Arnold has great side-way movement. His rear reaches way underneath him. He's light on his feet and extremely easy to gait in the ring.  He was never shy in the ring; a huge plus for a show career!   

I had to keep reminding "Bobby," his female handler whom he adored, that you have to watch him… he is a Kuvasz… and he WILL protect you if he feels threatened.  He was always a sweetheart with her… a big cuddle bear… and she truly just didn't believe me.  

One day, at a dog show, her friend came running down the aisle with a big Akita in tow. The girl was excited about something. Well, Arnold didn't care for a strange Akita running towards “his Bobby.” She never imagined that Arnold would leap from the grooming table —while still attached to it— to protect her from the approaching Akita!  

Thankfully, Arnold respected his handler’s command of “NO” and he stopped his approach. Luckily, the girl also managed to stop the Akita from charging.  After that day, Bobbie respected the fact that Arnold may look like a big white cuddle bear, but he will always protect, if need be. 

At age eight-plus, he can still jump from a standstill —sideways— up onto my tall grooming table!  He pounces on the table pretty much cat-like, and lands precisely.

He used to go to baseball games and let the kids pet him, really enjoying all the attention, but when he saw a bunch of them getting rowdy, he showed signs of wanting to tell them to settle down and stop "attacking" each other.  I had to assure him they were not hurting each other.  

Arnold's “laid back” and enjoys the simple things in life.  He loves to go for walks and roam his fenced yard at night. 

Arnold’s good around other dogs when we go for dog walks.  He'll walk side-by-side, next to my male intact Golden, without a fuss.   I take him for regular walks and we often pass by two "mutts" that run their big yard length—up and down it—the entire time as we walk past. It's at least a 250 foot frontage and they charge and bark the whole time.  They have electronic collars on. Arnold just listens to my command of "Leave It," as he walks past them, without lunging and pulling on the leash.  He keeps a watchful eye from his side-view vision because he knows that the “Leave It” command also means don't bother staring at them.  I always tell him he's such a good boy. 

One day, the "bad dogs” came running at him. They were loose and weren't friendly. I made sure Arnold didn't go to attack them.  I held onto him and he listened to my commands and never lunged at them, even though one of them bit him on his ear.  

That incident never soured Arnold, nor cause him to display aggression towards dogs that behave well.  He still goes for pleasant walks with my nice Golden and walks nicely past other dogs on the street. 

When I let him out of his kennel at night, he just lets me give him one quick pet, he takes only one dog treat, and off he goes “on duty,” searching and smelling the yard. Part of it's enclosed into the woods in the back, so he goes back and thoroughly checks that area out for intruders.  Many times, in the middle of the night, he’s stopped a raccoon, or possum, from entering all the way through the chain link fence.  Of course, my husband and I have to go out in the middle of the night to stop Arnold’s barking. 

The one thing Arnold is quite adamant about is that when I'm grooming him, or my other dogs, I must ask them “nicely” to behave! 

Arnold doesn't believe you should raise your voice in anger… or raise your hand at him... or any dog to "force" good behavior.  And I have to agree with him!  He’s taught me that you can “ask nicely” and still get good results.  

Arnold is one Kuvasz who loves the water. He got that from his dad, Dutch, because his dam, Ilona, would not stick one toe nail into the lake at the end of our drive! 

Arnold was born on Friday the 13th, at the Ramble Inn parking lot!  It's a relaxed, construction workers kind of  bar.  I was rushing his mom, