Cooper and Sadie work well together. Cooper is a natural herder and Sadie is a natural born eater! So, you can see how this ends, can't you?
Four ears perk up. Two noses twitch. And they're off! Each one circles from opposite directions. Cooper moves back and forth herding the critter in front of him, until it runs right into the waiting Sadie. Saide does not have the natural herding ability that Cooper has, so she lets the gopher go right between her legs! And, the race is on again. Who knew those little guys were so fast? First, there was zig zagging clockwise around, then a fast u-turn and zig zagging counter-clockwise.
The two dogs have different styles based on their expected outcome. Cooper believes that since it is moving, he should chase it or herd it in front of him. Sadie only saw a fast food lunch. She was content to let Cooper wear the critter out while she followed at a leisurly pace or circled the other direction. Finally, Cooper herded it right to her feet. She ate the gopher and didn't share. Cooper would have dropped it if I asked him to, (I hope). But, Sadie would never willingly let go of a food source. When she saw that I wanted it, she took it and ran, then ate the whole thing.
First, let me say that I did tell her to drop it. Second, I am not sure what I would have done with the thing if she had. Lastly, and most important, I did not accept any kisses from either one of them for a long time.
In 1984, I got my first Kees. It was a transition time, in that Kees line that I ran into was more true Wolfspitz, or at least supported the name extremely well. Flying Dutchman's Dream of Fowler was 55 pounds of solid muscle. When protecting her yard, her fur stood up noticeably. The end result was that she looked much larger. When 3 full sized golden Retrievers first saw her, as they made the mistake of crossing over into our property, they turned tail and literally gave high pitched howls as they ran back to their land. D.D. did not have the exact same Kees personality that is so loved today. Instead of sweet and cuddly to all things, she presented herself to threats in a manner similar to what one might expect out of a German Shepherd. She was the last dog where I felt that the family was truly being guarded...not for the dog to just function as a sensitive alarm. She also was a threat to small game of all kinds. I love the generations of Kees that breeders created after D.D. I would never go back. In fact, I do not believe that an animal like D.D. should have ever been expected to do such duty. But, the Wolfspitz or Keeshond has not been removed from such duty for very many generations. And I do hear that the German lines still harken to the call, and that they are actually used in hunting. Me? I am very happy with a smaller sweet fluffy friend who is never expected to guard or attack anything. I accept the newer lines of Keeshond with glee.
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