# Quill Photo Overload!



## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

I figured I may as well start a new thread for my puppy's photos, as there will be an overload! 

Quill is my 8 (almost 9!) week old Wyoming Mountain Dog puppy. It's a breed that they are working on establishing with the AKC (I believe its been something they've been working on for 15+ years), being bred with the purpose of being great companion and backpacking dogs (obedient, athletic, thick coats and big paws, etc). They are a german shepherd, malamute, elkhound mixture. I'm very excited to finally have one of these pups. I learned about them last summer, and a year later I've got my dog!

He's extremely smart -- he learns things SO quickly! He knows sit, leave it, come, and is currently working on lay down and "wait" while on walks. He's kept me busy and I'm a worried first time puppy mom, but its been worth every second so far! This past weekend was his first big adventure. We went to visit my aunt and uncle in CO, and he was such a good boy with my young cousins and the long car rides!

So, here are just a few of the photos to start with! I'll update this thread with photos, as I'm sure I'll have more than anyone can handle as we begin our backpacking and hiking adventures!

First, Quill as a baby! I believe he was 5...6? weeks here. It is terrible cell phone quality. It was before I had actually chosen him as mine, but was hoping he could be mine!









And more recently (aka, this weekend):


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

He is absolutely adorable!


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## sclevenger (Nov 11, 2012)

Adorable. I couldn't find any information on the breed, is there a website or anything?


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## mudypony (Jul 31, 2014)

He is stinking adorable! So fluffy! 

I'd also be interested in seeing a website, if there is one.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Thanks everyone!

The best place for information is probably their facebook page. And from that page:

_The Wyoming Mountain Dog is a Spitz type of dog developed as a trail, pack, and companion dog. The concept of the Wyoming Mountain Dog developed out of the need for a horse-friendly trail dog that is naturally imbued with the temperament and good senses for working, packing, and negotiating the steep mountain trails of Wyoming. In appearance, the Wyoming Mountain Dog has a “natural”, wolf-like appearance inherited from spitz-type dog ancestors. The specific temperament qualities sought are a strong love of people and responsiveness to the human master, and also the strength, endurance and willingness for the trail. Such trail dogs must be able to carry a pack, be sensible with horses, not rove out too far from the trail, and able to sleep out comfortably in sub-zero weather._

The founder is also always happy to give more information about them, and can be contacted through there. 

I think Quill is a perfect example of what they are trying to accomplish, so far! I really can't wait to see how he matures. He's so smart, friendly, and athletic. At 8 weeks, he can already go four miles a day without tuckering out, and yet is also totally okay with a "chill" day where he has to just sit around patiently while I work 8 hours. He comes to the office with me and will lay quietly on his bed without needing me to run him around to tire him out. Next week he will meet my horse for the first time!


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

They mixing dogs that are quite prone to joint and bone issues. I hope they have been health testing their stock up to this point.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Yes, they are. All three are large breeds, and Quill will likely be 70-80 lbs when he's done growing. I understand your concern.

However, the founder of these dogs is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about them and is breeding them for a very specific purpose -- a purpose that would not be possible if he was using stock with major bone and joint problems. Dogs capable of navigating steep terrain and going miles a day into back country would not be possible if they were suffering from major bone and joint issues.

He is not just breeding any one dog with another. He is ensuring the cross will work to better the breed, at whatever is needed. Including importing dogs to help with this. He has dedicated a lot of time and effort into establishing this breed and getting them rocognized with the AKC, and to date none of the animals have any issues of their ancestors.


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## BellaPup (Jul 7, 2007)

He is super cute! Be sure to keep us informed of his progress - and many more pics!


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Thanks! I definitely will! I'm pretty obsessed with taking photos of him haha. I already have more than is probably healthy and an entire folder just for photos of him, but he's just so dang cute. And he's growing so quickly, I need to remember his adorable puppy stage.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

I thought I would share these photos. I can't believe how much Quill has grown in two and a half weeks! These photos are probably two weeks apart:



















And the day I brought him home (Sept 23) versus today (Oct 11):

















(sorry, photos are from my phone which takes terrible pictures!)

Unfortunately I don't have a scale at my house, but we visit the vet on Tuesday. He was 9.5 lbs when I picked him up, and the visit will be three weeks from that date.


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## jzorro (Oct 11, 2015)

He's adorable!


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## BellaPup (Jul 7, 2007)

daaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwww!!!


