Cone of SHAME

This is me. I am not happy. Stay tuned.

Winter

I love winter, I love snow, I love cold. All are happening here and now in London! Here is a photo of me sitting in my sandbox, now full of snow, waiting for Mocha - who sadly won't come. My momma took me for a walkies today. It did not go well. She brought along my human sister. When she does this I go into ultimate protection mode. A couple came walking close to us, I nearly pulled my momma off her feet to get in front of Addie. Then the woman wanted to pat me, not really a good idea when I am wound up.... All in all, it was a good weekend. A weekend spent mostly outside, -18 is perfect for me, and with my family. If you know of the Kuvasz, you know how important this is. Most importantly though my mommy brought me home a new Dolly Dragon - the greatest toy ever. I had one for over a year, sadly I chewed his face off the other day and tore all the stuffing out. It lasted a year, pretty good I say!

Paco and the dog

We have 2 cats. One who loves me, one who hates me. I shall talk about the one who loves me. My parents are amazed by our (weird) relationship. We get along so well. She waits for me to get up in the morning so she can race into the room and groom me. Here are some photos of us bonding, like we do most of the day. Notice the hugeness of the cat, I am a big dog don't get me wrong, but she certainly does not look tiny next to me. She is close to 20lbs, my pops thinks she has a food addiction. She eats anything and everything.

Here is a short video of the grooming process, it is not high quality because if my momma ran and got the good camera, I would get up and chase her - so please don't mind the poor quality. Normally she sits on my back and grooms, today she decided to grab my nose to hold on. I don't mind, saves me from having to clean myself! (Note, in the tv is on in the background, really quite loud - watching Parks and Recreation. Sorry)

2010 is a Bust

I haven't been around in a while. I KNOW - it has been a pretty crazy and sad 2010 so far. People have died, the new baby got pneumonia, I had a MASSIVE allergic reaction to some flowers, and then to top it off, my best friend Mocha died. She was a 4 year old German Sheppard who lived next door. She was there the first day my momma and pops brought me home, and she taught me the ropes! She was a gorgeous girl, and I miss her everyday. If my mother organized her pictures, she would post one of me and Mocha running at the fence, but she isn't so she won't. (when I find one - I will post it)

Here is a picture of me (wearing my stylish muzzle - don't

ask) with my eyes swollen. It was pretty gross. My third eyelid covered both my eyes, nearly making my momma sick. Then for the next week as they went back to normal I looked like a St. Bernard with droopy eyes. Why she must put a picture like this up, I will never know.

This is me and my girl looking at the tree that I helped decorate and protect!!!

Where have I been? What have I been doing?

This is my special lady friend Kasey

This is me at Kasey's birthday party. I love hats.

Just lounging and playing coy...

I see something...


Those are pretty loaded questions. I will answer them as best as I can. I have been busy. Does that help? No, seriously. It was a busy summer, my dad built a patio worthy of my awesomeness, however, during the building process I was not allowed into MY backyard. Can you imagine? It was not pleasant for me. There were many menacing squirrels and chipmunks that I was not allowed to chase, for fear I may dig into the fresh sand a ruin the level surface. PFFF whatever.

The more important reason for my absence was my "lameness". I was limping quite a bit in the summer, and my mother, ever vigilant as she is, took me to the vet. Initially they thought it was something that I would grow out of with a bit of rest. So I wasn't allowed to do ANYTHING. My mom locked me behind baby gates, took me out on LEASH to pee. I wasn't getting any better so back to the vet I went. I was x-rayed and found out I have mild hip dysplasia, patella luxations, and a soft tissue injury. The good thing was that it was likely the soft tissue injury which was causing my limping and pain. I was on anti-inflammatories for an entire month, with strict no exercise. I started to get better, then I started limping again. Basically I haven't been able to do my perimter checks for an entire summer. I have no idea what is living in my backyard now. The horror. Mommy says I can soon go out and play. A few more weeks, fingers crossed.

I am now almost 18 months old, I weigh about 87lbs and I am totally cute. I mean TOTALLY CUTE. I still LOVE THE CHILDREN. When they play on the floor with their delightfully coloured toys I like to go and get my toys and bring them to the kids. We all sit on a blanket and play. Mommy smiles whenever I do this. The smallest of the children is 8months, he likes to play with my fur. Sometimes he eats it. The parents don't think that is too funny. Me, I just lie there and take the cuddles.

