Learning To Share

Until recently, a picture like this made my heart skip a beat:

The toy falls in the wrong place, exactly in the middle of both Kenzo and Viva and they have an equal opportunity to reach it. When one of your dogs is a resource guarder, like Viva, it is a disaster waiting to happen. A resource guarder has to own whatever it is they value high, usually a toy or food. And they'll fight to get it.

When resource guarding would lead to a conflict their relationship could be disturbed for ever. And I know plenty of people that had to give up one of their dogs because it has gotten totally out of hand and the relationship seemed beyond repair.

Managing Viva's resource guarding has therefore always been a big deal to me. The very first time I tried to play with Viva, now three years ago, I remember she left me baffled. She would take the toy as far away from me as possible, and her body stiffened as I tried to approach her. Since then, I worked with her, two or three times a day, to reach where we are today.

The obvious thing to do was to exchange the toy for a treat, and then give it back again, so Viva learns I won't take it away and it is fun to let me have the toy for a moment. Like we did with Kenzo, when he was a puppy, to socialize him how to interact with people and dogs when there are toys in the mix.

But that was a bridge too far for Viva, and the first half year just went by letting her have it, and acting casual and not interested around her when she had a toy. Then when she started to trust me with her toy around, I started making "play-ish" movements in her direction, which she recognized as play, yet kept her distance, but the blink in her eyes revealed she was enjoying it.

I think it was somewhere near the end of that first year Viva decided to make the next step. When I stopped that day with our game - of still making "play-ish" movements in her direction - and put my attention elsewhere, I noticed Viva was approaching me ... with her toy. She didn't want me stop. Finally we could get started with our training, and soon after we made our very first toy-for-treat exchange.

One-and-a-half year in she started to enjoy teasing me with her toy. Sometimes I found Viva standing beside me, pushing her toy against my hand. When I reached out she turned her head or made a step back so I couldn't reach it. After a second, I could feel her touching my hand again, asking for more. And when she dropped the toy she pushed her nose against my pocket, "treat please! didn't you notice?".

Although Viva and me were good now, it took longer with Kenzo in the equation. Thankfully Kenzo is blessed in being the absolute opposite of a resource guarder, and already proved he can cope with resource guarders before. But Viva remained more fierce towards Kenzo if he would run off with her toy. Kenzo quickly dropped it again, as soon as he discovered Viva noticed him. These next shots show how careful he is around Viva and a toy:

Kenzo sneaks in when he notices Viva drops her toy

 Just Viva's head turn makes Kenzo hit the emergency brakes

 Viva has it again ... of course

As it slowly became more clear to Viva that Kenzo was not out on owning what is "hers", she could relax more. At least during that second year, we could have toys laying around, and we could start trusting her enough not to start a fight over it.

Of course Kenzo took advantage of the fact Viva was getting more relaxed, and started to tease her by keeping a toy longer in an attempt to invite Viva to chase him, after which he quickly dropped the toy. And ran a little further, just in case. And so we slowly reached into the third year, where we finally noticed if the toy would end up in the middle of them like in the photo above, Viva was ok with letting Kenzo have it. Also for a longer while.

And this month we had our first encounter where they found themselves both on the end of a tug-of-war rope, and after a second that seemed to last a century, Viva let it go, for the very first time, and chased Kenzo-with-rope instead, because that is a lot more fun.

We can all relax a little bit more now, and although I think it is not necessary anymore to oversee and help them in their play, I think I'll keep my eyes open for a while still, just in case.

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Kenzo & Viva Art Surprise

What do you think? Aren't they beautiful?

Viva

Kenzo

You probably noticed these watercolor paintings are based on the photo's I carry on the top banner of the blog. I selected them because they both capture their different characters so well. Viva, with her sweet, loving and also somewhat dependent look. It's her expression when she feels safe and just wants to be close to me. Kenzo, the eternal optimist, having fun in the moment, and already scouting for the next thing to enjoy, full of misschief.

All credit's go to the talented and gifted Margie K. for these beautiful watercolor painted versions of my favorite couple. I am forever grateful to you Margie.

When I look at the paintings, I also think back at Shiloh the Hovawart, as Margie and me met trying to help getting Shiloh adopted. Which after a long two year fight for Shiloh and two hip operations, finally got a happy ending.

I have a lot to smile about, when I look at the wall, where they are shining now.

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Hovawart TV: Interior Dog-orating

What a way to welcome the new puppy:



Odin sets a new standard!

Kenzo The Saluki

When I found out an actual Saluki sighthound was used in the "re-creation" of the Hovawart, I started looking at Kenzo for clues of such an ancestry. And indeed, when he uses all the muscles in his face to retract that, otherwise beautiful, Newfoundland facial skin, it does show:

Puppy Buyer From Denmark? Hovawart Breeders Beware

When you are a Hovawart breeder you might want to be careful when you are contacted by a puppy buyer from Denmark. The Danish Hovawart puppy mill is out of operation but well underway with yet another relaunch attempt. As their latest relaunch attempt failed, they are trying a new tactic this time.

They are moving to a new address with new owners - still from within the same family - and try to set up a network of "satellite breeders". They have re-opened their website and added an additional website that denies everything that happened in the last twenty years in an attempt to window dress their reputation.

You might wonder why that matters to you and your puppies. Let me explain. As they have only few dogs left, they need to rebuild their stock. Like they have done in the past, when they bought Hovawart puppies from all over Europe while pretending they are just Hovawart-lovers and don't want to breed, hiding the fact they will only move them into their cages and breed for profit. Like it happened with Hovawarts as Cherry from Holland, Bamira from Poland, and many, many more.

This time they will not use their own names, or try to contact you themselves. They will let the new "satellite breeders" do that for them.

