away, and he becomes cautious when he learns it is a cat that has hissed at him before.  (Watch Komu's ears, and you can tell the moment when he smells the cat.)  The second video illustrates another very important part of training, rewards and celebrations. 

Komu finds a cat.

Komu playing with a stick.

Komu's Search for Remington

Komu performed flawlessly this evening in the search for Remington.  Remington is gray, very similar to the cat in the picture above.  Komu found that cat by sight, not smell.  Also, that cat has longer fur than Remington, and has belonged at that house for years, so it could not be Remington.  In the back yard of the house in the picture, two houses away from Remington's home, Komu found his collar, with Remington's name and phone number on the tag.  Komu also found little tufts of Remington's fur.  A neighbor reported seeing a coyote leaving that area with a small, dark animal in its mouth, a couple of hours after Remington got out.  Circumstantial evidence strongly points to Remington being taken by a coyote.  Komu and I did not find any definitive evidence that would prove Remington did not survive.  I would not have found the evidence if not for Komu's nose guiding me.  I walked right by the red collar in the green grass without seeing it until Komu pointed it out to me.  Although we didn't find Remington alive, Komu did an excellent job, probably solving this case.

Komu's Search for Maomy

Komu searched for Maomy on a warm evening.  The conditions were not ideal, but Komu performed perfectly.  Because of his thin coat and lack of body fat, he can work in warm weather without getting too hot.  He never even had to pant.  We searched about 20 homes, and found several cats, but not the one we were looking for.  The wind shifted from one direction to the other, every few minutes.  A few people weren't home, and a few homes were vacant, preventing us from doing the most complete search.  We did receive reports of a cat matching her description, so it seems she is nearby.  One technique I used more on this search than previous ones was to peek over the fences into the neighboring yards, where I discovered cats who were alerted to the dog on the other side of the fence.  I will have to be sure to do this on all future searches in this type of neighborhood.

Practice search for Toby in Tukwilla 20120901

How could you not love a face like that?  Komu is very happy here because he found two cats, and because he is getting cheese for a reward.  We were only supposed to be finding Toby hidden in the bushes in his carrier, but Mu also found a feral cat hiding in the landscaping of the office complex.

Although we haven't had rain in 40 days, the humidity and temperature were fine.  Mu started at the south end of the large building, and I knew Toby had been planted somewhere near the north end.  He worked up and down through the shrubs and St. John's Wort between the sidewalk and the windows of the offices.  Half way along the building, Komu alerted.  I thought it was probably a rabbit, since we weren't supposed to be anywhere close to Toby yet.  I dropped Komu's leash so I could go around and catch him on the other side.  Even though I had let go, he didn't rush after his quarry.  When I saw he was actually trailing an animal, as opposed to detecting a stationary animal, I called him back.  He came to me, and I saw a tabby cat run out of the bushes.  Mu saw the cat too.  He barked for his treat, and I rewarded him with cheese.  I told him he was a good boy and he should go find another.

We kept working along the building, in and out of the shrubs.  In the area north of the building, I took Komu to the north side so he could work into the wind coming out of the south.  We worked in and out of the storm water swale.  Closer to the river, he suddenly veered into a laurel and went straight through to Toby's carrier, whining.  I came around and saw that he had in fact found Toby.  I rewarded him with another helping of cheese.  To me, the picture seems to show that he is happy about more than just cheese.  He really likes the challenge, and then finding the hidden kitty.  It is a game that he is good at and that he enjoys deeply.  When he is working, Mu is the best dog in the world. 

Komu's search for Lion

Komu didn't find Lion today.  We searched from 10 to 1, with ideal weather conditions.  The conditions in the neighborhood were not ideal.  We didn't receive permission from about 25% of the neighbors, and some of the areas we were allowed to search had tall grass, blackberries, or broken glass and garbage.  Komu worked very hard, checking everywhere I asked.  He found a white cat sitting in a window, visually, not by scent.  I saw another white cat run off before he got close.  I also found a black cat under a mobile home, where Komu did not have access.  We did not find any signs of a struggle, although that may have been hard to find in the tall grass.

Komu was bitten by a Husky, which was my fault.  We thought we had permission to search the yard.  The Husky was tied up.  He  didn't bark, and he wagged his tail in a friendly manner when Komu approached.  As soon as Komu got close enough, the Husky nipped him on the snout.  I checked Komu for injuries, and coldn't see any.  A few hours after we got home, his right eye was swollen, although he didn't seem to mind.  He played with Kelsy and zoomed around the house in spite of the hard day's work and the swollen eye.

