#if i ever get another herdy spitz it would be from her

[creekfiend]

Lambchop has peaked my curiosity about buhunds, and I’m curious to learn more about them, so would be ok if you describe what’s it like to own one? Like what’s their character, if they’re affectionate, etc. Are they a bit more biddable and affectionate than other spritzed? I think you did mention once that lambchop is not completely to standard character wise, so how does she differ?

Sure I'll try!

I actually would say Lambchop is on standard for temperament for 95% of stuff but she's also turned up to 11. And she shows some unfortunate overarousal which spirals into dog aggression which SHOULDN'T be common in the breed but the more people I talk to the more it seems to be getting more common :/ it can be hard in a rare breed where people are very tight lipped about drawbacks and also most of the prominent breeders keep their dogs in show kennels so they don't have much data on how the dogs do in home/pet environments. The breed culture in the US also is quite old school in that puppies tend not to be raised with much thoughtful Socialization protocols or placed in homes on fit... dogs that go to "pet homes" tend to just be the dogs that the breeder thinks won't succeed well enough in the show ring or in performance. Not all the breeders are like this but... I know of maaaaybe 2 that place on temperament and what the puppy owner is looking for? That's MUCH more common in the icie community, weirdly, to the point where i very often recommend icies to people who like Lambchop, just bc the breeders in that community tend to actually live with their dogs and have more temperament data 🤣 and they're VERY very similar breeds.

They're very intense and VERY affections with people. Chop has never met a stranger and absolutely adores meeting new people and loving on the people she knows. They're very energetic and need lots of outdoor enrichment. And lots of... hmm. The trainer I'm working with talks about opportunities to make choices -- autonomy. Really smart dogs can develop behavior issues when they have very few opportunities to exercise autonomy in their lives so I am trying to set up ways to give her more of that like installing a dog door so she can decide when to be outside and when to be inside, that kind of thing

Herding spitz are crazy trainable. Lambchop adores tricks and engagement. Your mileage may vary with this one because I do know some people who have individual dogs that are "hard to motivate" but overall they LOVE to work with you and solve puzzles.

Reactivity is an issue in the breed moreso than a lot of other spitz. More herdy dog stuff imo. Icies are like that also. Almost every one will go thru a phase of it in adolescence at least. Another related breed that struggles with reactivity less is the norrbottenspetts, but they're also less biddable! So it's sorta a trade off lol

I will say if I wasn't disabled Lambchop would be a dream dog for me. Like if I had the brain space and energy to really get down to brass tacks and get her out for hikes 3 times a week? And if I had been properly prepared on what to expect in terms of intensity, energy level, and some of the common breed pitfalls regarding arousal issues? But unfortunately I wasn't and so we both kinda went in blind and it's been a struggle. She's been on her meds almost a week now and they're helping a LOT. we will get through it but it's been rough.

I think the Nordic herding spitz are perfect for a lot of people but its hard bc you have to find a breeder and community who will be honest and supportive of newcomers. The Icelandic sheepdog community has a lot more of that culture from what I have seen. But I can certainly recommend people to contact about buhunds to talk to more about the breed also; a good friend of mine is on the breed club board and has been in the breed like 20 years so she knows a lot. And I know several great icie breeders!

SO YEAH idk I really love herdy spitz but they can be a challenge and also you gotta find the right people which i guess is true of a lot of breeds hah. I hope this helps some! Here's a pic of Chop doing a doge meme impression for you

[justslowdown]

So because I'm super interested, are you trying to found a new breed of herding spitz or is this just a cross breeding project to make better and healthier farm hand dogs?

Yall should expect by now I can’t answer anything short and to the point, sorry!

I don’t think I’ll ever be breeding the kind of consistency you need to found a breed, and am not interested at all in creating one even with an open studbook. This is more just a personal project trying to mesh my infatuation with spitz types with my farm lifestyle :) And now that I have a couple of really experienced mentors things are picking up speed!

I don’t think what I’ll be breeding will be better per se than the pure breeds we already have. Certainly won’t be better workers, but people with small farms like ours don’t need crazy skilled herding dogs, we just need a dog who can do a lot of things good enough. There are some multipurpose breeds like that already, but I prefer a different kind of dog than what’s available to me for farm work.

 There are multipurpose, spitzy herder purebreds out there, like the ones I named in that other ask, and I hope to breed some into my lines. But, I really don’t like how small the gene pools are in the US or the idea of breeding within a closed studbook. And the lower-key, all-arounder farmdog breeds with a more traditional herdy look just aren’t my style when it comes to personality or appearance

 I hope that by crossing my two husky mixes (not a breed I’ll add in again!) with the above types, I can get a dog who’s practical and helpful to have around the farm, unlike a purebred Siberian husky, that also has the look and some of the primitive dog personality traits I’m head over heels for

It’s taboo to say it but I really do believe that crossing breeds stacks the odds in my favor for robust health, like you mentioned in your ask. If anyone wants scientific sources I can dig them up. 

Anyways, another side of the breeding project is companion dogs! I feel very strongly that being a pet is a job and there are temperament traits you can breed for that can help them excel at it. And pet buyers deserve thoughtfully raised puppies from health-tested lines without paying upwards of $1K

Kai has blown me away with how bombproof, stable, chill, loyal, and take-anywhere he is. People get in over their head with huskies but if more of them were like Kai, less would be in shelters. So, there will be individual pups from my working litters I’ll place in pet homes, as well as litters I’ll be breeding specifically to try to produce more dogs like my guy Kai. 

Me n my boy. It means a lot to me that I could give another person the experience of raising a dog like him. Chai really took after him, my co-own puppy with a friend, so it breaks my heart we can’t breed her like we planned.