In short, if you have a buyer from Denmark, there is a risk your puppy will end up in their puppy mill. The photo on the right is showing how your puppy will spent the rest of its life. I know you don't want that to happen.

Use your Danish network to double check the buyers. If you have none, I would like to offer my help, by checking the buyer's name for you and see if it could be suspect. I count on the Danish network that fights the puppy mill, to pass me the names of people that are suspect and I can cross-check the name on both lists. I know it is not a guarantee, but at least there is something we can do, by working together across borders.

Please drop me a mail at kenzohw (at) gmail (dot) com, or send a private message on Facebook. All requests and names will be dealt with in complete discretion. I will not supply any names to protect people's privacy, but I will let you know when the name matches the name of a suspect person.

I know you will do your due diligence even sharper than usual, and put in your buyer contract your approval is needed if your puppy buyer ever would want to re-home of sell your dog.

Last but not least, let's not forget that people from Denmark are not suspects. We are dealing with just a few rotten apples we need to root out. The majority of callers from Denmark will be loving families, providing good homes for your dogs.

Thank you for helping. Let's keep one step ahead of them.

***

For the latest and how you can help, visit the page Stop Danish Hovawart Puppy Mill.

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How A Brave Trio Freed 5 Dogs From The Puppy Mill

There is one more story to tell about the unraveling of the Danish Hovawart puppy last February, when a group of three people took matters in their own hands and freed five dogs from the puppy mill. This is what happened.

After the Danish Animal Welfare Organization "Dyrenes Beskyttelse" in January 16 moved in to seize the first group of 25 dogs, the story reached a wider audience through local and social media, and left many in disbelief there were 30 dogs still left behind. Apart from sharing the news, writing letters and signing the petition that was underway at that moment, many felt frustrated why not more was done, why not more could be done.

It all came to an outburst on Saturday, January 19, the day that by coincidence also was the funeral of Gitte H., one of the puppy mill owners. Two locals Michelle and Ditte had set their minds to free the dogs that day. Through Facebook they discussed it with Linse Kessler, a Danish celebrity and dog lover, and she wanted to join them in the rescue attempt.

Although they very well knew it was illegal and vigilante what they were about to do, they were willing to take the risk for the sake of the dogs. And in the morning, they turned up at the property, which was to their surprise deserted due to the ongoing funeral the trio was not aware of, and they could undisturbed enter the stables. Nothing could have prepared them for the sight that met them inside.

The dogs in need of immediate veterinarian attention were removed some days earlier by "Dyrenes Beskyttelse", but the stench of urine and feces and the sight of emaciated dogs in cages they have spent their whole life in is overwhelming nonetheless. Linse Kessler videotaped what happened when they went in, a tape just recently disclosed in one of her TV shows.

In the middle of removing the dogs, they were discovered by a mailman, who sounded the alarm, and the trio fled the puppy mill with 5 puppies under their arms, Hovawarts and Goldens. They moved them to a secure place and started to contemplate what to do next, as contacting any vet would alarm the authorities, with the risk the dogs would be returned.

Then the most unlikely thing happened, when - as we already know - later that same day four celebrities also paid the puppy mill a visit for the very same reasons as Michelle, Ditte and Linse, and bought the remaining dogs their freedom. Now all dogs could be handed over to "Dyrenes Beskyttelse".

All but one. During the rescue Linse Kessler fell in love with one of the Golden puppies, that bit her hair and stole her hat while driving them away from the puppy mill in the car. Linse was allowed later by the shelter, to adopt this puppy, "Jytte".

The story remained untold until some weeks ago, so I am happy to be able to shed some light on this trio now as well, without that I will have to be afraid to get them into trouble. It might be illegal what they did, and it sure is dangerous, but I am glad they let their heart speak, and were so brave to put themselves in harms way for the wellbeing of the dogs.

***

For the latest and how you can help, visit the page Stop Danish Hovawart Puppy Mill.

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First Results Start To Show From Our Raw Diet

I wish I had made a "before" photo. These are Kenzo's teeth, now 4 months into our switch from kibble to a raw fed diet. Most of the tartar on his teeth is gone. An amazing result. Kenzo's vet was as delighted as I was during his yearly check-up. His teeth are doing a lot better.

Kenzo and Viva benefited differently from their raw diet. Viva, at age 8 now, always had healthy teeth, also in her kibble days, and there was not much to improve. For Viva the main benefit was a complete energy boost, that showed quite early in the diet switch.

She needs constant and balanced training for her spondylosis, so her renewed energy is a great help in battling her back-issues. Not too much training to strain her, not too little to keep the joints flexible and muscles strong. We always had to stimulate her to really use her muscles, as strong muscles are essential to compensate for the spondylosis, but that is history now.

On a raw diet she is much more willing to go the extra mile, chase the ball one more time, and use those muscles to keep them fit. A joy to witness. Kenzo benefits too, as they play a whole lot more together, and Viva doesn't give up anymore after a couple of runs.

One of the surprises was that Kenzo's after the switch never had any stomach trouble, where before he always responded sensitive to any change or addition to his diet. His digestive system seems also to have benefited.

During the weekdays we feed them minced chicken with tripe, some cooked veggies, mostly broccoli and carrots as they love those, a vitamin-A supplement, fish oil, and - only for Viva - glucosamine. In the weekend they also get some organic yoghurt with eggs, some offal, and a huge lamb bone for crunching and working those teeth.

I always hung on to kibble because I thought it to be convenient. Now I am surprised how easy it actually is to feed raw and find it just as convenient.

The only thing that still freaks me out is when they crunch the bones. I always keep an eye out and are ready to rush to the vet if we would get unlucky. So far they do their chewing quite fine and methodically.