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Another Quill update! He was 15 lbs at his second vet appointment (roughly, their big scale had broken and so they used the small one...and Quill was squirmy). The vet said she wouldn't be surprised if he ends up over 80 lbs.

I can't believe how smart this dog is! He has sit, lay down, leave it, come, and wait completely down pat. We took him out with my land lady and her dog, and he refused to wander more than 10 yards or so away from me and listened to my every command. My land lady commented he was better behaved than her four year old dog! I think it helps that he is so people focused and food driven. We're trying tog et more dog socialization though...he is still awkward around dogs, and really doesn't have much interest in them. But he takes new experiences so well, I'm sure it will happen once he spends more time with them!

We made the 11 hour drive back to MT on Wednesday and he took it like a champ! He seems to be enjoying his new home in MT. My BF and I took him out on the boat yesterday and he did so well! He mostly slept curled up in my arms after his initial exploration of the edge of the boat. He also wasn't 100% sure what to think of the river, but he still was willing to get his paws wet. Some of these pictures really show the cool coloring of his ears and just how much grey is starting to come through in his whole coat. I'm so curious to see what he looks like as he matures! There are a lot of pictures, warning!










Those ears!









"What is it, Mom?"









Captain Quill









Tuckered out...we're enjoing him being holding size while we can!


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Exploring after the float:













































And some scenery:


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## BellaPup (Jul 7, 2007)

Beautiful photos! 

You can tell - even just from pics - that he has an awesome personality. And such a cutie-patootie!


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Thank you!

And he definitely does. He is a character. Plus he is so vocal, you always know exactly how he feels about things! haha.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Well, at 11 weeks, Quill is (roughly) 19 lbs according to my scale. The weight estimator I used says he'll hit 89 lbs at this rate! And his legs are getting so long. He's also hit a particularly obnoxious biting stage...but hey, someday he'll be big and calm, right?! The trick is teaching the BF to be patient with the biting, growling, crazy puppy. Here are some pictures from our adventures today. His face his getting SO light!










ZOOM!









Fetch is our new favorite game...



























And he passed out the moment I set him in the car -- "leave me alone, mom!":


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## mudypony (Jul 31, 2014)

His ears are so cute! He's looks like a super fun puppy! I love the first picture in the latest post.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

My mom keeps teasing him about his ears, hehe. She said we are in trouble if the rest of him grows into those ears! He definitely keeps us on our toes and having fun (and going crazy), but I still think he's a pretty chill puppy. He gets his crazies, but will settle down nicely and entertain himself or sleep almost as often.


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## Wirehairedvizslalove (Oct 24, 2015)

Wow! Sounds like the prefect dog! The reason I got my Vizsla was because I was looking for an outdoor dog - athletic, intelligent, velcro. Maybe when I move out to Montana  (a girl can dream, right??) I will look into this breed and hike with them all day long!


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Montana is a pretty spectacular place to live, if I do say so myself! I'm so excited to have a dog to share my camping, hiking, fishing, etc adventures with. Plus I work outdoors in the summers, so it will be great to have him with all summer long. They really are perfect for what I wanted in a dog.  It sounds like your pup has been great for your adventures though, too!

Not sure where you're located, but there are Wyoming Mountain Dog breeders on the east coast, in Colorado, and in Wyoming right now. One of Quill's siblings is headed to New York and another to California!


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## Equinox (Nov 11, 2008)

Oh his EARS!! They are too precious <3


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## KodiBarracuda (Jul 4, 2011)

This is seriously one of the cutest puppies I've ever seen.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Thanks guys!  I found out today his ears popped up earlier than it seems a lot of dogs (based on my small sample and his siblings!). Guess those ears were destined to be big and adorable.

He went to puppy playime today and found a couple of GSD to play with. He and this 11 week old GSD female were lying next to each other just licking each other. He was so shy at first, but SO excited by all the new people...go figure, I pay for him to play with puppies and he plays with the humans instead. By the end he was warming up though. We took him to an area for younger, more shy dogs and after watching for awhile he was trying to play! I think with a few more visits he'll warm up. 

His vocal side really came out though. I had to explain to everyone he is just a vocal dog, and that this is just what he does. He was yelling about it when we first got there, yelling whenever someone left, and in one case there was this little heeler pup who was barking at the other puppies and Quill thought she was just doing what he does, so he started making his little yell/bark/growl thing he does when he is excited and annoyed her...apparently its all fun and games until she finds another puppy willing to bark back. Poor Quill thought she was just as chatty as him and wanted to talk!


