[GalomyOak]

I am only an owner...by far, no expert. I have never met a Saarloos before - the high degree of health and breeding issues, and skittish nature described in this breed turned me away from it - not quite as naive, I now realize these things also exist with the CSV - there is a lot of careful work to be done within both breeds. I own 3 adult CSVs, and an 8 month old male - a full brother and sister (different litters) from Finland, a female from CZ, and a male from Italy - same breed, mostly diverse from one another (except for the siblings). When I got my first female, I "broke the rules" and decided to import without visiting the breeder. I had worked with dogs most of my life - and for a short while - wolves. I read, and read, and researched the breed, and the lines of my dogs for 8 months before my first dog arrived. I bought a house and property, and set up a kennel yard in such a way, that even if a dog with the abilities of a superhero emerged from the airplane, I felt confident in my facilities to protect my dogs and neighbors. I spoke with owners in the US - I contacted owners abroad and asked many questons. Last spring, I had the opportunity to travel to Europe, and see many different CSVs, including the parents/siblings of some of my dogs. The breed became a journey for me, not a destination...

Despite all of the research, I still was not completely aware of what I was purchasing...IT CAN'T SIMPLY BE READ ABOUT...Even though most/many CSV personalities embrace the standard, each dog has a distinctly unique set of quirks: some which are positive, some that are very challenging - some that could be dangerous if one did not recognize and address the behavior effectively, and allowed it to escalate - these signs are very subtle, and frequently not at all like a GSD, or any other breed, or even a wolf. And then, there are the oddball puppies who don't meet the standard...I have met CSVs with even stronger and bolder personalites than mine - with the experience, patience, and dedication of their owners, they were really exciting dogs to watch in training. I've met the same type of dog with inexperienced owners...the dogs were time bombs waiting to injure someone because they were not placed in an appropriate home. Experience is not something to only read about...it involves an investment of time, "getting your hands dirty", of money for proper facilities quite often (I can't imagine working with my dogs if they did not have time and space to run SAFELY unleashed with other dogs, and simply "be dogs"), a huge degree of humiliation, and a huge amount of cleverness and discipline to make the dogs realize their full potential - especially in front of critics. Experience must be through observation and practice. The new owner should be settled, with limited possibilites of life changing events that could disrupt healthy ownership - I am 27 - still young - I know firsthand how quickly life changes at our age in this generation. Looking back, I was foolish not to heed the warnings of experienced breeders to meet the breed first, to know it, to see it with objective eyes - and only lucky that I didn't pay some huge price. This is a unique creature with good, but also very difficult qualities...not simply an entity to be possessed someone that adores the wolf, or by someone who doesn't want to be told what to do by "the man".

As I have begun the process of placing my first litter, I can use my own mistakes to learn from, and really reflect on where my puppies should go - but it is still a murky process. I have received over 200 inquiries...thus far, I have turned down about 90% of the potential owners...it's something I think all breeders should think about so heavily....

Knowing what the "right move" is with this breed, in terms of legality, upbringing, feeding, training, breeding - or anything else...is not light or easy. Accidents WILL happen...

I love my dogs and breed immensely...but to love is to accept them for what they really are...and not what we fantacize about, or justify in our mind. We must provide what they really need, even if it means sacrificing our own time, money, or happiness sometimes.

Whatever your future holds...I hope it is successful and prosperous.

Marcy