If you think of switching to raw, you can start by lurking in the Raw feeding facebook group. They have some great start up guides, and the people in it are very helpfull and non-judgemental. It helped me a lot answering the practical questions that follow along the way, like how do I ensure a balanced diet, how about worms and other parasites, how about salmonella, etc. Questions I will focus on as well later on this blog.

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The Mystery Of The Blond Hovawart

When you see this photo of a Russian yellow retriever, it is compelling to believe his supposed ancestor, the Russian tracker, could be a Hovawart ancestor as well. Especially when you know it was used for guarding life-stock and had the size of the current Hovawart. On top of it, it would explain how we ended up with a blond Hovawart.

As the myth goes, the creator of the Russian yellow retriever, Col. William Trench, roamed the Russian mountains for these dogs and brought them back with him to breed Golden retrievers.

Blond Retriever Or Golden Hovawart?

They do look a like, the blond Hovawart and the Golden retriever. I always wondered if both could have an ancestor in common that we don't know of. Not all Golden retriever "types" do look like blond Hovawarts, a german Golden is unmistakenly not a Hovawart also because of its smaller size. But when you look at the large North American Golden retriever, it gets a lot more difficult to see who is who.

These photo's from retrieverman's blog set an excellent example, who is the retriever and who is the Hovawart?

Viva Making New Friends

We took a little risk on our latest visit to the Danish West-coast by bringing a house guest. It was Joska the Viszla, Kenzo's great pal, stayed with us for the whole week. Viva knows Joska of course, but so far, Joska was only tolerated by Viva if he would show her his most polite behavior. And Joska walked the gauntlet the first two days, his every move sharply observed by Viva. Until Viva de-iced, and welcomed him into the group.

She even played with both Kenzo and Joska on the beaches, when both were engaged in their special edition of fetch, and had great fun when she could snatch a ball or a stick right from under their noses. Of course sometimes she had to assert her rule, but we knew she had found a new friend when Joska was allowed a place on the sofa.

We made long hikes and the Danish West-coast again delivered the three things Viva loves so much. Space, space, and space. This time we landed in Blåvand ("Blue Water"), and compared to the places we visited earlier, Hvide Sande, the beaches were even wider, and compared to Romø, even more empty.


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We thought we hit the jackpot this time with the house we stayed in, as it had no view to either neighbors or nearby paths, so we could let the dogs roam free around the house. We kept them under supervision at all times, but there was no need to leash them or keep them inside because of nearby traffic, we figured. That quickly changed though, when we spotted vipers in the area. The many vipers also made hiking through the dunes and heath fields not as relaxing as usual, so we turned more to the beaches this time.

The leash laws forbid dogs off leash on the beaches this time of year. But like I said before, with so much space and knowing how rarely it happens Viva can go off leash undisturbed for hours, I'd be happy to pay the 260 Euro fine if we would ever get caught.

And Kenzo needs his ocean. The ocean was quite calm this time, but it didn't seem to disappoint Kenzo there were no waves to surf. On the other hand it was great for Viva now, who ventured further and further into the surf, and even got her elbows wet.

Our west-coast trips mean so much for Viva, when she doesn't have to worry about other dogs and scary things that happen. She can finally be "just" another dog, enjoying the small things in life. We'll keep coming back for more of that. At least until I have figured out a way to convince the family we really have to pack our bags and move away from the city.

***

There are some more photo's of our trip in this Facebook album.

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Hovawart TV: Water Slide

Something to look forward to, with summer on the way.

Keeping Viva Safe

We started off on the wrong foot on the beach. Within minutes we were surprised by no less than three off leash dogs.

One after the other they seem to come down from the sand dunes, although I never saw any owner they might have come from. Of course, Viva's stress levels skyrocketed as a result.

Viva and Kenzo were still leashed - from April 1 dogs should be leashed on the beaches - although we were looking for a quiet moment to enjoy some off leash play as well as the others, we are no saints either.

With the third dog, I had to drop the leash on Kenzo as he or she was very persistent in wanting to meet Viva, who thought that was not a good idea at all. Kenzo send him or her packing. Further down we finally found some more space, and we could enjoy some play and getting our feet wet.

Other dogs approached from the horizon, and in an attempt to keep Viva as calm as possible, I retreated with her to the sand dunes, while my wife played some more with Kenzo in the surf. We just sad there, and returned to the surf when the dogs had passed by.

Murphy must have traveled with us that day, as most dogs did make an attempt to run up to Viva, even from that long distance. Every time Kenzo followed them, made his point that Viva is off limits, and herded them back to the surf. Kenzo played with them without any problems, no hard feelings. One abducted his ball, and he didn't care. Yet as soon as they ran towards Viva, he drew a line in the sand.

One person looked surprised at Kenzo herding the next dog away. "Wow, he really protects her". I thought it was team work. But true, Kenzo's role in keeping Viva safe is so much more then what I could achieve by myself.

The Hovawart Family Tree

During the mini-quest to track down Kenzo's ancestors on his father's and his mother's side, I discovered a lot that fascinated me. It all started for the fun of it in the Facebook group Hovawart's family, sharing "old photo's", and in my case, got a little out of hand. Here is what I observed and learned so far, in an attempt to write something down, before this exercise ends in me writing a multiple volume book about Hovawarts and genealogy.

Kenzo's Mothers: I Am A Farm Dog

After following Kenzo's father's roots, that ended with Markus the Newfoundland, lets have a look at Kenzo's mothers. And as the experts say, holds a lot more genealogical value.

Kenzo's mother was Freja, or by her official name, "Sveablik's Freja". She had in all three litters, and Kenzo was part of the first litter. I only have printed photo's of her, and she is not even in the work-dog.eu database, just in the registry of the Danish Kennel Club. Following the direct line from mother to mother we found our "Eve": Dina Geisler, a mix of two farm dogs, also called a "Hofe wart" (old-German for farm guard). These were dogs the first breeders found on farms, resembling their ideal of a Hovawart.

