Chook

Ag. Ch. Fyreburst X Factor RN SPDX GD SD; 

AAD
born 19.07.2014

After much deliberation, to-ing and fro-ing, I finally decided yep, another small dog. Much as I have wanted a large dog again for some time, eventually I decided that now is not that time. Sen was a large factor in this decision - I thought she would prefer a smaller playmate. This then raised the question of what small dog?

This was a dilemma all of its own. Yes, I am a huge Schipperke fan, but also yes both of mine have had behavioural issues. Is it the breed?, probably not - I'm sure there are great and friendly ones out there. What about something with a similar look, but a reputation for being more outgoing?

I can thank a dog called Honey for sparking off my research. Honey was a Pomeranian from a puppy class I ran. She had so much spunk and energy she made her owner cry with frustration (she had wanted a largely inert lap dog, which as far as I can see Poms are most definitely not). Pomeranians were out of the question as they are too small for my taste. I learnt that Pomeranians, Kleinspitz, and Mittelspitz (the "middle-sized" German Spitz) differ only in size. Mittelspitz are the same size or slightly bigger than your average Schipperke - and so I was on to something!

Alas I also learnt that male Mittels (my preferred choice of sex - so I have one boy and one girl) grow on average to 36-38 cm in height. This is a very bad height for an agility dog, as they would end up a small dog in medium jump height class. Plan shelved. Until............ along came a very small boy puppy :) One thing led to another, and before you know it, new team member!

Puppy photos of Chook (by Fyreburst Spitz; www.fyrburst.com):

Cream/Gold or whatever he will grow to be is definitely not my first choice of colour (black dog hair - much easier to live with), but everything else about him is good and so as they say "...a good dog is never a bad colour"! This breed comes in all colours and combinations thereof, but colour shouldn't feature in a choice of puppy. Personality and structure yes, colour no.

Chook was bred by Diane Armstrong from Fyreburst Spitz in SE QLD, who answered many endless questions from me. I gave Diane a brief of what I was looking for, and was confident she understood my requirements. He didn't arrive until he was 13 weeks old, as his "ready to go to new home" time clashed with my "move to dog-hobby friendly location" time. No problems as he was still a small baby and had plenty of siblings (human and canine) where he was. When he arrived he was everything Diane said he was, and more! Unlike my other dogs he had the benefit of abundant socialisation opportunities.

Because this is an honest blog, I will say that there were times (many times) in Chook’s first year that I gave serious though as to whether or not we were a compatible home. I had wanted a very motivated dog, and he was so spectacularly hard to get interested in doing more than one of anything that it drove me to tears.  I felt like I had made a big mistake. Having had two quite difficult (in their own special ways) prior dogs, I was really looking for one that would give me a bit of "normal".

There was also his relentless barking. I don’t exaggerate when I say he barked for the first 12 hours of the first night we had him, and for only somewhat less during the next two. I didn’t even think that it was possible for a dog to bark that much - and I was right there with him (he wasn't outside or in the torture chamber). His every emotion is pretty much expressed by barking. We like that not, and it is not easy to modify we learnt. Chook also spent the first 18 months of his life being spectacularly uncoordinated. Agility dogs should be born bendy, don't you know! As a puppy he had a great shape, but he grew to be long of body, exactly not nimble, and with odd aversions to bridges, bridge-like objects and any suggestion of heights.

Chook 21 months:

Chook's main skill is his perpetual happiness - and what's not to like about a happy dog. Whilst I would not like to repeat the early phases of Chook’s training with any future dog, I have emerged better for it. Through working with Chook I have actually learned to value the dog for what they are, not what you want them to be, or how they fit your goals. Now I have this great guy that I can take anywhere and pretty much trust off-lead as much as you ever can. 

Over time our great bond did start to pay off. He became a consistent (very consistent) agility dog. Never the speed daemon but fast enough not to be called slow.  Provided I respected his "agility in small doses" preference, we got along swimmingly.

Chook 2.4 years:

(photo by Jemma Bell of Photojemic Photography)

(photo by Anne Lasini of Rustic Pics, copyright mine):

Chook's agility runs showed the sort of great happiness that I whish was visible in every agility dog, he was always entertaining and could work the camera like no other. I might not have been able to train and compete as much as I liked, but it payed off and he had no trouble earning the ANKC title of Agility Champion.