A Must Read Before You Even Consider Adding An Alaskan Malamute To Your Life
Nuntuk
So you think that you want to own an Alaskan Malamute? Why? Are you out of your mind? I can tell you right from the start that we like to take control of every situation. Yes, We are beautiful, Yes we look like wolves, Yes, we are cuddly and we do want to sit in your lap and be at your side at all times. But, are you humans prepared to live with a perpetual two year old for the next 12 years (we wish it could be forever), one that can really try your patience at times, make you laugh one moment and yet get you very quickly frustrated? Then enter my world.
My name is "The Mighty Hunter of Temeew", but my humans call me "NUNTUK". I have lived with them now for four and a half years and to my surprise they still love me. Oh how I like to be cuddled. Nothing is greater than getting a big hug, a scratch behind the ear, then a belly rub and a kiss on the nose, followed by breakfast. I happen to be one of the few that knows when I have to be good and when I can get away with being bad. I have a real bad habit, I am not happy to have one acre to play in, when my humans have 71 more. I want to see the whole world. So there are times when I know my humans aren't looking and I make myself an opening in the fence to go and explore. I have been known to stay out late and have my humans worried to a point were they have waited up for me sitting on the porch till all hours of the night. Do you think that at my age I still have to have a curfew? I don't think that 2 AM is too late to come home (I left at 5 in the afternoon). They worry too much. I can take care of myself, after all I am a big boy. I guess that is what they are worried about. I did hear them say once, "A malamute on the loose does not make for a good neighbour." Whatever that is supposed to mean. I just don't understand. I was such a good little boy. I was the only one of the pack that learned to put his toys away when I was done playing. I kid you not. I used to take my toys in the living room and when I was done playing I would put them back on my blanket where I slept in the porch. All of this without being asked. Of course there is "TEMEERA" Who I swear is the most spoiled. She learned to sing on command and I must say she has a very beautiful voice. She learned at a tender young age that if she pushed the ottoman from the livingroom to the kitchen counter that she could have any snack that our humans left. Isn't she clever? Yup, we have proven it over and over again that we are smarter then our human companions. But I do warn you "Temeera" is the alpha around here, and if she growls you listen, otherwise you are in deep trouble. Now for some real important stuff.
SO YOU WANT TO OWN A MALAMUTE!!!!
Who in there right mind would want to share their life with a strong willed, intelligent, independent creature that is capable of moving 2,000 pounds ...............all on there own? One that thinks every yard is a place for digging and we do not care if we dig in your favourite flowerbed or your best couch. There is a reason why we carry the title of, "World Class Champion Diggers". To my surprise over the last four and a half years I found out that there are very many crazy humans out there who are up for the challenge. They have learned to share their life with a friend that can join them in all sorts of activities; one who is always ready to listen to humans unimportant problems, and one friend that has always an unlimited supply of affection. So if I put it on a scale from 1-20, humans gain more than enough from us to justify the inevitable headaches we give them from time to time. But, before you acquire one of us, it is important that you learn to understand us fully, so that you can make a well informed, wise decision about whether or not you are interested in meeting the challenges of sharing your life with one of us. My humans are so crazy that they share their lives with 15 , so, it can't be that bad, or, maybe they just don't know better.
We have an average lifespan of between ten to twelve years. You must be prepared to make a commitment to providing us with a stable home for our whole life. We need to eat a balanced diet and see a doctor at least once a year. I guess that is what you humans need to do too. But, there are circumstances that can change your life suddenly and unexpectedly-something for which none of you can plan. But, there are times in your lives when it might be best to delay to get one of us.
If I may say so, and please don't get the idea that I think allot of myself, but we Malamutes are strikingly beautiful dogs (of course I am the most beautiful one in this neighbourhood and everyone that has met me says so too) and many people want to have one of us for that reason alone ( want one that looks just like me). It is vital that you look past our pretty face to see what type of dogs we really are. We are stubborn, friendly, independent, energetic, intelligent, dominant and possess a highly developed sense of pack hierarchy. Lovers of us cherish all these traits, but many humans find living with them would be to difficult. The time to figure out which group you are in is BEFORE you acquire one of our kids. There are so many different breeds of dogs to choose from that there is no excuse for going wrong. You must choose one whose temperament and needs fit in with your lifestyle.
MALAMUTES ARE PACK ANIMALS!!!!