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

It's been a while! Our weather has been miserable, so I haven't been taking the camera with me. But today it was nice out, so Quill and I did some training in the backyard. It was short lived since his attention span rivals that of a flea, but I got a couple of photos. He is 14 weeks this week, and last week at the vet weighed almost 25 lbs. He's all legs right now, and I can't wait to see how tall he's going to be!

There is a GSD pup at puppy playtime that is almost the same age as Quill and they just LOVE playing together. Seeing Quill next to him (he weighs about the same/a little more than Quill) always makes me realize just how much of Quill is legs.

"Is it still staying if just my head moves closer to you, mom?"









"Okay, I'll look cute and innocent for this one!"









His self control is getting really good!


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## mudypony (Jul 31, 2014)

He's so cute! I love the second picture; he's perfected the "innocent" face that's for sure!


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## Hiraeth (Aug 4, 2015)

He is adorable, and getting so big! They're really like weeds, aren't they? They seem a bit bigger every day.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

mudypony said:


> He's so cute! I love the second picture; he's perfected the "innocent" face that's for sure!


He really has haha! He's too smart. He'll bring a chew toy over and lay on you, then "accidentally" bite you to try and play with you. It is hard to get mad when he looks at you with a face that says, "What? I'm just chewing on this thing here that I'm supposed to be chewing on! It was YOUR foot that got in the way! But now that I have your attention, LET'S PLAY!"



Hiraeth said:


> He is adorable, and getting so big! They're really like weeds, aren't they? They seem a bit bigger every day.


They are! I can't believe he's already 25 lbs. Before we know it, they will be big dogs! I'm excited by the idea, and saddened haha.


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## Annageckos (Mar 21, 2015)

Adorable puppy and great photos. They are really beautiful.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs (Jun 3, 2007)

So very cute! His big ol' ears are the best.


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## parapluie (Oct 20, 2015)

I was fawning over his photo in your signature and it's great to see all these photos! Definitely keep us updated as he grows up!!


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Thanks everyone! I know, I always say he is all legs and ears.  Someday the rest of him will fit those body parts haha.

And I definitely will keep you posted. I love taking pictures every couple of weeks and comparing side by side. It is so crazy how quickly he is growing, and how much he looks like a big dog now. 

I really can't wait for his first (real) snow. We had a light dusting a week or so ago, and he was quite enjoying sniffing around in it and trying to catch it when we kicked it up. It will be fun when it really snows and he can play in it!


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Quill's first snow! Warning...mass amounts of photos because his reactions in the snow are priceless. 



















He is a bit of a loud mouth...









No stick is too big for him.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Crazy eyes.























































Quill says, "I LOVE CHASING SNOW!!!"


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## CrystalGSD (Jun 27, 2014)

Oh my gosh, he's absolutely adorable! I had no idea that he wasn't a German Shepherd puppy, since I had only glanced at him in your signature. So cute! The breed sounds like it produces amazing dogs.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Thank you! Yes, he definitely looks mostly GSD! I get a lot of people who think GSD, but say it with a question when asking and a lot of people who guess part husky/malamute.

They really are great dogs! I'm definitely impressed by Quill so far and can't wait to start our real backpacking and hiking adventures!


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## JazzyTheSiberian (Feb 4, 2013)

Eeek, he is so cute. I'm loving seeing him grow up, and I can't wait to see more of him. 

Your scenery is so gorgeous. I've *always* found places like Wyoming so beautiful, especially when fall rolls around.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Thanks! I still look at him and go, "wait what? he looks like a DOG!?" It is crazy how quickly they grow!

And thank you! Wyoming and Montana both have such lovely scenery...I'm not sure I could live anywhere without mountains now!


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## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

Awe! He's so cute! I can't wait for Panzer's first snow either.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

It's so much fun seeing their reactions to it! Sadly our first snow was followed by a terrible cold snap, so Quill didn't get much outside time. Now it is warming up though, so he's having a blast racing around and eating snow on our walks. Silly pup!

I can't wait to see Panzer's first snow pictures.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Yikes! Its been a while. Quill broke my laptop, so pictures have been difficult to upload. 

Quill is now roughly 60-65 lbs at just over 6 months. He's got a mouth full of adult teeth (no more chipped canine!) and is finally starting to become ever so slightly less excitable. We had a great day at Petco today. He was quite and calm almost the entire time. He got a water buffalo horn as a treat for being such a good boy! We've started having more frequent puppy play dates with his friend Roscoe, a GSD x Malamute x Collie cross. They LOVE playing together. Both super vocal and energetic haha.

