Hovawart Wizard Susanne just send me an update I would like to share. Last time Susanne wrote something about her boys Mammoet and Rico, Rico was undergoing some, well, growing pains.
We actually met the boys and Susanne at the end of last year, for a beach walk with Tilde in Holland - see the picture on the left.
We actually met the boys and Susanne at the end of last year, for a beach walk with Tilde in Holland - see the picture on the left.
Tilde had such a blast with those two lively and exuberant males and it was exciting to see how everything Susanne wrote about them before was spot on. Tilde was especially interested in Rico, who gave her some fine examples how she could improve her own fine art of "Shitbaggery".
Let's hear how they are doing. And without trying to give away too much, Rico might be growing up on Susanne.
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Today we went to our favorite walking area again, called Soester Duinen. It’s an area of dunes in the middle of the forest where a lot of dog owners come every day to walk their dogs. It’s a great place for my Hovi boys to run and have fun and make friends. I go there several times a week. It’s always great fun!
As always if you go anywhere with two Hovi boys you have to look very carefully what kinds of dogs are there and where you choose to go and where you choose to walk away from. And in my case, having two Hovi boys who are as different as they could be, for every Hovi a different dog is a better or worse choice. Mammoet, my older one, doesn’t handle bullies or Labradors very well. With other bullies he feels the need to prove himself which is not always the best idea, and Labradors he generally treats like females in heat; doesn’t matter if it’s a male, female, neutered or not neutered dog. Rico doesn’t handle “soft” dogs very well. He is very “outgoing” as you could call it! He loves to act roughly and if the other dog runs away or squeals, the chase is on! So as long as the dogs don’t run, he’s fine. Often just gives them a friendly, slightly over excited sniff and if they don’t want to play, he runs on.
Today we met two dogs who have proven perfect for my boys! Two Rhodesian Ridgeback boys. They are sturdy, not too bullying but confident and nice and silly! So we walked on together, the dogs thoroughly enjoying themselves. Rico even got knocked over a few times, which I found very amusing!! Normally he is the one who does the knocking over! After a while we reached a pool of water in the middle of the dunes, where always a lot of dogs meet. So it’s always a big party!
Rico was fully in his element. Running from here to there, making friends, getting told off for being too forward, just being his enthusiastic self! You could always tell by the turmoil you heard here and there where he was at the moment. Mammoet was happy too, for he had found an Labrador… So he was roaring with hormones. Luckily this one was confident enough to tell him off. There also was a medium sized, recently neutered Münsterländer mix, with who my dogs have a love-hate relationship. They find him very interesting. Mammoet because he seems to smell very tempting and therefore gets his blood running, Rico because he is very gentle and always instantly throws himself on the ground, so Rico has the feeling that he can bully him a bit..
There was also a Golden Retriever boy at the water pool. So at some point, the Golden Retriever started getting very interested in the Münsterländer mix, wanting to mount him while he was lying on the ground, then one of the Ridgebacks started mounting the Golden Retriever. Then Mammoet wanted to get in on the action, but I told him to stop it and walk away from it, which he did. (Big boy!!) Then Rico noticed that there was something going on. By now there was quite some tension around the 3 dogs. Rico walked up to them. Knowing that Rico wasn’t one to act on hormones like Mammoet does, I let him do his thing and observed what was going to happen. Rico walked up to the 3 dogs, went right between the Golden and the Ridgeback, gave everyone a nice calm, gentle sniff. Everyone lightened their focus, went off the other dogs, stopped and turned away from it! I couldn’t believe my eyes! Rico, the trouble maker, the stuff little dogs nightmares are made off, just soothed a tense situation! I was SO proud!! He got a cuddle like he hadn’t had for a long time!! My little big boy had learned something after all!
So all of you, keep hope! Eventually, after long long years of struggling and often wanting to give up, they do grow up…. Just to forget all about it again the next day. But oh well, that’s why they are the Hovis we all are so fond of.
Today we met two dogs who have proven perfect for my boys! Two Rhodesian Ridgeback boys. They are sturdy, not too bullying but confident and nice and silly! So we walked on together, the dogs thoroughly enjoying themselves. Rico even got knocked over a few times, which I found very amusing!! Normally he is the one who does the knocking over! After a while we reached a pool of water in the middle of the dunes, where always a lot of dogs meet. So it’s always a big party!
Rico was fully in his element. Running from here to there, making friends, getting told off for being too forward, just being his enthusiastic self! You could always tell by the turmoil you heard here and there where he was at the moment. Mammoet was happy too, for he had found an Labrador… So he was roaring with hormones. Luckily this one was confident enough to tell him off. There also was a medium sized, recently neutered Münsterländer mix, with who my dogs have a love-hate relationship. They find him very interesting. Mammoet because he seems to smell very tempting and therefore gets his blood running, Rico because he is very gentle and always instantly throws himself on the ground, so Rico has the feeling that he can bully him a bit..
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| This is the place - photo taken on another day with other dogs |
So all of you, keep hope! Eventually, after long long years of struggling and often wanting to give up, they do grow up…. Just to forget all about it again the next day. But oh well, that’s why they are the Hovis we all are so fond of.
Hovawart Wizards, like Susanne, 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.
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