Our natural dominance and sense of pack hierarchy can get us into lots of trouble. Of course we all want to be top dog. Our human family becomes our pack, and they must teach us everyone's place in the pack. Our owners job is to teach us that our place is at the bottom of that hierarchy-that every human, from the smallest child on up to big guys, rank above us. The lessons are quite simple to teach to a young pup and if done properly, will last a lifetime. (So if they are to last a lifetime why do we need a reminder everyday?). However, if the human family does not understand the need to establish their leadership during our young age, we will be more than happy to assume the role of dominant alpha leader. This leads to problems with DOMINANCE AGGRESSION and is a leading cause of us being unwanted. We are either euthanized or abandoned at shelters. This does not happen when we are older, but as very young dogs, adolescence who are allowed to rule the house. Just like human children, the time to teach us respect is when we are very young, it is way to late to try and change us when we are teenagers, because at that point we know everything better then you, we know where we stand in the pack order. By the age of 7-8 month we suddenly turn into the puppy from hell overnight, and if not handled properly we will be unmanageable to live with by the age of 12 month. The first signs of serious problems is that we growl at our moms and dads and that is very bad. This usually leads to a bite and at that point we cannot be trusted. Now listen up people; "MOST PROBLEMS ARISE BECAUSE OF YOUR IGNORANCE AND BECAUSE YOU DO NOT SEEK PROPER HELP FROM OUR ORIGINAL HUMANS. THEY BROUGHT US INTO THIS WORLD AND KNOW US VERY WELL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! O.K?" So when you have problems call those who have experience with our habits.
Many humans think that we Mals are stupid and untrainable. Wrong. We are so smart and intelligent that we learn so quickly that after it is up in our head we just feel we don't have to do it every time we are asked. We are very independent and because we have a high level of dominance we think that we should not make training easy but give you a real challenge. What better way to keep a human motivated. Every time I am asked to do something the first question is ,"Why should I?". I really do feel that we were not put on this earth to please our human companion, it should be the other way around. So, we keep humans challenged in that they have to find other ways to motivate us and keep us amused. We sure have fun with them and like to figure out what they can think of next. Some of the things just get us howling.
So, as I have said training MUST begin at a very early age and the first lessons MUST teach us our place in the family. Mom says that we need to learn that 'NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE'. I like free things, don't you? What it means is that I have to work for everything I want. A wise human will make a real effort to keep training fun and interesting---nothing turns us off faster than constant repetition of the same boring routine. Remember I told you that we were like a two year old human. You are never finished training us you have to do it for our lifetime. One hint, enter training with an open mind and enthusiasm . Learn to think like a Malamute (we can teach you real quick) and your life will be much easier. All of us can learn and just like our humans, there are certain levels that we can attain on an individual basis. Some of us excel and some of us not.
WE NEED WORK TO DO!!!!
We are working sled dogs bred with the ability to pull heavy loads all day everyday. But believe it or not some of us also like to be couch potatoes. Not all of us make good pulling dogs because some of us like other sports such as backpacking, hiking, agility, biking, roller blading, swimming (not all of us like the water, but ,here at Mimmenuk we are trained at an early age to love it. We just can't get to exuberant and go swimming in the water garden. We get heck for that.) cuddling and of course walking and jogging. Some of us really like to get into competitive sport such as sledding and competitive weight pulling . If we are in condition than an average size, one of us ,can pull over 2000pounds .................on their very own. I bet not to many humans can do that. All in all we have a tremendous amount of energy, so our humans must find the proper outlet for it. A walk around the block just will not cut it. Only in the summer do we want to lay around. A bored Mutes can think of many destructive ways to let out his frustrations. We can think of many undesirable ways to make you very very unhappy. Here are a few things; excessive digging (I mean turning the whole backyard upside down or if I am indoors then I will dig in the cushions of the couch ) howling, self mutilation, inappropriate chewing and destruction of property. If I am in the backyard in a kennel the grass will look greener on the other side of the fence. That brings us to another subject!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOOD FENCES ARE A MUST!!!!
