Vermont is for (Dog) Lovers

Public Service Announcement:

Yesterday was a great day. We got off to a late start for the planned activities and Mommy learned to Practice What She Preaches. Because it had been a while since we had been up to Vermont, I started the morning on an extensive off-lead patrol.  No one was here because it is still Mud Season (the season between Hiking and Swimming Season and Ski and Snow Season), so I thought this would be an opportune time to expand my estate. None of my buddies, dog or human, were here, so I had to patrol their areas too. I checked out 2 ponds on my estate, ate some sticks, and stretched my legs a little. P-Daddy and I played chase in the woods while Mommy drove the car around looking for me. We finished the game in a great big dog run that had lines painted on it, but no dogs in it. 

Speaking of dog runs, we then went on the first planned excursion of the day: to donate money to the Manchester Vermont Dog Park! This didn't sound like much fun for Addled Less Sense like me (thanks, Mango, for the new vocabulary), until I found out that it was at the Orvis Flagship Store as part of their Orvis Spring Days! (Though I was not allowed inside to pick out a Birdday Toy because my parents were still a little annoyed at my Canine Bad Citizen behavior earlier.) The Manchester Dog Park is about 2/3 of the way to its goal and P-Daddy and Mommy made a special trip to give them enough money for a plaque. But P-Daddy only put the human names on the plaque and NO PLAQUE FOR BIGGIE! Harrumph. 

This is going to be a pretty terrific dog run. It's going to be one of the biggest dog runs I have ever seen, and it will have running water and a double gate and grass and gravel and benches to water. Not only that but here in Vermont the Labradudes and Labragals are the little ones, so I will have plenty of big pals to run and play with. 

At the Orvis fundraiser there were free hot dogs - for the people - and lots of dogs. I met Kevin Behan, the Vermont Dog Whisperer, who played with me and fed me treats and pronounced me a "good dog," and I met his dog, Illo, a big German Shepherd who was pretty good to sniff but who didn't really play. Mr. Behan uses some funny terms that I don't really understand to describe how I behave, but his general approach is the same as my Mom's. 

 I also met Brinkley, a sweet golden who pulled a bench over to see me until someone sat on the bench. I collapsed his collapsible water bowl for him and relocated it for him and we had a good time. I also met a crazy hyper yellow Labradude who needed to see the Vermont Dog Whisperer because he was jumping all over the place. He was all like,

 "HihowareyouWannaplayIhavetosniffyouandjumponyoupleasepleaspleaselet'splayNOW!" 

and I was like, 

"Dude.   You must chill.   It is too hot out here to be jumping around like that." 

Now this was really funny because P-Daddy thought he was a puppy and he was FOUR! I'm almost ONE but I was pretty calm. I met lots of people who knew I was a kuvasz, which is really pretty cool. I met a lady who makes these (I tried to climb in one of them) and she is looking for a kuvasz puppy (I wish I'd met her a year ago!) and also some other people who almost got a kuvasz. This was great socialization time and I got to see lots of people who liked me and weren't scared of how big I was. Someday I'll get my Canine Good Citizen, but right now I am steadfastly at Canine Mediocre Citizen. Mommy is thinking she should have gotten me tested before I turned Addled Less Sense.

I also met Tracie Hotchner who wrote The Dog Bible. She was raising money for the dog run, too. They were going to give us a copy of her book for donating money for the run, but we already had it. Unfortunately it was in New York, though, so she couldn't sign it. 

Anyway, if you dogz out there are handy with the computer maybe you can give some of your humans' money to this dog run, and come check it out this summer when it is done. Every little bit of money helps and if you give enough you can get a plaque or a bench with your name on it, and I will pee on it for you if you want. Send your money here: 

Manchester Dog Park
PO Box 568
Manchester Center, VT 05255

or CLICK HERE.

After all the excitement of the morning, we also climbed up half of Stratton Mountain with me on a Flexi-Lead because P-Daddy said something about "burning my bridges" this morning. Which is weird, because I did not see any bridges on my patrol.

Unfortunately I have no pictures because P-Daddy and Mommy were so tired annoyed from our morning chase that they didn't feel like bringing a camera. So I will leave you with some video of me playing water bowl-o in the New York dog run:

Happy Birdday to ME!!!

All of Mommy's serious posts about training and socializing kuvasz were starting to make my blog seriously UNfun. But she's not always so boring and preachy, she's just like that about 95% of the time.

Today I had a great big surprise. Mom's been saying that next week is my Birdday, but I think it came a week EARLY!
See all those boxes? Not a very green way to package things (P-Daddy is horrified!), but boy oh boy, was there some exciting stuff in there for me. 

Above you see a 10-pound pack of pork riblets and bones, and 3 pounds of fish bones. YES, I AM BACK ON RAW! I had to eat kibble for the entire month of April because my humans were going to Korea for 9 days and it was too long to make all my raw meals. My mom would have had to send almost 30 pounds of raw with me. So I had to make this slow transition to EVO kibble and even though it is supposed to be pretty close to the raw diet, and it tasted OK, it was NOT raw. My humans had many discussions about what business I did on my walks and the state of my poo, which can be summed up as - BIGGER, STINKIER, MUSHIER and A LOT MORE OF IT. And I would occasionally make a stinky fart that would chase my humans out of the room, hahaha. Since I didn't have to chew my food so much, I decided to chew other things. 

It was pretty torturous having to eat kibble. I kept trying to tell Mommy and P-Daddy that kibble wasn't so good for me (as if my poo didn't tell the whole story). First, I did not sit and watch Mommy make my kibble dinner. And sometimes I just refused to eat it. I chewed Mommy and P-Daddy's shoes from Korea because they smelled like all that grilled meat they ate - I wanted some too! Basically I just moped, and I wasn't my usual cheery self.

But when my raw food finally came, it was like Birdday and Christmas and everything all rolled into one! I had to pay VERY close attention in case a chicken leg - OOPS - happened to fall on the floor or something:

Here my Mommy is wearing a shirt she got in the DMZ (people take the weirdest tours; I'd be just as happy running around a pond or up a muddy mountain) and organizing my food - 

30 pounds of chicken leg quarters

10 pounds kosher chicken bones

10 pounds fish bones and pieces (my favorite)

10 pounds pork riblets and bones

2 quarts of plain yogurt

I am SO happy to be back on raw! Back to my old self, Biggie!

So you think you want a kuvasz? (Part 2)

Who could resist such a cute little bundle of fur? Just remember, they get BIG. And even as puppies they are a force to be reckoned with. At 6 months, Biggie was already bigger than many full-grown labs, and about as rambunctious. And that was before the testosterone started flowing:

A kuvasz is just a lot of biomass to handle. Don't encourage your pup to be a lap, couch or bed dog unless you are willing to allow that behavior from a 100-lb. furball. Here, Biggie's littermate Tex, at 7 months and nearly 90 pounds, thinks he is a lap dog.

Of course there are bigger dogs than the kuvasz, and several of these bigger dogs live in the city. But the combination of kuvasz temperament plus his size make him an extra challenge. Not to say it can't be done; it's just a lot of work and a lot more $:

1. Space

Kuvasz are fairly mellow dogs so it's not necessary to have a big apartment (though it helps). However, it is essential to be close to a dog run or other securely fenced area where you can take your kuvasz so he can run and play and get socialized. Even as young puppies they don't get that run-in-circles craziness too often, but when they do, you will need some space where they can stretch their legs if they want to, or else watch vases and furniture get knocked over when your pup realizes he can't corner on hardwood floor as well as he thought he could.

Also, unless you live in Vermont, YOU NEED AIR CONDITIONING.

2. Weather

Remember these dogs were bred to be outside, guarding their flocks, in all kinds of weather. They are impervious to weather conditions that make a normal dog race back in the house. Even as a pup, rain was a novelty, a source of drinking water from the heavens. Snowflakes were to be chased, and hail can be shaken off easily (it sounds like pebbles when it flies off). Put #1 and #2 together, and invest in good waterproof boots and warm, waterproof clothing for those days when you and your pup are the only ones in the dog run and you take cover under a tree while your pup races around trying to get you to chase him through puddles in the pouring rain. Ski wear works pretty well. And forget about using an umbrella while walking a kuvasz. You will need both hands free.

(You could paper train your pup, but that requires him to have really good aim when he gets bigger. And going from a paper-trained to outdoor-potty-only can be really hard. Actually, think about when you'd like to be potty training. In an ideal world I'd want a pup born in February/March or July/August - you'd be housetraining in April/May or September/October, and you wouldn't be doing the hourly 9th Avenue Death March on the hot asphalt in the middle of July, begging your pup to make a potty so you can both get out of the heat.)

3. Dirt

Kuvasz get as dirty as any other dog, but the white fur shows the dirt better. And a dog this big has a lot of surface area, and the double coat is THICK (see #2, above). If you are blessed with a curly kuvasz like we are, you will have many years of brushing ahead of you. The dirtier he gets, the curlier he gets, and a few bouts of wrestling create little mats in the neck fur. So don't go more than 2 days between quick brushings to keep mats from forming.

Paying a groomer is nice if you can afford it, but here in NYC a bath and brushout for our big boy is over $150. Suddenly the bathtub looks a lot more appealing, but you have to be able to get him in it (that's P-Daddy's job, lifting 100 lbs. of dead weight; thank goodness he doesn't struggle), and keep him in it.

Invest in a good rake (we use the T-brush), some good shampoo (guess which size we buy?) and a tough vacuum cleaner (yes, we bought one and it is worth every penny). 

4. Food

Biggie eats 2-3 pounds of raw food a day, or 4-6 cups of kibble, depending on the brand. Price the raw food at $1/pound if you make it yourself, and you're talking $60/month, or more. That's over $700/year. Kibble doesn't necessarily save you money. And remember: what goes in must come out. And be picked up.

5. Training and Socialization

Yes, it always comes back to that. Housetraining a kuvasz pup in an apartment means a rush to get him reasonably reliable before he gets too heavy to carry in the elevator. Biggie started out at near 20 lbs. at 8 weeks and he was gaining as much as 1 lb. a day in his growth spurts. So you had best hope that your pup is housebroken soon.  

Training a kuvasz pup will always be a race against time, because by the time the testosterone kicks in (if you have a boy), he will be 80 lbs. and can easily pull you over if you're off balance and he decides there's something he MUST chase/follow/smell/see/visit. I really do not advocate prong or choke collars with this breed, again because they have an extremely high pain tolerance and were bred to be very independent, so if you decide to have a battle of the wills you risk hurting your pup or yourself, or both. So they have to be at least somewhat responsive by the time they reach adolescence. To make matters more difficult, they don't live to please like a golden retriever or a German shepherd, so they have to *want* to listen to you and respect you.

I've been pulled off my feet ONCE, for a split second of inattention, and I hope it never happens again. Fortunately Biggie had enough sense and was paying enough attention to stop and sit after he pulled his leash out of my hand. He could easily have been hit by a car or just gotten lost if he'd taken off. 

Which brings me to my last point: big dogs are held to a higher standard of behavior. When you walk a 60-pound dog down the street, passersby expect that he is an adult, not a curious, rambunctious, inquisitive 6-month old puppy. Next time you see a yapping mini-dog straining at the end of his leash, barking furiously, imagine a 100-lb bear doing the same thing with a deep, resonant bark. Society does not tolerate that kind of behavior, or anything close to it, from a large dog.  Even when another human is in the wrong, you will get scolded for natural behavior from your dog.  Especially in the city, they have to downright angelic. If you're not willing to put the time and effort into teaching your dog appropriate behavior, do NOT get a kuvasz! In the dog run today, Biggie got scolded by a small dog owner who felt that he was chasing her dog "too close." For every 10 guys who cross the street to avoid walking near your very large puppy, there will be the one dumb shit who gets his kicks out of taunting, startling or provoking your dog, who then covers his fear by shouting things like, "You got a vicious dog!"when your kuvasz reacts protectively instead of fearfully. 

So you think you want a kuvasz?

I happen to think kuvasz are an amazing breed, but they are not for the novice dog owner. First of all, while they can be very mellow, they also shed. A LOT.







They are very, very intelligent. But they are also very independent, which means that they obey only when they think they should. Luckily I have a very food-motivated pup. Who can only ignore the biscuits on his paws if he doesn't even look at them:

It's not really true "obedience," though, because while pleasing you does please them, pleasing YOU is not their #1 goal in life. Their #1 goal is to GUARD.

And this is where the strongest reasons FOR getting a kuvasz are also the strongest reasons NOT to get one:

1. Barking

If you want a dog that will bark when people come onto your property or try to break in, there are plenty of medium-sized and larger dogs that will alert bark without the necessary additional investment needed to teach a kuvasz what is expected. Better yet, get a little yapper or a burglar alarm.

And yes, while some kuvs are quieter than others (Biggie is a "quiet" one - he only barks when guarding, and is pretty quiet otherwise) and you can teach them which noises are ok and which are not, ALL kuvs bark. And since most kuvs are pretty pain-insensitive (which makes sense if you are a kuvasz defending your flock of sheep from a bear or wolf), "training" collars - in addition to being, in my opinion, inhumane - are simply ineffective.

2. Aggression


Yes, I said "teach" up there. These dogs are so smart that they can and do make inferences. It's part of that living-with-the-flock-independently thing. They have to be able to assess the nature and degree of the threat and take appropriate action without a human telling them what to do. So "teaching" them involves showing them when you (the flock member) are comfortable and when you are not. They are uniquely attuned to your stress level, so if you are walking around worrying whether your pup will "go Cujo" on the next person to walk by, he will because he can read that tension in your voice and your body.

So beginning when Biggie was a pup, when Biggie and I walk we have a pretty silly, light conversation, and if we walk by anyone who might seem remotely threatening, I smile and wish them a good day. If something that used to set him off (delivery bikes whizzing in front of his face) doesn't, he gets copious amounts of praise. And even so, there are times when I will walk him out of the way of a potential Situation. And always, treats in pocket. Because if he starts to focus too intensely on someone/thing (he stops, stands very erect and gets this intense stare), I distract and stuff treats in his mouth while telling him calmly that I see the perceived threat. (You know it's a bad sign when he lets the treats fall out of his mouth to the ground. Then, the only solution is to remove the dog from the situation immediately.)

Same with the apartment buzzer when we get deliveries. (Yes, we do order food delivery that often.) Treats as long as he is quiet when the buzzer goes off, and treats from P-Daddy when he gets back in. (Which leads to me separation anxiety, which merits its own section later.)

Needless to say, we have to maintain 100% focus on our surroundings while walking. No talking on the cell phone or listening to the ipod.

The one saving grace about the potential "aggression" is that kuvs do not overaggress and most of the things they are reactive about are understandable. They are far more guardy at night, and then more to large men, loud men, people carrying anything that could be weapon (skis, ski poles, ladders, garden tools, umbrellas, large bags, loud carts...) First they stare, then they may growl, then bark+lunge, then nip before biting. That being said, people tend to freak out (understandably) when a 100-lb dog barks ferociously at them and it is especially bad when they don't understand dog body language. This usually happens when people stare - and stare at Biggie because he is a magnificent looking dog, and Biggie perceives the direct stare as a threat. Couple that with someone walking up and reaching a hand over the head to pet without asking permission first, and you get the idea.

And finally, there are the stupid people who think it's "fun" to test a large dog. Kuvasz when relaxed look like giant cuddlebears and some people seem to think that means they can just run up and snuggle with them. From a dog's perspective, that kind of approach is very threatening and looks like a charge. In the last week I've had teen boys on scooters scoot at full speed toward us even as I shouted, "Not a good idea!" and an adult wheeling a giant noisy crate on wheels back and forth at high speed to see if Biggie would chase him. And he was laughing, not in a good-natured, "I'm playing with your dog" way, but a jeering, taunting, "you are on a leash and I am not, ha ha" way. Seriously, there are times when I feel like - oops! - dropping the leash. But of course, there is no justified dog bite in our society. So instead, if we are stopped for some reason, like on a street corner, my feet are squarely planted and I'm ready to rein him in if I have to.


3. Territoriality
Kuvasz will expand their territory and their concept of territory whenever able. Obviously, our apartment is sacred ground. However, our building lobby and hallway are Biggie's "territory" too - the only other people he grudgingly allows in "his" hallway are the other people on our floor. In the lobby, all building residents and social visitors - even if they don't like him - are ok, but delivery and service people are not. We did not teach him this, he just decided to draw his own lines. In Vermont, our cul-de-sac and all the residents there are part of his flock. He's better about visitors to the condo (than visitors to the NYC apartment) because we have guests and houseguests almost every weekend we are there. Again, socialize, socialize, socialize! The learning process never ends.

5. Separation Anxiety

Read the poo disaster post here. One characteristic of kuvasz is that they are able to spend long periods of time without humans around. In other words, they don't necessarily crave human contact as human contact per se. This makes them a reasonably good breed for people who work full time. But always remember dogs are social animals and they need interaction with others. Otherwise, why'd you get a dog in the first place?

Anyway, back to the separation anxiety. For a kuvasz whose family is his flock, the daily departure of his flock for school or work can feel a little like failure. How can he guard if he can't see you? Terrible things could be happening to you when your pup is not around to keep tabs on you. Anyway, be aware of the signs of separation anxiety early on so you can address the problem before the pup gets too noisy or, worse yet, destructive.

6. Children

This is where socialization is the most important. Whether you have children or not, it is important to get kuvasz used to these little people. They don't move the same way adults do, they can be really noisy, and sometimes they act a little like prey! Kuvasz have a reputation for being very understanding and attuned toward children, but no matter how even tempered they may be, NEVER LEAVE A CHILD UNATTENDED WITH A DOG.

Biggie's gentleness and understanding of children has always amazed me, because he seems to know that he needs to give them some space so they aren't too scared of him. He is innately protective of them and understands how to play with them. In Vermont, he has barked at children climbing snow piles until they come down. Or, he has to get up on the snow pile and watch every move they make. Last week in the dog run, Biggie wasn't playing with the other dogs. I saw him standing at the fence with a smile on his face, staring at something on the other side and gently wagging his tail. Turns out it was a family with a toddler and a baby, and Biggie was watching the children. When the dad brought the kids into the run, Biggie walked up slowly and sniffed and let the toddler approach him, standing for inspection.

This goes back to the "sense" that kuvasz have; somehow they understand that children are vulnerable and should be watched carefully. Again, however, just because a kuvasz thinks he's a good babysitter doesn't make him one. A kuvasz could see children playing and mistakenly guard his own child from rough play by other kids. Don't leave a kuvasz alone with kids.

How the Biggie got his 'tude.

Recent voice mail: "Hi Biggie's mom. This is Biscuits & Bath. Biggie is fine, we just wanted to let you know that after a few minutes he decided to go out onto the track with the other dogs. When I said he gets moody, I didn't mean that he gets in a bad mood or gets depressed when he is here. Rather, it's just that he likes to do things on his own terms and he lets us know if he doesn't want to do something. Then we just leave him be and usually he comes out of it after a few minutes and lets us know what he wants."

Biggie and his litter were evaluated at 7 weeks not only for conformation (show potential) but also for temperament. It's a variation of the Volhard aptitude test, which is supposed to give you clues to the pup's adult temperament. So far, 11 months into the craziness, Biggie is pretty true to form. The pups were tested in their birth order by a tester who had not met the pups before. After each pup is tested it is brought into a different area from where it started. Here are the various tests, what they are supposed to signify, and the results from Biggie's litter.  

Social Attraction
Gently place puppy in test area with no talking or stroking. Tell the evaluator nothing about the puppy. The pup's reaction is supposed to indicate its degree of social attraction, confidence or dependence.

1. PURPLE: Goes right to tester, and is kissy, kissy.
2. AQUA: Goes to tester soon; then off, more into surroundings than person. Checks them out, then back to person.
3. PINK (the only girl): Funny – when Mom put her in room, she started looking for another human; then became interested in pup in mirror.
4. GOLD: Came in, Stopped when saw tester, and tried to go back out; Doesn't follow or come, backs away, introduced slowly.
5. GREEN: Cries when put in room; then goes to tester slowly, sniffs, no problem with being petted. Kept tail down to explore room and pup in mirror. (When he was a tiny puppy he would play in the mirror all the time, including running into the mirror (bonk!) to mouth wrestle with the puppy he saw there.)


Prey Drive
Trail rag back and forth, just in front of puppy: what does he do? If nothing, try with rag and string. If nothing, go on to next exercise. If puppy engages, let puppy play with it. Then take one end of rag and pull it: if puppy fights calmly and pulls, let him win it. If he shakes it and growls, take note – a lot of fight drive. Then let puppy have rag again, and pull side to side while distracting it with other hand: tap floor, pet puppy: if still focused on the rag, exciting training prospect. If loses his hold, tease him with it, and let him get it again for a few minutes. Puppy's reaction indicates confidence to overcome new situations; desire to play and ultimately to train; object obsession

PURPLE: Good puppy; knows what to do with prey!
AQUA: Strong, very strong prey drive.
SPIRIT: Stalking prey, purposefully stalking and knows what to do.
GOLD: Watches rope (prey), uncomfy with being there, cries.
GREEN: Good, very good prey drive. (Chases falling leaves, plastic bags, birds, paper bags, newspapers blowing down the street... Catches a ball in midair only about 50% of the time, but regularly snatches random debris as it blows by his face. Then "kills" it by shaking it to death. BAD paper bag, BAD!!!)


Retrieving
Crouch down and attract puppy’s attention with a rolled up paper ball. When he shows interest and is watching, toss the ball in front of him.. What does he do. Give puppy chance to have a successful retrieve: if he doesn’t see it, do it again. If he doesn’t want to go after it, try other toys. See what puppy is trying to show us. If he does retireve, try different directions, different toys, etc. Indicates degree of willingness to work with a human. High correlation between ability to retrieve and successful guide dogs, obedience dogs, field trial dogs, pets. This is the most complex behavior chain tested and includes three components: chasing, object obsession and cooperation.

PURPLE: Ran right after retrieve; brought it back. Good Retrieve.
AQUA: Good retrieve – brought back and gave easily.
SPIRIT: Excellent retrieve; went, got, brought.
GOLD: Went for it, but back to door where Mom left him.
GREEN: Excellent retrieve, went after it, sniffed and brought back – 2 times with tail in the air. (Luckily they did not try this more. He gets bored after 2 times which is just enough for him to show you he knows what the game is, but doesn't find it particularly challenging.)

Relax time

Let puppy explore for a few minutes and record his behavior. Is he confident? How much recovery time does he need? Then call puppy and watch his reaction.  How does puppy recover from test stresses? How much time does he take?  

PURPLE: Friendly pup, comes right back and wants to keep playing with no rest up.
AQUA: Very quick .. very easy.
SPIRIT: Quick.
GOLD: Slow to take up with Joyce; still crying; won't come; not curious.
GREEN: Good, but has other interests. (Again, generally a nice boy, but likes to do things on his own terms...)

Following
Slowly walk around and see if pup follows. If he doesn’t, try to get his attention (like slapping thigh, etc.). Record what he does.

PURPLE: Follows like they have always known each other; nips at feet.
AQUA: Follows easily, nice follow.
SPIRIT: Follows quickly, good follow.
GOLD: Won't follow.
GREEN: Won't at first, and starts, does well, but slow to do so. (... on his own terms, at his own speed. Like all the tricks he knows and executes - at his own (slow) speed.)

Sit down and renew relationship by petting and talking. If puppy is worried, let him crawl over you.

PURPLE: Same, friendly.
AQUA: Quickly recovered and was friendly.
SPIRIT: Easy.
GOLD: Nope.
GREEN: Made friends, good pup.

Repeat prey drive exercise and note differences. If less response, is puppy bored? Can you get more interest by changing the object, etc.?

PURPLE: No different, maybe stronger.
AQUA: Good again.
SPIRIT: An extra good stalker; good pup.
GOLD: Stalks until it moves too fast. Needs more confidence, weak prey drive. Finally followed Joyce, looked at Pup in mirror.
GREEN: Loved game – VERY good prey drive. (Anything small and fast-moving is worth chasing.)

Repeat Retrieving exercise with different objects and toys if didn’t do it before, with different directions, etc. for those that did retrieve before. Any puppy who does better than before can overcome most stresses and learn.

PURPLE: Chased ball; distracted by paper towels; lost interest in retrieve.
AQUA: WOW, great start, but lost interest quickly.
SPIRIT: Went out but didn't pick up ball and bring.
GOLD: Not interested.
GREEN: First one to go after ball eagerly. (He *is* a fast learner. Most tricks and commands take less than 5 minutes to learn, and a few repetitions a week to reinforce. The biggest danger is boredom.)

Elevation
Elevate puppy. Suspend 6 to 8 inches off of floor by cradling pup under its belly with fingers interlaced, palms up. Hold it there for 30 seconds. Shows degree of accepting dominance while in position of no control. 

PURPLE: No problem through full count.
AQUA: Doesn't mind it at all.
SPIRIT: Absolutely no concern about this.
GOLD: No problems at all.
GREEN: Absolutely no problem with this. (Thank goodness - it makes tub time a pleasure, other than the sheer volume of dog that must be washed.  He lets me pour water on his face and soap it up.)

Recover time

Sit on floor and see how quickly he recovers and reestablishes relationship. Use petting and puppy talk. Lack of forgiveness or too much independence may indicate a puppy that will not bond easily.  

PURPLE: Instant recovery; people dog. High energy, needs lots to do.
AQUA: Okay, but hears Purple barking in other room and is distracted by it. High energy, more reserved than Purple.
SPIRIT: Quick again.
GOLD: Warming up finally. Very quiet, easy lover.
GREEN: Play again, friends – very curious about other things in room. Very sweet. (Again, a degree of independence that makes him comfortable with being alone in the apartment every day for long periods, so long as he has some things to do to keep his mind occupied.)

Touch sensitivity

With puppy on floor beside you, pick up one foot until he relaxes. Squeeze between two toes, increasing pressure and count to 10. Note number when pup reacts.
Total body insensitivity = a challenge to train.
Extreme sensitivity: might have a hard time in a home with children.

PURPLE: Count to 6, average sensitivity.
AQUA: Count to 10 – not sensitive.
SPIRIT: High sensitivity; Count to 3; shouldn't be with children.
GOLD: Count to 6, average sensitivity.
GREEN: Count to 10 – NO sensitivity. (This is a real drag when he wants to guard, because if he perceives a threat, yanking on the leash doesn't really stop the behavior. This puppy would lay down his life for me. On the other hand, this worked really when when he was on a sit-stay the other day on a busy street corner and some doofus rolled a luggage cart over his tail.) 

Recovery time

Again, how quickly does he forgive?

PURPLE: Forgives instantly.
AQUA: Recovers fast.
SPIRIT: More into looking around, very curious.
GOLD: Recovers better, now friendlier.
GREEN: Still friendly, sweet.



Sound Sensitivity

Stand up. Take feed bowl and spoon. When pup’s back is to you, bang the bowl loudly with the spoon. If puppy turns to look, drop food dish and drop food into it. If pup does not run over to see what is in it, tease him to come over by luring with the food to teach him how to overcome being startled. All should startle. Extreme sensitivity: pup will freeze and recover slowly or tuck its tail and slink away. Most will startle and turn to look.

PURPLE: Perfectly normal; stop, looked for sound, recovered.
AQUA: Looks for sound, tries to find, not running; good.
SPIRIT: Looked for noise, stood ground, no fear, very solid.
GOLD: Looked around, and continued with what he was investigating.
GREEN: Turned and stared; no flinching or running .. not gonna run from this! (Nope - not scared of most anything.)

Food Drive

Offer pieces of food in open hand. Once pup gets interested, close hand over food; as pup tries to get it, close hand tighter – want to see pup really work to get the food. Then put some food on the floor and turn food pan upside down on top of it to see how hard pup will work for food. If loses focus, lift pan and let pup be successful even if you have to help him.

PURPLE: Not strong; not food motivated, just licked hand, but loves pup in mirror.
AQUA: Licked it out of hand, got it, not crazy about liver treat but ate it all .. food motivated.
SPIRIT: Worked a little for good, and then appeared to swallow it whole, but had it tucked away; now chewing; then looking for more.
GOLD: Not eager, but did get food, eats it, dainty eater, cleaning up all crumbs; looks now for more; good food motivation.
GREEN: Got it from hand; sniffed and licked; finally took it and takes food to corner to eat. (Thank GOODNESS - given his minimal touch sensitivity, he is still easily trained by the simplest of treats. Will work for anything edible.)

Restraint

Crouch down and gently roll the pup on his back and hold it with one hand for a full 30 seconds. How does he react? Shows degree of dominant or submissive tendency. How it accepts stress, when socially/physically dominated.

PURPLE: Doesn't fight overly hard, just wiggles a lot.
AQUA: Doesn't like the start, but then lies quietly and recovers quickly.
SPIRIT: Doesn't like being held on back; up and sniffs everything.
GOLD: Rolls over easily, not fighting hold on back, but not comfy with it either.
GREEN: Wiggled to about 8 count; then relaxed and no fighting. (Biggie accepts the hierarchy pretty well, but then again given his nickname of the "Prom King" at the dog run, it's easy to accept a hierarchy when you're top - or near top - dog. The only dog that still dominates him is an aggressive cane corso named Truman. With people, Mommy and P-Daddy can do anything, but not so much for others, who get tested and obeyed only when it suits him.  See, e.g., Biggie does things "on his own terms" at doggie day care.) 

(OPTIONAL) -- For puppies that have shown no fear at all and that have recovered quickly in all prior exercises: Unusual toys that add a new dimension

PURPLE: made friends fast with Big Duck.
AQUA: no trouble with Big Duck.
SPIRIT: Came to Duck immediately.
GOLD: not done.
GREEN: Duck gets fully explored. (Explains why he loves his giant chicken...)


Problem Solving

Open barrier 3 or 4 inches. Have breeder out of sight in other room call the puppy. See how each puppy figures it out and how long it takes him to get through the barrier.

PURPLE: Mom, out of sight, calls, and he finds sound and has no trouble – easy for him.
AQUA: Slow to look for Mom calling and to find it.
SPIRIT: Best so far, immediate.
GOLD: Slow to respond, but finally found Mom's voice and came fast.
GREEN: Found sound and came fast. (He is a problem solver extraordinaire. P-Daddy, for reasons unknown, wanted to teach him how to unlock his crate. Luckily I put a stop to that early enough: He hasn't yet learned to lift, hold and twist the handle while pulling the door open. Instead, he pulls at the handle to open the door if it's closed, but he's still stumped if it's locked.)

NCAA Basketball Finals

Biggie's rooting for Memphis, we think.

Biggietude. Respect it.

Yeah, that's me. 

Lemme tell you about the Biggie Posse. The main peeps in my posse are P-Daddy and Mommy. Mommy keeps me in line more, but if P-Daddy yells at me, man! I am IN BIG TROUBLE. This usually happens when I pull the laundry basket out from under the bed and take some of Mommy's socks. Always Mommy's clothes because she is gone on business more. Other peeps in my posse are the Puppy Transport Team and everybody who lives in my building in New York and on my cul-de-sac in Vermont. They are allowed to be in my territory so long as they let me do as much sniffing and cuddling of them as I want. 

Lately I had to make some changes in my posse. I had to fire my dog walker. We were having a failure to communicate. He kept trying to dominate me and then he would act submissive at the same time. We had to figure out where we stood, and so I let him know that I didn't really like to walk him. I'd rather go with Mommy or P-Daddy because they let me visit with my friends and don't yank on my leash when I'm walking nicely. 

Last week P-Daddy had to hoist all 100 pounds of me into the tub at home for my first home bath in a long time. That's because I wouldn't let the doggy day care people wash me. I only had a short day and it was taking away from my play time. So they kept trying to wash me and I let them know that I was not having a bath right then. Good thing they listened. 

Also, in the dog run there was this boy who hadn't had his tests taken yet. He was a pain in the butt, literally, because he thought he could hump me even though I weigh like 7 times more than him. I tried just ignoring him but he wouldn't leave me alone. Finally last week he brought his mom to the dog run. I LOVE dog-moms. They are the best. So I went up to her to work my Biggie charm on her (Chicks dig it). While I was leaning on her legs, Echo came up and was all like, "That's MY mommy! You don't get to cuddle with MY mommy!" and he started yapping and nipping at my butt. 

Now this kind of activity really cramps my style. Echo was being the opposite of a wing man. Not only was he not respecting me, but he was trying to steal my new girl! I was still gonna leave him alone, but he wasn't listening to my warning signs. Finally, he ripped a big chunk of fur off my butt! At that point I HAD to show him who was boss. I made my ROAR RAR ARRRR GRRRRRR ROAR noises and pinned him with my paw. He still didn't give up so I showed him all my big teeth and made like I was gonna rip his head off (not really, of course). Finally he started crying and that was about the same time Mommy grabbed me from behind and pulled me away and gave me what for. Boy did I get in trouble for that one!

I tried to tell her with my eyes that Echo started it and that he pulled my hair and that it really HURT and that was NOT respecting the Biggietude AND he still had his tests and they were driving me crazy, AND I didn't even hurt him even though I could have eaten him in one bite, but she would NOT listen. She keeps saying that big dogs have to be better than that. She didn't even find the big bare patch on my butt until the next day when she was giving me a bath. (She thought I was just blowing my coat and the rest of my fur hid the bare patch.) At least the one thing I accomplished was that Echo's getting his tests taken soon. But I think even if he doesn't, he's not gonna mess with the Biggie any time soon. 

That's the Biggietude. So long as you don't mess with me, my Mommy or P-Daddy or my girls, you can be in my posse.

I won! I won!

A couple weeks after my picture was used in Balboa the Frenchie's weekly Create a Caption contest (which my cousin Huck won), I made a winning caption for Seadra's silly picture! Yeah, I rock.

Gender Identity

So do you pups out there ever have random people come up and assume you're a boy when you're a girl and vice versa? Jeez, I hate that. People don't make that mistake often with me, because I'm so big and I'm such a goofball. But last week my doggie day care lost my GREEN LEASH and so they sent me home with one of their leashes. Now all of a sudden everyone thinks I'm a girl! But I happen to like this leash since it makes me very visible (Biggie, you're so big you're visible anywhere...) and goes very nicely with my white fur. Who says hot pink is only for girls?? I am very comfortable with my masculinity, even after last week's experiment with cross-dressing.

