Is the CSV dog right for me???

[nask]

is it weird that the more i learn about the behaviour and the intelligence of the CSV the more i want one....... i love the fact that it is studying me as i study it.... that way we both learn about each others boundaries and learn to respect them from the very beginning.... i think i may not be explaining myself very well ref the shed, it is only a place for the CSV to stay warm in or sleep in..... the door will be controlled by the CSV it will at no point be locked in the shed, my garden is a L shaped garden which the CSV can roam freely (admittedly its not a massive garden) I live with my mother and my wife, my mother is always at home so at no point will the dog be on its own, i work 15 minutes from where i live so i can on a daily basis come home for lunch and take the dog for a afternoon walk if need be... with ref to obedience i meant recall so the dog comes to me when called, i dont want it to shake hands, play dead or roll over, its a dog not a circus animal. i mainly want the dog for companionship and the fact that it will fit in with my active lifestyle. i have always wanted a dog since i was a child, plus i prefer the company of an animal over most people i know im weird, lol.... especially after returning from pakistan where my dad has a farm, with bulls, buffalo, cows, chickens, lambs, dogs and cats, so whenever i go to visit him my first question is where is the dog and how healthy is it, i then immediately feed the dog even though it might be barking and snarling at me at first.. i earn its trust and by the end of my holiday its my best friend :-) i fell for wlf like dogs when i travelled to iceland and went sledging with a pack of huskys, man they were awesome, at first i did not approach them because of all the negative things i read about them being pack animals and only responding to the master, yadlah, yadlah, yadlah.. but after speaking with the chap who ran the sledging i approached the pack on my knees so they did not see me as a threat and i was at one point sat around the entire pack :-) and one in particular was my favourite due to her cheekiness and she knew exactly how to get the attention she wanted.

please see the link http://raksa.certik.cz/english-1/first-year

i found this of great help, the owner had never previously had a dog and this worked to his advantage, he did study Konrad Lorenz, world-renowned ethologist books on the behaviour of dogs beforehand.

Can i ask what you mean by "you also need at least 2 or 3 contingency plans."

i apologise if i write too much or if i am asking for too much of your time... i appreciate each and every response, your knowledge and experience is worth its weight in gold...

[Rona]

Hi,
There have been a few similar threads, e.g.

http://www.wolfdog.org/forum/showthread.php?t=22686

and

http://www.wolfdog.org/forum/showthread.php?t=17300

I hope they will clear out some of your concerns

[vila]

By contingency plans I meant that you may work out a plan for your CsV and it might work "on paper". You have to be prepared if the things don't work out accordingly... it may be very uncomfortable for a dog to be in a shed. You can put all the blankets and pillows you want, but a dog, especially a Vclak can feel trapped, so it may come to the point that it will destroy you shed. No problem for a Vlcak if it's made out of wood or it can start howling all night so the neighbors start complaining, it can be very traumatizing for a dog. A kennel should least have open doors, so a dog can choose to sleep out in the air and be aware of it's surroundings. A dog may end up sleeping somewhere near you, or you'll have to build a more appropriate kennel. If you're planning to get a male, the weight and force may be too much for a smaller woman or an older person...

I know you will probably respond with answers to all of this, but by that you will be only confirming that you missed the point ...if you know what I mean? The fact is you don't know what kind of dog you'll get (if you get a CsV). It may be very shy and scared, or independent and self confident. A single plan cannot cover all types of characters, you should expect the unexpected with a CsV. Like others said, owning a CsV can mean adapting your life around the needs of the dog, at least to some extent. And that means adapting while the dog matures and grows, not making some arrangements before the dog even gets there and assumimg it will be ok I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, I still have much to learn. But when I think about how I envisioned the life with a Vlcak before owning one and now that I see how everything is turning out... man it's a whole different ball game hahah, but we found a way and that's what matters to me. I'm in no position to advise you on any definite decisions, I'll leave that to more experienced owners. My input is simply that of a newbie with a 2 and a half year old Vila and a veeeeeery steep learning curve

[nask]

Vila, you dont come across as a smart ass just someone who is trying to give me first hand advise, and i appreciate it.

Nas

[Tassle]

If this dog is allowed a free run of the garden when it is not being supervised and it knows you are not there, I would question how secure your garden is. My cross is the biggest dog I have (he is about 28in to the shoulder and weighs about 35kg). He can Squeeze through tiny gaps, and 6/7ft fences will not keep him in if he wants to go.

He never wants to leave my area, but will do anything he can to get to me.

I'm sure he sees each obstacle as a new challenge

[Rona]

Originally Posted by Tassle

He never wants to leave my area, but will do anything he can to get to me.

I'm sure he sees each obstacle as a new challenge

Here's an example:
Lorka's half brother for a few months had been taken by his owner to work. She commuted every day about 25 miles, driving mainly along a very busy road full of heavy vehicles with the dog sitting in harness in the front seat and watching the road.
One day she had important clients, so she locked him in a kennel and went to her office on her own. After less than two hours the dog was sitting at the gate of her office.

After the initial shock, when driving do work she started using longer route but driving along less busy side roads, just to teach the dog a safer way.

[Tassle]

Originally Posted by Rona

Here's and example:
Lorka's half brother for a few months had been taken by his owner to work. She commuted every day about 25 miles, driving mainly along a very busy road full of heavy vehicles with the dog sitting in harness on the front seat and watching the road.
One day she had important clients, so she locked him in a kennel and went to her office on her own. After less than two hours the dog was sitting at the gate of her office.

After the initial shock, when driving do work she started using longer route but along less busy, side roads, just to teach the dog a safer way.

I'm sure Zeff does it for the challenge - he never seems 'pleased' to see me - just a glance in my direction and follows me to wherever I happen to be going next!

Wonderful dogs!! lol!!

[tupacs2legs]

Originally Posted by Rona

Here's and example:
Lorka's half brother for a few months had been taken by his owner to work. She commuted every day about 25 miles, driving mainly along a very busy road full of heavy vehicles with the dog sitting in harness on the front seat and watching the road.
One day she had important clients, so she locked him in a kennel and went to her office on her own. After less than two hours the dog was sitting at the gate of her office.

After the initial shock, when driving do work she started using longer route but along less busy, side roads, just to teach the dog a safer way.

My eldest was at work with me,he was with my friend (that also works there)he has known her from the day I got him and he looooves her,I had popped out the building,its a vets with a door that seperates the kennel and operating room from the shop and front desk,unable to be opened from the inside and that's where the dogs stay,my friend went to put the rubbish out the back and he got past her!! She panicked(he didn't)just was on a mission! looking at her as she followed him as if to say 'what's the fuss' on a main road round the block(if he had seen me it could of been a disaster ).....his mission? When she caught up with him he was waiting on the front doorstep!!!(He obviously thought I was in the shop section)..... He had never been out that way

[nask]

Rona, thank you for the links very interesting readings...