# New Hovawart Puppy Owner With Food Questions



## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

I am picking up my new Hovawart puppy on Wednesday and have some questions about the proper food to give him. The breeder has been feeding him Orijen large breed puppy kibble which I know is a great quality product. However, he probably won't get over 80 pounds when full grown. So does he even need a large breed formula?

I'd like to stick with grain free and have been looking at several other options other than Orijen such as Natural Balance Limited Ingredients Diets Sweet Potato & Bison or Wellness Core puppy.

I have 2 dogs already and I've been feeding them Natural Balance Ultra Premium for years with zero issues. They have no gas, loose stools, weight issues, etc. When my Hovi is a puppy I will clearly feed him a special puppy formula, but when he is older will the NBUP work? Anybody have any problems with this food or know something I don't?

Thanks in advance.


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

The large puppy formula from Origen has a bit much calcium anyway so switching you pup off it shouldn't hurt as long as he's being switched to a good quality all life stages or puppy food. I just finished the process of switching my giant breed puppy off the large breed formula on vet recommendation and personal research because the calcium content is a little bit on the higher side. 

Natural Balance Ultra Premium gets a 3.5/5 on the dogfoodadvisor site and they say it's an above average food 

Origen and it's sister product Acana get a 5/5 star on the same site, it's what I currently feed (I rotate a bit) but some dogs can't handle it (it's a bit too rich) so I say it's up to the specific dog. 

Congrats on the new puppy


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Thanks Flaming. I definitely want to give him the good stuff, so I will continue doing some more research. How reliable is DFA? Is there any biasness towards their reviews?

Looks like I'll be finding a new food for my other 2 dogs.


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

Gootz said:


> Thanks Flaming. I definitely want to give him the good stuff, so I will continue doing some more research. How reliable is DFA? Is there any biasness towards their reviews?
> 
> Looks like I'll be finding a new food for my other 2 dogs.


It does have some bias but over all it's pretty good and has lots of good information. even if you ignore the star level they break down what's in it and explains some of the ingredients.


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Ok, thanks again. It's definitely a good database for dog food. What makes it biased?


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

Gootz said:


> Ok, thanks again. It's definitely a good database for dog food. What makes it biased?


It tends to rank a few foods that are good for dogs with certain allergies as worse than they are. Not a big deal if you have a more healthy/average dog.


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Interesting, I was waiting for you to tell me that brands pay them for more favorable reviews.  

Well, he does have a clean bill of health from the vet and he comes from a healthy bloodline, so here's hoping he's healthy!


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

I stopped by the breeder's house yesterday to meet the puppy. All checked out well and I think he's great, so I went through with it. I pick him up this afternoon and head back home afterwards. Super excited!

They will be giving me enough of his current food (the orijen large breed puppy) to switch him over to whichever food I decide to go with in a smooth transition. Based on what I've read I like Acana and Wellness Core. Are there any other options I should consider?


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

I don't know much about it but I hear good things about taste of the wild.

I'm bias towards Orijen and Acana because those are what I'm use to feeding. Maybe others will have more options


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Thanks. No worries, appreciate the honesty. 

Perhaps I'll get lucky and some others will chime in with suggestions and/or experience.


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## SydTheSpaniel (Feb 12, 2011)

My dog does really well on Taste of the Wild.. but she's only 20 pounds and older. But it's a good quality food and grain free, and it's pretty affordable!


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Gootz said:


> I stopped by the breeder's house yesterday to meet the puppy. All checked out well and I think he's great, so I went through with it. I pick him up this afternoon and head back home afterwards. Super excited!
> 
> They will be giving me enough of his current food (the orijen large breed puppy) to switch him over to whichever food I decide to go with in a smooth transition. Based on what I've read I like Acana and Wellness Core. Are there any other options I should consider?


I am considering to switching to Wellness Core-- its a great food and the price is so much more reasonable! My friends fed it to their dog for years and years (I was on Solid Gold, which I like as well, but the price just keeps going up and up, I cant believe the Wellness is more reasonable these days)-- Like you i am in California, I liked that Solid Gold was made in CA, and I know Wellness a US company as well (am researching to see if there is a plant nears CA-- Orijin is from Canada, and while it is a great food, just seems not so ECO to be importing dog food.... From Canada! Local would be better I think)....