(click on pic to enlarge)

Gettin' Biggie Wit It

P-Daddy decided he wanted to go play water polo after work so he came home only for a short time to let me go potty, and then HE PUT ME BACK IN MY BEDROOM. AND THEN HE LEFT AGAIN. 

The outrage! And he didn't even feed me dinner, and I am ALWAYS hungry. I lost my Kong Roller and P-Daddy also didn't give me any bully stick or anything new to play with, so I decided to Get Biggie With It. We kuvaszok love to make up our own games. 

Mommy went to an Event almost a month ago and she came back with some goodie bags. She put them on the bedroom floor weeks ago, and I have left them alone all this time. But goodie bags contain GOODIES, right? And all my toys were getting boring since I had played with them ALL DAY already and P-Daddy didn't give me anything new when he ABANDONED me. So I decided to see what puppy goodies were in there. 

There was a lot of paper and cardboard to get through, but I did find some good stuff. First, I found a plastic bottle of something called Joint Juice, that looked like Vitamin Water with glucosamine in it. Mommy is always worried about my hip displays, and I was thirsty anyway. But damn these paws! I couldn't get the cap off, so I bit some holes in the bottom of the bottle and drank it that way. Then when I was finished I crushed the bottle like a frat boy chugs a can of beer and smashes it on his head. (Ed. Note: And there was no dampness on the carpet - AT ALL.)

After my drink I wanted something to eat, but the best I could find was a lipstick. It was a lot of work to get to the creamy goodness, too. It was in a plastic and cardboard box and then it had a lipstick case that I had to take apart and leave little pieces of lipstick-case-shrapnel all over the bedroom floor. I got some lipstick on my paws when I was trying to put it on my lips. Again, damn these non-opposable dewclaws!

It really is hard work putting on makeup, so I had to take a nap. When Mommy and P-Daddy came home they saw me with lipstick on my paws and face (very visible on a white pup!) and shredded cardboard all hanging in my butt fur. I thought I looked quite decorative but you should have seen the horrified looks on their faces. They were so horrified that they forgot to take a picture of beautiful me! 

Snow Day (video)

Remember when you were a kid and you'd wake up on a Saturday morning and everything had been TRANSFORMED the next day? And you could think of nothing else but to go running out in the snow?

Resurfacing

So Mommy has been doing her business all over the country for the last three weeks and then even when she was in New York she ABANDONED me for TWO WHOLE DAYS!! (It's called an all-nighter, Biggie, and it was no fun for me either.) It was terrible. And also I fired my dog walker, Roger. I decided I would rather hold my potty and do my business with Mommy or P-Daddy and if Roger doesn't come in the middle of the day, Mommy and P-Daddy come home earlier. Plus, I'm turning into a big boy and I don't need a walker any more.

Something strange is happening here in Vermont. Big pieces of snow and ice are falling off the roof and the giant pile of snow on my play deck has turned into a thin covering of smushy, creaky snow. I finally made Mommy edit my video but it took her a while to put music on it to cover up all her dumb comments and snickering when I ran up to her. Also she says she doesn't always dress like that but she was grabbing the first clothes she could to get outside. Don't believe her. That's how she dresses when she walks me. It's terribly embarrassing. When she goes to work she looks totally different. I told her Bruce Wayne dresses well whether he's Batman or Bruce Wayne, but she doesn't listen to me that way. So the other night because I was lonely I pulled some of her pretty summer dresses of a shelf and made a nest of them. Mommy said it's still too cold to wear them.

Haikuvasz

Mommy on bizness
P-Daddy also bizness
Biggie at kennel

Kennel pupz iz fun
But not enuf attenshun
Make humans notice!

Lunge on leash! Bark! Snap!
I guard my pack and walker!
To guard is my job

Now I walk alone.
When my Mommy, Daddy home?
I have bath today.

Means I go home soon.
Look like show dog for 1 day
Then back to normal.

I respect Mommy,
I good for Daddy. But
Not so good, others.

In like a lion...

Since this is my first March ever I am not sure what they mean by, "In like a lion, out like a lamb," because as far as I know lions have nothing to do with snow. Anyway, when we left New York City in February it was cold but clear. By the time we got to Vermont in March it was snowing really hard. Mommy and P-Daddy wouldn't even let me potty at our usual break point because of something about the snow falling too fast. My legs were so stiff and I was so sick of sitting quietly in the car that I started to chew my blanket until Daddy yelled at me. But I got to stretch my legs a bit when we got to Vermont, which was really fun.

This is me in the morning, getting excited about the snow.

We were just in VT last weekend but over the past week we got almost 30 INCHES of snow! The wind had drifted it all over my play deck. It was taller than me, and I'm 28 inches.

OHPLEASEOHPLEASEOHPLEASE CAN I GO PLAY IN THE SNOW???

Sitting and staring forlornly at the snow does work, though by the time Mommy and P-Daddy let me out, the big plows had already come by and cleared a lot of the snow. Still, we were able to find some good games to play.... 

... like CATCH!

By the time I was done playing catch and climbing snow mountains and swimming in the snow, I was pretty well camouflaged. So I decided to pretend I was a polar bear. I really did not want to go inside but Mommy and P-Daddy found me because I am overdue for a bath and because I didn't hide with my face well enough. Oh well. I tried.  Video to come... 

Food Porn 2 (Hot Live Puppy Action)

ALL AMATEUR, BOY-ON-CHICKEN ACTION!
UNEDITED-UNCENSORED-UNCUT




Mommy is a bit of a dom top, so she makes me wear a dog collar and eat dinner in my crate. I have to sit nicely before I am allowed to be locked in my crate to eat, and I'm only released to go when I have sat nicely for her and performed whatever tasks Mistress Mommy deems necessary for the day.


They say that sequels are never as good as the original, but here I think we have an exception, since we have live, unedited action of ME (90 pounds of lean, galumphing wrestling machine) and not so much of Mommy's blather. Here's some background to my video: I eat about 3-4 pounds of raw, human-grade food a day in two meals. But this is not like kibble weight, because my food has a lot of water and no filler. So my poops are very small and don't stink too bad (unless I'm eating cabbage or kale), making them very easy to pick up on the streets of New York.


This dinner consists of:
1 c. ground raw organic vegetables
2T nonfat yogurt
2T canned pumpkin
fish oil and joint supplements
2 raw skinless chicken thighs (with bone)
2 raw skinless chicken drumsticks (with bone)

Oh, I am getting excited just thinking about the next time I can eat! YUM!

Smart = Naughty

I come back from an overnight business trip and Biggie has reverted to naughtiness to get attention. Never mind that since Friday morning I have taught him no fewer than six new commands to keep his mind exercised. The kuvasz' "clownish sense of humor" has taken over. 

His latest self-taught "trick" is to pull the laundry basket out from under the bed to get at the fragrant socks and underwear inside. Oh yeah - and he pulls socks out in pairs. 

