Spotting UFO's Kenzo Style

What do you do when your name is Kenzo and you spot a U.F.O in the water?

Over here!

Stay behind me dad.

I'll check it out, this is huge

The bridge we pass almost daily holds a life buoy for emergencies. Some vandals threw it in the water. Of course, that is noticed and taken advantage of by the Drama Queen.

England Here I Come

Kenzoooo!, you are chasing the wrong ball, it is right behind you...

Celebrate Life With Cliff

Today I hand the blog over to Thomas, as promised in last week's Hovawart TV: Cliff's Smile. Thomas' Hovawart Cliff suffers from degenerative myelopathy. and they share their story on how they continue to fight back, and celebrate life against all odds. 

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"Take him back!"

We always had dogs in our lives. Akki, a Siberian Husky. Mickey, a cross between a large and small Munsterlander. The story of Cliff the Hovawart actually starts with Pepper, our Dalmatien. Pepper was incredibly lively and couldn’t do anything at a walk – his slowest gait was a trot. In 2003, when Pepper was 6 years old, we got Cliff.

My daughter and I wanted to have a second dog, although my wife was not so sure about this. Our vet’s wife raved about the Hovawart breed and so we searched the internet for information before deciding that a Hovawart it would be. We preferred the black and tan markings and we definitely wanted a male. Finally we found a breeder in Saxony-Anhalt. There were two males still available – the strongest of the litter, a black one, and the slightly smaller blonde one, Cliff, who immediately pounced on my wife before she could even take her coat off. Who picked who? Four weeks later he moved in with us.

Young Cliff at 2 years old

Pepper was not so amused, his eyes said: "Take him back!" But after three days, they bonded and became firm friends. From the start, Cliff was very eager to learn and he has always been a wonderful dog – even as a young dog, he wasn’t particularly naughty. He has been content with his status as "beta" dog, and that only changed when Pepper was no longer so good on his feet and going a bit senile.

In the summer of 2011 we noticed that Cliff’s rear right leg wasn’t quite right. His claws seemed to be dragging on the floor at times, and they were shorter than those on his left foot.

Our vet found nothing, but as a precaution, he took an x-ray – everything was okay – no hip dysplasia, no spondylosis, nothing obvious could be identified. Then we noticed the dragging was getting worse, and when standing still, he would stand on the toes of his right foot rather than on the pads. The vet now referred us to a clinic for a CAT-scan and further investigation. Again all seemed well, and in the recovery room the vet confirmed that they could find no hip dysplasia, no herniated disc, no spondylosis – we breathed a sigh of relief. Then, the bombshell.

Because he was showing these symptoms, with no obvious cause, there was a high probability that Cliff had degenerative myelopathy. The vet's description of this condition didn’t fill us with hope, and when we went home and researched the internet we could only reach one conclusion. Shit! Shortly after the CAT-scan, Cliff’s foot drag even caused a claw bleed – he was very sore, very sad and his eyes said “I’m not moving now”.

We found a company called SABRO and ordered their Toffler Paw Protection Shoes. Two days later, they arrived – Cliff gave the shoe a thorough examination while we told him he would be able to run better with it on. He looked at us and I swear he understood every word. We put the shoe on his right foot – he looked at it once and that was it – “Yippieyeah! I can walk again!“

It didn't last long. Seven or eight weeks later, he had problems getting up, he could walk a few steps, but then his right hip would collapse, his right foot would cross over to the left and he fell over. He could no longer lift his leg to pee and reverted back to a puppy position for that.

In early January 2012, I therefore became more and more interested in buying a “dog wheelchair“. I found the German forum for disabled dogs “Behinderte Hunde Forum” which is well worth reading and I highly recommend it. All disabled dogs are represented – blind, deaf, three legged, dog in wheelchairs.

I found that the wheelchairs were expensive at 400-800 euros so I spoke with a friend, showed him some photographs and we decided to build a Dog Ferrari ourselves. Take a look at the photos and video to see the result.

