Notes from Maine - 2023/06/11
June 11, 2023
Once a month, Google tells me how people are searching for “Ike Hamill.” The top query is almost always, “Ike Hamill dog.” People have seen Finn on Maine Cabin Masters and they want to know more. Makes sense—he’s a very charismatic dog. Recently, Google informed me that the top entry on my blog is the one where I talk about the dogs.
So it occurred to me that I haven’t written all that much about how I came to share a home with Finn. Maybe I have… but not recently.
About ten years ago, I was struggling to find a cure (or at least a way to live with) Bruno’s epilepsy. Bruno was a sweet English Mastiff who was cursed with uncontrollable seizures. We tried every medication in every combination, and went through all the tests and treatments available, but nothing helped. The breeder was apologetic, but what are you going to do? Sometimes things happen. Perhaps out of guilt, they shared that there was a home down in Massachusetts where a couple were struggling in a different way. They had two young Mastiffs and had come to the heartbreaking conclusion that they couldn’t handle two dogs of that size.
Bruno and I went down there to meet them.
That’s where we found Finn. He was skinny and furry. There’s a recessive trait in some Mastiff lines that produces “Fluffy” Mastiffs. They don’t meet the breed standard, so if a pair produces fluffy offspring, they’re usually not paired again. But, some people prefer the novelty of a long-haired, giant friend. When he was a puppy, my friend said that he looked like a golden retriever whose faced had been dipped in black ink.
Finn came to live with me and Bruno. I believe that they were half brothers, but they might have just been cousins. Finn figured out when Bruno was going to have a seizure and he would alert me. There was nothing I could do to stop the seizure, but at least I could make sure that Bruno didn’t hurt himself. When he wasn’t looking after Bruno, Finn helped me with my projects. When I would reach down to pick up a screwdriver, it would be gone. Across the room, Finn would refuse to make eye contact with me. Later, I would figure out that he had swiped my tool and stashed it.
Finn (top) taking care of his brother, Bruno.
His size is imposing to some, but he generally wins people over with his personality. He has a very kind face. When we lost Bruno, Finn and I spent several years with just the two of us in the house. Eventually, Albert came to live here. Finn was always gentle and sweet to Albert, but Albert has a very strong personality and he’s a bit of a bully right now. He never hurts Finn, but he’s constantly telling him what to do. Finn doesn’t seem to mind.
Finn is smarter (or maybe a bit more thoughtful) than most Mastiffs that I’ve met. He’s still pretty light on his feet and moving around well for a ten-year-old giant. With his curly locks, he’s prettier than most Mastiffs. We almost lost Finn a couple of years ago when persistent ear problems stymied all the veterinarians. During the beginning of the pandemic, we went to vet after vet, trying to find a solution. He stopped eating and lost weight. The only thing that kept him alive was his passion for roasted chicken. My nephew’s father was staying here, and he cooked whole chickens out on the grill every couple of days. He fed Finn his weight in chicken until the antibiotics stabilized him enough for surgery. The turnaround after that surgery was dramatic. Finn lost his ear drums, but returned to enjoying his life as soon as he healed. More recently, Finn had knee surgery. Recovery was difficult—we had six weeks of basically immobilizing him—but he has bounced back from that too.
So that’s the story of Finn. His favorite thing is to curl up next to someone and just share space. Outdoors, he’s never happier than when he’s argle-bargling the water from the hose. If you want to see video of Finn, he’s on Maine Cabin Masters on HBOMax (Season 6, episode 6).
Finn with the hose.
Finn drinking from the hose. Albert in back
