LITTLE PIGGLET
Puppy Time
I’m writing this as Nasu is about to turn 11 months old. I brought Nasu from Denmark when she was an 8-week-old puppy. The trip home was, of course, long and exhausting, but Nasu slept soundly the whole way. However, Nasu developed a urinary infection during the trip, so before we even got home, we had to visit the vet. That little puppy period turned into a bit of a hassle, and the infection came back a couple of weeks after the first course of treatment. After that, Nasu ate cranberry powder for several months, and during or after that period, urinary problems didn’t appear again.
Nasu blended into the pack as if she were a fish in water. At first, I was a bit confused about how different Nasu was compared to my other dogs. Nasu used, and still uses, her voice a lot. She doesn’t have the obligatory urge, often seen in kelpies, to climb into the lap of every person she meets, although she will do it if people fuss over her a lot.
The first couple of months we spent together were full of getting used to each other and even a little bit of tension. There were a couple of times when I wondered what I had really brought home from Denmark. During those first months, Nasu barked at everything, real or imagined, with her hackles raised. I didn’t take any drastic actions, though; I just gave her time, understanding, and anticipation by not putting her in difficult situations. The issue was resolved very quickly, and before I knew it, Nasu was already quite confident in her surroundings, and the barking pretty much stopped around the six-month mark.
If there’s one thing that has been clear from the start, it’s that Nasu is a born to be a tracking dog. I never even dared to hope for such a master in my wildest dreams. During her first season, Nasu tracked for miles and was introduced to even challenging tracks. I even had to seriously think about how to challenge her further. Building her motivation for stopping to sticks took time and will certainly be something we’ll need to reinforce throughout her career, as tracking is the best thing ever for Nasu. When she was just 10 months old, Nasu completed a trial-level, Class 3, objectsearch. With her skills in the field, it begs the question—could she be just as good in obedience? Yes. Nasu is such a force on the field that I don’t even believe I could spoil her. Her intense drive to perform everything has left me with bruises and torn pants, but to me, that’s the best part. Nasu is everything I’ve dreamed of and more. Plus, she’s incredibly cute.
tracking
object search
obedience
LITTLE PIGGLET 2.0
Young Adult
At the time of writing this update, Nasu is a little over two years old. She has grown into a wonderful dog, although she is still maturing and developing. Even as a puppy, it was clear that Nasu was built for fieldwork, and during her first trial season we worked our way through all levels, from the BH test to Class 3 tracking. Her obedience performance was not quite enough for a qualifying result at the Class 3 level yet, which was to be expected with such a young dog, but she performed very well in the tracking phases there as well. My goals for Nasu are high, at least in terms of the potential she has.
Nasu has also now fully discovered the joy of skijoring, and this winter we have spent plenty of time on the trails with our two-dog team whenever the weather has allowed it. We even entered a recreational-class race and completed a solid, successful run. We will definitely continue our pulling activities in the spring, although with different equipment. At the moment, pulling sports feel like exactly the right complementary activity for us, and while we primarily enjoy them for the exercise and fun, I have to admit that some competitive goals have already started forming in my mind.
To me, Nasu is still very close to being the perfect little piggy-dog for me. However, it is worth mentioning that she still has some insecurity around people, or more specifically, around men. I do not find this problematic or disruptive to everyday life in any way, but it is something I want to be open about. Nasu has never shown aggression toward people. Instead, her uncertainty appears as raised hackles, barking, avoidance, or appeasing behavior. Once she has had the chance to meet and greet someone she initially finds intimidating, she usually becomes neutral and indifferent toward that person.
When it comes to other dogs, Nasu remains very indifferent. She does not often play with other dogs and generally prefers exploring and sniffing around. Of course, she occasionally gets excited and has a good romp with her friends, and at home she happily sleeps curled up with the other family dogs. In obedience work, Nasu is also very reliable around other dogs and has no interest in going over to them. The only challenging situations have arisen during pulling activities when other teams are using the same trails. From the perspective of an inexperienced dog, it is quite an extreme situation: she is already highly aroused, somewhat restricted by her harness and gangline, moving at speed, while encountering several fast-moving dogs coming the other way. Nevertheless, we will continue training and working through those challenges.
