WOLFDOG THE DOG - memories and experience
It is a cold day! December 2002. It's awfully windy and you can freeze to bone. We are walking, but 2 and half-week old puppies are waiting for us by the fireplace. Our hair is frozen, but the dogs are certainly happy. Six little dogs huddle to their mother on a clean sleeping place. Their ears are one centimeter-long appendages, and their paws are bear like, but their eyes have just opened, so you can see they are alive, able to feel and think. Six hairy dumpling-like creatures from which one is going to be mine. So, which one should I choose? They are all so tiny that you can put one on your hand, hug and rock as a baby. But not all of them want it. One clearly shows it doesn't want to be hugged. So, there are two more that I am choosing from. There are three bitches and three dogs. I am sure I want a dog and I certainly don't want the one that doesn't like being hugged. One has a dark colored fur that intrigues me. Is it the one? I put it on my hand and hug it. It frolicked and squealed for a while, and fell asleep. And so it sleeps and sleeps in the place it likes best. But I shall wait a little longer. There are still a few weeks left during which I will pay attention to the character, attitude to people and so on. But the first impression remained in my head.
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January has just begun, so it's high time that I go and get my doggy! The puppies are six and a half week old and are extremely active. I couldn't forget the brown one for the couple of weeks. I still wanted to be shown new pictures and desired to be told new stories about it. I got to know that it constantly goes to the kitchen to sit by its lady and to get some delicacies. It even has its strategic position in front of the cooker and loves playing with onion, garlic and potatoes. I can finally see them again! They are five kilos now and seem to be extraordinarily big. Their only activities are sleeping and running around the house. Their mother runs after them and cleans because they are leaving so much dirt around. There is always one ready to play. They all want to make older dogs interested in them and they, themselves, get interested in new people. I am the lucky one who came first to choose my puppy, so I can choose from the whole cluster, which is extremely difficult. My heart helped me make the right decision, and finally I picked out the golden brown, friendly, sociable dog forever running away to the kitchen called Amber. He was the forth in the litter, not a macho who shoulders his way through to be the first, but less dominant. The decision was made, but how to catch him and put in a basket? I put a huge package of dog food and almost forgot about the documents in the whole excitement. There was still the dog to be taken. It came quite eagerly when I called him, but is no longer so happy when I try to put him in a basket. I had an ambitious plan to carry him in a basket where he would be safe and warm. I would also be sure he wouldn't scatter dirt all over the place. In the end, Amber travels to Poznań on my knees where he sleeps during the whole journey home, the whole three hours. When we arrive home it turns out that the doggy is still alive. What is more, he is full of energy :)
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You must have seen how puppies get acquainted with other dogs especially the larger and older ones. Do you still remember the friendly wagging tails, those bald bellies shown to everybody or even peeing? It turns out this is a natural course of events. We already have a half-year old, quite big and self assure Doberman who thinks he is the leader in the house. Here comes our new six-and-a-half-week old puppy that, instead of humbling just a little in front of an older dog, shows his sharp little teeth. Simply a scandalous behavior. Our Doberman can't believe his eyes. He comes near again and tries to knock him over. But, forget it. The little one shows his teeth again with fury. The Doberman can't stand it any more and pulls the little one to the ground. We observe for a while how both dogs show their teeth to each other with quite of a fear and decide to keep the dogs apart for the time being.
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Amber ran around the house for a while to see everything, he played for a while and actually wanted to go back to his home. Everything was new for the puppy: people, dogs and the whole environment, but there was one thing familiar for him - the kitchen. A place where he spent most of his time. It is almost the same everywhere so Amber found his comfortable and strategic place in front of the cooker right away. The dog sat there looking lonely and begun calling the rest of his cluster crying as if he wanted to say: 'I got lost'!