During the building of the cart, Cliff had to have fitting sessions to make sure it was exactly the right size and shape for him – he was never scared by this strange thing, and in the middle of March, it was ready. We went out with Cliff into our courtyard and sat him in his “driver’s seat“. My wife, daughter and I were very excited at what he would do. He stood still, looked around at us, and I swear we saw him smile before setting off on his own exploring and sniffing every corner of the courtyard. An hour later we had our first little walk with him out in the fields. Once again he was a happy dog, free to go and sniff wherever he wanted.

Since March 2012, Cliff has gone everywhere in his wheelchair and we have only had one negative comment from a woman who had a hovawart girl and had to let her go due to her age. She said she would not do that to her dog. Everyone else so far has been very positive. Other dogs look suspiciously at the wheelchair at first, then sniff the tires, and that’s it!

Peeing and pooing whilst in the wheelchair is so easy for him too – he discovered he can just keep walking and his “trademark” is now a zigzag line on the road!!! Then in September /October 2012 his right rear let began to drag on the ground so we tied that leg up with a cord and he continued to walk in his cart with three legs. Then his left one also began to lose power and at the beginning of December 2012, we started to tie his left leg up too. Sadly, he is now unable to wag his tail...... We had reached the stage of needing to help him around the house.

He cannot use his cart indoors as he is unable to lie down when it is attached. I started to look for a harness for helping disabled dogs. After much research I found one in the deep depths of the internet, in the USA. It is called a Hartman’s Harness. He can wear this harness all day and it has a handle above the hips, rather like the handle of a suitcase. So, we can carry his back end while the front end is running – and I mean running!

He had to learn the meaning of the word “slowly“! Most of the weight of a dog is at the front, but the back end of a 40kg Hove is not exactly light – and 15 kg is a heavy load when it is moving forward at speed!

In summer 2012 I was looking for a second dog again, a while after Pepper passed due to old age. When I saw Cooper I fell in love. It took some persuasion to get my wife even just to go and see the puppies. It wasn’t that she didn’t want another dog or a puppy, but she was very worried that she would not be able to care properly for Cliff and also look after a new puppy, and make sure that neither were neglected in any way. It was a huge comittment and we had no guarantee that Cliff would be able to cope, either.

We talked at length between ourselves and also with the breeder, and finally decided to go and see them. Cliff came with us, and he was the first strange dog the puppies saw. He lay outside the puppy-area, behind a fence and looked at them. He was even nose to nose with one of them, but that wasn‘t Cooper. The next day my wife agreed.

Two weeks later, we drove back down to see the breeder and Cooper came home with us. Looking back, the first six to eight weeks were certainly very hard, but we have all adapted and grown used to one another, and even Cooper is more sensible now! He is very different to Cliff and announced his arrival on the first day in his new home by standing on the stairs outside barking at some pedestrians passing our property.

Cliff sometimes plays a little bit with him and sometimes even licks his nose. But when Cooper gets too wild, Cliff shows him his teeth. At the same time, however, Cooper can be very careful around Cliff. He brings him some toys and wants to play with him.... and Cliff obliges!

I don’t think Cliff loves him much, but he does accept him. For now, Cliff seems content and he is happy when we tie on the Tofflers and go for a walk with his wheelchair. We all hope that his condition doesn’t get any worse.

Degenerative myelopathy is an incurable, progressive disease of the canine spinal cord.

***

Update May 22, 2013:

Late yesterday the news reached us that the lovely and beautiful Cliff passed away. We are so glad to have got to know him - although never in person - and his owner Thomas. For us Cliff will always be the one that taught us to celebrate life, even when it is against the odds. Run free, Cliff. You will be missed and we will always remember you. We wish Thomas Moers all the strength to cope with his tremendous loss.

Hovawart TV: Cliff's Smile

A smile can mean so much. In Cliff's case, it means the world.



Seeing that smile at the end of this half-a-minute video warmed my heart when I saw it first. And it still does when I see it over and over again.