Last night there was quite the commotion in my 'hood. At 3am someone was banging on our front door. I saw this an opportunity to go Kuvasz on them. Unfortunately I woke the baby in my efforts to protect my flock. The baby didn't go back to bed for sometime after. The parents weren't mad at me, they knew I was doing my job. (Quite impressive really, he went into a full stance, growled, barked for a half hour straight. He was hearing sounds we couldn't!)

Anyway, that is all for me right now. Still living life behind my gated community, but if it means I can go snow shoeing soon I am all for it!

I really, really, REALLY love the baby.

Ok, so the baby. So much fun. I love to watch him, make sure he is ok, and be around him all the time. I can't get enough of him. My mom bought me a new bed and what did I do - I dragged it up beside the crib so I can sleep beside the baby. Lately my mom has been putting the baby down on the ground, I do what any good dog (Kuvasz) would do, I guarded the baby. No worries, my mom was nearby the whole time!!!!

So what happens when the children leave the house. This is what happens...


I must know where they are at all times!!! Come back children, come back....

Anyway, here is a photo of me guarding my kids climber, just in case a pesky squirrel comes by.



Ok, in all seriousness - T-Bone is an amazing dog. He loves both kids, needs to know where they are at all times. As I said before, he even dragged his dog bed beside the baby's crib. It was so cute. He always checks the backyard while the kids are out, just to make sure it is safe!

Funny story though, the other morning I let him out back to play, like I do every morning. I didn't realize the side gate was open. I had to go out to the car in front to grab something and I turned around and there was T-Bone sitting beside me. My heart dropped, the last time he got out front he tore around the snow running up and down the street! I had to approach with caution so as to not excite him and make him run! He just sat there, let me grab his collar and walk him to the back.

On another note. Took him to the vet the other day for heartworm testing - he is fine, and he only weighs 83lbs. Tiny boy!!!! His mother was a huge Kuvasz, his father on the smaller side - so he is about right. Still has some growing to go!

This and That

Me and Paco - friends forever. Please disregard the blanket in the background, it is their to collect the cat hair.
This is my kitty Paco!

My new toy! I love it, it is bigger than the new baby.


You may be wondering where I have been. Well, it has been quite busy around my house. There is a new child for me to protect, plus the older child, plus the cats, plus my people! It is a constant battle for me. What have I been doing. Well, I went to the dog park the other day, I haven't been since November. My mom thought it would be ok as I am awesome when I go to the kennel and play with the other dogs. The adventure started off innocently enough. I went with my friend Kasey the Boston Terrier. She loves me. I love her. We were the only ones in the dog park. It was heaven. The other dogs started showing up, I went all Kuvasz on them and wouldn't let them come into the dog park. I would pace back and forth in front of the gate - then I would stop and stare. Finally my mom got a hold of me, other dogs entered the park. I felt the need to protect Kasey, so I stood over her and wouldn't let other dogs come near her. My mom then thought it best that we leave. * (editor note : T-Bone is now about 105lbs, about 30lbs heavier and WAY stronger than the last time I went to the park with him. It was a struggle to stay on my feet when he wanted to take off after the other dogs. I have owned other dogs, big dogs - huge sheppards, a Bouvier and I have NEVER ever had a dog as strong as T-Bone, it is truly amazing and scary at the same time.)

I have a nice routine going here. Whenever I get let out into MY backyard I check the perimeter. I have been doing this since I was 9 weeks old. Now, I like to bark at each corner to let others know I am out. My parents can distinguish this bark from the get the heck away from my house or people bark, so they let me do it.

My new baby is now 2 months old and I love him. He doesn't do much, but I am with him whenever possible. I sleep under the swing, the bassinet, I will lick his face - oh and my FAVOURITE thing to do it grab my (his) colourful toys. They are so pretty, they look just like mine. I just don't understand why they keep hiding them from me. I now have to go into the crib and get them out to chew them. Imagine my horror when I was told they weren't mine. THE HORROR.

This is my first spring and I love it. There is so much mud. I love mud. My parents - not so much. My dad is in the process of cleaning the backyard after a long winter. Not a fun job, I like plastic of all kinds. Flower pots, fencing, sandboxes - all of these have been strewn throughout the backyard. Sadly, they are all gone.

Anyway, that is a quick update. Here are a few photos of me and my kids.

Where have I been????