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Our first night together ;). As all the professional books say, dogs should have their own sleeping place, preferably in the hall. They also say what to do in case the puppy squeals. You should be tough and wait until it stops. It will finally get tired. Unfortunately, I was not tough enough to check when Amber gets tired. I put him into his basket, closed and put right by my bed, but the squealing didn't stop. It was not only squealing, but also wailing and howling at the same time. I attained success after a long time and many maneuvers. Amber was quiet when I kept my hand on him. It was only for 3 or 4 hours, but I was satisfied to be able to sleep at least a little bit. :)
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There was another problem. What to do when the weekend is over and I need to go to work? Shall I leave little Amber in the house with two other dogs? Three dogs is certainly too many. Shall I close him in a cage for 8 hours, or maybe leave it outside in a cold doghouse? Of course, the best solution is to take him with me. :))) Usually, it is not so simple, but my mother being my boss at the same time is tolerant. (Thank you mom). It is not a problem because there are two entrances to the company building. In the end Amber goes to work with me until he is 5 months old. Most people coming there asked if we had a cat there because Amber would squeal as a cat. But it is nothing. After a few months, he started barking, so I decided to leave him in the house.
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He is still little, but enormously strong and curious. We begun spending at least an hour a day walking every day from the very beginning Amber came to us. It was winter and there was a lot of snow. Amber loves snow! He goes crazy in deep snow banks rolling as if he was not cold. He is fascinated with swirling snowflakes, voices and branches. My puppy is simply captivating.
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Amber follows me just as a dog should. He has known, from the very beginning, who is his new mother. Amber's breeders come in February, and he is crazy about it. He remembers them perfectly and is so happy that he pees. But he knows very well whom to abide during a walk. :) Other wolfdogs make him really joyful so he tries to catch up with them. Amber's real mother doesn't pay attention to him any more. She even makes faces when she sees him.
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I drive with Amber every day. We have been driving together every day from the very beginning for three months now. As an effect, Amber is very keen on driving a car although the beginning was terrible. I am glad that it is only 10 km to my workplace because Amber makes such sounds that my ears cannot endure them. :-/ Sometimes it only takes 10 minutes to drive the 10 km. The dog gives wings to my car.
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He didn't want to eat the rabbit, but only wanted to play with it or chase it. Unfortunately, the rabbit doesn't feel like playing. It is not a fun loving animal. I make Amber sit still. From that time Amber is always on a leash in the Rabbit's room. No chasing! After a few months the situation is under control. Amber allows the Rabbit to sit on his back while sleeping. There is also a chinchilla in the room. It likes sitting on something and, after a year of getting used to the dog, it sits on Ambers paws just by his head. Amber doesn't oppose at all although I don't doubt he thinks: -Those pushy animals won't let me sleep again.
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Having been vaccinated, Amber begins training. He is three months now and we start from kindergarten. He has already learnt basic commands at home. Now, he is supposed to practice the most important one - coming to me when I call him. It is sometimes embarrassing to call and wait when some other dogs are already with their owners! There are still some less obedient dogs than Amber. The whole training requires huge amounts of patience, but Amber is a fast learner and after two months he knows the basic rules. In the end, he also comes to me when I call him.
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Socialization is as important as obedience. Amber learns how to behave while with other dogs during playing in kindergarten. He finally gets to know that one should respect older dogs meaning one should show its belly in front of the older. Actually, our Doberman gave him first lessons of dog's savoir- vivre. Aster taught Amber that he should lie on his back and he mustn't show his teeth.
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Amber has the greatest fun with other wolfdogs. He always recognizes his breed from far away and is crazy happy. When he was 3 months old he used to play with Fany in the attic. He even managed to floor her once.;) Now that he is older, he usually abides to other wolfdogs. He prefers to relent instead of invoking conflicts. "Uncle" Bolton is his favorite. Amber always dances around him with excitement and lies his ears down to show how very much he loves Bolton. :)
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I stopped having fun during walks at one moment. Two problems arose. One of them was that Amber turned completely deaf when he saw other dogs, despite training. He chased people, other animals and anything else that moved. The other problem was that he used to find the stinkiest things in the forest and then ate it. I had an impression that Amber and Aster took part in some kind of competition doing that. They should be awarded a medal for city cleaning program. :( So I had to walk him on a leash for some time. It all finished when he grew up, fortunately. OK, he still does it once in a while.