I can't say I wasn't warned.  

From the Kuvasz Fanciers of America website: 

Q: How hard is it to obedience train a Kuvasz?

A: Kuvaszok are deviously clever and will attempt to modify or neutralize your training efforts if you bore them with mindless repetition. Use your imagination to vary your practice routine, and persevere! Although they prefer to have their fun in activities of their own invention, Kuvaszok are highly intelligent and are intriguing to train if the owner is more stubborn and persistent than the dog...

Someone more resourceful than I could probably teach him to be a service dog. Then again, knowing Biggie's sense of humor, he would probably try to do laundry in the shower while I was in it.

Training Day (Proud Mommy)

There are a lot of reasons why I was attracted to the Kuvasz breed, but one of them was that I wanted an intelligent dog. Old Boo, a pesky Eskie (American Eskimo), was very quick to learn new things and I liked that "sparkle." Boo (Dog rest his soul), however, doesn't hold a candle to Biggie in terms of brains. Biggie is a creative problem solver, and he likes to "work." As long as there is food involved. Like liver, cold cuts, or cheese. In order to get the treats, he'll come up to me while I am trying to work and practically beg to do some clicker training. And he's got so much adolescent energy. So, my brief continues not to get written, and Biggie learns new tricks. In a grand total of about 30 minutes over the last 24 hours he has learned body cues and commands for: kiss, paw (shake), high hand target, and spin, and we are working on sitting up on his haunches (this one is a challenge and any suggestions on shaping the behavior are most welcome.) Pup after my own heart, I think Biggie is a lefty.

Any other requests?

90 pounds and still a puppy...

Biggie's pretty much recovered from his surgery and he's as playful as ever. It's good to have a dog puppy as pain tolerant as he is because he didn't have to wear the cone much at all. In fact, by Day 2 he'd figured out how to take it off and to reach his nether regions anyway, so the e-collar was pretty much a lost cause. We also tried the "bite-not" which freaked him out less, but he figured out how to get around that one too. 

We tend to forget that at 9 months old there is still a lot of puppy left in him. Here he is 1 week post-op: 

And here's the first video we ever took of him, the night he came home:

Caption contest

He's doing fine, really. Add your captions to the comments...

How strong is a kuvasz?

Biggie crunches raw chicken leg quarters with the bone in a matter of seconds. Here he is at 6 months opening a corrugated cardboard box to find a hoof and then destroying the box in about 5 minutes:

Smartest boyz in the room

Yep, that would be me. I can open my crate door from the inside and the outside with one paw tied behind my back. I can undo my seat belt and open doors. I learn most commands in a single try. (Now whether I execute them in a timely fashion is another matter, but it depends on what the enticements are. Chicken, liver and fish work really well. And bacon.)

Even though Mommy says I have become a little cocky, she is always trying to come up with new ideas for interactive toys and games to keep my mind busy. Because a bored puppy becomes, in my case, a naughty puppy. I find ways to steal socks and hold both of them in my mouth. I don't test Mommy or P-Daddy one bit (I know where my food comes from) but no one else is the boss of me. I have my posse of boyz in the 'hood here - Carlos the super of my domain, Jose who makes the elevator go around, and my best cheerleader who works next door at the place that makes the food for all the Metro Kitchens in the city. He always smells like yummy food and takes pictures of me and my boyz wrestle with me and play all sorts of games that Mommy disapproves of because she thinks they teach me to be bossy. They don't, because I have pretty much got these boyz all under my control. They are so happy they squeal in delight when they see me, and they jump around just as much as I do. I can even jump taller than Carlos.

But I need to go back to doggie day care and be boarded, and for some reason I haven't been going. I'm sure it can't be because of that last incident with the trainer and the new dogwalker I chased away from the apartment in Jurassic Park-like rage. I had to protect our cleaning lady somehow, and my new wisdom teeth were hurting me.

So maybe in order to graduate to the next level of dog socialization I need to learn some more skillz. So for my very first Valentine's Day, Mommy set up a date for me with my very own veteran! I am not a supporter of the war in Iraq because that means that there are lots of pups missing their humans (like Peanut), but I am a big supporter of our veterans. My Daddy is one too.

I am really looking forward to some one-on-one tutoring with my veteran. I saw mommy defrosting a big slab of beef liver this morning so I'm sure I will get lots of tutoring tomorrow.

And you may ask yourself: How did I get here?

While the giant brat is on hiatus, here are some google searches that led random readers here: 

biggie baby pics

I guess someone was looking for Biggie Smalls' baby pictures? Whatever he looked like, I'm sure he didn't look like this. 

hanky poo peanut spell

Now this one really baffles me because I tried this google search and didn't find the blog anywhere. Instead I found sites about people who got off on describing how perfect their poos were, especially if they were peanut-shaped.

porno mama i dog

I was afraid to google this one. Somebody's got some seriously Freudian issues going on here. 

cover me with food and lick it of porn (UK)

Um, it's "off," not "of," ok? The internet is a really perverted place. Here someone was just looking for some relatively vanilla porn - who hasn't played with a little ice cream or whipped cream on a hot summer day? Instead, this Brit got an eyeful of naked puppies! They probably think we Americans are really sick and twisted. 

mr hanky cycle of poo

Biggie's cycle of poo in the early months was pretty much this: Experiencing some distress? Make a poo. Missing Mommy? Make a poo. Out on a walk in the middle of the summer? Too hot to make a poo. Crate a little too big? Make a poo. The poo was voluminous and stinky even though he was eating one of the better brands of kibble - Eagle Pack Holistic. Things changed dramatically once he started on the raw diet at 3 months. Smaller, more compact and less smelly poo. Now his cycle of poo is at least once before the dog run, maybe once in the dog run, and once after leaving. Sometimes they're just 2-3 little peanut-sized turds. Not bad for a 90-ish pound puppy. 

toy that challenge your dog

NOW we're getting somewhere! The Kong Roller (Stuff-a-Ball) and the King Kong are objects of fascination, especially stuffed with treats. The Kong Roller works best with 8-10 pieces of dog biscuit of varying shapes and sizes inside, and then an 11" pizzle threaded through both end holes. The holes are now plugged up so the the pup can hear and smell the other treats inside, but they're too big to come out until the pizzle is finished. Hours of quiet fun until Biggie gets the entire ball stuck so far under the couch that he can't reach it with his paws. 

Other toys of merit: plush puzzle toys (like the Rubik's cube, however, once the dog figures it out, they finish it really quickly and then you have to hunt down the little birds and stuff them back in) and the Jumbo knuckle bone. 

What is key is rotating the toys so that each one is unavailable to your dog for a few days or longer. Then when it is brought out again, it is SO! MUCH! FUN! It's like having a new toy again. 

