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Now called Noki, this little rascal started out with the pet name
Nalle Puh (Winnie the Pooh). Like his siblings he was born rear paws
first, and when he was halfway out he decided to speed things up by
placing those paws firmly on both sides of his mom's vulva, pushing to
get out faster! He looked like Pooh stuck in the rabbit hole, thereby
the pet name ;D
Noki's best show result is an Excellent and a class placement from breeder-judge Karin Hedberg (Kashmani).
Noki
has good basic health and has had his eyes checked (clear) in May 2009,
his heart auscultated (no murmurs) and was TgAA-tested (negative) in
February 2009. He has also undergone mental testing in June 2009 (read
the exact report HERE - only in finnish).
Noki is the sire of my Z-litter singleton Qashani Zafir al-Sahrawi. |
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Noki in his owner Johanna Männistö's words:
NOKI - Nokka, the hairless Syrian, leatherbelly, the survivor - has taken his rightful place as a central member of our pack
He
is the primus motor of our dog pack, the core, the battery. He's
energetic, stubborn and strong-willed, but also a lap dog who loves to
work with his people. Gates and doors are no hinderance to Noki - as a
small pup he was the first to manage to climb out of the whelping box,
then onto the sofa and the bed. At home he flies lightly over a meter
high dog gate into the hallway when he wants to go out. He has also
been an industrious sort of guy from an early age. When his littermates
fussed around human visitors at 6 weeks of age, Noki was busy on the
breeder's terrace, spending hours ripping a doggy bed into ever smaller
pieces. In his new home he continued this, prompting a frequent
replacing of dog beds along with other material damage, as he rounded
all wooden edges on furniture until about two years of age. It was
surprisingly restful when the little tyke deigned to sleep - for the
moment, until the energetic Saluki whelp awoke and continued his
efforts.
The rest of our pack consists of two Afghan Hounds, of
which the older, Rasmus, is the authority figure and the younger,
Chocobo, has become a great rough-housing buddy for Noki. When Choco
and Noki are let loose outside they run full tilt so that snow mounds
and sand quarry walls resound and the ground trembles.
Noki is the
most intimacy-loving lap dog in our pack, who pushes his way next to
every human being on the couch in a self-assured way, whether friend,
family member or stranger. When we go to bed he cuddles up next to us
as well, under the covers especially in the winter time. He thinks all
humans are equally wonderful and his attitude to life is general is
brave and positive. He has a stable temperament and never challenges
other dogs to aggression. He speaks the canine language very well and
strives to be conciliatory in all situations, without being
subservient.
Food is Noki's passion - in that respect he is
the survivor, who thinks a single squashed pea that has rolled under a
chair can be the very thing that makes the difference between life and
death. He'll eat almost anything and luckily he has the constitution of
a waste disposal unit, who can digest almost anything without tummy
trouble. We call him our biological waste vacuumer, because he can be
called upon to clean up the most miniscule bread crumbs off the floor
and do a much better job of it than any cleaning appliance!
Unfortunately he will also eat his own feces outside, as well as
sticks, which he will pull with him even if he has to uproot them first.
Noki's
other great passion is game. He would happily chase anything living:
hares, birds, foxes, squirrels... He can scent prey on the wind and is
ready to set off as soon as it is sighted. Due to this simply walking
him to pee in the evenings, especially in the spring, can require
immense concentration, as there is clearly a lot of interesting game
about. It builds muscle on the other end of the leash as well.
Particular
traits of Noki's include the loud Syrian yawn (when he wants something)
and poking with his nose (also when wanting something), and scooting
across the floor as if jumping at voles while pushing with his front
paws. Once a night, if he cannot cuddle with enough physical proximity,
he will take an item of clothing that smells of one of his people, so
he can sleep with that in lieu of the actual person.
Noki has
completed a beginner's course in Agility and I show him and dabble in
racing practices - so far Noki has not shown enthusiasm for chasing a
mere lure, except if you tie a bag of chicken bis to it, in which case
he will run 480 meters flawlessly! Live prey is however much more to
his liking than a mere plastic bag.
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