Quill also continues to love the snow. He chases snowflakes, barking at the sky to try to make it snow more. Its both ridiculously cute and obnoxious at the same time! 

So, here are some photos. The first set are from the end of December (about 4 1/2 to 5 months old) and the second set are from today. The big golden pup is Roscoe.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)




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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

And, today:


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Always with the tongue out!


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## Fergusmom (Apr 12, 2015)

What a gorgeous dog! My favorite picture is the fourth-to-last with his paw on the stick.


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## Whip (Jul 19, 2015)

Oh my goodness. That is a cute dog.

How big are you expecting him to get?


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## CrystalGSD (Jun 27, 2014)

Oh my gosh, Quill got so big! What a gorgeous puppy


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## mudypony (Jul 31, 2014)

He's so cute!! His ears are amazing.

Also, his buddy Roscoe is handsome, too!


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## DogtorWho15 (Aug 31, 2015)

Wow he is definitely not the puppy I remember seeing Lol! He grew so fast and is HUGE for still being so young. 
He is getting so handsome, we need to see much more of him


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Thanks everyone! I keep looking at him and thinking, "Wait, what?" I mean I know puppies grow...but its so hard to wrap my head around that he's the size of a normal dog now!

We're thinking he'll end up 90-100 lbs. Not 100% sure since he seems to be getting his size from his grandparents (mom and dad weren't that big...about 65 lbs and 75-80 lbs), but based on his current size and his giant paws I would say at least 90!

And someday he'll grow into his ears. Maybe!

I'll try for more updates now that my BF's computer is working and spring is around the corner! We're hoping to do a very easy backpacking trip in the spring (not much uphill, and not too long). And in the summer he'll be in Wyoming working with me in the sagebrush, so I promise lots of pictures then! All in all, I'm still so impressed with him. We get a lot of "why don't you take him to obedience school?!" because of how vocal he is, but I always quiet those people down when I show them that although he is barking in excitement, I can make him sit, lie down, stay, focus, etc. He just happens to bark excitedly in new situations, which he IS getting better about! Its just a long, slow process as he learns that he can redirect that energy and get more attention by lying down and being a good, quiet dog! And unfortunately as he's getting bigger, it startles people more than being cute like it was when he was 20 lbs haha. But someday!


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## CrystalGSD (Jun 27, 2014)

Marvel said:


> And someday he'll grow into his ears. Maybe!
> 
> ...
> 
> We get a lot of "why don't you take him to obedience school?!" because of how vocal he is, but I always quiet those people down when I show them that although he is barking in excitement, I can make him sit, lie down, stay, focus, etc. He just happens to bark excitedly in new situations, which he IS getting better about! Its just a long, slow process as he learns that he can redirect that energy and get more attention by lying down and being a good, quiet dog! And unfortunately as he's getting bigger, it startles people more than being cute like it was when he was 20 lbs haha. But someday!


This sounds a lot like Hero, as in, you just perfectly described my dog lol. Honestly, I think they just love to talk about stuff haha! Too bad big dogs barking scares other people


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## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

He is so handsome! Already looking like a grown up!


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## KayaScout (Nov 13, 2015)

YAYYY I've been waiting for a Quill update! He is still so cute and fluffy even though he's a big giant now


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Beautiful! It's amazing how much more adult he looks between the first set and the current pics.


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

Thanks everyone! 

I still can't get over how adult he looks, either. It's like one day I just woke up and my puppy was a dog! Well, a dog with a puppy attitude. Thankfully he's *mostly* stopped chewing on us, though. We went on a trip for ten days, and upon returning home I'm 99% certain Quill grew another 10 lbs! Sadly my scale doesn't really work and he's a small horse now, so we won't know until I get a new scale. Either way, he's definitely going to be a big, solid boy when he's done growing.

Tomorrow will be Quill's 7 month birthday. So, a few pictures in honor. These are from yesterday, and I'll try to get more tomorrow! While we were on our trip, he stayed with his trainer and her husband and even they had great things to say about him! They said the only things were his resource guarding and excitability...both things I've always said are his biggest issues and both things I see him improving on everyday.


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## fourdogs (Feb 3, 2014)

He's beautiful! My childhood dog was an elkhound, very nice dog!


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