Yup, as much as we hate them, you need them. We are notorious roamers if left on the loose. And as I said before we do not make a good neighbor. We will harass or even may fight with other dogs. We may even kill small animals such as cats or small dogs and we might even harass and kill livestock and wildlife. We could even scare little humans because we look like wolves to them. And when you think about it, we could even get hurt like running out in traffic and get hit by a car. You could have irate neighbors, and if you live in the country they have the right to shoot any animal that is harassing their livestock. It is by all means essential that you keep us under control at all times. We need a securely fenced in yard or a good kennel. Remember that we are better at digging than climbing. Never leave us outside by ourselves unless we are restrained. When you exercise with us than you must have us on a leash. If you should be so fortunate that you have one of us exceptional Mals and have been successful at obedience training , there is a chance that you can let us of the leash in a secluded area. A trustworthy Mal is an exception. You should count on having your Mal under control at all times.
WE ARE NOT GUARD DOGS!!!!
Let me give you a little background information about our original lifestyle. The Mahlemiut or Malemut people were nomads. So since they never lived in one place, we always had a new home. They were also very friendly people and many strangers would come into the camps. They really could not afford to have dogs that would attack and bite. So, we were bred to be warning dogs to let our humans know when something strange was going on. We are big and strong and can act as a deterrent to people who are not familiar with us, we simply like people too much to be effective guard dogs. Most of us would welcome a friendly burglar, fix him lunch, show him where the best stuff is and make sure that he got away safe before anyone got home.
WE REQUIRE GROOMING!!!!
We don't require an over abundance of grooming. We have a double coat which is made up of a wooly undercoat and over top we have coarse guard hair. My coat is absolutely magnificent, ( just look at my picture) and it needs to be brushed and combed regularly to keep it looking that way. Twice a year (if you are an outdoor type) we all shed our winter coat and then our summer one. We refer to this as "blowing our coats". We lose our fine dense undercoat, and boy what a mess that is. Bag after bag of hair. Some humans think that we are going to disappear. At this time it is good to rake our coats everyday to cut down on the mess. May I make a suggestion here. My humans like to wait until they see that most of the coat is loose and if you have the right equipment you can lift the loose hair slowly from back to the front in a sheet. It looks like they had just sheared a sheep. Your house will look like a snowstorm hit it for weeks. That is why most owners, just like my humans, bring us only into the house occasionally. Because our coats are oily they dry real fast and dirt once dry falls off. So we do not require a bath until we are no longer huggebly clean. May I make a point here that we are known for not having strong DOGGY ODOUR. Trim our nails, check our teeth and feed us a good natural diet, and provide us with safe toys to chew on.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS!!!!
These are things that our humans recommend:
1. Make sure that we get crate trained . It is an invaluable aid. We consider this our home no matter where we go. It is a safe way to travel in a motor vehicle, and if we ever get sick and need to be in the house it is a quite safe place.
2. Since we like to dig so much, everyone that comes to get one of us cute bundles of joy is told to put a sandbox into one corner in the kennel. Bury our toys there and it keeps our digging instinct satisfied, and we also learn that it is the most appropriate place for us to dig.
3. Make sure that you do not let us do things as puppies that you do not want us to do as grown-ups.
4. Make sure that you handle us when you give us our food. If we growl correct us since this is something that could save our life. Just imagine if I would not let my humans take anything I had in my mouth. I could be eating something that could make me very sick or even kill me. We have to learn to give them anything that we have even our favourite bone. They will give it back if we are good.
5. Let me add something here about rolled up newspapers. Many humans feel that these are great for punishing us, "WRONG!!!!" When we get into stuff that we are not supposed to, then you roll up a newspaper and you hit yourself over the head all the while saying to yourself;" I should have put it away, I should have put it away!!!!!!!!!!!" Get the picture?????? If it looks interesting we will check it out.
6. Because we get so easily bored give us lots of toys and appropriate things to chew on. We like to even chew on fruit and veggies, such as carrots, and apples. A nice "BIG JUICY KNUCKLE BONE" is my absolute favourite.
COMMON REASONS WHY HUMANS DO NOT WANT US!!!!!!!!
Many of us become unwanted because of lack of proper education of the new puppy owner. We do not like to go to the pound nor do we want the other terrible unthinkable thing to happen to us. None of us are bad we just become that way due to ingnorance or not being properly trained. Dad says that there is no such thing as a bad dog just bad and irresponsible dog owners. Here is a list.
1. Human did not understand our characteristics. They did not do enough research on the breed and just went for the good looks.
2. We are Natural hunters, Horrific shedders, Stubborn, Sometimes noisy, Bred to work all day everyday so we need adequate walks. We take a little bit of time each day. We need a routine just like you do.
3. We are BIG dogs with physical strength and also a very strong personality. Combine these two and a new owner is in for a good challenge since we do not like to make things to easy for them.
