A new species: Canis Lupus Snowmoleius!

As some of you who follow this blog know, a few months ago Deirdre and I adopted a rescue dog named Samson. Samson, originally named Danson (a name neither of us liked) came into our lives in early November, Samson has been a "work in progress," as he was abandoned by his first family and was found wondering the streets of Grand Rapids last September. By happenstance, he found his way to the West Michigan Regional Lab on the grounds of Calvin College, and then he found his way into our home. The first few weeks with Samson were a challenge, as he was essentially feral. However, after a few weeks of intense training, Samson realized that we were his new pack.

Our beloved GSD angel, Allie, loved the snow. She frolicked and played whenever there was a dusting or more of snow on the ground. We sort of thought that Samson would be similar, and we were right. Samson LOVES the snow. However, Allie was a little more regal in her approach to snow. Allie enjoyed playing in our backyard when snow was on the ground, but when I took her out for a walk, she tended to stay on the snow cleared sidewalk. Samson is an entirely different animal. He loves to run alongside me in the snow. He also has this unusual habit of burying his snout completely into a snow bank, as if he is looking for a puppy treat. Thus, I think that Samson is not a member of the species Canis Lupus Familiaris, but rather he is a new species I have named Canis Lupus Snowmoleius. I will consult with a few local biologists before I publish my findings, but I thing that Samson is a new breed: A dog based snow mole.