Kenzo's Fathers: I Am A Newfoundland

Sparked by Min Inches, we embarked on a small genealogy project of our own to find Kenzo's roots. Together with the registry of the Danish Kennel Club and working-dog.eu, this is what we found out of on Kenzo's father's side.

Kenzo's father was "Odin", or by his official name, "Chaccomo vom Bohrertal", and we were so happy to have meet him once. Odin was a Danish champion and he only had one litter. Following the direct line from father to father, we found our "Adam": Markus, a 100% Newfoundland!

Kenzo's Trash Talking

Trash Talking? Moi?

We ended up scouting the new area we stranded in, Kenzo and me. The car had to get fixed. Again. Thankfully Kenzo was with me, and a walk beats the repair shop's waiting room and bad coffee any day. It was mostly a business park area so I didn't expect to experience any thrilling sights. When you have seen one, you have seen them all. But for Kenzo, a sniff is a sniff. It's good everywhere.

Passing a fenced-in area, I got a shock when a dog on the other side of the fence suddenly started barking. They always do that right at the moment you least expect it and when you go around in your own thoughts. Kenzo pretended he didn't noticed the disturbance, continued with his sniffing like nothing happened and only changed his stance to a little more low and calm, while keeping an eye on the other dog only from the corner of his eyes.

Excellent, I thought. That was an awesome display of calming dog body language, and gave Kenzo a treat for that. It seemed to have a soothing effect on the "guard" dog, so I threw a treat over to him as well - old habits die hard. He followed us all the way down to the end of the fence. And it was a long fence. He was still barking, but the alarm sound in it was missing. Kenzo remained stoic.

On the way back I thought it was better to pass on the other side of the street to avoid all the commotion. No reason to tease the dog after all. This side of the street had a long line of two-feet high boulders along the pavement, and it gave Kenzo plenty of opportunity to do some additional sniffing. Still, the routine repeated itself. When we reached the end of the fence, the dog stopped barking and now he was up for one very rude answer.

Like in slow-motion, Kenzo seemed to use every muscle in his body to make himself as tall as possible. His tail went high up into the air, and he took one step to the closest boulder, lifted his leg facing the dog, looked straight at him with his mouth closed, and released some water. The dog answered with a tail wag.

I just witnessed Kenzo "giving the Finger" in dog language, and I started laughing out loud, while Kenzo already was parading further down the road, celebrating his "victory". Studying all that dog body language is getting more and more fun, now I have opened my eyes for it.

Hovawart TV: The Housekeeper

You're gonna love this.



And? Was I wrong?

Don't Ignore Too Much Bad Behavior

May I jump up on you? Please?

This is a post inspired by - and you might like to read that instead - "You Cannot Punish Love".

If you are still here, I only want to share why it was an Aha!-moment article for us.

We have always been your average "responsible" dog family and learning Kenzo and Viva not to jump up on people was on our shortlist, among others.

It didn't totally work out. Actually it is quite easy to train, you just ignore the behavior and they stop jumping. It was working quite fine if I could have resisted those wagging tails and cute smiles when I come in the door. But I can't. I like it when they jump.

So I admit. Kenzo is a jumper. It is entirely my fault. I look forward to the ritual that is going to go down as soon as I open the door. I just love to have his paws on my shoulders and get my ear nibbled while he bursts my ear drums with loud barks.

Viva is not a jumper, but that is because of her back issues, but she sure bounces. I come down on my knees for her instead so she can make a tiny jump and she loves it too.

Luckily for me they first start jumping up on other people after they have already had a couple of earlier good meets with them, so they will not jump up on just anybody right away. But all our regular house guests know, they will probably jump. If they don't like it, they should just ignore it by turning away, I told my guests. I know, it is not my finest hour.

Other behaviors, like coming over for a kiss and a hug, while leaving fur and slime on my guests' clothes, I told them to just ignore those advances too if they didn't liked it. Some didn't care, and actually let them jump and had a blast with Kenzo & Viva like I do. Others just did the ignoring by turning away.

And then there were the middle-way people. Ignoring the behavior, but making sure they were giving love in some way to Kenzo & Viva, in an other way. Like giving them a belly-rub when they asked for it. In hindsight: they were the smart ones.

Kenzo in particular started to develop a non-relationship to the guests that were ignoring him. He even returned to some of the typical behavior we know when he meets people for the very first time: he became suspicious. And that made things worse, as now these guests started to feel he didn't liked them. And in fact, he didn't. Not anymore.

It always puzzled me why that happened, and what I could do about it. And that's when I read "You Cannot Punish Love". According to the article, jumping up is one of the genetically hardwired tools a dog uses to bond with us humans. My poor guests were not ignoring his behavior and thereby shaping it, they were refusing his love. And as a result, Kenzo loved them a little less, too. In the words of Prescot Breeden, the author:

"it is the product of an entire evolutionary lineage that survived through cooperation and the building of strong social bonds through reciprocity, trust, play and affection. Thus when a dog is being social with us, it is essential to reciprocate their play and affection."

Dogs are complex social beings like us. Probably my biggest mistake was to see it as just another training exercise, without acknowledging what the root cause is that makes them actually jump up in the first place. So it is back to the training of the jumps, and this time in a way to make sure they get the love they are asking for in another way. I imagine my guests now having to perform a mandatory belly-rub or tug-of-war game as soon as they entered the door. At least, if they want Kenzo & Viva to bond with them.

I think I never stop learning, dogs are truly fascinating.