Training us is very important, but most of all my Dad wants to train new owners. So be prepared for lots of questions, and he wants lots in return.
I have some sad news to report. My best friend " Temeew's Princess Temeera" died on January 14th 2000. Nuntuk
My name is "The Mighty Hunter of Temeew", but my humans call me "NUNTUK". I have lived with them now for four and a half years and to my surprise they still love me. Oh how I like to be cuddled. Nothing is greater than getting a big hug, a scratch behind the ear, then a belly rub and a kiss on the nose, followed by breakfast. I happen to be one of the few that knows when I have to be good and when I can get away with being bad. I have a real bad habit, I am not happy to have one acre to play in, when my humans have 71 more. I want to see the whole world. So there are times when I know my humans aren't looking and I make myself an opening in the fence to go and explore. I have been known to stay out late and have my humans worried to a point were they have waited up for me sitting on the porch till all hours of the night. Do you think that at my age I still have to have a curfew? I don't think that 2 AM is too late to come home (I left at 5 in the afternoon). They worry too much. I can take care of myself, after all I am a big boy. I guess that is what they are worried about. I did hear them say once, "A malamute on the loose does not make for a good neighbour." Whatever that is supposed to mean. I just don't understand. I was such a good little boy. I was the only one of the pack that learned to put his toys away when I was done playing. I kid you not. I used to take my toys in the living room and when I was done playing I would put them back on my blanket where I slept in the porch. All of this without being asked. Of course there is "TEMEERA" Who I swear is the most spoiled. She learned to sing on command and I must say she has a very beautiful voice. She learned at a tender young age that if she pushed the ottoman from the livingroom to the kitchen counter that she could have any snack that our humans left. Isn't she clever? Yup, we have proven it over and over again that we are smarter then our human companions. But I do warn you "Temeera" is the alpha around here, and if she growls you listen, otherwise you are in deep trouble. Now for some real important stuff.
SO YOU WANT TO OWN A MALAMUTE!!!!
Who in there right mind would want to share their life with a strong willed, intelligent, independent creature that is capable of moving 2,000 pounds ...............all on there own? One that thinks every yard is a place for digging and we do not care if we dig in your favourite flowerbed or your best couch. There is a reason why we carry the title of, "World Class Champion Diggers". To my surprise over the last four and a half years I found out that there are very many crazy humans out there who are up for the challenge. They have learned to share their life with a friend that can join them in all sorts of activities; one who is always ready to listen to humans unimportant problems, and one friend that has always an unlimited supply of affection. So if I put it on a scale from 1-20, humans gain more than enough from us to justify the inevitable headaches we give them from time to time. But, before you acquire one of us, it is important that you learn to understand us fully, so that you can make a well informed, wise decision about whether or not you are interested in meeting the challenges of sharing your life with one of us. My humans are so crazy that they share their lives with 15 , so, it can't be that bad, or, maybe they just don't know better.
We have an average lifespan of between ten to twelve years. You must be prepared to make a commitment to providing us with a stable home for our whole life. We need to eat a balanced diet and see a doctor at least once a year. I guess that is what you humans need to do too. But, there are circumstances that can change your life suddenly and unexpectedly-something for which none of you can plan. But, there are times in your lives when it might be best to delay to get one of us.
If I may say so, and please don't get the idea that I think allot of myself, but we Malamutes are strikingly beautiful dogs (of course I am the most beautiful one in this neighbourhood and everyone that has met me says so too) and many people want to have one of us for that reason alone ( want one that looks just like me). It is vital that you look past our pretty face to see what type of dogs we really are. We are stubborn, friendly, independent, energetic, intelligent, dominant and possess a highly developed sense of pack hierarchy. Lovers of us cherish all these traits, but many humans find living with them would be to difficult. The time to figure out which group you are in is BEFORE you acquire one of our kids. There are so many different breeds of dogs to choose from that there is no excuse for going wrong. You must choose one whose temperament and needs fit in with your lifestyle.
MALAMUTES ARE PACK ANIMALS!!!!