What this photo of my stunning self does not show is the enormous pink patch on my face. Who knew that eating a bottle of pink glue paint (non-toxic) would make such a mess. Mommy said I would be the prettiest boy at the kennel. It took 2 weeks for the paint to finally come off my face. What can I say, I like to dress up!
People keep asking, where is T-Bone, he hasn't posted in a while. Well, there is a good reason for that. My human mother had a baby. So there was a lot of shuffling of me, T-Bone, too and from the Spa. I spent 5 days there last week, my longest stay by far. My parents, while having a baby, still worried that I might not adjust to life at the kennel that long. My mom even called from the hospital. Turns out I was having a awesome time. My parents were very assured when the spa people told them that they use me, T-Bone, as an introduction dog when new scared dogs come to the kennel - because I love all dogs big and small and will play accordingly with them. Although, my spa seperates the small dogs from the larger, they still bring me out to visit.

On to more pressing news. The infant. There was much concern, speculation about what I, T-Bone, would do with a new little person. I am quite protective of the people I already have, and generally love everyone I meet - with the exception of larger males with hats and sunglasses, something shady about them. Anyway, everyone was concerned with how I would react. Let me replay my first encounter with the baby. I came home from the spa, all my people were already home. I was excited to see them, at first I did not notice the little person sitting in this basket contraption, that is until 2 hours later when he made a noise... At first it was glorious little squeaking sound, I thought THEY BOUGHT ME A NEW TOY. I immediately went on a toy hunt, must find that new squeaky toy. I went to the area of the basket, did they hide underneath the basket?.... no.... not there.... what about in the basket?.... WHAT IS THAT. It was a tiny little person (editor note: not that tiny, over 10lbs). I sniffed, I looked back and forth to mama and papa. Papa jumped out of his chair to come over and supervise. I looked again, then I sniffed again. I walked away. That was our first encounter. Now, this little person appears to be staying here permanently, so I have decided to add him to my protection roster. Now I sleep by the basket, I like to sniff when he is sitting on laps, and I like to sit beside him when he is sitting with other people, just in case they need me.

Editor note: We had a lot of concerns about how T-Bone would react to a new person in the house. He has been absolutely amazing. Aside from one growling moment when the baby cried, T-Bone has been a model dog. He is curious, but never over steps. We are so relieved. He is such a sucky boy, we were worried that would be lost when we had the baby, fortunately it wasn't. He still sleeps with us, wants his cuddles, but understands when sometimes it isn't possible!!! Go T-Bone go!

A charmed life

Well, it has been a while since I last posted. Things have been going really well. T-Bone is growing by leaps and bounds. He is a bit small for a Kuvasz, but our vet assures us the new food he is on is designed to put weight on him slowly so as to not put too much strain on the joints! He is about 75lbs, and very FAST. One thing we have learned the hard way, if T-Bone gets bored - he gets destructive! I am at home these days on sick leave, and when i can't play with him as much as he likes he eats things. He quite likes anything wooden or toilet paper. Any kind of paper really. Since there is a small child in the house there are a lot of arts and crafts around, he likes those too. We are getting ready for a new baby in a couple of weeks, so we are very interested to see how Mr. T will react. He loves all children, and is really good with all people, except one person. We had to take T-Bone for an emergency vet visit when his eye started swelling up, well - T-Bone loves all the women at the Vet's office, I mean loves them. As soon as he sees them he lies down at their feet and waits for the petting to begin. This time we saw a new vet, he is about 6 ft 5 and 225 lbs. The biggest person T-Bone has ever seen. He went NUTS. Barking and protecting Addie and I. Apparently this has happened with this particular vet before and other dogs. He is quite the imposing figure indeed. Nonetheless, we left there with some eye cream and antihistimines and T-Bone's eye cleared up. We are thankful we have such a great vet! We are also thankful that T-Bone is a guard dog. Recently a relative of ours house was broken into and many things taken. We know T-Bone is wary of strangers (especially the squirrel kind), and likes to guard the house at all hours, so we are confident that this would never happen here.

We will be getting the Christmas tree this afternoon so we will see how that goes....

Mommy says no....

Hey mommy, look at that man just walking down the lane, can I go and bark at him.... mommy says "NO T-Bone". Hey mommy, that man who wants to pat me, he looks kinda of crazy, can I lunge at him and bark.... mommy say "No T-Bone". Hey mommy, that cyclist looks pretty suspicious, do you want me to chase him down and knock him off his bike..... mommy says " NO T-BONE DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT." Well, that was my weekend, a bunch of no's.