Viva's Inner Cat

We are well into our first month of raw feeding now, after we recently made our first baby steps. To my surprise, the first effects are already starting to show. Viva has gotten a lot more playful and self-entertaining. She even invented a new cat-and-mouse game with the raw bones we give her:

throw

shake

stare

still staring...

is-it-still-alive-check

gotcha

ignoring

finally...

The days that Kenzo was the most playful of the couple, or that Viva needed him to engage in some play, are now over. And it is not just the bones. She is a lot more active when we play fetch and she runs through the house with her squeaky toys on her own initiative. It is too early to tell if this is caused by something underlaying, like her allergies, even though we thought we had them managed, or if this is something completely new. Either way, it is a feast to see her enjoying herself.

Hovawart TV: Don't Try This With Your Hovawart

Could you do this without the vacuum cleaner getting hurt?



I am impressed.

Viva The Easter Bunny

Three years ago, on the day before Sheer Thursday and Easter, we brought Viva home with us from the shelter. Our Easter Bunny in disguise, complete with a basket of easter eggs. I can vividly remember each of the eggs she kept hidden for us in her basket during that day.

We discovered Viva was returned to the shelter by her former adopters on the Monday before Easter. I drove by the shelter later that day to have a look and hear more about her and her background. And of course, to express my interest. The shelter people thought it was best for Viva also to meet Kenzo to see if they could get along, and I got an appointment for coming Wednesday to bring Kenzo when the shelter's behavioral expert would also be there.

That Wednesday was the day before Sheer Thursday followed by Easter, which are all public holidays in Denmark, so I was slightly annoyed that would probably mean we could first get Viva home after Easter if it would work out. On the bright side, the selection process is there for a reason, and it would be best for Viva too, not to rush things. Still there was hope Wednesday we could finish the process.

On Wednesday the meet between Kenzo and Viva went excellent and we were invited into the office for the "formal" part of the adoption to answer what felt like a thousand questions. When I heard the shelter's director was not in - she would have to make the final decision - my last hope to make it before Easter melted down like snow in the sun. While answering the questions, my mind already started wandering off thinking about Viva, having to spend Easter in the shelter. My pondering was suddenly interrupted, when the interviewer stood up in the middle of the interview, and said she had to make a phone call.

Sitting alone in the room, me and my wife hardly talked, as we both in silence were trying to accept the situation as it was turning out. Not knowing that in a few seconds, we would both fall off our chairs, when the interviewer returned from her phone call, which turned out to be a call to the director on holiday, bringing the message they would be glad if we would like to adopt Viva. We could take her home with us already today. It was not normal procedure, but because everything looked so good, they wanted to make an exception. For Viva's sake.

The best highs are always the ones, that follow after the lowest of lows, so it took a moment before I could scramble all my brain cells to get used to the new reality while citing each Danish version of "yes, we would love to...", I could think of. My wife still insists to this day, I responded in my native Dutch language, without me realizing it.

Finishing up the last paper work, we finally reached the part in which we could pay the adoption fee and leave with Viva. But the Easter Bunny had one last easter egg still in her basket. The terminal of the shelter didn't accept my card. If my wife's stare could kill, I would have dropped dead on the floor that very moment. As she knows, it is not the first time my irresponsibility with financial matters put us in such a situation.

I rushed out to see if I could get the money from an ATM. And it was a slight relief to find out, after visiting the third ATM of different banks, clearly something was wrong with the ATM network and not with the color of my account. At least I could save face for the home-front, although now I had to fight the banks too to get Viva home.

Blessed with an account at an Internet bank - quite new in those days - I went home to pickup my laptop, and brought it with me to the shelter to make a wire transfer instead, which they approved as payment reading it from the screen. The whole visit to the shelter had taken three hours now, and we could finally leave with Viva to celebrate Easter and introduce her into her new home.

Kenzo and Viva made their first meet on what would be Kenzo's turf for the last day, and as you can see on the photo he was making his best impression of a peacock trying to impress this beautiful lady newcomer:

And soon after, they engaged in their first play. The Easter Bunny came home after all:

Puppy Mill Relaunch Stopped, Cherry is Safe

Photo Roskilde Avis

The attempts of the puppy mill to relaunch their evil business are stopped. Last Tuesday the police went in and removed 12 puppies - 7 Hovawarts and 4 Golden's - and one of the mothers from the premises of the puppy mill.

The mother dog on the photo is Cherry, safe and sound with her 4-week old pups in the shelter. The news that she is now found and rescued, is especially delightful.

Like many other dogs used for breeding by the puppy mill, Cherry was bought by the puppy mill under false pretenses from a reputable breeder abroad. Now almost 6 years ago. When the puppy mill was exposed and the dogs were seized, Cherry was not among the rescues. The uncertainty started, if Cherry already had died, or if she still was in the claws of the puppy mill, being kept hidden somewhere.

As we now know, Cherry was kept hidden because she was expecting puppies, and was already during the first raids earmarked by the puppy mill owner to be a part of the relaunch. Now Cherry like the others is out of this hell-on-earth, let's hope she can still grab her second chance for a better life. For Cherry's breeder, all the worry, feelings of guilt and powerlessness, can now find closure.

The seizure of the dogs was a clear message to the puppy mill owner that - unlike how it went in the past - this time nobody is fooled by their claim to have stopped breeding, and they will not be lost out of sight, until they are trialed for animal abuse and neglect. A case - build up by "Dyrenes Beskyttelse" - that is well under way, but unfortunately will take to the end of the year to prepare and prosecute.

In the mean time, we still have to keep our eyes open, as this will most likely not be their last relaunch attempt. We must assume, they still have Bamira somewhere, and the next relaunch victim might therefore already be chosen.

