Tag Archives: herding

“Budapest Budapest Te Csodas…”

February 16, 2016

“Budapest Budapest You Wonderful…” The title is a popular Hungarian song, I think back from the 1960-70. For Hungarians it is sort of the equivalent of Sinatra’s “New York New York.” https://youtu.be/TIsXvH-e6bU (it is heavily edited and appropriated sorry original content owners….)

I am so thrilled to be back again…

Catskill Pumis waiting to board at JFKIt is that crazy time of the year again when we travel to Europe to check out the royal and not so royal Pumi houses of Europe to make some holly alliances between the Pumis of the New World and some of the Ancient Regimes of the continent.

It is that crazy time of the year again when we travel to Europe to check out the royal and not so royal Pumi houses of Europe to make some holly alliances between the Pumis of the New World and Pumis of the Ancient Regimes of Europe.

Catskill Pumi petting ZOO at JFK every one loves the Pumis

I’ll spend six weeks traveling in Hungary and a few other countries. The plan is to enter some dog shows, visit breeders, get some unofficial breeding and health history on the breed. I will put my light blue NATO helmet on and try to do my best to clean off the dirt that comes with all the information from the various sides… and we also try to breed if all works as planned.

The Catskill Pumi Teddy Bear Collection – I WANT ONE!

We had a very orderly departure that is usually a pretty rear occurrence. Left on time from upstate, made it to the airport without incident, checked in dogs and luggages, I even get to check in an extra duffle bag without paying a penny. The early arrival to JFK gave us some extra quality time with the dogs. They could eliminate, hang out and get used to the new environment without any tension so when they were hauled away to load them on the plain, they did not care too much.

We let Mommy off leash for a pit stop…

The flight was uneventful. In Helsinki I changed plane to Budapest. While boarding, the captain assured me that the dogs were transferred to the second flight and so we went. After the brutal cold spell of of Upstate NY (we had -40F windchill Friday night) I did not mind the unseasonable warm temperature at my arrival in Budapest.

Agyag and Fruska are checking in at Finnair

We walked through customs like middle eastern migrants enter to Europe; no one checked my papers or really cared about me or the dogs. I picked up my rental car and we were on our way to my sister’s house. The station wagon I rented is a blessing because I can fit both crates in the back so I can keep the car clean from muddy dog paws for six weeks. It was funny to see the dogs when we got out of the car and entered the lobby of the high-rise building where my sister lives. As we were waiting for the elevator, they kept looking and wondering why the sheep live in vertically stacked stalls and why they have so many shepherds around. I needed to pull through the day without going to sleep until the evening so I can manage better the jetlag aka desynchronosis (a fancy word for you).

The Catskill Pumis are ready to board the subway

The Catskill Pumis are ready to enter the Budapest subway system

Today we took it easy. I bought a monthly public transportation pass so I do not have to drive in Budapest traffic unless it is necessary. I also bought a gym membership to a fancy gym just a few blocks from my sister’s house because even though, i promised myself that I keep my relatively healthy diet while in Europe, I am afraid I will get tempted and breaking down within minutes after walking into one of those famous indoor food markets where they sell all those mouthwatering insanely delicious food creations.

My sister Zsuzsa with my Pumis

The rest of the day we are off to the central shopping district on the Pest side of the City. Lets see what the fancy boutiques of Budapest can offer comparing to Delhi’s “Tractor Supply” selection or Oneonta’s “Walmart” back home in New York. Do not tell this part of my trip to Laszlo…

Dogs and owners need to know a lot before entering a dog run you have to pass a "dog body language test" study material is available at the entrance. Turid Ruugas would be pretty proud

Dogs and owners need to know a lot before entering a dog run. Everyone has to pass a “dog body language test” Study material is available at the entrance. Welcome to Dog Run University… Turid Ruugas would be pretty proud

Rat King and Strawhenge…

December 5, 2015

En route to Florida, we stopped for a barn hunt trial at “Tailwaggin’ Events” in Robbinsville NJ. The weather was glorious. Blue sky and radiating warm sunshine. Climate change at its best!