Our natural dominance and sense of pack hierarchy can get us into lots of trouble. Of course we all want to be top dog. Our human family becomes our pack, and they must teach us everyone's place in the pack. Our owners job is to teach us that our place is at the bottom of that hierarchy-that every human, from the smallest child on up to big guys, rank above us. The lessons are quite simple to teach to a young pup and if done properly, will last a lifetime. (So if they are to last a lifetime why do we need a reminder everyday?). However, if the human family does not understand the need to establish their leadership during our young age, we will be more than happy to assume the role of dominant alpha leader. This leads to problems with DOMINANCE AGGRESSION and is a leading cause of us being unwanted. We are either euthanized or abandoned at shelters. This does not happen when we are older, but as very young dogs, adolescence who are allowed to rule the house. Just like human children, the time to teach us respect is when we are very young, it is way to late to try and change us when we are teenagers, because at that point we know everything better then you, we know where we stand in the pack order. By the age of 7-8 month we suddenly turn into the puppy from hell overnight, and if not handled properly we will be unmanageable to live with by the age of 12 month. The first signs of serious problems is that we growl at our moms and dads and that is very bad. This usually leads to a bite and at that point we cannot be trusted. Now listen up people; "MOST PROBLEMS ARISE BECAUSE OF YOUR IGNORANCE AND BECAUSE YOU DO NOT SEEK PROPER HELP FROM OUR ORIGINAL HUMANS. THEY BROUGHT US INTO THIS WORLD AND KNOW US VERY WELL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! O.K?" So when you have problems call those who have experience with our habits.
Many humans think that we Mals are stupid and untrainable. Wrong. We are so smart and intelligent that we learn so quickly that after it is up in our head we just feel we don't have to do it every time we are asked. We are very independent and because we have a high level of dominance we think that we should not make training easy but give you a real challenge. What better way to keep a human motivated. Every time I am asked to do something the first question is ,"Why should I?". I really do feel that we were not put on this earth to please our human companion, it should be the other way around. So, we keep humans challenged in that they have to find other ways to motivate us and keep us amused. We sure have fun with them and like to figure out what they can think of next. Some of the things just get us howling.
So, as I have said training MUST begin at a very early age and the first lessons MUST teach us our place in the family. Mom says that we need to learn that 'NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE'. I like free things, don't you? What it means is that I have to work for everything I want. A wise human will make a real effort to keep training fun and interesting---nothing turns us off faster than constant repetition of the same boring routine. Remember I told you that we were like a two year old human. You are never finished training us you have to do it for our lifetime. One hint, enter training with an open mind and enthusiasm . Learn to think like a Malamute (we can teach you real quick) and your life will be much easier. All of us can learn and just like our humans, there are certain levels that we can attain on an individual basis. Some of us excel and some of us not.
WE NEED WORK TO DO!!!!
We are working sled dogs bred with the ability to pull heavy loads all day everyday. But believe it or not some of us also like to be couch potatoes. Not all of us make good pulling dogs because some of us like other sports such as backpacking, hiking, agility, biking, roller blading, swimming (not all of us like the water, but ,here at Mimmenuk we are trained at an early age to love it. We just can't get to exuberant and go swimming in the water garden. We get heck for that.) cuddling and of course walking and jogging. Some of us really like to get into competitive sport such as sledding and competitive weight pulling . If we are in condition than an average size, one of us ,can pull over 2000pounds .................on their very own. I bet not to many humans can do that. All in all we have a tremendous amount of energy, so our humans must find the proper outlet for it. A walk around the block just will not cut it. Only in the summer do we want to lay around. A bored Mutes can think of many destructive ways to let out his frustrations. We can think of many undesirable ways to make you very very unhappy. Here are a few things; excessive digging (I mean turning the whole backyard upside down or if I am indoors then I will dig in the cushions of the couch ) howling, self mutilation, inappropriate chewing and destruction of property. If I am in the backyard in a kennel the grass will look greener on the other side of the fence. That brings us to another subject!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOOD FENCES ARE A MUST!!!!
Yup, as much as we hate them, you need them. We are notorious roamers if left on the loose. And as I said before we do not make a good neighbor. We will harass or even may fight with other dogs. We may even kill small animals such as cats or small dogs and we might even harass and kill livestock and wildlife. We could even scare little humans because we look like wolves to them. And when you think about it, we could even get hurt like running out in traffic and get hit by a car. You could have irate neighbors, and if you live in the country they have the right to shoot any animal that is harassing their livestock. It is by all means essential that you keep us under control at all times. We need a securely fenced in yard or a good kennel. Remember that we are better at digging than climbing. Never leave us outside by ourselves unless we are restrained. When you exercise with us than you must have us on a leash. If you should be so fortunate that you have one of us exceptional Mals and have been successful at obedience training , there is a chance that you can let us of the leash in a secluded area. A trustworthy Mal is an exception. You should count on having your Mal under control at all times.