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Amber could be a good teacher. He taught the rest of our dogs that it is much more interesting if you dig a hole in the garden. He has always known which place is the best to dig. The lawn is not the best place, but a mellow ground on a flowerbed is perfect. A few minutes were enough to make a huge hole when three dogs started digging. It turned out that our garden is not the best place to unleash our dogs.
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Tugging a rope or chasing somebody are our dogs' pet games. Tugging is perfect when it is too cold or too wet to go for a walk and the dog needs to get tired not to get crazy in the house. He goes to sleep after 15 minutes of playing. :) I like playing a ball with Amber. He gets tired with running after a ball around the kitchen very easily. I teach him to bring the ball back to me by calling Amber and tugging a leash every time he catches the ball thrown by me. Of course, he learns very fast that the ball should be brought, but he is not always willing to do that. I already know that one day I will want to teach him retrieving, so I don't let him run away with the ball! He can bite it for a while after playing. It's a great fun for Amber to skin the ball!!! Only then can you say hunting was successful.
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It's interesting how our pack reacts for a new dog. Amber is no longer noticed when Ava and Aster finally show their statuses. They chase and bite each other during walks while little Amber tries to join them. They pretend not to see him for a couple of days, but a few days later they are best friends. One would do everything for the remaining ones. They always support each other in case of danger. They play, chase, bite and go crazy. It will be like that until they begin growing up. Then, they will have to establish their statuses once again. :-/
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Ava is a great help in bringing up the puppies. She is the one whose paws are bitten and the one whose ears and tail are pulled at. Anyway, she cleans, protects and watches the baby dogs. She may think these are her babies because she always follows Amber everywhere he goes. She used to do the same with the Doberman when he was little. Ava knows how gentle she should be while playing with a puppy. You can see the difference when she bites Amber a year later and rolls with him on a meadow. Ava is a nice and gentle dog, but it happened once that she attacked another dog which came to our house. I have never thought she can behave like that. Well, she has a little wolfdog to take care of.
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Everybody warned me, from the very beginning, that I am going to have problems with two he dogs in the house. There have always been some little funny problems, but some more serious ones begun after a year of living together. When Amber was young, he was left on a leash in the house not to run around peeing. Aster wanted to show he doesn't like another dog in his house so he marked his property. He simply peed in a place where Amber was. It was arrogant of him. We had beautiful walls. :( Unfortunately, this was not the end. Amber couldn't be worse. He thought that a nice and soft sleeping place of Aster is a great place to poop! Great. One pees, the other poops. Boys!
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Amber is only a half year old and we are going for his first show to Bydgoszcz. The journey is full of attractions because we are going by train. Additionally, there are 8 or 10 little girls with their babysitter in our compartment. Amber is not happy about it, but a puppy needs to socialize. :) In Bydgoszcz, we meet Amber's breeders, friends: Margo and Przemek, and favorite she dogs: Jolly and Merry Bell. The visitors like Amber very much. He has lots of new pictures and new friends. We get to know Karolinka with whom we are going to Czech Republic. Amber does quite well on a ring and everything would be perfect if we weren't so tense. It is stressing for me because I keep on thinking if Amber will do everything in the right way, hope that he won't growl in front of the judge, and will allow to be examined. Everything goes right and we can finally relax. It is the first time Amber can see so many dogs and I must admit he knows how to behave. Next shows are great lessons teaching obedience, socialization and getting used to crowds. It is worth for a young dog to go for shows. Additionally, he gets accustomed to being touched by unknown people and learns standing patiently. We will go for many, many more shows later.