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

SydTheSpaniel said:


> My dog does really well on Taste of the Wild.. but she's only 20 pounds and older. But it's a good quality food and grain free, and it's pretty affordable!


Thanks for the input!



BernerMax said:


> I am considering to switching to Wellness Core-- its a great food and the price is so much more reasonable! My friends fed it to their dog for years and years (I was on Solid Gold, which I like as well, but the price just keeps going up and up, I cant believe the Wellness is more reasonable these days)-- Like you i am in California, I liked that Solid Gold was made in CA, and I know Wellness a US company as well (am researching to see if there is a plant nears CA-- Orijin is from Canada, and while it is a great food, just seems not so ECO to be importing dog food.... From Canada! Local would be better I think)....


Good point on the importing. Since he was the last puppy of the litter, the breeder gave me a nearly full bag of the Origin LB Puppy, so I have a bit of time to keep researching for now. I imagine I've got 2 weeks worth, so I'll make a decision this weekend at some point and slowly switch him over to whatever I decide. His poop smells really bad, so I can only imagine how his farts smell! uke:


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Here's a picture of him. His name is Tyson, he weighs 39 lbs and he is 3 1/2 months old. Hopefully this will help motivate some more opinions.


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Gootz said:


> Here's a picture of him. His name is Tyson, he weighs 39 lbs and he is 3 1/2 months old. Hopefully this will help motivate some more opinions.


 OH beautiful, he is Such the little Man, those huge paws and he has Prescence! Wow he is great looking, so serious for a puppy!


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

BernerMax said:


> OH beautiful, he is Such the little Man, those huge paws and he has Prescence! Wow he is great looking, so serious for a puppy!


Thanks! He is usually pretty playful and puppylike, I think he was just striking a pose for my wife. He will be pretty big, around 80 lbs is my guess. We are all already in love with the little guy, he is really sweet and gentle. Although he does like to nibble my daughter which makes her really upset.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

I've been feeding my puppy the different varieties of Orijen for adults since I got him at 9 weeks and it's been fine. 

Generally I feel like puppy food is more of a marketing ploy than anything else and a good food for all life stages is all you need.

He's a beautiful puppy!


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Thank you!

Appreciate the input. I do believe there is some degree of puppy focused attributes/nutritional content to puppy formulated foods. For instance, a lower calcium content can be found in the large breed puppy foods to help keep the skeletal growth slow and reduce the chance of bone or joint issues. However, a lot of it is marketing related.

That said, I did decide to buy another bag of the Orijen large breed puppy because I found it for $64 shipped which is on par with what I wanted to spend for whatever new food I was going to buy. This should hold Tyson off for another month before I reevaluate the food situation again.

Before buying the Orijen again I was very strongly considering either the Wellness Super5mix large breed puppy or the Merrick grain free buffalo and sweet potato. Still interested to hear others chime in with their experiences or insights towards these and/or other alternatives to the Orijen.


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Tyson's now 6 months old and I still have him on the Orijen large breed puppy. Is there any problem with him still eating this food? This particular breed matures exceptionally slow and won't be considered fully "matured" until he is 3 or 3.5 years. Should I find a lower protein food so as not to encourage too fast of growth? Or is calcium proven to be the only nutrient which effects growth related to this. Definitely want to avoid any muscular or skeletal related issues as he ages. 

So far all else is good, but just preparing for any necessary upcoming changes as well as educating myself. Sorry if this question has been answered elsewhere. If so, a link to any previous thread(s) is sufficient.


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## NicoleIsStoked (Aug 31, 2012)

What does he weigh now? I imagine he will probably surpass 100lbs. 
Orijen is a good food but I feel that it's a little too high in protein. I use acana and am very happy with it. Same company, just a bit lower protein.


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

He's about 55lbs right now. His father is 86 and his mother is 70, so I'm guessing he'll be somewhere between 80-85lbs. I'd be shocked if he got bigger than that.


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## SydTheSpaniel (Feb 12, 2011)

He is gorgeous! Do you have any updated pictures? He's going to be great looking dog.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

he's beautiful !!!!!! I feed raw so am no help with the current dog foods .. can't wait to see him grow into himself ...