Komu's story, chapter One.

In late May of 2011, Jessica, a volunteer for MPP, was contacted by some acquaintances about a dog chained in a yard in Lakewood, WA.  The puppy cried and whined all day, right outside the windows of the office where these people worked.  They would feed him and give him water because the owners would not.  He was on a chain, and he always got the chain wrapped around the base of the shrubs, leaving him bent to the ground, trapped.  Jessica asked if there was anything MPP could do, so I went to investigate. The picture below is difficult for me to look at, knowing someone did that to my Komu.

 He was six months old.  I think they called him Puppy or something like that.  I knocked on the door and said I noticed their dog was whining and that his chain was caught on a tree trunk, and could I help?  They said they needed to get rid of him because they had one baby and twins on the way.  They wanted $100 for him.  I had $75 in my pocket.  They said they would think about it and I gave them my card.  I don't know why I didn't just run to the ATM at that moment.  I guess I wasn't thinking.  Jessica called back later and said she was with MPP, and could she buy the puppy now?  They said the dog had been sold.  Vashti, with Saving Great Animals, found their Craigslist ad.  She called the owners and did not identify herself as belonging to any organization.  She just said she saw the ad and wanted to buy him for $100.  She met them at Wapato Park, while I watched from a distance.  Once Komu was safely purchased and the former owners were gone, he sat in my lap at the base of a tree.  He was good and kind, and of course I fell in love with him immediately.

I did not want another dog, having three already.  I had recently learned that Tess had cancer, which, besides being the worst possible news, was putting me thousands of dollars in debt.  I took Komu to the vet to get him checked out.  Jessica met me there, and then we went to Petsmart to get him a new harness and a name tag.  Jessica did not want to take him home either, but she turned out to be a bigger sucker than me.  When we went to the engraving machine to put a name on his tag, we tried a couple of names, and then she picked Mocha.  Then I asked, "What phone number should we put on the tag?"  She said, "You'd better put mine on it."  Jessica succumbed to his puppy dog eyes.

Because of his separation anxiety, and because of Jessica's work schedule, he didn't work out there.  She gave him his current name, Wakomu, which means Family in Chippewa. She loved him and took good care of him, but his days alone led to destruction.  After a couple of months at Jessica's house, we decided I would give him a try.  He was very trying.  Although he had been housebroken at Jessica's, he had troubles at our house.  He chewed on everything.  He was a maniac, even if he was cute and lovable.  I had to keep him on a leash in the house just so I could keep tabs on him and keep him from destroying something.  Of course, none of that was his fault.  How would he know how to behave if he had been chained to a tree for the first six months of life?  Kelsy was especially unhappy with having this puppy around.  She felt betrayed.  He was always near me, by necessity, and Kelsy was forced away.  She had always been the one by my side, constantly, since she was a puppy, and now a new puppy was demanding all of my attention.  Tess was in the last few months of her life, and I wanted to spend more time with her, but Komu's constant demands interfered with that.  We had many good moments, especially when we went to the park, but life with Komu was generally not peaceful or pleasant for the first few months.

He turned a year old in late December, and in January of 2012 we started training him for cat detection.  From the start, he was very good at this.  However much he was a problem at home, he excelled at cat detection like he was born for it.  He followed directions well during training.  He was enthusiastic without being difficult to manage.  He was excited to find the kitties, but not at all aggressive toward them.  Other than chasing a ball or harassing Kelsy, finding kitties is what he does best.  Komu became much more manageable at home, too.  I can't help but think that having a meaningful job helped him mature, although simply growing older helped, too, I'm sure.  He transformed from a large, awkward, clumsy puppy to an athletic and confident dog.  He still has his puppy moments, but he is generally reliable and sturdy these days.

His first attempt at certification was the first time in six months that he failed to find the cat.  I chalk it up to a fluke of air flow and weather conditions.  He has been on three searches for lost cats so far.  On his first search, he found two cats, although not the cat we were seeking.  On his next two searches, he found the remains of one cat and piece of the hide of the other.  He passed his final exam on the second attempt.  Komu plays with Kelsy a little more gently these days, and she often seeks him out for play.  Wakomu is Family, now, besides being a great search dog.  I can't imagine life without him.  I have invested lots of love and training in him, but this has only brought out the goodness he had from the very start.  He now sleeps in the bed, next to Kelsy and me.  He is loved by many, and he has important work that he does well.  He is everything a dog should be, and he has come a long way from those days chained to the tree.