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Amber can see what is going on in television. He can see, hear and associates it all. Instead of wagging, he barks seeing dogs and horses. When he was young he used to get angry when he saw or heard dog's barking or horse's clip-clop. Once, he got really angry when he heard stepping in some program because he associated it with horses. I wouldn't be surprised if not the fact that Aster, the other dog, completely ignores television. Perhaps he is smarter not to react to pictures and voices on TV, while paying attention to the real ones in the street. It is funny when Amber barks having seen or heard something on TV and Aster wants to help him although he is completely confused. He starts barking in front of the door or tries to see what he should bark at through the window. :)))
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As I have already mentioned, Amber was left alone at home when he was 5 months. I have known from the very beginning that he won't live with dogs only. It was much harder to make him socialize with people. I had another dilemma. Should I make a cage for him in the house or a shed on a terrace? There are some advantages of a cage. Firstly, the dog won't relieve himself, which would teach him how to wait with peeing till a walk. Secondly, the cage can be but with other dogs so the puppy is not alone which means he will be more willing to stay. And thirdly, he is at home so I don't have to worry. But there are also some advantages of a shed outside. First of all, there is not so much cleaning in case the dog relieves himself. Additionally, the dog gets used to the place where he will stay in the future when nobody is home. What is more, it is much cooler outside. I tried out both versions. The shed turned out to be a better choice. Amber would cry and squeal for a couple of months. He didn't want to stay alone. He howled incredibly loud.;) The problem was over after some time. Now, Amber likes his shed. He always goes to hide there with his bone and sometimes even stays there overnight when it is too hot outside.
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When Amber was 8 months old I decided to make him move a little bit on a weekend course in agility. My mother, I and the whole pack: Aster, Ava and Amber go there together. The course takes place in Włocławek. We get to know a very nice trainer, Dorota, the owner of the training ground and extremely spontaneous Kasia Darowska, the master in Agility - an example to follow.;) Kasia does her job with a great passion. You can see right away that the sport is her whole life, she loves and understands dogs, and wants to teach us and pour her enthusiasm into us. She talks about each element of the steeplechase track. Her dogs, the beloved Belgian shepherds, demonstrate how it all should be done properly. At first we try individual elements, then the whole track. Our dogs get accustomed to catwalks and swings. Ava is the best of all our dogs. She is not afraid of anything she runs fast and does it eagerly! Aster also likes running, especially chasing a ball, but he is afraid of heights. He is fast, shows a great ability to jump and looks at my gestures with attention. Amber likes jumping above obstacles most of all. He runs when he can see something tasty or, in the last resort, when he sees a ball. He is a little afraid of catwalks, but what he really doesn't like is having to lie down while getting off an obstacle (for example off a palisade). He doesn't want to do it no matter what. But he does most of the things with pleasure. He learns what to do in a tunnel and in slalom. Kasia makes us aware how many mistakes we make while leading our dogs. No wonder the dog doesn't do what we expect him to. On the second day the steeplechase track is more difficult. First, we have to learn what comes after what not to get lost. Then, we try to do the same with our dogs. We can see that it is fun for them. Agility is a great sport. Unfortunately it requires being fit. I am not talking only about dog's fitness. Amber is much more obedient after the course. It was a perfect lesson of obedience and working with man for him.
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Amber is the kind of dog that would never forgive a he dog, but is always a gentleman for women. He made friends with a beautiful Pyrenean shepherd Undi when he was young. They played at puppy's school and during walks. They go for dog shows together and visit one another quite often. Undi is always a little strict when they greet. She pushes him around and bites him. And he pretends to be a small and meek. It is funny, but I think Amber likes it. He is always crazy when he sees Undi:)
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We have a little problem with Amber. Kasia, Undi, Amber and I often go walking together. Amber shows off in front of girls in many different ways. When Amber is a half year old it's impossible for him to walk as a dog should. He feels a need to go first or pulls my hand so strong that I feel as if he were to pull it off. This nightmare only finishes when Amber is one year old. So I decide to buy a choke chain. There is no other way. But how to make him stop yelling? When he is unable to pull, he uses his whole energy for barking. This is how he wants to show how bad he feels. The sound is indescribable. It's something between barking and squeaking. Everybody around knows that Amber goes for a walk with Undi. It's over only when I let him loose in the forest. When we come back everything is as it should be. I try many things. I choose another way, but it's still the same. I try to wait, but it's even worse because Undi is getting further. I pull him, give him commends, but he still makes the noise. Finally, after many trials Kasia, the agility teacher, finds a good solution. Undi comes for simulated walks. We walk for a while, but as soon as Amber begins making the noise I go back home with him. Undi goes to the forest, but Amber has no walk. It works! He is still excited, but does not bark any more.:) I won! A year later I can walk him unleashed.