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

SydTheSpaniel said:


> He is gorgeous! Do you have any updated pictures? He's going to be great looking dog.





PatriciafromCO said:


> he's beautiful !!!!!! I feed raw so am no help with the current dog foods .. can't wait to see him grow into himself ...


 Thank you both. My wife took some recent pics, but hasn't edited them yet. I'll ask her to send them when she's done, so I can share. He's a very mellow puppy, but still loves to play. Just a great disposition and he's really starting to come into his own.


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## TRDmom (Mar 3, 2013)

Beautiful guy! Was your breeder in the US?


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## dogloverforlife (Feb 23, 2013)

I think Fromm Gold puppy is a great food for any age dog. He is beautiful!

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

TRDmom said:


> Beautiful guy! Was your breeder in the US?


Thank you. Yes, it was the one and only breeding they were going to do too, so I majorly lucked out. 



dogloverforlife said:


> I think Fromm Gold puppy is a great food for any age dog. He is beautiful!


Thanks, I'll look it up.


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Several of you have mentioned Acana. There is a large breed puppy as well as a variety of what appears to be adult stage foods. At this point, should I keep him on a large breed puppy formula or go with an "all stage" formula like the ones Acana has?


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

Gootz said:


> Several of you have mentioned Acana. There is a large breed puppy as well as a variety of what appears to be adult stage foods. At this point, should I keep him on a large breed puppy formula or go with an "all stage" formula like the ones Acana has?


I found some of Acana's all stages to have higher calcium (the ones in my local store any ways) so I stick with the large puppy plus I add some other meat and organ ingredients to help cut the high calcium and bring it down to a healthier range. I also feed it mixed with Orijen (same company but richer food) which also has the high calcium but also higher protein and fats. 
You do want to lower calcium because it can affect the growth and formation of the bones and growth plates. 

I'm lazy so here's a thread from dogfoodadvisor that already has the research done http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Flaming said:


> I found some of Acana's all stages to have higher calcium (the ones in my local store any ways) so I stick with the large puppy plus I add some other meat and organ ingredients to help cut the high calcium and bring it down to a healthier range. I also feed it mixed with Orijen (same company but richer food) which also has the high calcium but also higher protein and fats.
> You do want to lower calcium because it can affect the growth and formation of the bones and growth plates.
> 
> I'm lazy so here's a thread from dogfoodadvisor that already has the research done http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/


Wow, very helpful thread! Thank you for sharing this. I was strongly considering the Wellness Core and the Super 5 Mix before. I will revisit these foods as options again.


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Resurrecting this thread for a couple reasons. There were quite a few very helpful responses/members who chimed in earlier, so hoping to receive some more helpful responses on a new question regarding puppy food. At what point should I swap out his puppy kibble for adult kibble? 

Also wanted to share a more recent photo. He is 11 months old and already 75lbs. We guesstimate he'll top out at 90lbs which is at the largest spectrum for HWs. He is now taller than my wife when he stands up, yikes!

Tyson is just over 9 months in this pic. The dog on the left is my parents' 80lb Labradoodle and the dog in the middle is our 10 y/o 27lb Rat Terrier.


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

OMG I just discovered Hovawarts a few weeks ago and they are gorgeous!! I hope you post more pictures.  

As for food, do what is easiest/best for you.  I really like the results I've gotten on Acana Duck & Pear, so I really like Acana. I feel like Orijen is pricier and not really that much more worth it than Acana. But NB, if it's been working for you, will be a fine food.



Gootz said:


> Resurrecting this thread for a couple reasons. There were quite a few very helpful responses/members who chimed in earlier, so hoping to receive some more helpful responses on a new question regarding puppy food. At what point should I swap out his puppy kibble for adult kibble?
> 
> Also wanted to share a more recent photo. He is 11 months old and already 75lbs. We guesstimate he'll top out at 90lbs which is at the largest spectrum for HWs. He is now taller than my wife when he stands up, yikes!
> 
> Tyson is just over 9 months in this pic. The dog on the left is my parents' 80lb Labradoodle and the dog in the middle is our 10 y/o 27lb Rat Terrier.


Wow. thanks for the update, your pups are gorgeous!


