Fake Shepherds

"OMG. She feels so soft!" I hear that a lot. "Will it last?" some ask too.

Shaping Memories

We're well passed three months now. At this age, Zerline reminds me a lot about Kenzo. We first got him home when he was about the age Zerline is now.

The Wild Bunch

Today I tried to take a walk alone with Tilde. Being just the two of us would allow for a longer walk and, with all the time which goes into puppy Zerline, she would appreciate some alone quality time with me.

Hovawart TV: Zerline The Surfer

It was an impressive sight for Zerline. The first time we went to the beach she dared to go up all the way to the shoreline to have a closer look at all that boiling water and listen to the waves roar.

Hovawart TV: Digging A Team

When you dig as a team you can get deeper and move more sand when you work together. Trying to own the pit won't give any progress, and practicing dry breaststroke swims in it won't either. To dig, in itself, is the goal. Tilde seems to get that. But can she teach puppy Zerline to dig in the same direction?

Report From Puppy World

We are almost through the first month of puppy-hood in the blink of an eye. Zerline is 11 weeks old today. She has done a lot of growing. Her legs in particular seem to explode and lift her still fragile body higher and higher up into the air.

Conversations With A Hovawart #4: The Union

"Can we have a word?"

Zerline looked serious. Those big brown puppy eyes told me she had something important to share. I laid down my camera and reporters notebook, both overheated from puppy adventures, to give her my full attention.

"Dit Is Een Goed Stel, Hoor"

It's a sentence each Dutch person recognizes. Spoken by the sports commentator Theo Reitsma as he observed the Dutch national soccer team celebrate their win in the final of the European Soccer Cup in 1988. There is nothing profound about it. It simply means "This is a good team, for sure."

Summer Socialization With A Twist

In the middle of Summer all the rentals are occupied. Although I enjoy the emptiness of the West-coast during Winter, the tourists bring a special vacation atmosphere with them I have come to appreciate. People are happy and wear smiles, they have time and are not busy, or try their best not to be.

Bold and Bolder

It was the moment I had been waiting for. The moment in which I could witness Tilde and Zerline to truly connect. To find each other, enjoy each other's company while forging a bond on the road that leads to a true friendship.