The rat King Installation by Katharina Fritsch

..and a real rat king from the collection of Naturkundliches Museum Mauritianum in Altenburg, Germany. (if you do not know about rat king, you might want to check it out)

Have you ever been at a barn hunt event? The course is built of straw bales where the dogs must navigate through tunnels, ramps, and other straw structures to find the rat in a tube somewhere under or between the straw bales. By looking at these straw bale structures that appeared so similar to the structures of Stonehenge, I thought, I just solved the approximately 5000 years old great mysteries of Stonehenge. Those New Stone Age (Neolithic) stoners must have played barn hunt. Rats should have been abundant and therefore, good farm dogs, had to be in great demand…

Stonehenge, the real stuff…

Anyway, the place was packed with people and tons of dogs. It always makes me wonder what makes dogs so special in our lives that we create crazy events and form organizations to entertain these four legged beasts… Four Pumis entered out of 12 (!) present! With such a rate, the unique Pumi cuteness fast will turn into everyday delight.

Strawhenge, the real stuff…

There were 43 entries in novice class and two of the two Pumis have stolen the show. My Kaffogo Agyag has won second place. It has been the happiest second place I can think of, because, the winner was Catskill CAVU from our B-litter (owner Sandy Mainardi). CAVU recently recovered from a serious knee surgery after an unfortunate accident during agility training. No wonder, I was so happy that she beat Agyag. It was nice to see him happy and healthy again. Marika Foreman has also entered her two Catskill Pumis, Csibesz and Bikfic. This event was their barn hunt debut. Both dogs were very excited and Csibesz passed his rat instinct test.

the villain of the barn hunt – the rat…

Barn hunt is in great demand… handlers’ meeting

The rest of the Pumis were cheering from the sideline. People could not stop smiling by looking at the cutest and biggest herd of Pumis in Robbinsville today.

The Hero and star of the story, Kaffogo Agyag…

There was even a rat bar… The rat wrangler recommendation was, Rattus Norwegicus on the rocks…

After the event, we are back on the road today. We plan to spend the night in Virginia and tomorrow to complete the last leg of the annual Eukanuba pilgrimage to Orlando Florida.

No one can resist barn hunt…so why don’t YOU try it next time…?

Seven Pumis In Seven Days…

May 30, 2015

Hello World, We Are Here

Hello World, We Are Here… We were happy to land on Planet Pumi during Memorial Day weekend, make it sure that everyone will remember us.

FYI, we are more than color coded cute monkeys, we are Pumis with real names… if you think you have speech impediment after reading our names, either ignore it or set up an appointment with your speech pathologist.

So here we go!

Hi, my name is Csucsai Csinszka or Csinszka from Ciucea. I am one of the pups from the Catskill Pumi C-litter. I will be the narrator of our first seven days today.

Sneaky little guys

My name comes from the romantic story (blah blah blah…) that Csinszka was the wife of one of the greatest Hungarian poets, Endre Ady. Unfortunately, he died of syphilis just before penicillin was available in 1919… (Sorry, I am a pup and sometimes not sure about appropriate comments or unnecessary extra information…) Anyway, since I started it, let me finish it… As a new born pup, my take away of this story is, that greatness might shields one from the consequences of getting in to trouble, however, not necessarily from contracting trouble…The wife, Csinszka was from a small town in Transylvania, Ciucea or Csucsai, that is between Oradea where our mistress, Ildiko was born and Cluj Napoca where Ildiko attended her undergraduate studies, so she was riding through Ciucea a lot.

The second girl’s name is “Csendes Csobanka” that translates as “Quiet Shepherdess.” I think this name is self explanatory. We were born into a herding kennel, and while anecdotes say that Pumis must bark when herd, our elder kennel team mates have proven that a good herding dog can work in silence.

“Cseresznyes Cio-Cio-San” is the third girl, that stands for “Cio-Cio-San with Cherries.” This name is a testament that we are from an artsy fartsy family, and supposedly when Laszlo was growing up, his family had permanent annual ticket to the Budapest Opera House… (I hope you got the Cherry connection…)

“Cserfes Csacsogo,” or Gossipy Chatterbox” is the fourth girl’s name. I do not want to be a party pooper, so I cannot identify the person she is named after… Pumis are certainly known about their chattery personality and gossip is also an important social tool getting to know your allies and enemies…

And here come the boys…

AKC’s Most Wanted

“Cifra Csaszar” or “Adorned Emperor.” A name that jumps out from the gilded history of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, folk fables, national operas, Francophile poets and the rest.

