Buddy-Kuno vom Windhainersee
How I came up with the Wolfspitz
In fact, I can't even say that anymore. After I estimated that I had seen a Wolfsspitz somewhere and must have picked up the name, I did some basic research on the breed and found it to be good - so good that the only option was quickly “this breed or none”. Looking back, my intuition was perfect, even though I had so little knowledge of German Spitz at the beginning that I once mistook an Eurasian for a very large Wolfsspitz. I recently saw the dog again: it has a head the size of a bowling ball and paws like plates - just typical Chow Chow influence.
Finding the perfect breeder
Since I'm not someone who gets an animal straight away - apart from hamsters as a child, and I still feel sorry for them today - I was prepared for a certain lead time. In fact, this amounted to just under a year; For me, I found it positive to have the time to make a really informed decision about getting a puppy.
I found Kuno's breeder, Martina Herzog-Spies, on the website of the German Spitz Club. Of course, I contacted several breeders, but I immediately liked Martina and that's why I chose her. I was lucky again: At that time I had no idea about the difference between Wolfsspitzes and Keeshonden and (thank God) I chose a decent Wolfsspitz line by chance.
Kuno's character
When I got to know him for the first time on Good Friday 2019, he was still a bit shy, but already the Kuno that he is now: brave enough to die: he almost strangled himself in a puppy play seesaw. That's how you know him: the cockiest, funniest dog! 😉 We then visited the litter again. At this point he had already become Martina's favorite, who - understandably - was very reluctant to give him up.
Buddy-Kuno from Windhainersee moved in with us at the age of 9 weeks. After initial shyness, he quickly became apparent that he absolutely has his own little stubborn head.
By the way, Kuno's name comes from the Old German name "Kunolf", which means something like "Sippenwolf" ("clan-wolf"). Kuno is simply the short form of Kunolf.
Kuno is suspicious, but not overly so; He simply doesn't care about most people and rarely seeks contact with other people. With dogs, however, things are a little different: he loves them all. Really all. Although I avoid leash contact as much as possible, he really, really loves every dog. However, he is also compatible with everyone and can adapt very well to his counterpart.
Kuno is quite stubborn and has a lot of nonsense on his mind. You have to stay on task with him, otherwise he'll trick you really fast. He only has one Master, it's me. He only takes orders from me. If other family members give him a command, he always looks at me questioningly. Of course, he accepts our inner circle without any problems, but he still likes to test his limits - and also the occasional joke.
Kuno is extroverted and confident, not the least bit shy and not at all afraid. But sometimes I have to make sure that he doesn't gallop through the world too carelessly or overconfidently, because unfortunately he's as dorky as I am and likes to get injured from time to time.
Puberty came instantly; I had just been happy about his excellent ability to walk on a leash, but that was all over again, and he pulled like shit. We managed that again with consistency, and he also has to run in free order and not overtake me. This inhibits his drive forward; The free-following also prevents my dog from making arbitrary decisions (for example, crossing a street in a life-threatening manner to greet another dog).
He likes to cuddle and have his belly scratched without being pushy and without following me around all the time. He sleeps in another room without any problems. But if something really exciting comes up, he'll be there quickly because he prefers to come with us. Since he also acts as a companion dog in addition to his job as a guard dog, he is allowed to do that. This dog can really do anything, the main thing is to do it.
Kuno has no hunting drive, only mice and rats should be wary of him. He is a good watch dog without yapping a lot. He usually doesn't bark in my presence, but rather shows me by looking or humming that something is there. He also accepts visitors to our house without any problems, although they probably wouldn't have fun in my absence. When I once went to the toilet, a friend of mine - whom he had just met - was immediately held in place until I got back.
Kuno is so sweet and funny, confident and free-spirited. He is definitely a beginner's dog, but only for people with character. He needs absolute consistency, but without demanding absolute obedience from him; Even shouting won't get you very far: Kuno then refuses and invokes his right to strike. For him, the strength lies in calm and straightforward implementation of what is required. He also tends to counter-correct, which means that when I correct him, he follows the instructions, but with gritted teeth and not without having the last word.
He doesn't need excessive exercise, but he does want to be moved. And because he still tends to pull on the leash, he can now live out his passion by transporting me and my bike around our hood during bikejoring.
Kuno gets along excellently with Birk; the two complement each other perfectly, especially because they are so different. Birk would probably be able to get a more choleric male dog than Kuno. While Birki becomes bilious more quickly and has more of the Spitz-typical characteristics, Kuno is more deliberate and patient - as is typical for a Wolfsspitz. He rather fools Birk to get what Birk has at the moment. 😉
If there was a dog version of myself, the result would be Kuno. In terms of personality, we are as similar as humans and dogs can be. I wouldn't want to miss his mischievous, clever look and his sensitive nature, as well as his funny and idiosyncratic character. ❤️
30.04.23