It is good to notice that two important allies are added to the opposition of the puppy mill. First, the police. So reluctant to do anything before, they didn't hesitated this time to move in and seize the dogs. Secondly, the Minister of Agriculture & Animal Welfare, Mette Gjerskov. As we know she is working on a proposal to change the legislation for dog breeding operations. And as an indication of her focus on the case, she even had the news on her FB page before me. A prelude to some legislation that can stop this once and for all?

***

For the latest and how you can help, visit the page Stop Danish Hovawart Puppy Mill.

Meet-up With The Former Puppy Mill Hovawarts

Not just your average Hovawart meet-up happened yesterday. It was the dogs rescued from the former Danish puppy mill !

The event was hosted by the "Dyrenes Beskyttelse" shelter, in an attempt to keep in touch with the families and help where they can. Not all could make it, as there was a snow-storm obstructing traffic. I think in all there were still around 15 dogs and 40 people, a great turn-up.

The dogs, now ranging from 4 months and up, were first allowed to burn off some energy and play with each other, and mingle with all the people. It surprised me how easy they initiated contact and I don't think there wasn't a pup that didn't rushed up to me to say hello. Not something I would have expected from former puppy mill dogs, and an impressive example of a dog's resilience and how great these dogs are actually already doing.

As the group swelled, I noticed the late-comer - blond Bob - was slightly impressed by the sight of such a large group of dogs and people clustered together, before he jumped head first into the melee of arms, legs and paws. I think that took him a whole second to think about, brave little fellow, just 4 months old now.

And you could already see all their different personalities shine, and yes, they were all rumping and playing and gave everybody a little prelude of some rough play to come, when they get older. Once they all burned some energy, we went inside - yes, the dogs too -, where I was given the opportunity to tell the Hovawart tale.

We talked about the breed's characteristics, behavior, socializing, training, meeting other dogs, every day care, and more. The new dog parents were very curious and asked many questions. Some about the practical things they deal with now, but also what lays ahead, being an owner of a Hovawart and a former puppy mill dog at the same time.

My impression was that "Dyrenes Beskyttelse" has found some awesome families for the dogs. Each one of them displayed a lot of committment. A couple of them were actually former Hovawart owners, that had a puppy from the puppy mill before - although they didn't know at that time it was a puppy mill -, how awesome is that and what a leap of faith.

During the inside session the dogs still behaved nicely, and that made today a great socialization event for them as well. And they were a great help for me too. When we reached to the subject of "bullying", a pup decided to start humping the house-labrador of the shelter. I could rest my case. Next subject.

Meeting all those wonderful people with their wonderful dogs today, was without a doubt, exhilarating to be a part of. I still wish I could be a fly on the wall with them all. I furiously wish them all the best going forward.

***

For the latest and how you can help, visit the page Stop Danish Hovawart Puppy Mill.

Dogs Play Chess Too

With only one ball to play fetch, Kenzo and his pal Joska the Viszla, change their game of chase into a game of chess - who owns the one ball and how to hold on to it as long as possible.

The problem is though, when you hold on to the ball, it is difficult to greet others or have a sniff, or investigate all the goodies you find on a beach. And once released, the other chess opponent is never far away to steal "your" valuable item.

They think and develop strategies about how they can hold on to it anyway, and outsmart the other. Kenzo thought he had found the ultimate strategy. As Joska doesn't like to get wet above his toetips, Kenzo trots down into the shallow water, drops the ball, returns to do what catched his attention in the first place, and then comes back to pick up the ball again. It worked, over and over again.

Seems far enough over here

Ball is safe, outsmarted him again

To Kenzo's surprise - he didn't notice the small stretch of sand - it was Kenzo that was outsmarted by Joska this time. He could only watch in horror how his strategy just failed, while holding his breath.

This is not happening?!?

Back to the planning board. The chess game continues. I wonder what they come up with as their next move.

Hovawart TV: Wrestlemania

If you have a Hovawart you know this picture, wrestle time has arrived!

When I Grow Up I Want To Be ...

Kenzo - 5 months

Kenzo - 2 years

Kenzo - 4 years

Kenzo - (almost) 8 years

... A guard like my dad Odin.

Going done memory lane with the family photo album, I realized Kenzo's passion for his Stake Out job goes back longer than I thought.

Off Leash: The Careless, The Clueless and The Judges

It seems like ages ago Viva was fear aggressive towards almost every other dog. She lunged, showed teeth, growled and barked, even to dogs far away. When an off leash dog came close despite all her warnings, she could lay shivering on the couch the rest of the day. I remember, just after we adopted her, how clueless I felt about what to do. Thankfully, BAT - Behavior Adjustment Training - was the answer for Viva.

Today, Viva is far from what people would call a "social" dog, as she rarely goes beyond a sniff exchange. But neither is it my goal to have her engage in play or other social contact as she rarely wants that. The important thing is she now has the social skills to communicate to off leash dogs she really is not interested to meet them, without asserting to aggression.

Working with BAT did me a lot of good too. I am studying dog body language of every dog we are about to meet to judge how Viva would react and learned a lot from that. Can we pass by on a short distance? If not, how much distance would we need? Dogs that mirror Viva's calming signals, like looking away and starting to sniff something on the ground, have a good chance Viva will allow them a sniff, might they want that.

An excited youngster with a lot to learn, is no threat either, although she will tell them to bugger off when they would try more than a sniff, as they usually do. Viva does give the message on an appropriate level, making it a good lesson for the youngster as well. Her only nemesis are still the dogs that zoom in on her, and have a stiff stance. They send her over the threshold once more. Her message is clear, don't even think about getting closer. Still work-in-progress on that one.

Do you really want to meet us?

Would such a dog try to come close, I usually drop the leash on Kenzo. He will firmly yet politely convince the other dog it is probably not a good idea to continue to approach Viva. He is her biggest help.