“Csipos Csuzli” or “Pinching Slingshot” is the perfect name for the perfect underdog, a peasant underdog I might add, recalling a biblical hero from the Old Testament.

Finally the last of us is “Csatakos Csoma.” His name can be translated as “Soaked or Muddy Csoma.” Either way, when you’ll see him, you know that he is just an adorable lovely dirty Pumi.

We’ve had a busy loud and camera flashy first seven days, so I think I am happy that I cannot hear and see for a few more days, otherwise, I would have a serious headache. We were photographed and showed around the world, I felt like a Kardashian Pumi or one of “AKC’s Seven Most Wanted…”

We also had a visit at the vet office that has become a subject of an international crisis, “dewclaw or not to dewclaw…” However, thanks to the twenty four-hour news cycle, FIFA took the center stage right after us.

dewclaw or not dewclaw an international Pumi crisis

Lately, we are subjected to some weird experiment, created by a person named Dr.Bataglia. Honestly, it is quite uncomfortable. We have to hang upside down, resting on cold surface, they push Q-tips between our paws and other weird stuff. It is supposedly good for us. The only thing I am concerned about is that a few decades from now some revisionist historian might come up with the idea that we were part of some weird Eugenist exercise, the “Post-Letterman Stupid Pet Tricks”.

So what will we become? I do not know. Words go around in the whelping box that they will send us to the four corners of the world, so I guess, we will be missionaries. Wait a second…, can we be Mormon Pumis?

From Planet Mars to Planet Pumi in 62 days…

Yes, She is Ready to be a Mom…

May 15, 2015

Did Snow White eat the seven dwarves…? we’ve found six… Agyag’s belly on the x-ray image

Day 54 from the first breeding. We went to x-ray Agyag’s belly to find out how many pups we can expect. The image has shown six heads, but it can be more pups, because these images are not precise. Well, I guess, we will find out the exact numbers in less than a week.

"The Bagpipe Band" with the six baor more(?) band members inside the bag. It reminds me "The Turk," the hoax chess playing machine that actually did hide a chess master inside the machine.

“The Bagpipe Band” with the six or more(?) band members hiding inside the “bag.” It reminds me “The Turk,” the hoax chess playing machine from the late 1800’s that actually did hide a chess master inside the machine.

"The Turk, " Wolfgang of Kempelen fake chess machine with a chess master hidden inside...

“The Turk, ” Wolfgang von Kempelen’s fake chess machine with a chess master hidden inside…

http://youtu.be/8oO2v-6TZkM<—-Click on link

After a few days of feeding frenzy, she seems to loss her appetite again. I am back to my canine culinary juggle to please her pregnant palate. Otherwise she is in a good spirit. I have to keep her on leash because she is ready to herd when we are outside during the day and she wants to make a nest outside after dark. Before I leashed her, she really scared me the other night when she started squeezing herself into a culvert pipe.

I looked up the the antonym of “bareback” on the internet. For my surprise, most entries brought up this photo. I guess the news is out…

We have less than a week to go…

The Burdens of Pregnancy

May 4, 2015

Nibbling on cat foot. Catskill Anka waiting for some kibbles to drop in the background…

Less than three weeks to go. Agyag is in a good shape and excellent spirit most of the time, however, when it comes to food she becomes so capricious. One day she doesn’t eat at all, then the next day she eats a few bits here and there, and when it is the least expected, she gables in of beef liver.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjGSStCXo_Y <—–Click on link

I buy a wide variety of food for her trying to please her. Of course the kibbles, and canned food for ideal nutritional balance ( she cares the least about these). I bought her chicken. It scares me because of the raging chicken flu in the midwest. Chicken is suspiciously cheap these days. I dehydrate the meat. I also try raw gizzards and chicken liver. I got beef liver, fish, of course we give our lamb and goat meat. Sometimes she craves for lamb kidneys and raw tongue. I also caught her several times crunching on dry cat food kibbles. The other day we also located green tripes.

In short, she drives me nuts.

part of the food selection

The Preparations Begin

May 2, 2015

Agyag’s belly looks like an intercome call button panel. You press anipple and can talk to one of the pups.

