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From Briard to Croatian Sheepdog
Exactly 18 years ago, she who became my first dog was just born. She was a Berger de Brie, or, as we often call them, a Briard.
Why did I choose a Berger de Brie as a dog ? And how did that lead me to Croatian Sheepdog ?
When I was young, I knew a big Briard male that had loved me very much, although I was not at all neither a member nor a friend
of his family. But I didn't like especially this breed, other breeds was pleasing me better at this time but also at this moment
when I decided to buy a dog.
What happened inside of me ? One day while I was reading a newspaper, I found someone who was selling Briard pups. I was
not at all searching for a dog, I was not at all thinking that I could have a dog, but what happened inside of me ? Suddenly I
remembered the Briard male that I knew and this idea began to grow inside of me, and then I decided to buy a Briard male pup.
Only two bitches weren't still reserved, because their dewclaws were wrong, but I didn't mind about this, I didn't want neither to
go to dogshows nor to breed with my Briard. I went to this breeder, but how could I choose between the two pups ? I didn't know
what to do. Then one of them came to me, so I decided to choose her.
While I was returning to my home, I was searching for a name for her. This name had to begin with the D letter, and before I had
reached my home, I had found her name : Damounia - word that doesn't mean anything and that is only invention of mine.
A few weeks later, her breeder came home to bring her. My first cat, who really loved dogs, was more than happy. Of course they
became quickly two real friends.
Damounia was afraid of a lot of things and beings, and I must say that I didn't know how to educate a dog. She was easily biting
without real control because of fear, and this went on so all her life. When she was young, my first cat, a very responsible cat,
was protecting her, and he didn't hesitate to come between her and a dog she was afraid of. She really loved to "annoy" him, but
in reality, he liked very much be "annoyed" too !
But Damounia was the beginning of the adventure. A few months after she arrived in my life, I was already enjoying to have
another dog, another bitch, so she wouldn't be alone - although "her" cat was often with her, but he liked too to leave the garden
to do a lot of things I never knew. When Etioline, a Newfoundland pup, came home, Damounia was really glad. They became
friends immediately - and my dear cat was very happy too to get a second dog.
Damounia and Etioline were as different from each other as day and night. Damounia was extrovert, dynamic, full of life, always
moving, quarrelsome and easily fighting, very easily biting, very easily barking too, very easily afraid too, very clingy, very joyful,
thoughtless, careless, etc : Etioline was exactly the opposite.
Damounia liked very much be wet, because of rain or because of bath. When I took her with Etioline to some pond, she was
generally the first inside water.
She didn't really obey, but she wasn't very strong, so it was not very difficult to make her obey. I have just got some problems to
make her came back when she was away, and she was a dog who ran away a lot ...
Damounia was the beginning of the adventure ... But is there a end ?
When she was 3, I got another bitch, a Kuvasz one, who became very quickly the chief. Damounia and her were rather rivals than
friends ... Of course that became worse when my 4th dog arrived, a Kuvasz again, but a male.
Kuvaszes reminded me rather of Etioline than Damounia in their characters. But the Berger de Brie was still inside of me. From
Kuvasz, I arrived to Mudi, then Croatian Sheepdog, that is to say herding dogs, as Damounia.
Damounia didn't know my Croatian Sheepdogs, because she died on the 16/01/01, none of my first imported Croatian
Sheepdog were already born. But she knew not only my Mudi couple, but my Mudi litter too. She didn't like them and was not at
all another "mother" for them.
In fact, Damounia was preferring "her" cat and "her" Etioline. She would probably had liked that none other dog came home ...
But I didn't know to stop having dog ... Damounia led me to this world of dogs, and I can't help having a lot of dogs around me ...
Because of the French laws and because of my material conditions, I can't have too much dogs at home, and for that reason I
will probably never have any Berger de Brie again.
But although this fact, I am always reacting somewhere inside of me every time that I see a Briard, and especially a fawn Briard ...
From Briard to Croatian Sheepdog, all the past is still engraved somewhere inside of me, and even if Damounia is dead for
such a long time, Damounia is still inside of me too.
22/05/06
Isabelle Coquinot
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