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

Beautiful dog. You could switch off of puppy food at any time now. None of my puppys have ever eaten puppy food, I always go with All life stages food.  

There are so many good foods that it is hard to pick.  I rotate my dogs foods. Orijen, Acana, Addiction, Earthborn, Wellness Core, Canidae Grain Free Pure, Taste of the wild, and Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost. These are all great foods my dogs do well on. My 2 allergy dogs are on Natural Balance LID Venison, and Natural Balance LID Bison.


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Jacksons Mom said:


> OMG I just discovered Hovawarts a few weeks ago and they are gorgeous!! I hope you post more pictures.
> 
> As for food, do what is easiest/best for you.  I really like the results I've gotten on Acana Duck & Pear, so I really like Acana. I feel like Orijen is pricier and not really that much more worth it than Acana. But NB, if it's been working for you, will be a fine food.
> 
> Wow. thanks for the update, your pups are gorgeous!


It's a really interesting breed which I think will become more and more popular in the states as time goes on. I definitely like the idea of having a more unique dog, but I guess it's not a terrible thing if the breed gets more popular. Then I won't have to explain his origins so often. 

I will look into Acana again and see which sites or nearby stores sell it.



Damon'sMom said:


> Beautiful dog. You could switch off of puppy food at any time now. None of my puppys have ever eaten puppy food, I always go with All life stages food.
> 
> There are so many good foods that it is hard to pick.  I rotate my dogs foods. Orijen, Acana, Addiction, Earthborn, Wellness Core, Canidae Grain Free Pure, Taste of the wild, and Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost. These are all great foods my dogs do well on. My 2 allergy dogs are on Natural Balance LID Venison, and Natural Balance LID Bison.


 Thank you! Another vote for Acana as well as switching to an all stages now. I reached out to the US Hovi club about when to switch. Their initial comment a while back was any time between 6-12 months, but hoping for some more explanation from them within the next couple days. 

Either way it sounds like it's time to start researching an all stage kibble!


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Looks like I'm going to go with the Acana Chicken & Burbank Potato. It has low calcium and phosphorous levels at 1.3% and 1.1% respectively. Chewy is selling it for $53.99 with free shipping and 15% off with autoship bringing it to $45.89 shipped.


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## Woofie2 (Oct 5, 2013)

I have a German Hovawart too; his name is Rivers.

I've been feeding him a combination of homecooked, beef, beef heart and vegetables, along with Acana Pacifica, of which he's doing excellent on. 

These are EXCELLENT dogs; can be very stubborn too. Rivers is very loveable, very unique - he tops off at 27" tall and 62lbs, I actually have a hard time keeping weight on him.


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Woofie2 said:


> I have a German Hovawart too; his name is Rivers.
> 
> I've been feeding him a combination of homecooked, beef, beef heart and vegetables, along with Acana Pacifica, of which he's doing excellent on.
> 
> These are EXCELLENT dogs; can be very stubborn too. Rivers is very loveable, very unique - he tops off at 27" tall and 62lbs, I actually have a hard time keeping weight on him.


Thanks for chiming in! Do you have any pictures of Rivers? Would love to see some. How old is he?


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## Woofie2 (Oct 5, 2013)

Here's Rivers - our tall man!

http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr345/RiversnKuaui/Endof2008018.jpg



http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr345/RiversnKuaui/BigCimarronBlueMesaPikesPeak09006.jpg



Rivers with our new Australian Shepherd puppy, Creek


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## Woofie2 (Oct 5, 2013)

Here's a few more - showing off his height


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

Did you get Rivers from a breeder?


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Rivers is a strapping boy! Do people ever confuse him with a golden retriever?


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## Woofie2 (Oct 5, 2013)

Kayota said:


> Did you get Rivers from a breeder?


Yes; 5yrs ago.


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## Woofie2 (Oct 5, 2013)

Gootz said:


> Rivers is a strapping boy! Do people ever confuse him with a golden retriever?


At first sight, from a distance they do; until they get up close and realize he has no resemblance to a golden. 

Plenty of my relatives have Golden's and up close they look nothing alike. He has a lot of height on them and his personality is NOTHING like a Golden. 

It was rather interesting to watch him grow, he has all this leg...he had more black, brown in his hair when he was a puppy. His tail used to be really dark with almost black strands that turned blonde over the years, and his body hair as a puppy had a lot of black in it too down his back. 