We are lining up for landing. Kaffogo Agyag has approximately three more weeks to go until whelping. Her belly is swelling, and her nipples are protruding. She just rolled over and comfortably stayed on her back while I was shaving her tummy. What a girl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXSwE18fTWo <—-Click here…

I am getting so excited.

Quiet please, I am taking a large pizza order

I Think We Are Ready To Go Home

it cannot get better than this picture

March 30, 2015

One week. It went so fast and in the same time it also went so slow.

My favorite team today. This dog was such an animated trooper

sniff sniff… bear bear…

I woke up without my last night’s cold and was ready for action. This morning we checked out an agility competition and then took the dogs for a last long hike. Just between you and me, by the middle of the week I just called it the “Trail of Tears…” I have to confess that even though, we take our dogs for daily hikes in the woods on our property upstate NY, Marja-Leena elevated hiking with her dogs to a different level.

Agyag on the Trail of Tears (she trailed I teared)

I also talked to my sister on the phone, it was such a delight to be in the same time zone with her. We already started making plans for our upcoming fall trip to Hungary and Romania.

I start getting inpatient and somewhat uneasy about tomorrow’s flight for the dog. All should be just fine… Packed up my stuff and ready to go to bed. Tomorrow this time I’ll be back home in NY.

it is mine…

It is easy like one, two, three…

one,

two,

three…

Your Last Second Christmas Shopping At The Catskill Pumis

December 21, 2014

Last second Pumi and farm items for the holidays! Earrings and Zipper pullers.

We also have some of our farm products that the Catskill Pumis are indirectly responsible for by herding the sheep and goats of our farm, GoatSheepShop.

If interested, pls. contact us at info@catskillpumi.com or call at 917.375.7029

White painted metal Pumi earrings with sterling or gold filled findings $25/pair

Black painted metal Pumi earrings with sterling or gold filled findings $25/pair

Plastic zipper puller with sterling findings $20 each

Plastic Pumi zipper puller with sterling findings $20 each

Goat’s milk face cream made with our goat’s milk and natural ingredients. Available in three sizes, 8oz $12, 12oz $18, 16oz $28

Washable white Merino or black Shetland sheepskin shoe insoles $15/pair cut to size

hand felted hot water bottle cover (rubber bottle included $65 (style might slightly varies

Sheepskin hot bottle cover (rubber bottle included) style might slightly varies $65

black sheepskin hot water bottle cover (rubber bottle included) style slightly varies ($65)

black sheepskin hot water bottle cover (rubber bottle included) style might slightly varies $65

2’x3′ woven natural color shetland 100% wool rug $175

White sheepskin average size2’x3′ $95

brown or black sheepskin average size approx. 2’x3′ $95

Angora goathides, white, silver average size approx. 2’x3′ $185

Pumi, Catskill Apacatancos Anka, Best of Breed, at the Eukanuba National Championship, 2014

December 20, 2014

Catskill Apacatancos Anka, CM, PT, AHBA Junion Herding Dog of Catskill Pumi Kennel, has won the Best of Breed title among the Pumis at the Eukanuba National Championship 2014 Show in Orlando, Florida.

http://youtu.be/oRpUR-TC8TI <——-Click here to see Anka…

Home Sweet Home…!

December 17, 2014

Koszos, my Electric Light Orchestra cat just lit up when he realized that the ten-day long missing Pumis are back in his life...

Koszos, my Electric Light Orchestra bluetooth enabled cat, lit up when he realized that the ten-day long missing Pumis finally are back in his life…

After all, we’ve made it back home. We stopped in New Jersey where we split with Marika. Paul has surprised us with a desperately needed wonderful dinner.

I exchanged all my stuff to to the truck and we were gone back on the road to upstate New York, for three more hours of lonely drive on dark and icy roads.

Finally we’ve made it back home just after midnight. When the truck finally stopped, the dogs went nuts running and barking into the night. Fruska and Csupasz who did not come along were happy to see their fellow Pumis to be back.

the Pumi-train is back again on the farm and running on time as of this morning.

Of course, all five Pumis slept in the bedroom and hopefully…,… things will start returning to normal today.

Farm, home, snow, Pumis and happiness.

Thank you again to Marika Foreman, Kathie Ogden, Dianne Fletcher, and my forever crazy Rat Terrier Ladies’, Stacy McWilliams and Jackie Maye Olsen helping us to achieve such a success.

Wish you a happy holiday season!