Please stay tuned, as Thomas - Cliff's parent/caretaker - shares Cliff's amazing story coming Monday on this blog.

Stake Out

Kenzo's self-appointed job is to keep an eye on things. To be a Hovawart or not to be. It is hard work. A lot of responsibilities.

Not now dad, I am working, I am keeping an eye on some hikers.

 Have to stay absolutely still ... and focused

Still, focused ... and vigilant

Oops, I moved. Did I still looked good?

It is not a coincidence Kenzo sits on that little porch on the side of the house. It is his favorite stake out place. He has a full view to the path that goes through the forest where people hike, and if he just turns his head to the right he can see through an opening in the fence - in the pictures behind him - to spot if someone is coming on the driveway that leads passed our house to the neighbors. Everything is under perfect Hovawart control.

Traveling With A Reactive Dog? 6 Reasons To Visit Norway

If you have a reactive or aggressive dog it can be difficult to find travel destinations. Like it is with our Viva. We can't just travel anywhere and visit any place. Even when a place is labeled "Pet Friendly", it might be the opposite of what a reactive dog like Viva would need.

When you are "reactive pet travelers" like us, you might want to consider a visit to Norway. If you like hiking, it is the perfect country to visit with a reactive dog. Imagine enjoying the beautiful sights of the fjords and mountain sides, the northern lights, the wild-life. All while you know your pet is enjoying it just as much as you do.

Here are 6 reasons why Norway is a "Reactive Pet Friendly" country. And if you indulge me with a totally unrelated subject, I also grasp this opportunity to showcase how Norway positively reinforces responsible pet ownership - in italic text:

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1. Reactive Friendly Leash laws

Dogs must be leashed from April until August in the whole of Norway, to protect life-stock and wild life. Some areas even require a leash the whole year round. Our experience is those laws are not just window-dressing, we never met an off leash dog on our hikes.

For us reactive pet travelers it is a gift. We don't have to worry about meeting off leash dogs on the trails. And because we use a long leash with a harnass, we still have plenty of room to move and romp about. 

Several signs continously remind you of the leash laws, not by just stating "Forbidden...", but with an explanation why it is necessary, and closing with a friendly "Takk" (Thank you) for being a responsible dog owner. Now that's positive reinforcement ... for dog owners. Clever Norwegians.

2. Please Trespass!


You'll never find a sign "Private property - No trespassing" in Norway.

They do have private property though, you didn't end up in a communist country, but they also have a law called "Allemansret" ("every man's right"), that allows you to hike through - even camp and forage on - private property.

That means you can always frind a trail or a camp spot, where you can enjoy some privacy with your reactive dog, or maybe to avoid the busier trails and find your own path.

Also here you can find these positive reinforcement signs where the property owner asks for some consideration of dog owners for his life-stock, like we met on one of our hikes as you can see on the picture. What a wonderful thing, that someone allowed me to take my dogs through his land with sheep and thanked me ahead for my consideration. 

3. Off Leash Dog Early Warning System

There are of course restricted areas where dogs are allowed off leash. Not just the obvious dog park, but you can also stumble upon them while hiking. We came across a small island which was used for dog training and therefore, dogs could roam free.

No need to worry though that you will just run into them, these places are clearly marked and they are not too big. You can just follow another trail around it. 

I really enjoyed the sign explaining their could be off leash dogs ahead. It even explained for people what to do if they would encounter such an off leash dog. "Do not run. Remain calm and avoid eye contact. Do not pet or talk to the dog." Yes, it can be that simple to act on some bite prevention. Kudos, Norway.

4. Thank You So Much

This is just my observation, but I found Norwegian dog owners very empathic towards us reactive pet travelers when I compare it to Denmark, where we live.

When we meet other - leashed - dogs on the trail I always moved slightly off the trail to let them pass on a distance, so Viva would not get upset. And many times, people thanked me for it! "Takk so mycket" (Thank you so much) they shouted, "my dogs doesn't like other dogs". We gave a smile back "Same over here, you are welcome!".

