About Chiara

Full name: Comtesse Chiara Navare Prim

Nickname: Kiri

Breed: hovawart

Birth date: 25.3.2010

Mother: Ammy Černý Vítr

Father: Ulsan Gasko Prim

Colour: black-and-tan

Kiri’s early puppyhood

Her first 8 weeks of life Kiri spent at the place where she was born; the breeding station Navare Prim in the surrounding of Usti nad Labem in Northwestern Bohemia. There she was among her 4 siblings, three adult dogs, two cats and of course her first human parents, which reared them up with a great amount of love and attention. We visited the puppies twice before we took Kiri home, and both times found them in a super state, happy, playful, interested in everything and very open to humans. They were exactly as you imagine happy and satisfied puppies, so we believe Kiri had a happy early puppyhood and that her first parents gave her the happiness and the positive approach to humans on her way. Thank you again for giving them such a nice and warm start into life!! Under this care and since they were only 5 puppies, the little ones grew fast, and Kiri arrived here with 8,5 kg (for comparison, Merlin had arrived here with 4 kg).

Kiri’s first week with us

On 22.05.2010 was the big day; we went to take little Kiri to us! At Navare Prim we first played with all puppies, chatted with the people and then took Kiri for her first time out of the area and into a car. During the ride Vendula sat with her in the back, keeping Kiri on her lap or on the seat around her. Kiri was quite calm, although a little uneasy with the movements of the car – in each curve she rolled to the side and moaned a little. But in general she mastered the experience with a brave heart.

The first meeting with Merlin was satisfying: Merlin sniffed her very intensely and interestedly. She behaved like a puppy should do: with tail-wigging and bowing low or even turning on the back. The first day we showed her the yard, sat with her in calm and tried to show her that she is welcomed here and that she can trust us. By the end of the second day she was following Vendula everywhere. Vendula slept the first nights out in the yard together with Kiri in the new dog-area that Kiri is supposed to see as her permanent sleeping place.

During the next days we experienced, how well-fitting was the name she was called at Navare Prim: Crazy! The little devil ran through house and garden, jumped unexpectedly on by-passing sandals and bit into the toes looking out at the front. Or came tail-wigging to one of us, let us bow down to pet her and bite the heirs or the face. Or moaning loudly and lastingly when Vendula left inside the house and let her out. And demanding entrance to the house, after she had decided within one day that sleeping indoors is the only acceptable way for her (although she had slept outside the whole former time of her life). She went to sleep only when Vendula stayed with, and because she very strongly demanded it, Vendula stopped to sleep in the doghouse (if we spoil our dog, we want to decide on our own, in which respect; but taking orders from that little devil was not on our line). On the other hand, during the next days Kiri also often ignored us, actively avoided us when we approached her for petting, demonstratively moved away when we sat close by, moaned without reason, ate very few and altogether made us desperate what we might have done so wrong with this little soul. Another side of her was a very sweet little puppy that was very interested in the world around. She easily learned a lot of things, e.g. that she was not allowed to enter certain rooms in the house, how to pass through the dog-door and others. Definitely a very smart little girl and a heart-touchingly cute toddler, but also a little princess and a hardheaded ox, all together in this tiny little thing!

Her relation to Merlin, especially Merlin’s approach to her, went very fine. At the beginning, Kiri was very careful in her approach to Merlin, clearly demonstrating her healthy social instincts by showing the necessary respect to an adult male. Merlin mostly ignored her, but also sometimes sniffed her. In these cases, she respectfully laid on her back and he had the tail 2/3 up and slightly wigging; that was a friendly approach that we were happy to see. However, Kiri’s respect to Merlin melted towards the end of the first week and she started to attack him by pulling the hairs of his throat. Merlin moaned to this; obviously not soooo happy with that kind of game. Since Kiri regularly pulled out a bunch of hair from Merlin, we believe it even was a painful game for him. Merlin usually only tried to avoid her or to get her off when she was hanging to his fur, but occasionally he obviously had enough of this annoyance. Then he turned the game and started to snap to Kiri (without really catching her and to press her to the ground with his body, especially with his shoulder. She got the point and left him (at least for a few minutes).

 Of course people came to see the new puppy and she turned out to be very open to people in general, always happy to make fresh contacts. Surely this was the result of her nice early puppyhood and the lack of any bad experiences.

Altogether, in the first week we learned that 1) Kiri is very different from Merlin in character; 2) that we will have to be strict with her in order to keep her cheekiness within limits; 3) that Merlin and Kiri will go well along as long as we give some special attention and some calm place to Merlin; 4) that Kiri has the potential to be a very skilful and trained dog. For both sides, the first week was full of new impressions and change of situation, but at the end of this week we all (as we hope) were happy about the new situation. We welcome you in our world, little Kiri, and are looking forward to wonderful years with you!