DORNDORF LONGHAIRED DACHSHUNDS
  • Home
  • Intro
  • Dogs
    • My Dogs
    • Loved by Others
    • Extended Family
  • Puppies
  • Dorndorf A-T
  • Milestones
  • Articles
  • Contact

a new home for viljo - and why

2/3/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
Photo by Laura Knoll
The short version is that I had too many dogs.

Yes. Though there were years in the past when I had twice as many dachshunds, that was then and this is now. Now, with just four dogs, I found myself feeling overloaded. Part of the reason was that three of the four dogs were under five years of age.

4.5, 2.5, and 9 months, to be exact.

A larger part was that all my dogs are energetic, intelligent, cooperative, and begging to work. The kind of dogs that I love to develop and train. So much potential! Too much, in fact, for the resources needed and available on my end.

Quality time has become more important than quantity of dogs. I want to do more with less.

Here is the longer version.

Deb Koch first wrote to me about a puppy in December 2012. They had an elderly beagle and were looking for another dog. Joe Koch had grown up with Dachshunds and wanted another. Deb did not think dachshunds were athletic enough for their active family. Deb's preference was a Golden Retriever.  Searching online, she came upon my website and saw photos of agile, athletic dachshunds with coats something like a golden. I received a nice email from her.

I didn't have any puppies but Deb kept in touch. About a year later, they were asked by a friend who breeds and exhibits Basset Hounds if they would consider a puppy born in a litter that wasn't supposed to happen. A visiting Cardigan Corgi male mated one of the Basset females and the breeder was paying all due diligence in finding good homes for the puppies. That is how Sophie became a member of the Koch family.

Still, Deb and I occasionally corresponded and I enjoyed the emails and photos.

In mid-September 2014, I imported six-months-old Teo from Denmark. Wow, what a bundle of energy and intensity with red hair! Determined to get his puppy training all in, I began working with Teo nearly to the exclusion of Viljo and Taya. After awhile, I realized that something had to give. I am not content having young dogs that I am not actively working with.

Deb's daughter Kristen was interested in becoming involved in dog sports. I looked at Viljo, thought about that, and looked at him again. Viljo is trained in tracking to the TD certification/test level. He was certified at a young age but never entered in a tracking test.

Viljo was also trained in agility to the Open level. He competed in his first Novice agility trials - both specialty and all-breed trials - during DCA week in Georgia two years ago. Those first trials also were his and my last when, due to pain in my knees, I stopped training and competing in agility.

Viljo is an active, exuberant dog who loves to train. He is friendly, fun, and likes people and other dogs. Housebroken, highly accustomed to crate, car, long travel, and hotels...I believed that Viljo would be a great canine partner for Kristen. After writing his breeder in Finland, Tia Eskelinen, to let her know what I was thinking, I suggested this possibility to Deb.

By then, their Beagle Milo was in his mid- to late-teens (birthdate not known for sure) and had become infirm. The Koch family was  very interested in Viljo but had their hands full with their oldster Milo and youngster Sophie. They wanted to meet Viljo but it would have to wait.

Unfortunately and of all times, Milo worsened Christmas Eve and had to be put down Christmas Day. It was a very sad time for his family. Deb wrote to me that they wanted Viljo to visit sooner rather than later.

It is dicey to plan an eight-hour trip from south-central Ohio through the Alleghenies and into the Poconos in northeast Pennsylvania in January! But we did and good fortune was with us. The weather for my travel was brightly sunny both ways. Two of the four days that Viljo, Teo, and I visited the Kochs it snowed but the dogs had fun playing in all the white stuff. We enjoyed fires in the fireplace while the snow fell. Watched a movie each night before, during, and after watching the dogs get to know each other and play. (Matt and Kristen had never seen The Incredible Journey, I had never seen Turner and Hooch or The Christmas Story, and it had been ages since any of us saw The Ugly Dachshund!) Kristen ran Viljo on a 350 yard track that I laid. We took Viljo and Teo for a long walk. Deb snapped a number of photos. We did a little shopping and a lot of talking. It was a great visit with a super family, during which time Viljo slowly but surely gave indication that he would become Kristen's dog.
Picture
Kristen Koch and Viljo
So last week, Viljo stayed with the Kochs on a two week trial, though by the time I left it was more formality than anything else.

I plan to visit again this summer! It will be fun to see Viljo and his new family again!

Many thanks to the Koch family. To Jennifer Fry who kept Owl and Taya while I was away. And to Doris, Heather G., Kathy L., and Janet who worked for me Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday which were days that I was originally scheduled to work.

Links to more information about Viljo, and photos.

1 Comment
Deb Koch
2/5/2015 11:24:06 pm

Patt, we are so grateful that you gave this so much thought. We originally were asking for a puppy, but your wisdom about Viljo fitting into our family has worked out so much better for us at this time. Viljo is an amazing dog and we are so appreciative of all his training with you. You have helped to raise our expectations on what to expect from our dogs. You have helped us with Sophie's behavior as well! I would like to request that you keep V on your website as your dog. Or at least keep his story and all the beautiful pictures. The reason for my request is that we now consider you and Viljo as a part of our family. Since we are all family he still part of your family of dogs. After all I will be keeping you informed of his adventures and your frequent visits will should allow him proud membership on this wonderful blog! We enjoy your blog very much and love the fact that Viljo's story is presented so well. We would miss looking at his beautiful pictures. I am afraid that none of us can match your amazing photography skills! Thank you again and as you know we will keep in touch!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    A

    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010


    Categories

    All
    Agility
    American Kennel Club
    American Working Terrier Assoc
    Art
    Articles
    Asti
    Babe
    Badger D C
    Badger Dogs
    Barn Hunt
    Begleithund
    Books
    Bossa
    Calendars
    Clinics
    Commentary
    Conformation
    Cute
    Dachshund Size
    Deer Dogs
    Dockdogs
    Dorndorf Dachshunds
    Druci
    Earthdog
    F3 Hunting Workshop
    Family
    Field Trial Dachshunds
    Field Trials
    Finland
    Finnish Database
    Frankie
    Ginger
    Gretel
    Gunsteadiness
    Health
    Houndsmen
    Humanewatch
    Hunting Dachshunds
    Ilsa
    Karl
    Kasi
    Kiki
    Kurbis
    Longhaired Dachshunds
    Longhaired History
    Longhaired Puppies
    Luke
    Madison Area D C
    Marstax
    Marta
    Minx
    Nadja
    Nature
    Nexus
    Nick
    North American Teckel Club
    Northern Illinois Beagle Club
    Nutmeg
    Obedience
    Ochre
    Odin
    Olive
    Olive Video
    Oslo
    Outdoor Gear
    Owl
    Patricia Nance
    Pie
    Puppies
    Rally
    Sage
    Seiko
    Seminars
    Shows
    Svante
    Tasha
    Taya
    Teo
    Terra
    Thor Seymour
    Tracking
    Tracking Deer
    Training
    Vehicles
    Videos
    Viljo
    Visits
    Water Work
    Weather Conditions
    Websites
    Wolverine D C
    Workshops

FIELDWORTHY = FIT FOR USE IN THE FIELD
© 2008-2020 · Patricia Nance, Monroe, Ohio, USA ·  All Rights Reserved
No Photos or Text May Be Copied Without Written Permission