Now on to the good news... Koli's eval from John...

Tue, 6 Mar 2007 (private email update to me.)

The worst thing to happen so far occurred Sunday night. After getting on together all afternoon, just before I went to bed P**** needed to assert himself to Koli. He strode up to her at broadsides like warships of old. With his face at the level of her face, he emitted a low growl. Koli understood his demand and hung her head still lower as she stepped away from him. P**** moved his broadside in close again and repeated the growl. Again she moved away giving submissive body language. Yet again P**** presented his broadsides and Koli moved off. P**** was going to do this routine still again but I interceded. I brought P**** into the bedroom and he laid down for the night.

Monday morning Koli used the pet door while I was at ______. This evening P**** was almost playing with her. He seemed to want her to chase him but she was herding him.

We have not met any other dogs on our visits to the pet food store or TSC. Koli has met several adults and a few young children, though. In all situations, at home and elsewhere, she has been splendid.

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Tue, 13 Mar 2007 (overview he wrote up for the public.)

Koli's foster home wanted a break for a bit and asked for some help. I am John, a malamute person. We met for several hours over a couple of Saturdays, Koli first meeting my Malamute then meeting two of my former foster Malamutes. These meets worked so well that I substitute-fostered Koli for a week. This is my overview of Koli.

Koli is a very good looking little girl. She is from easy to walk to not too difficult. When she wants to investigate something, she may pull determinedly. I view walking a dog not as exercise but as an expedition for the dog. I allow the dog to pursue it's interest within limits that I set. Koli's only stout pulling for me involved her wanting to meet other dogs or other animals. She really wanted to interact with the wee folk at the pet shops.

This little girl is very affectionate and likes humans of all sizes. Children look at her bright, smart face and find her adorable; as she does them. (Even as children playing together can become too rough without intending to hurt anyone, so too can a dog playing with a child become too rough with out intending harm. Be aware while children are playing). Koli is very gentle when taking offerings from humans and she very much appreciates the thought. At home, she may follow her person around with interest but she is not needy. Neither is this kid hyper. Of course, she does get excited when she is about to go walking. Everyone needs to get out of the house and into less familiar surroundings regularly.

Koli likes to play. Chasing a ball is great fun. Tag is grand fun too. She will come alive with a child who wants someone to play with. She can play her most energetic with other dogs. With others of her kind the action can be enormously fun to watch. Koli seems almost to try to herd the other dog while in games of chase.

Sometimes one may wonder if Koli really is attacking the other dog. I suspect that Koli has a bit of the school yard bully in her with respect to other dogs but I also feel that in spite of this she does not intend harm to the other dog. I have watched her interaction with dogs from tiny breeds to three and four times her own size. She likes to see if she can get a game going. If she finds that she can intimidate the other dogs, she thinks that is fun too. This little girl had a one hundred pound malamute running to me for protection from the pestering she gave him. In spite of the blood chilling language and non-contact snapping he was giving her, she wouldn't stop. (I have seen this malamute effortlessly throw my own one hundred thirty pound malamute on his back). She did not hurt him in the least.

Koli played very well with a slightly larger malamute. They ran and wrestled all across the yard. When either of them got too rough, he or she was informed by voice or movement. Neither of them tried getting even. While Koli was playing with a somewhat smaller dog she moderated her force very well to what that dog could deal with. They had a grand time. An uniformed observer may wonder if Koli is fighting. She is one of those dogs who employs lots of theatrics in her play. Most dogs have very active imaginations.

She also tried playing with what may be a Yorki. This is where the school yard bull thing really presented. Koli was mouthing the tiny dog as if to pick it up. I am confident that she had no wish to harm the little one but even a sleight wrong move could have a sorry result. The worst thing this wee guy experienced from Koli was a partially unintended body slam. Koli ran toward the kid and stopped a step too late, knocking him over. I believe that with experience and guidance Koli would moderate herself around tiny dogs.

In play Koli is sometimes load, but far and away most of the time she is silent Other than in play when she talks the statements are pleasant and very cute. Koli is not destructive and seems not to be much of a digger. She is a very easy and enjoyable dog to live with.