Ann Ruybalid, her daughter Zia and their dog Finney love going to the park to run and play. He's a runner who still, at the age of 10 runs 7 to 10 miles frequently, as long as he isn't distracted by a cat (or a hot dog).
Finney, whose proper name is Huckleberry Finn, is a 10 year old yellow lab and he lives with Ann and Marty Ruybalid and their daughter Zia.
He's an outstanding runner, logging some 7 to 10 miles daily in Lincoln Park or Alki.
He came from New Mexico, from a breeder there.
He gets Pinnacle Duck and Potato dog food because," He has allergies, so we couldn't feed him any normal chicken or anything. The vet who suggested it even suggested Kangaroo," Ruybalid explained.
The name Huckleberry Finn (now Finney) was a second choice. "We were first going to name him Otis but once I got to know him a little bit I decided that he wasn't Otis at all. Otis is like a lazy fat dog that likes to sit on the dock of the bay. So, Huckleberry Finn is like very michevious and active and he wants to explore the world," explained Ruybalid.
"Ira Glass" is Finney's brother, except that he's a cat, who is eight and is 16 pound yellow tabby. He has a special relationship with Ira and gets along with him very well. This isn't the case with other cats however. Finney loves to chase them. "Even if it was a thousand feet away he can tell if it's 'his cat' and he won't chase. He thinks Ira is 'Alpha' and we think it's because we trained him to not eat the cat when the cat was a kitten(...) He will let the cat sleep on his bed and he won't bother him."
The family buys doggy dental treats at Costco and they seem to be working because Finney's teeth are in great shape. "In ten years he has never had a recommendation to have this teeth brushed," she explained, "They say his teeth are just fine."
"The thing he is most known for is his athletic ability. He likes to chase sticks and balls of course but he used to run 14 miles and still have enough energy to go for a swim. He just loves to swim."
Finney's world is simple but has a clear hierarchy.
"Hot dogs are first, second are cats and squirrels, and then third is being a good dog.
"He will do anything for a hot dog, absolutely anything," Ruybalid said, "He will even not chase a cat or squirrel for a hot dog. Not just any treat, but a hot dog."
Possibly the ultimate proof of this came when Finney had a serious ear infection. "He didn't want anybody coming near him, so I got a hot dog and I held it up and said, 'Finney if you let me clean your ears I will give you this hot dog,' and he just sat and let me clean his ears."
When he isn't in a running mood or chasing something he's a very compliant canine. "One time he let us bury him in sand, all the way up to his neck. We were in White Sands, New Mexico when he was a puppy and the sun was beating down. It was probably 100 degrees out but the sand is totally white so even an inch beneath it's totally cool. We gave him lots of water but he was so hot that he let us dig a hole and put him in the hole so he could sit in the sand for like ten minutes. He was just a little puppy too but he thought it felt so nice.
Finney just got back from a vacation with his best friend, Bella, a black lab that lives in Renton and he spends time with Savannah the pit bull, another friend.
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