The best possible scenario is, when it concerns a dog that was allowed a sniff, the other dog makes a play-bow right after the sniff. Something only the dogs with the most savviest social skills will do. It rarely happens, but it will trigger Viva to engage in some play and gain her a new friend. It was also exactly what Kenzo did, first time they met.

Along the line, I found out I can get a lot of clues studying the body language and habits of their dog owners as well, at least the ones that always have their dogs off leash and thereby could cause some trouble for us. I call them the Careless, the Clueless and the Judges.

Thankfully the majority of people that have their dogs off leash, are not Careless, Clueless or Judges, and do show empathy when they meet us on their paths. They make Viva's life so much easier. They leash their dogs, when they see we go leashed or when they see us trying to avoid them. Or they recall and have their dog to heel. At the minimum, they also study Kenzo and Viva's body language, to measure what is coming up the road ahead of them.

The first are the Careless. They seem to show no interest into what their dog is up to. They talk on their cell or are occupied with other things. A Careless owner with a dog that displays a stiff stance, are a risky cocktail. I make a U-turn when I see them come.

One of the Careless we've met, with a young exuberant dog bullying others on every opportunity he could get, really baffled me. When he noticed his dog was speeding towards us for a rump, he must have thought: "Ah great, he found somebody to play with", and sad down on a bench to make a phone call. After a body-check and a tumble Kenzo was laying on top of the dog. He just doesn't accept impolite greeters. The guy almost dropped his cell.

Then there are the Clueless. They are very into what their dog is doing yet they don't seem to get a message, and their dogs usually don't listen to them. When I feel that Viva would not like to meet their dog and try to create some distance or avoid them, they follow us, usually while shouting: "My dog is friendly!". It is hard to get away from the Clueless or try to explain it is not a good idea. Luckily they hardly ever have dogs that come with a stiff stance or zoom in on Viva, so I can relax more now, would they catch up with us. And as soon as Viva does her "one sniff is enough" bark, it also usually sends them packing, while rolling their eyes.

The worst are what I call the Judges. Self-confident, with a walk like they own the world. God's gift to the off leash dog scene. We are walking on their path. Whatever will happen next they're right and I'm wrong. Would we meet, we'll usually get scolded for being something inferior, and nothing is their responsibility.

When one of the Judges would have a dog that displays a stiff stance, that means real trouble. When we meet this combination, we get the hell-out-of-dodge. I remember once while getting away, such a couple met another dog when I looked over my shoulder, they found another dog to bully, commented by the Judges with: "They must find out of it among themselves". Their favorite sentence.

Something Is Different This Time

What many already feared, is becoming reality. The Danish Hovawart puppy mill is attempting to get back in business, like they did so many times before in the past.

The family tried to disappear below the radar, by closing down their main website and leaving a comment they have no desire to continue to breed Hovawarts. In the meantime rumors flourished about dogs that were kept hidden from the original two raids on the puppy mill. Also, the family was allowed to keep some dogs, under the condition they would re-home the dogs themselves. Of course that never happened.

Rikke Christensen-Lee, the Danish vet from "Dyrenes Beskyttelse" doing so much to help the rescued dogs and put the puppy mill out of business is convinced they already started under a new name - Goldies - and a new owner. Rikke tells to "Roskilde" local paper:

"In January it was Christina Thiim that was not allowed to run the operation anymore. It was her that took over in 2008 from her stepfather Torben Weiss when they came in to similar problems. Now they continue again, with Christina's partner as the new owner. The last dogs they promised to hand over we never received. We have to face that we have been fooled."

I had a hope that this time it would be the final end of them. You probably did as well, and although it was disheartening to hear the news, it was expected by some, especially the people that are already fighting the puppy mill for more than twenty years. At least we know what we are up against, a family so cold and without remorse, they can relaunch in the blink of an eye and once more parasite on the next generation of innocent dogs. Hard-core animal abusers for own profits, only a sentence and jail-time can stop people like this.

"Dyrenes Beskyttelse" is working on an animal neglect case, Rikke Christensen-Lee has already reported the new breeding operation to the police. Many of you reading this are still making an effort I know, by finding purchase papers of dogs they sold after August 2012, which will send them behind bars as well. We updated the Facebook campaign and you can help by sharing this page and we are also running google adds to find buyers - see the Danish version on the right. The Danish Kennel Club has now also joined the fight, and are investigating the role of the Police's vet, which role is dubious to say the least. The club is also more actively bringing news out towards their members. Papers are still writing and journalists still listening.

And that is also what is different this time. We are all still here, committed to make this stop. They can't fool us this time. Stay tuned.

***

For the latest and how you can help, visit the page Stop Danish Hovawart Puppy Mill.

Wizards Susanne and Frederik, and their Hovawarts, Mammoet and Rico

I am very excited to introduce you to our latest Hovawart Wizards, Susanne and Frederik!

Susanne shares great photo's and daily tidbits on Facebook of her journey with a very special Hovawart, that truly is a "gentle giant". And not just because of his name.

Thank you for participating in the Hovawart School of Witchcraft & Wizardry!

Hovawart Wizards: We are Susanne and Frederik. I, Susanne, was born in the suburbs of Hamburg, Germany. Frederik was born in Maartensdijk, near Utrecht, the Netherlands. We are living in Rotterdam at the moment. Frederik is finishing up his master of mechanical engineering and I, Susanne, am running my own doggy day care center at our house. It’s not very big. I only take care of 4 dogs total at once, including my own. Me and the boys really love it, we’re having doggy friends over almost every day.

Hovawarts: I’m the proud owner of 2 beautiful Hovawart boys. Mammoet ("Mammoth"), a black male of 3 years and Rico, a charming young boy of just 12 weeks. We bought both of our Hovies from a breeder. Mammoet comes from a breeder in Gouderak, a small village nearby. Rico we bought a few weeks ago from "Hovawarte aus der Zauberkuhle" in Burscheid, near Cologne, Germany.