Extra challenge: Kong roller stuffed with treats and pizzle, sealed in a cardboard box. Just be prepared to clean up all the shredded cardboard. 

staying ahead of pain

Ah yes. Do as I say, not as I did. Stay AHEAD of the pain. In the first few days after an operation, especially one that involves repairing one's 360-degree (100%) labral tear with seven screws, do NOT try to be a hero. There is nothing macho about surviving that part with a minimum of painkillers. Especially if it is your dominant arm that got the fix. It will hurt. Boy, will it hurt. You will cry like a baby if you let the pain set in.  There will be plenty of time to be macho in the weeks and months afterward, when your shoulder is still sore and you are frustrated with the sloooow progress and you are really tired of wearing the same 3 outfits over and over again. For the first 5 days, though, there is absolutely no shame in taking the painkillers as prescribed. And if they say, "Take 1-2 tablets every 4-6 hours," it is PERFECTLY OK to take 2 tablets every 4 hours. Once the pain sets in, it is very VERY hard to chase it away again. Be macho 5-10 days post-op, when you are trying to wean yourself off of the narcotics and onto NSAIDs (like naprosyn, tylenol, motrin). 

P.S. Childproof caps work pretty well on people who've just had shoulder surgery too. Make sure you have access to the pills when you need them. 

puppy stepping in poop

I really don't think your puppy means to do it. If they are cooped up with a wee-wee pad and they have pooped, it's really a good idea to remove the pad ASAP. Otherwise, you run the risk of unmitigated POO DISASTER.  Really, if you can afford a puppy, you can afford to toss a wee-wee pad after it's been pooped on once. No matter how cute your puppy is, I guarantee you she will be 500% less cute when there is poop on her head or ground into her paws. 

You have to be the grownup in this scenario. Some pups, especially pet store pups, do not have the aversion to their own poo that most puppies do. If they poop, have a bag or pooper scooper of piece of paper to pick up the poo right away. Then they can't step in it. 

biggie's girlfriend

With Valentine's Day coming up, Biggie has been making a list. Too many to count, and we're sure we will miss a few, but he has Mata, Zola, Daisy (actually 2 girls named Daisy), Princess, Mameete, and a small adult female Rottie who is significantly smaller than Biggie. And that's just his dog girlfriends. Pretty much any female who lives in our building and some of the men are objects of extreme affection. He doesn't hump them, he just jumps or stands to whisper sweet nothings in their ears and to lick them. then he rubs along their legs and falls on their feet, pinning them until they at least give him a neck and belly rub. 

Well, with Westminster just around the corner, Biggie wishes a GOOD LUCK to his pal Wimsey. We also have a very eventful Valentine's Day planned for Biggie. Stay tuned for details...

Bratty Boy

At last, Mommy is letting me update MY blog. She said she wasn't letting me before because my tests were making me naughty and she needed a break from me because she says if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. I think it's really because she started her own blog and isn't paying enough attention to ME.

Well, enough about Mommy, let's talk some more about ME, shall we? I have had a very exciting week. Our neighbors told Mommy that I have been barking a lot when she is at work, and this has become a Problem. I don't see the problem at all. Mommy doesn't like it when I bark, but sometimes it's fun, so I just make sure to do it when no one is home and I can bark as loud and as long as I like. In fact I am being very considerate.

Mommy said it was my tests acting up and I was bored so she tried adding another dogwalker and also having a trainer come in. Well, I didn't like the other dogwalker one bit so I made crazy mean barks and chased him away from my crate! (Have you ever seen the opening scene from Jurassic Park? That was me.) He was a new male who came in without being properly introduced. He needs to pay proper respect to my territory before I will accept him. Roger, my regular walker, knows this and we get along great.

Then I met a trainer the next day and I put my teeth on her hand just to let her know she's not the boss of me unless she has treats. I didn't bite her, I just put my teeth there. Then when I found out she had yummy treats, I lay down next to her and watched her the entire time and showed her all the commands requests* I know. Mommy said she was "at the end of her rope" but I have never seen her on a leash so I don't know what she means. At the same time P-Daddy was away on business - again, I don't understand why humans take so long to do their business! Maybe they should eat more fiber and try wearing the Gentle Leader sometime because that makes me do my business right away so I can come home and get it OFF again.

Anyway, my plan to have my humans cater to all my needs seems to be working perfectly. I have taught them a chase game to play before every walk because I hate the Gentle Leader. I had Mommy with her bad shoulders going for 20 minutes one night. They tried the "touch and come" with high value treats, but as long as I smell the Gentle Leader near them I don't come. Sometimes we vary the chase game and I will sit for them just long enough for them to get close and then we play chase again. I don't need to go potty that badly anyway, and it is shameful being seen outside with that thing on my nose. Plus we live in a "loft" which is basically an indoor dog run with lots of open space to run in circles around the furniture.

Anyway, after we play chase for a while I feel sorry for my people, especially Mommy, so I let her catch me and put the Gentle Leader on. You have to set your people up for success, and that means rewarding them when they give you the behavior you want. So then I walk very calmly and do all my business very quickly and Mommy has started taking me to the dog run every morning to play with all my new friends. Mommy makes me sit nicely before she lets me into the run to play with my friends, and I'm getting a lot better at teaching her that "sit" means I want something. She's pretty good at figuring out what I want, too.

However, I still occasionally bark a bit even when I'm exhausted from the dog run. Somebody has to keep intruders out of the apartment, and that's my job.

*Requests I fulfill when I feel like it:

sit, down, up (stand), stay, here (come), hand target, wait, heel, roll, quiet, drop it, leave it, bedtime, in the car, find it/get it (retrieve, find hidden toy)

Super Tuesday

So it's Super Tuesday. I don't know what makes it so Super more than any other Tuesday, but I heard Mommy saying something about parties. I think Mommy's a Socialist because she is always trying to socialize me and parties are social.

Make sure you go vote, unless you are voting for someone Mommy doesn't like. I vote for all my dog friends and for Roger my walker and more meat for dinner. Oh yeah, and shorter work days for all my people so they can spend more time with us, the dogs.

Guest blogger: Spirit speaks (sort of)

(Ed.: After his last post, Biggie is on a time out from his blog. Someone needs to learn to share.)

Hi every1! Im Spirit, Biggie's 1-n-only sister!

I wanted 2 thank every1 4 giving me the opp 2 tell u about a very strange little dog I met the other day! He can climb trees!



I was out in the yard with my Pop (my real dog daddy) and I was chasing some leaves when suddenly I looked up &  saw this strange little dog up in da tree!!!! Pop said it was a "squerl" but I have never heard of that breed b4. I think they r in the Toy Group bcoz all I wanted 2 do was 2 play with him!!! Anyway that squerl dog was just sitting up there looking at us! I barked at him 2 to come down 2 play but he wouldn't! He just sat there... have u ever heard of such a thing?? Pop got bored & went 2 patrol another part of the yard.


I even tried my best SIT & nothing happened! The squerl just looked at me! Ive never known any dog 2 ignore me! Im the princess!!  Pop looked 4 a while 2 but he said squerls dont rilly like to play with kuvasz. They think we want 2 eat em. All I rilly want 2 do is chase him.  That's all, I promise!

Ttyl, c u l8r! xoxo Spirit :)