Infiniti
Posted : 1/4/2008 10:27:53 PM
Janet - Thanks, I'm glad you like her! And her stuffie was a gift from my brother, lol. When he gave it to her, it was bigger than she was!
Gina - No kiddding about the noise-factor. Honor woo-woos her opinions about everything!
Corvus - LOVE, LOVE Finnish Lapphunds! I would love to have one someday, they're a fabulous breed. I hope you get your Finnie!
Bkimura28
Question about the Klee Klai? Beautiful dog, always admired them, but was is the average wait for a normal sized one? Like are they usually small enough to be carried? Do they shed and bark alot? Good with kids and other dogs?
Okay, answers:
Average Wait: It really depends on the breeder and litter (ie. how many litters they breed a year, pet-quality vs. show, litter size, breeding plan, etc.). From the time that I first contacted Honor's breeder to the time that she came up...about 5-6 months, which is pretty decent. Honestly, I lucked out, Honor just came up at the right time, and DH and I were ready for her! If you're less concerned about coloring, that will expedite the wait process. Honor's breeder was telling me that people will wait a LONG time for certain colors, especially the black/white/blue eyes. If you're truly going for the AKK, I would jump on a puppy if it comes up. Waiting for the standard size might take some time, but it really depends on if the breeder is focused on any particular size. Honor's breeder does all sizes, and Honor (who's a miniature), was the result of a standard x miniature breeding!
Carried: Yes, definitely. The miniature and toy sizes are very small, and easily fit in your basic travel carrier. The standard is usually too big to be carried around in a shoulder-carrier, but is definitely small enough to be picked up and held around the home with ease. The standards only get to be 15 inches tall, so we're still talking a little dog.
Shed and Bark: Shedding, AKKs shed as much as your average dog. They blow coat twice a year, but in the downtime, the coat is fairly easy to care for. And almost no doggy odor! AKKs enjoy being clean, and Honor is almost as fastidious about her personal hygiene as a cat! Barking, yes. The AKK is a vocal breed, always telling you what they think about this and that. But they are very smart, and can be taught "Quiet". Even at 6.5 months, Honor fully knows what "Quiet" means. And when I say barking, it's actually more like talking. Honor very rarely barks wildly (like, yap, yap, yap, yap). She woo-woos, rowr-rowrs, rumbles, coos, purrs, and does a whole variety of noises. DH and I joke that we should have named her Chewbacca, because she does this noise that sounds exactly like he does in the movies!
Good With Kids/Dogs: Yes, definitely. Honor LOVES people. She'll be the first one to run up and be like "Hi! My name's Honor, how're you?!". Same for dogs. She's never shown any aggression, just a love for all living things (almost to excess, her greatest dream is to be friends with my mom's cat, but the cat isn't having any of it!) I will tell you that socialization is a must for the AKK. Without proper socialization, they can be very shy, which can lead to problems. But as long as you do puppy kindergarten, and get them out there, you'll be fine.
I hope I answered all of your questions! If you want any more info, feel free to post or send me a PM, I love talking about AKKs!
And everyone's dogs are so cute! Rarer breeds are fun.