His front has always been white, and the 4 white paws. But he had a lot more multicolor in him up until he was around 2yrs or so, after that more of the blonde, red color came out. 

In this picture here, you can see the blackness in his tail and up near his neck line


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## SydTheSpaniel (Feb 12, 2011)

These are some really gorgeous dogs! What are their temperaments typically like?


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## Bumper1 (Jul 14, 2013)

For a breed like that I would use a moderate protein and moderate fat food with calcium around 1.25% or below and phosphorous at or below 1%. Stick with a chicken, fish and egg food with whole grains. 

It would also be a good thing for this breed to avoid neutering until maturity which should be 2 years, and hopefully by that time you will decide not to.


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## Rescued (Jan 8, 2012)

EDIT: nevermind, wrong tab on my browser!


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Woofie2 said:


> At first sight, from a distance they do; until they get up close and realize he has no resemblance to a golden.
> 
> Plenty of my relatives have Golden's and up close they look nothing alike. He has a lot of height on them and his personality is NOTHING like a Golden.
> 
> ...


Rivers definitely doesn't look like a golden up close. I've seen some other blonde Hovis that looked much more like a golden. Thanks for chiming in here and sharing some pics! Nice to see another Hovi owner. Which breeder did you get Rivers from? 



SydTheSpaniel said:


> These are some really gorgeous dogs! What are their temperaments typically like?


Thank you! Tyson is still a puppy, so it's hard to say what he will be like as an adult. At this point he is a very friendly and playful guy. He is very social and likes to wrestle and play with other dogs. I typically take him to the dog park once a week and he is in heaven. He is very connected to me, much moreso than my wife or daughter.

He does exhibit some protective instincts already, but I've heard that they don't truly kick in for a little while longer. He likes to sit in front of our screen door and watch the front yard. He is vocal and lets passerby's know he is there. 

I take him to obedience training and am currently in level 2. He is very quick to pick up commands, but can be stubborn at times. I wouldn't say he is highly intelligent, but definitely well above average. 

He still doesn't realize his size (currently 27" tall and 75lbs), so sometimes he can be too rough with my daughter who is only 3. We don't want to get him fixed until we have his OFA exam performed. We may stud him out if he has a good report. If not, he is getting the family jewels removed.


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## Woofie2 (Oct 5, 2013)

Gootz - read your reply regarding your pup's personality. Careful, they are VERY intelligent and actually get bored very easy. 

Rivers has to have constant different types of interaction, or he gets bored and mopey very easy. He's VERY protective of his property and will not allow anyone into the yard without our acknowledgement first. 

These dogs are not for the faint of heart, they can be very stubborn and yet extremely loveable at the same time. Rivers loves his affection, but is also content with having his own space. He is a people dog just as much as he loves to play/wrestle with our other dog - and he is not destined to be an outdoor only dog. He can't stand not being around his people. 

I love the boy, strangest and coolest dog I've ever had. He is awesome with people that are great towards him; you lift a hand to him however (which no one has - thankfully) and it may not come out so well.


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Woofie2 said:


> Gootz - read your reply regarding your pup's personality. Careful, they are VERY intelligent and actually get bored very easy.
> 
> Rivers has to have constant different types of interaction, or he gets bored and mopey very easy. He's VERY protective of his property and will not allow anyone into the yard without our acknowledgement first.
> 
> ...


I can only provide feedback based on what I've observed from Tyson so far. Rivers sounds a lot like how the breed is described. Is he well socialized? Is he fixed? How old was he when you got him from the breeder? Was he always as you described? If not, how old was he before he started exhibiting the behavior you described?


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## Woofie2 (Oct 5, 2013)

Gootz said:


> I can only provide feedback based on what I've observed from Tyson so far. Rivers sounds a lot like how the breed is described. Is he well socialized? Is he fixed? How old was he when you got him from the breeder? Was he always as you described? If not, how old was he before he started exhibiting the behavior you described?


Your feedback is awesome; I was just saying they're actually very intelligent and get bored easy. 

Rivers is very well socialized, I made that promise when I got him. 