When we went swimming in a fjord, a woman was approaching with her dog to join the fun. When I warned her Viva is probably not friendly, again I received a big "Takk" and a smile. She then just enjoyed Kenzo and Viva's swimming activities from a distances, while we had a talk about Hovawarts. Compare that to the cold shoulders and shouts we usually receive in Denmark...

This is a positively reinforced Valhalla! It is not only written on signs, the Norwegians practice it too!

5. Spacial Crash Sites

There are a lot of camping sites and cabins for rent. And you won't have to look far for a location where there is enough room between you and the next dog owner.

We really enjoy this room and space. Viva doesn't get upset by barking, or growling, neighbors.

I don't have any numbers on it, but my best guess is that 30% of all facilities have a "Pet allowed" policy. 

No special signs here unfortunately, just the usual scoop your poop! Applying positive reinforcement on poop-scooping might be a bridge too far, even for those inventive Norwegians.

6. Dogs Are Pets

Compared to Southern-European countries, the feral or stray dog is virtually non-existing. Norwegians keep their dogs as pets, and don't let them roam free. Actually there are not that many dogs in Norway at all. Only 0,7% of all dogs in Europe reside in Norway.

The probability of running into a feral or stray dog are therefore the lowest you can get in Europe, and that is good news too for us reactive pet travelers.

***

I hope you consider Noway, I am sure you'll love it as much as we did. If you like to read more about our Norway trip you can find it here. And if you do, here is a sentence you might need: "my dog is not friendly" in Norwegian is "hunden min er ikke vanlig", pronounced as "hoenden min r ik venli". And you probably receive a "Takk so mycket!" in return.

Hovie Hugs For a V.I.P

Photo: Kim Rasmussen, http://www.sn.dk

The Hovawarts in the shelter welcomed an unexpected V.I.P. visitor, the Danish Minister of Agriculture & Animal Welfare. Mette Gjerskov paid them a visit to learn more first-hand about the "puppy mill case" and the efforts from "Dyrenes Beskyttelse" to re-home the survivors.

On the photo you see Mette Gjerskov - on the right - probably getting her first ever Hovie Hug in life. The puppy in the photo is Barney - the staff nicknamed him "Barney Police Officer" - a 2 months old Hovawart pup. How appropriate, it was "Barney Police Officer" to be the spokesman for "our" Hovawarts. And before you get your hopes up, Barney is adopted, and is moving to his new forever home soon.

Would the puppy mill meltdown have attracted massive attention from national media, I probably wouldn't have given the visit a lot of thought. But as it didn't, and coverage of the events so far was restricted to local papers, radio and TV, this visit was not meant as yet another attempt of a politician doing some window-dressing in front of flashing camera's.

Undoubtedly, the many mails and signed petitions you send to Mette Gjerskov voicing your concerns, have played their part in making this happen. And Mette's interest therefore seems genuine to me. I am confident that "our" Hovawarts and "Dyrenes Beskyttelse" planted a little seed for the longer term aspects of this case - to make sure this never can happen again - and send Mette Gjerskov back to Copenhagen with some food for thought.

Aapo, almost 6 yrs, oldest of the "ready" dogs
so far, seeking a foster home

Back to the dogs. All the puppies are adopted, which is fantastic news. Three of the older dogs are in foster families for additional individual care. The remaining eighteen dogs are doing well, and more and more are ready for adoption. It is very hopeful, the dogs are so resilient, and already seem to recuperate in such a short time. Rikke Christensen-Lee - to the left in photo on top - commented today to sn.dk:

"Their spirit is not damaged beyond repair. They are seeking human contact already, and want to hug and play, as soon as somebody enters the kennel."

The dogs spend a lot of time outdoors, and are outside the whole morning on the large seven-hectare ground that surrounds the shelter. They also spend time out in the afternoon and evening. 