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Vacations!!! Unfortunately, we cannot go everywhere with three dogs so we decide to spend some time in the country on a farm. It turns out to be a perfect place for vacation. The owner has 5 dogs: 3 Bernese Mountain Dogs and 2 dachshunds, so our three are also welcome. It's a paradise for us. There are fields, forests and mountains around. After a week the dogs get much fitter. Unfortunately, there are plenty of ticks. Dogs like the new place and new experience. I cannot imagine vacations without my dog now!
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Do you remember how Amber likes horses? He goes crazy as soon as he sees them. There was a horse on our vacation farm. It was a great opportunity for Amber to get to know this strange animal, smell it or even lick it. That's a real breakthrough. Horses are not so bad.
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There are many attractions for our dogs in the country like huge cows. What a poor small wolfdog should do when he meets a cow? It doesn't even want to chase. Amber is irritated that such big animal ignores him. He is fascinated by all animals, but cows are the most interesting creature. Amber quickly prepares a safe strategy. He proudly walks next to them, but keeps some distance;)
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Talking about livestock, I can tell you how I learnt that wolfdogs are really in shepherd dogs group. (yes, they are) The farm owners have a flock of sheep. They pasture them in a little different place every day and we try not to come close to them. One day we unleashed the dogs too early. We suddenly saw the sheep behind the hill and there was no way to call the dogs back. They ran! We were able to observe how variously dogs of different breeds behave. Aster (the Doberman) ran after one sheep. Amber (a good shepherd dog) ran around the flock to keep all the sheep together. He made them run to their enclosure. The sheep knew very well where to go, but Amber wanted to keep them together all the time. Maybe wolfdogs will be shepherd dogs one day.
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Vacations is not only walking and breathing in the fresh air, but also seeing various interesting places. We go to see the towns, ruins, castles and health resorts around every day. Our dogs can smell various new smells, change places all the time and socialize perfectly. If we want to see churches or monuments one person always stays with the dogs and the other goes inside. If we sit somewhere, several local kids and dogs come to join us. It's easier to begin a conversation and blend in with the local people when we have dogs. Who says that it's impossible to see interesting places with dogs?
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Some places are especially dog-friendly. The Fairy Tale Garden is such place. There are plenty of figurines, holy images, and real or fantastic animals. They are all made of wood or branches. There are streamlets and ponds from which the dogs can drink after hard climbing up the mountain. You can also see a wooden wolf from Little Red Ridding Hood and many other fabulous characters. Amber liked a hollow most of all:)))
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We have a wolfdogs meeting at the beginning of September in Peronówka. Amber is growing up and he is going crazy about all she dogs. Luckily, he still gets on well with he dogs and gives in to older wolfdogs. There are many young wolfdogs: Harry (Taro), Czako (Szaman), Amber's sisters and a small Iowa. There is also uncle Bolton, sedate Agar and Iky who are good company to play. There are so many dogs that I even don't remember them all. As usually, wolfdogs' meeting is a great joy and an unforgettable experience for Amber. What I remember best from this meeting is Amber's sexual initiation (some maliciously called him a sex fiend) and Harry's excesses by the table (he would steel one egg at a time from the table and managed to steal a god amount of them).
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There is a dog show in Poznań in October so we had a few visitors. It's not a good time for walking because it's cold and wet. But it is really nice to sit and drink hot wine and fernet. Our house is full. Our wolfdog and agility friends from Wrocław come. It turns out that our house is big enough to host quite a few people and dogs. We had visitors from Poznań: Beowulfs meaning Kama and Bartek with Fany and a good salad, and from other places: Peronówka, Braterstwo, Joanka with Adrian and their pack: wolfdog, sheepdog and a greyhound. The same amount of people comes from Wrocław to attend Polish Championship in Agility. As far as I can remember everybody went to sleep sober except for…Jolly;).
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the end of part I
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