WE ARE NOT GUARD DOGS!!!!
Let me give you a little background information about our original lifestyle. The Mahlemiut or Malemut people were nomads. So since they never lived in one place, we always had a new home. They were also very friendly people and many strangers would come into the camps. They really could not afford to have dogs that would attack and bite. So, we were bred to be warning dogs to let our humans know when something strange was going on. We are big and strong and can act as a deterrent to people who are not familiar with us, we simply like people too much to be effective guard dogs. Most of us would welcome a friendly burglar, fix him lunch, show him where the best stuff is and make sure that he got away safe before anyone got home.
WE REQUIRE GROOMING!!!!
We don't require an over abundance of grooming. We have a double coat which is made up of a wooly undercoat and over top we have coarse guard hair. My coat is absolutely magnificent, ( just look at my picture) and it needs to be brushed and combed regularly to keep it looking that way. Twice a year (if you are an outdoor type) we all shed our winter coat and then our summer one. We refer to this as "blowing our coats". We lose our fine dense undercoat, and boy what a mess that is. Bag after bag of hair. Some humans think that we are going to disappear. At this time it is good to rake our coats everyday to cut down on the mess. May I make a suggestion here. My humans like to wait until they see that most of the coat is loose and if you have the right equipment you can lift the loose hair slowly from back to the front in a sheet. It looks like they had just sheared a sheep. Your house will look like a snowstorm hit it for weeks. That is why most owners, just like my humans, bring us only into the house occasionally. Because our coats are oily they dry real fast and dirt once dry falls off. So we do not require a bath until we are no longer huggebly clean. May I make a point here that we are known for not having strong DOGGY ODOUR. Trim our nails, check our teeth and feed us a good natural diet, and provide us with safe toys to chew on.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS!!!!
These are things that our humans recommend:
1. Make sure that we get crate trained . It is an invaluable aid. We consider this our home no matter where we go. It is a safe way to travel in a motor vehicle, and if we ever get sick and need to be in the house it is a quite safe place.
2. Since we like to dig so much, everyone that comes to get one of us cute bundles of joy is told to put a sandbox into one corner in the kennel. Bury our toys there and it keeps our digging instinct satisfied, and we also learn that it is the most appropriate place for us to dig.
3. Make sure that you do not let us do things as puppies that you do not want us to do as grown-ups.
4. Make sure that you handle us when you give us our food. If we growl correct us since this is something that could save our life. Just imagine if I would not let my humans take anything I had in my mouth. I could be eating something that could make me very sick or even kill me. We have to learn to give them anything that we have even our favourite bone. They will give it back if we are good.
5. Let me add something here about rolled up newspapers. Many humans feel that these are great for punishing us, "WRONG!!!!" When we get into stuff that we are not supposed to, then you roll up a newspaper and you hit yourself over the head all the while saying to yourself;" I should have put it away, I should have put it away!!!!!!!!!!!" Get the picture?????? If it looks interesting we will check it out.
6. Because we get so easily bored give us lots of toys and appropriate things to chew on. We like to even chew on fruit and veggies, such as carrots, and apples. A nice "BIG JUICY KNUCKLE BONE" is my absolute favourite.
COMMON REASONS WHY HUMANS DO NOT WANT US!!!!!!!!
Many of us become unwanted because of lack of proper education of the new puppy owner. We do not like to go to the pound nor do we want the other terrible unthinkable thing to happen to us. None of us are bad we just become that way due to ingnorance or not being properly trained. Dad says that there is no such thing as a bad dog just bad and irresponsible dog owners. Here is a list.
1. Human did not understand our characteristics. They did not do enough research on the breed and just went for the good looks.
2. We are Natural hunters, Horrific shedders, Stubborn, Sometimes noisy, Bred to work all day everyday so we need adequate walks. We take a little bit of time each day. We need a routine just like you do.
3. We are BIG dogs with physical strength and also a very strong personality. Combine these two and a new owner is in for a good challenge since we do not like to make things to easy for them.
Training us is very important, but most of all my Dad wants to train new owners. So be prepared for lots of questions, and he wants lots in return.
I have some sad news to report. My best friend " Temeew's Princess Temeera" died on January 14th 2000. Nuntuk