Rikke Christensen-Lee informed me concerning possible adoptions abroad, that the shelter prefers families from Denmark. They think travel could stress the dogs more than they can handle at the moment, and they will have to be held an additional 4 weeks in the shelter due to the required rabbis vaccinations for travel. But the shelter welcomes everybody to apply. Note that they will require you to meet with them face to face, in Denmark, as well.

***

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

You Shall Not Pass

Fetch is not Kenzo's favorite. It's a Hovawart thing. He enjoys the Never-Leave-Home-Without-It toy for another game.

Hey dad, try to pass me if you can.

Maybe add some healthy competition to keep it exciting for you as a soccer fan, dad.

Got it! You loose. Again.

First Dogs Adopted: Now What?

Bella - first of the "grown up" Hovies up for adoption

Earlier than expected the first dogs from the former puppy mill already went up for adoption, and ... were also adopted. So far 8 dogs are adopted. Earlier during the week the first of the puppies started appearing on the adoption site, and yesterday the first grown-up Hovawart, Bella, almost 4 years old, was put up for adoption; a milestone.

Bella is still shy, but the shelter noticed she already made big steps forward on a daily basis, so they were confident Bella was ready to make the next step. Amazing, as it is only a week after they were seized. Dogs are so resilient.

They are all carefully evaluated by the shelter's behavioral expert, and of course some requirements are put forward to the future families. In shy Bella's case that was: a family experienced with dogs, a calm environment, and no small kids. Of course, the future family is briefed in more detail, but...

What does that mean? Can you summarize instructions for the rest of Bella's life in one or two short sentences? What does it require to take care of a shy, anxious or fearful dog which had a life so far confined to the inside of a cage in dark stables, deprived of daylight and social interaction with humans?

I asked Debbie Jacobs, CPDT-KA, and author of the book "A Guide To Living With & Training A Fearful Dog", what would be her main piece of advice to the people that are about to adopt a dog from the former puppy mill:

"The most important point at this time for these dogs is that they feel safe, have their choices for distance respected and receive LOTS of good food treats and if they want, playtime with the people or other dogs in the house."

When I adopted fearful Viva some years ago I felt a lot like how some of you might feel today, when you are about to adopt one of the puppy mill dogs. It was mostly a leap of faith from my side. Debbie's book and blog was a tremendous help in understanding Viva better, and helping her to be the happy and not so fearful dog she is today. According to Debbie that is very well possible for the puppy mill dogs as well:

"If these dogs are going to be successful it's going to be because their owners are able to respond appropriately to behaviors they are seeing. Thankfully even many of these dogs who have suffered so much or been deprived, can become successful pets."

When you are not a natural like me, and you consider to adopt one of the dogs, you might find Debbie's blog very helpfull. A great place to start exploring all the resources available is Getting Started, and just take it from there. Or if you like it better, consider the book.

You are on a mission. It will not happen overnight. Some of the things you do today and cherish, you might have to find alternatives for. But the reward of success for you and your dog will be a bond that goes so deep, you not have thought possible. It will have its ups and downs, but it will definitely be worth it. At least, that is how I feel now, looking back at the journey of Viva and me so far.

Back to the dogs. The shelter mentioned the interest for the Hovawarts is a lot less than for the Golden's. Maybe understandable, as the Golden's are a lot more well-know to most families. On the other hand you will read with most Hovawarts in the accompanying requirements-text that a family with Hovawart experience would be preferable. That makes me wonder. There are not that many Hovawart families in Denmark. Most of them are torn beforehand by the 20 year's existence of this puppy mill and having advocated not to buy from the puppy mill.

Therefore I hope that the shelter will soon accept adoption requests from experienced Hovawart parents from surrounding countries as well. Or maybe even, overseas, although the shelter rightfully worries the long travel might be too stressful for the dogs.

And to keep the best news to the end: I just learned that the first Hovawart puppy was adopted by a family. Her name is Stella, only 5 months old. She is a careful little girl and her new family will provide her with a calm environment just to her liking. Wishing Stella and her family all the best. I am delighted.

