Interesting experience today. So there I was workin’ away on the web this morning when Adah, our white Kuvasz, started getting all antsy in the house. No biggie. She’s always worked up at the deer and any other animal outside….even at 2am. Here she is shortly after she became our pet:
At any rate, what Adah was worked up over today was a male Kuvasz just like her that was hanging around out in the yard for a bit. He had a brand stained on his nappy coat, so I knew right away that he wandered from the sheep herd about 8 miles up the canyon. Kuvasz is a very interesting breed. From the Kuvasz wiki page:
Kuvaszok are relatively intelligent for dogs and are often described as having a clownish sense of humor which can last throughout their adolescence and occasionally into adulthood.[2] They are an intensely loyal yet patient pet who appreciates attention but may also be somewhat aloof or independent, particularly with strangers. In keeping with their origins as a livestock guardian, Kuvaszok are known to be fierce protectors of their families.
As you can assume from that description I was a little hesitant to approach him. He was salty, dread covered and BIG. I wasn’t sure if he would snarl at me, and I was a little concerned about the dogs getting out and scraping with him. I let Chip out first and he ran up and they did fine. So then Adah said Hi. When I walked out I spoke in a calm and low voice and his tail wagged so I felt ok about it. He was approachable and by looking at his teeth I could tell he was still a young one…less than a year.
Well of course I wanted to keep him as this is Adah’s story as well (she wandered away from her sheep herd and found a family), but of course I knew that wasn’t an option. So I loaded him in the Subi, which was a challenge BTW (he didn’t know what to make of the car), and took him back to his herd. I had enough time to dig his demeanor, name him Magnus and snap a photo from the car right before I let him out with the 2500 sheep. 🙁
I told Danette if he finds his way back to our house again (he got a glimpse of the good life Chip and Adah were livin), we’ll have to talk her Dad into taking him in. He’s due for another canine companion.
Adah and Magnus (Adah is on viewer’s right…the smaller of the two):
