In the past two weeks I have seen two breeds I had heard of but never seen.
Magnificent creatures both. One was a Karelian Bear Dog--Saskia played with
him in the park for a while. The second was a Caucasian Ovcharka. MAN, that
was one fine animal!!!
--Katrina

White Monkey wrote:
In the past two weeks I have seen two breeds I had heard of but never seen.
Magnificent creatures both. One was a Karelian Bear Dog--Saskia played with
him in the park for a while. The second was a Caucasian Ovcharka. MAN, that
was one fine animal!!!
--Katrina

I had a Karelian Bear Dog in a puppy class once, very independent and
headstrong. His owner was an old man. There were a match made in Hell
unfortunately. So important to research breeds before you get one.

I have also met an Ovcharka... he basically just stood there, didn't
have much personality for strangers

So important to research breeds before you get one.


Yeah, I think I'll be sticking to Danes, but don't think I'd turn down
adopting a nice shepherdy-type mixed breed if it came up. The Bear Dog I met
was friendly enough with me in a slightly stand-off-ish sort of way, and
clearly attached to his owner. Both dog and woman were getting on in years,
and clearly very bonded, although not in a touchy-feely, rub my ears way.

The Ovcharka was one year old and deeply interested in playing with my Dane
girl (1 !/2), but the owner was afraid she'd never get him back under
control--she had both arms around his neck and was saying, "No! Stop it!
Come with me!" as we passed each other in opposite directions along the
street. I don't think that was such a well-thought-out dog acquisition, from
first appearances.

This is also a crowded and small city with small apartments and no real
yards, so a Dane is fine as long as she gets taken enough places in the day
to run and run while she's young, and walk around enough and run some when
she's older; Danes are couch potatoes when they get out of puppyhood (any
day, now, right? Any day now...), but the Ovcharka looked like he needed a
lot more free ranging than is really supported here unless (as with the Bear
Dog) one lives on the edge of Vondelpark, the huge park where all dogs can
always run free. Or are willing, like us, to walk for 20 minutes to get to
Westerpark, where the dogs-loose-OK area is several kilometers long and full
of woods and fields and marshes and stuff.

For our own part we're moving to Haarlem in two weeks, where the streets are
wider, the homes bigger, reasonably-sized gardens exist, and there's a
dogs-run-free park (not like a US dog park at all) across the street from
our new apartment. I saw a Bernese there the other day; I wonder what else
we'll meet?
--Katrina

That is so funny, because I met a Karelian Bear Dog last week also and had
to go home an dlook it up since I had never heard of it. Are you from MA?

"White Monkey" wrote in message
...
In the past two weeks I have seen two breeds I had heard of but never
seen.
Magnificent creatures both. One was a Karelian Bear Dog--Saskia played
with
him in the park for a while. The second was a Caucasian Ovcharka. MAN,
that
was one fine animal!!!
--Katrina

"pfoley" wrote in message
ink.net...
That is so funny, because I met a Karelian Bear Dog last week also and had
to go home an dlook it up since I had never heard of it. Are you from
MA?


Oddly, I was born there, but haven't been there since I was 2. I am in
Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
--Katrina

Danes are couch potatoes when they get out of puppyhood (any
day, now, right? Any day now...),

My Dane slowed down around 2 years of age, not that he was every really
super active. Now, at 12, he is definetly a couch potato

"Ronna" wrote in message
oups.com...

Danes are couch potatoes when they get out of puppyhood (any
day, now, right? Any day now...),

My Dane slowed down around 2 years of age, not that he was every really
super active. Now, at 12, he is definetly a couch potato


12! Well done!!

Yeah, 2 or 2 1/2 is what we're thinking, too, based on experiences.

Saskia is only really active once a day for a while, when she's out for a
run, but then she's like some sort of turbo-charged gazelle on speed.

--Katrina

Well, I guess we didn't see the same dog then. I was at the park when I saw
the dog and started talking to the owner who told me what he was. I thought
it was a cross between a Border Collie and an Australian Cattle dog, but he
told me it was a Karelian Bear Dog, and I had to have him repeat it three
times, because I couldn't quite understand what he was telling me. I went
home and did a search on the internet on what I thought he said and there
was the photo of the dog. I think it is funny that you would bring it up as
last week was the first time I had ever heard of that breed.

"White Monkey" wrote in message
...

"pfoley" wrote in message
ink.net...
That is so funny, because I met a Karelian Bear Dog last week also and
had
to go home an dlook it up since I had never heard of it. Are you from
MA?


Oddly, I was born there, but haven't been there since I was 2. I am in
Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
--Katrina