@elver, welcome to the community!
What a beautiful dog on your picture, is that an Akita? I love these dogs!
We also have a large dog, unusual breed, a Hovawart, probably smaller than yours, about 85-90 pounds, also quite beautiful. It’s a large and ancient sheepdog breed, similar in temperament to a Great Pyrenees. Ours is entirely blond: it looks a bit similar to a golden retriever, but taller, longer and lankier.
@MaryPat, Thanks for the welcome, and it’s a Shiba Inu of which I am happy to have several in my pack. I have never (knowingly) seen a Hovawart before - sounds vaguely Germanic. Swiss, Austrian, German origins?
Yes! It is a very old breed from the Black Forest in central-West Germany, near the French border. When we found our puppy, there were only about 100 in the US.
It is a very healthy breed. They are not bred until the second year, and they have to pass a joint test, and a temperament test. They only have 2% incidence of hip dysplasia (which plagues large dogs), and enjoy a long life, often more than 15 years (also unusual for large dogs).
But, mostly, they are lovely and wonderful dogs, very attached to their owners, laid back, hard working but not hyper, athletic, and very protective of children without ever being dangerous.
If only they didn’t shed 
I’ll post a pic when i have a chance.
@MaryPat sounds like a very interesting hund. I would love to see a pic if you were ok sharing…
aww,what a cutie!
He is to me 
OK, that’s it you guys, I am splitting the thread into a dog thread 
We needed one anyway, it seems unfair that we have a cat thread without a dog one!
I converted to poodle mixes a decade ago. There’s no going back.
your pic @MaryPat. Here is a my Aussie.
@Millz, what a lovely little guy! That is a great picture!
What is your dog’s story?
He’s an Australian Shepherd named Lightning Bolt…and a sweetheart! We adopted him when he was 3.5 years old. He was fully off leash trained and loves agility work!
How do you train him for agility? Are you part of an agility club?
You are so right, he is a total sweetheart!
Unfortunately, with both my husband and I working full time, we haven’t gotten involved in an agility club or courses. His previous owners gave us videos of his agility competitions, his ribbons and full list of the commands he knows. So, on his 2-3 daily walks, we find every opportunity for him to use his skills. In the winter, when there are huge snow banks around, he will scale them, leap over them in a single bound and weave in and out of them…but we don’t time him while he’s doing it).
Neither have we, but both of Bailey’s parents were agility champions. We feel a little guilty about not training him for agility.
Bailey loves the snow too. He weaves back and forth like a gyre. He loves to play tag in the snow, and, even in a very restricted area, he is almost impossible to tag, he is so fleet and weaving!
We should get these two clowns to meet! We are pretty close to you. We should really find a way to get together and play this winter.
What a great looking boy!
@elver, what about your beautiful Shiba Inu? And the others in your pack?
EH and I have Maple, a Labradoodle. We got her as a puppy after a number of shelter dogs in our past (who were insane but whom we dearly loved) because she doesn’t shed and she’s supposed to have a fantastic temperament.
But she’s totally afraid of strangers (and no, she’s never had a bad day, or been abused)! She’s 2.5 and just starting to come out of it. Fingers crossed she does, because she’s got a fan club in our town! People love her! Hostesses at restaurants ask where she is if EH and I come sans dog. She’s a real sweetie when she figures out that you’re not going to kill her.
(Ugh. I can’t upload a photo. Boo.)