On the plus side, we found a new dog park to go to. It is off leash and it is gorgeous, fully fenced, walking trails, wood chipped play areas. I love it there. Word on the street has it that another Kuvasz frequents there. The other day a woman came up to my parents and said, what a beautiful Kuvasz you have. Needless to say, my parents were dumbfounded, nobody has ever recognized my breed before. We still haven't seen the other Kuv yet, but I know he will be back. I did get to run full out today, I have never run that fast before. I had to chase down the Weimaramer and Collie, I almost did it - man were they fast! All in all a very exhausting day. I need to rest up, tomorrow is my big graduation from obedience school. Fingers crossed!

BOOOOO!!!

My dad says this is the low point in my young life! He wonders how such a regal and majestic dog can be reduced to this. My mom thinks it is cute, me - well as long as there are treats I am game!

Nobody puts Baby (I mean T-Bone) in a corner...

Ok, so I haven't posted in a while because nothing new was happening. Last week we went back to obedience training and T-Bone decided he wanted to participate - he was really good. Did all the commands perfectly, and not just once (which has been the case previous weeks where he would do it once then lie down and just look at me) with regularity. The trainers thought perhaps a gentle leader would be a good idea given his size. (Currently 50lbs) Well, we did not have success the last time we used one, in fact he had found a way to get it off and chew it to pieces. People would tell me we didn't put it on correctly etc. Well, he was fitted for one last night at the beginning of class. BIG MISTAKE. Class was a write off. While the other dogs were walking and heeling in the circle T-Bone and I were asked to stand in the middle out of the other dogs way. Why you ask??? Well, seems Mr. T wouldn't participate whilst wearing the Gentle Leader, instead he was writhing around trying to get it off. I am not talking about just 5-10 minutes, no the ENTIRE hour was spent figuring out. Well 45 minutes after putting it on properly, he had found a way to get it off. He used his nail to unclip the strap underneath that tightens it and slip it off his face. He did this 2 times. The trainers were amazed, they have never seen a dog do that before. They suggested that if he knows how to do it, not once - but 2 times, he will likely just remove each time he puts it on. Kuvaszok are a smart dog. He knows how to undo the clip!!! WOW. Anyway, once he got it off he was not happy with me, he just sat and stared at me, with the expression of "how could you do that to me?" "That was not cool."

On a different note, we (I) have been having some problems with Mr.T's dominance with me. He really is showing no signs of it with Mike, but when I am sitting on the couch in the basement especially, he will bark at me, nip me etc. I was at a loss of what to do. Our trainer gave us a list of things to do for behaviour modification. They were all things we were already doing, fortunately the hubby has a PhD in Animal Learning. So I told our breeder - she suggested I pin him down and sit on him until he stops resisting, showing him I am boss. Well I told the trainers this and they said NEVER do that. It will make him more aggressive. So I mentioned it at the vet today, and they said the same things. Now I am at a loss!!!! Thoughts anyone???? Ok, he is being neutered today, hopefully that will help his behaviour at some point. Lately, he has been much better. He is slowly understanding I control the food, I control his access to outside, I control the crate etc. Perhaps we are at a turing point!

Training a Kuvasz

So last night was our first night of obedience school. I was the one to take T-Bone as he realizes already that Mike is the alpha in the family. Me, not so much - more like Zeta. I had VERY LOW expectations for the first visit, as the last couple of times he was around other dogs he was not very pleased. So to my surprise when we got to the building he was rather good. He wanted to see the other dogs, sniff them out, but was never aggressive towards any of them - he just wanted to play. It is so important with Kuvaszok that they are trained from an early age as they are a very independent breed. I found the class very interesting, we chose this obedience school because the trainers was familiar with the Kuvasz, and have trained them before. What did we learn.... We learned that T-Bone likes to intimidate the smaller dogs by sitting and staring at them until they bark. We also learned how to sit and stay, and heel with a loose lead. T-Bone KNOWS how to do all of these things, when the hubby is with him. With me, he was a bit more aloof. I think the having 15 dogs in the class was a distraction this week, but I think next week has promise. We have been doing our homework and he really gets it at home - let's see if that translates into a good puppy class! He also was very protective of me, when some of the dogs would come over to me for a sniff T-Bone would position himself right in front of me in full stance and would just STARE! It was kind of cool, once I would pet the other pooches and let T-Bone come over and meet them, he was good. Fingers crossed for the next class. We so want to be a good boy like Biggie!