First love Kessie (left) - Anton (right)

When I was about 13 years old I began to walk some dogs in the neighbourhood. One day, when I went by a house right next to the park where I always went a women called me and asked if I would like to walk her dogs as well. She had a gorgeous Hovawart girl and a black Terrier mix. I had seen those dogs quite often and always wanted to walk them but never dared to ask, because I figured that they wouldn’t let a “little” girl like me walk those big dogs. So I happily said yes, and that was the beginning of my Hovawart obsession.

I was deeply in love with Kessie, the Hovawart girl. She was my best friend and felt what I felt. I walked her for 6-7 years, until I moved to the Netherlands.

First after I had gotten married, had finished my animal care studies and was working at a dog walking service, we finally were in the position to get a Hovawart of our own. When we visited a breeder a puppy got on my lap and I was asking him: “are you Mammoet?” and he looked up right in my eyes like he was saying: “sure I am! Can’t you see?!” And that was the beginning of my second big Hovawart crush. Since then Mammoet and me are inseparable. He feels what I feel and I feel what he feels.

When we, at the end of last year, decided to have a look for a second puppy, I wanted the second Hovie to be more mellow than Mammoet, because he has quite some energy and temperament, and we found "Corvin aus der Zauberkuhle", now called Rico.

As I said, I work at home so I have a lot of time to enjoy my lovely boys. Except of the three mornings per week when I help other people with their household. In the morning we usually go to the park or to the forrest so they can run and play. Mammoet has a rubber ball on a cord which he loves. I throw the ball for Mammoet and little Rico jumps along with him when he comes nearby. So Mammoet gets his exercise and little Rico can’t overdo it.

On Saturday mornings I take the boys to the dog school. Rico just started his puppy class and Mammoet now started his third course of Agility, which he loves. Every now and then me and the dogs visit my sister, who lives in Amersfoort. She has 2 Bernese mountain dog girls. One of almost 2 years and one of 4 months, so they are great playmates for my boys. Rico’s sister lives nearby in Zeeland, so occasionally we go and visit her.

I love about my boys that they love doing things with me. Mammoet is very smart and able to learn new things and tricks very quickly, and he loves doing it. He is doing so well that we were offered a spot in the competition group of the dog dance class in the dog school. Although we never practiced dog dancing before. I’m so proud of my little champion.

Mammoet is just my best friend, I can take him everywhere and wherever we go I get compliments about him, how beautiful and how well behaved he is. He’s just a great guy and such a big help to me. He helps with the day care dogs that come here.

We have a coffee table right at tail wagging hight. So we taught him to clean up his own mess. When ever he wags something off the table like a remote control he instantly turns around, picks it up and gives it to me. He can even pick up playing cards and give them to me without any damage to it. He also brings me kiwis every now and then when my husband gives them to him in the kitchen and tells him to bring them to me. I can also send him to get my husband when he’s sitting in his room studying. He just stands whining in front of his door and hitting it with his paws until Frederik comes out and then he takes him to me.

Rico is of course still small, so he can’t do as many great things as Mammoet. But he’s getting there. He already listens very well for a 12 week old puppy and mimics Mammoet at a lot of things. When Mammoet sits at the edge of the sidewalk before crossing the street, Rico goes and sits as well. The same when we came in from a walk. He already lies quietly at Mammoet's side in a restaurant until we leave again. He’s really a great guy, he’s smart, and is already trying to outsmart us. We try not to let him. He’s a thinker. Quite often you’ll just see him sitting there looking, thinking. With new stuff he needs his time. He first wants to look at it and sniff it thoroughly before he trusts it. And he’s very strong headed.

Both my boys are great with people. Rico still has to learn not to walk up to everybody we meet. Mammoet is also really good with children, even though he didn’t grow up with them. He’s very careful and nurturing. I think he just senses that they’re fragile and you have to be careful around them. Rico also loves children. A little too much at the moment. He loves jumping up against them very happily. We’re still working on that.

Mammoet likes to sneak up on dogs. Sheep herding dog style. Until we’re close to them, then he walks normal again. I would like him to stop that, but how to try and convince him. He loves Labradors. You could even say he’s obsessed with them. He runs after them whining and squealing and licking their you know what when he gets the chance. Doesn’t matter if they’re male or female. Silly dog!

Because of all the dogs that come into our house, also dominant intact males sometimes, Mammoet learned not to start trouble with other dogs, but to ignore it. So he would never start a fight with another dog. He’ll just defend himself if necessary. Rico is great with all dogs. Just a little too enthousiastic sometimes. But well, he’s still a puppy. They’re supposed to be that way.

If you want to get a Hovawart of your own, make sure that you know as much as you can about training strong dogs, the nature of dogs and why they do certain things. If you are able to understand your Hovawart very well you will be able to train him better and you’ll have a great friend for the rest of your life that wants to spent time with you and will help and protect you in any way he can.

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Hovawart Wizards, like Susanne and Frederik, try to provide real life information for Muggles - those not yet touched by the Hovawart's magic - to learn more about Hovawarts in the Hovawart School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. A place where Muggles can read how we play, what kind of training and activities we undertake. What makes Hovawarts special to us, and how they made us into Wizards. The role they came to play in our lives. And the hard times we shared. Helping Muggles to make the best choice possible if a Hovawart could be the Magical Creature for them, or at least what to expect.

• Do you have a Hovawart? Congratulations! Then you are officially a Hovawart Wizard too and you are invited to join the Hovawart School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. Read more on how to participate here.
• Meet more Hovawart Wizards here.
• More general information about the Hovawart breed is here.