I almost can't believe this is happening now. Stella will soon make her first new steps in life, into the light and with her freedom regained. More will follow. I wish I could be a fly on the wall with them all.

***

You can find the adoption page here. Inquiries can be send to internat (at) mail (dot) dk.

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

I Worked In A Danish Hovawart Puppy Mill

"Gill" with two Hovawart puppies

Recently I had a talk with "Gill", a summer worker in the dreaded Danish Hovawart puppy mill we all have learned so much about in the past week. And she very much want to share what she experienced on the inside.

"Gill" worked in the Hovawart puppy mill back in 2001, long before the recent developments where all dogs ended into such a severe state of neglect and maltreatment. But already in 2001, their life was confined to a cage.

"Gill" was not happy with what she saw on arrival, but decided to make the best of it:

"I was a teenage girl and had to earn money for my college. I didn't knew a lot about puppy farms. At first I was shocked to see 100 dogs that had to live in a stable like horses. Not seeing a blue sky at all. Later, when I noticed the inbreeding that was going on, it became even more frustrating to me. I had to close my eyes for this and do the best I could for the dogs instead. But it was too frustrating, I had to leave."

Already then, conditions for the dogs were poor, to say the least, although they were fed:

"The house looked just as normal house, but it was very messy at the same time, as there was puppies in every possible corner. Of course when people came to take a look for a pup the living room/kitchen was cleaned and coffee was made. But the stables where the dogs were held was made of metal crates with wooden partitions. each box was approx 1.5*2.5 meters. With two dogs in each. They lived on wood shavings, and I had to muck out every morning. The stables were clean at that stage. And the mums with newborn pups (there was about 1 to 2 litters each month) lived in another side of the stable which I hated to clean as there was no air at all. It smelled like hell. "Helle" [note Kenzo: pseudonym for the owner] took care of them mostly herself together with her daughter. Food once a day, muck out, water twice a day. That's all attention the dogs got."

 "Gill" decides to at least take care of the dogs as good as she could:

"I took some of the dogs for a walk, as they were badly socialized. only sitting in their cages. I went out for walks to the nearest forest. They had a beautiful girl imported from Germany, she was very shy, so I tried to socialize her as much as I could. She was lovely. They all were. They wanted to be loved as every dog does. "Helle" was shocked if I went out with some dogs for a walk of an hour or two. She said they are not used to such long walks."

 And there were more signs it was just a business: 

"We mostly only went to the clinic to chip, vaccinate and do x-rays for dysplasia. "Helle" didn't want to euthanize unhealthy puppies. One day I asked why she didn't bring one pup from a littler, which had no joints on its front paws. She didn't want me to mention it. But I asked the vet behind her back what I should do. He then called up and euthanized him himself. "Helle" was angry and said it was too expensive. Some puppies were very small and weak with big bellies, they looked like they had rickets. If I asked "Helle" why they look like this and if they will grow healthy, she explained to me that Hovawart have very bad milk to feed puppies and I'm too young to understand. But my parents always had high quality Schnauzers, with a littler every few years, so I know how healthy puppies should look like. As soon as the puppies looked more or less good they were sold."

"Gill" continues about the inbreeding she noticed:

"Only few dogs were imported or bred from other dogs and I remember some dogs were bred from only one generation in between. "Helle"'s daughter told me who is who and also I saw some of the dogs didn't look for me as they would produce good offspring. As a result, a lot of the puppies had abnormalities, such as no joints, very weak, etc."

 Not only the dogs were taken advantage of:

"When I came some other girls from my country already worked there before me. They were both professional FCI handlers and also came there just for extra money. "Helle" paid less than we should earn. Only 200 dollars a month. I didn't understand why "Helle" was so stressed all the time, we had to hide in the kennel if the police was passing by or the mailman was coming. As I found out later, we were not officially registered workers. But pups were sold for 1000 or more dollars abroad."

Two months later, "Gill" left.

***

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