Rivers was originally purchased by a rancher out of Texas; who decided he wanted nothing to do with him after finding out he was gun shy - of which he definitely is. The rancher put me into contact with the breeder & we've had many conversations over the years; she has since moved back to Alaska, but lived in Kentucky at the time Rivers was born. 

He was 4mnths old when I got him & the rancher had just neutered him, hoping that would help with his gun shyness.

The dog was a mess, literally. The rancher through him out to run with a female older dog, basically to fend for themselves; he was offering Pedigree from time to time - but overall, Rivers was a mess. He had fleas, his ears were blood red, and he had a skin infection from scratching so much. 

He also had a chest cold & was immediately put on antibiotics with a flea bath. 

I believe due to the situation in which we rescued Rivers from, is the reason he is the way he is, and the reason he's very protective of us.

His level of protection for us is not the same outside the house/yard however; I can easily take him into public and he's not a problem with people coming up to us. In fact, for the most part, he loves people and wants to meet everyone - in public; at home, he's fine with people as long as he knows we've invited them. 

His passion is water and fishing; he will catch his own fish in a river; thus the reason we named him Rivers. 

This dog is an awesome companion, and I wouldn't have it any other way. He's extremely friendly with other dogs, as long as they are too.


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Thanks for sharing all of this and for chiming in. It's nice to talk with another Hovi owner and to learn about other Hovis. There aren't any other owners I know other than the breeder and a couple of the Hovi club leaders.

Tyson seems to grow and change every day and it is fun to watch him mature and learn. I just got back from the dog park and he literally was running and playing for over 45 minutes. He's passed out next to me right now haha.

That is a great story about how you rescued him, gave him a loving home and how he was named. Do you have any videos of him catching fish? That sounds amazing to watch. We are hoping to move to Portland next year, so he will have plenty of lake and river exposure. He loves the water already, so I'm interested to see if fishing is something he will learn to do. 

It sounds like you guys are both lucky to have found each other.


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## Woofie2 (Oct 5, 2013)

It's funny when someone asks what breed he is, and then they raise their eyebrows. So many people have never heard of them; but then the ones that have will spot him in a second. 

Problem with Rivers when he goes fishing; he goes DEEP - I've literally dropped 2 cameras going for him - we actually can not turn him completely lose on a river. He wears a harness attached to a 10-15ft lead that's either attached to a tree or a huge rock - he goes nose in and doesn't realize the current. Some rivers we fish in are pretty deep, wide and dangerous. 

This last trip, he went for the fish that was going for my hook at the same time. He's the one I caught - poor thing. He was fine, no hook in the skin, thank goodness - but he definitely got the taste of a worm and didn't like it.


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

Yeah, I usually end up having to spell Hovawart out, literally. It can sometimes be a little annoying, but the breed fascinates me, so in the end I don't really mind sharing. It just happens wherever I take him. 3 separate people asked me at the dog park today, for example. Sounds like you have similar experiences. I have yet to run into anyone who has heard of them except for my dog trainer, hence why I work with her. 

That sounds like quite an experience and he sounds like an awesome dog. I'm curious if Tyson will have similar fishing instincts/desires.


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## Woofie2 (Oct 5, 2013)

If you're a water person, I'm adamant about getting any dog used to water immediately. We love to go boating, camping, fishing, etc...all of our dogs are immediately exposed to all of it - weather depending of course. 

Rivers jumped in with all 4's the same week we got him; and we were out at a lake a day later, he was turned loose for a few seconds, I swear, and literally had swam out well over 100ft. A nearby rider on a jet-ski hauled him up and brought him back to shore. 

When we're at the lake, he's given 100ft of lead and hooked to a safe/round anchor - he then can either swim out 100ft or combo of shore/water. It's not a matter of not staying with us, he will, but he loves to swim & doesn't realize how far out he gets.


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## Gootz (Apr 8, 2013)

We are definitely water people. Tyson loves lakes and streams too, but was hesitant about swimming pools at first. He's warmed up to them now and doesn't have any issues. He has yet to see the ocean, but I'm sure he will enjoy that as well.

I have a 30ft lead for now. Once we move up to Portland and have more access to larger bodies of freshwater like the Columbia River and Lake Oswego, for example, we'll see how he likes it and if we should get a longer lead. Thanks for the advice.


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