Images of female wolfdogs from Nordenden

In this bouquet of females are from above: Nahanni owned by Marijke Saarloos (photo by Gerard De Moore), Nagaya owned by Christel De Landeghem (photo by owner), Nia and Ax both living at Nordenden.

Skiing to a remote lake

Starting from our backyard on our snowshoe-made trail, we continued today to some secluded small lakes where the snow and ice is compressed by the wind with only a thin layer of soft snow on the top of it. It is perfect for the dogs to run and play there, as they dont sink through too deep. The temperature has risen from far below 20 to about 10 degrees below zero which feels rather comfortable.

Preparing the winter trails.

Still no sign of global heating ! We have had several nights with as low as minus 29 - which is cold. The dogs seem to thrive however. And despite the atricious cold we think nature is more beautiful than ever. With full moon reaching the highest on the sky and illuminating the snowcovered forest with only short shadows and diamand-reflexions from the feathery snowcrystals, one can enjoy a ski-run without a head-lamp. First however we brake the trail with snowshoes to compress the snow, then we make the track with ski. This is really a finishing of a trail we started this fall when cutting trees and bushes in a dense forest. We always need new tracks for variety and alternation of our runs. Pictures are of a snowshoe while using it and of a wolfdog patroling the route.

Images of male wolfdogs from Nordenden

The Event in Kolliger Mühle

On friday the 13th of november I took a Ryanair flight to Hahn airport in Germany and continued with a Hertz car from there to Kollig, arriving in the middle of the night, to meet the dogs and the owners of my Nord-litter now 1 year old. I must express my humble gratitude to the owners of Kolliger Mühle for their hospitality and for making their holliday houses avaliable for us. Kolliger Mühle is a several centuries old water mill located in a secluded down-valley completely cut off from the surrounding farm-land and villages of the region. Under huge trees and byside the rive Elzbach, which is the water supply for the mill, we had our Nord-litter assembly. the Kolliger Mühle is in the beginning of the landscape of the Eifel and the owners rent out holliday houses on a dog friendly basis. A branch of the famous historic pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela runs along the Kolliger Mühle. So one can make a long walk from there. http://www.kollgermuehle.nl

The litter is definitely a success. Out of 8 puppies 5 survived the selection done by mother nature the first weeks of their life. Being satisfied with the dogs on the one hand and not the least the owners of the puppies on the other. All owners have given good and caring homes for the dogs and all of them have the personal resources for the necessary caretaking of such animals. The litter has derived most of its qualities from the extremes of both the sire and the dam. Ax (mother) with her easy going, loyal and intensely bonding attitude, which she again derived from her father Fango, is represented in the behavior of some of the puppies. Skarvs (father) carefulness, pack-dependancy and somewhat shy behavior is represented in other of the puppies. Bodywise I am especially happy to see that the two males inherited the original bodytype and size of the grandfather Skrim, who is a true old-time Saarlooswolfhond type. The idea behind this litter was to combine the nice body of Skrim (grandfather on the male side) with the easy and open mind of Fango (grandfather on the female side).

Six Yellow Eyes in Gytsjerk

Christel Landeghem has captured this six yellow eyes in a moment of a "walk on the wildside" and a moment of freedom and joy out on the meadows outside Gytsjerk. The beauties are Nord-Nahanni with grandmother Duet and the male relative Jenko from Belgium.

Developing generations.

It is a huge satisfaction to see this "puppies" develop. 10 months old and already considerably larger than the average Saarloos-dog. Long upper arms, long metacarpus and metatarsus. A full extension of their bodies and limbs. I want to recreate the large, massive dog who trots as light and swift as a fox. It seems that this Nord-litter is a good step in the right direction. Photo is taken by Christel van Landeghem. From left to right: Nord-Valpar, Nord-Tuur and Nord-Nagaya.