Oh, T-Bone was also the biggest puppy in the class. At one point one of the other owners came over and asked if T-Bone was a dog. I am still curious what she thought he was. I also don't see how people can compare the Kuvasz with a labradoodle - there were 2 in the class and they looked NOTHING like T-Bone!

I am the king of the castle!

Guess we won't be eating at the table tonight!

Siblings

Yesterday Nanook posted how awful it can be to have a baby brother. Well, here is a short video of me and my BIG SISTER. Please, no one call the SPCA, we do love each other - really we do!!! I mean all I want to do is play with her, and deep, deep, deep down I think she wants to play with me - I am fairly certain about this. So, Pooka - I feel your pain! Let me introduce you to my siblings. The grey one is Paco, the brown one Sassy. Sassy is off limits, something about her being delicate, like a flower!

When I grow up...

I want to be a lap dog. I think I will excel. I was practicing a lot this weekend. I like it when my peeps sit on the floor, I just crawl right into their laps. They don't even notice (ok, maybe they do notice my 35lb frame trying to find that right spot), they just carry on with whatever they are doing. My mom thinks I look ridiculous all curled up in her lap, she secretly LOVES it.

I have been starting to mellow out. I have a routine now, I like routines. I know I get my breakfast at 7am followed by playtime with my dad, my lunch at noon followed by more playtime and my dinner at 6pm. Walkies, then chill! I have a good life. My mom's wish is that I would sit still for pictures. She always say, "why can't you sit still like Nanook and Pooka".

Here are a few shots that she took today, I am now 14 weeks old and people think I am getting huge.

12 week visit

So my peeps took me to Dr. Lori today for my check up and shots. Yes, a very large needle in my ass - no I didn't flinch. That is right, my dad says I must have a very high pain tolerance! Apparently I am in excellent physical form, could have saved them some money and told them that! Most importantly, I got my vaccinations so I can go and play in the doggie park. My mom is super excited about this, something about getting rid of energy. Apparently they are not used to a dog that doesn't sleep at all during the night. That is right, I stay awake the ENTIRE night, panting, playing with toys, contemplating the meaning of life. My mom is a really light sleeper so the panting is keeping her awake. WHATEVER. They don't get mad because I am not barking or being disruptive, I think they are just frustrated. So this week, while Mom is on vacation, they are trying to wear me out. Good luck people, I am 3 months old and full of energy, oh yeah - I am also a KUVASZ. So I don't really listen, or at least I selectively listen. My dad says I am really smart, and only pay attention when I want to. I can't be bothered with stupid human tricks. I do my perimeter checks, actively seek out Paco when she escapes into the backyard. I have now trapped her 4 times. My dad didn't believe my mom when she first told him I did this. I have done it 3 times since and he is amazed. It is kinda fun, stupid cat. Here are a few things my parents have learned since bringing me.

1. No one was lying when they said that the Kuvasz is independent. Seriously people, give me some space.

2. The Kuvasz coat is like no other. I can be black from dirt and with a quick brush and shake I am pure white again.

3. Kuvasz are born LIVESTOCK GUARDIAN DOGS. I am only 3 months old and I LOVE TO SERVE AND PROTECT!

So, that is about it. I now weigh 20lbs - double from my last visit. I have changed my food. Aunt Carrie wasn't happy with the kind I was on, and didn't want me on any crappy Proctor and Gamble animal testing food. So we found a suitable one!

In closing, the humans have bought a HALTI for me - see this post it sums it up. Thanks Biggie!

Mud

I discovered the most glorious thing last night - MUD. It poured rain for hours leaving the garden out back a complete mess. Mom and dad are working on the back, so everything is in chaos, so they didn't quite notice when I went in for a little dip. That is until I splashed around a bit! I did get to have my first bath, everyone also got to see how dirt, once dried, just falls off the Kuvasz coat! We are an awesome breed. Here is a tidbit of video of my mud romp. Biggie, have you had the pleasure of splashing around in mud. SO MUCH FUN! To most, diving in the mud is no big deal, my mom thinks IT IS because I am pure white. I quite liked the contrast of the white fur with dark brown mud. I thought I looked striking. Obviously my mom wasn't too concerned as she had time to run in and grab the camera.
My mom wants me to say that our backyard doesn't always look like that. They have been ripping up gardens and are putting in a new patio. Just means more adventures for me!

Pictures 9 - 10 weeks!