When I was invited as a Hovawart expert to speak for a group of new Hovawart owners a while ago - it was before Tilde - I was asked the question what could be done to stop certain bad behaviors, like jumping up and mouthing.
The Hovawart puppy miller Torben Thorsøe was judged guilty of severe animal neglect according to the Danish Animal Welfare and Protection Act by the Danish district court in Næstved today.
He was sentenced to pay a fine of 25,000 danish kroner (3,700 USD / 3,300 Euro), a conditioned jail sentence of twenty days, and lost the right to breed commercialy with animals for the next 5 years.
Wolf in Ovstrup Hede, Denmark. Photo: Carl Skovbjerg Johnsen
The wolf has returned to Denmark. I am delighted, thrilled and excited all at once. Not only for the wolf, but also for what could follow in its path. What may lie ahead is a new understanding. A new definition of the Danish relationship not only with nature and wolfs, but also between the Danes and dogs in general.
Let me explain. Due warning though, this will be a long essay.
Tilde jumps a lot. Mainly because it is practical. It is about getting from A to B in the quickest way possible. She is not an avid jumper, and doesn't seem to jump for the pleasure of it. When she is on full speed, it is an impressive sight though.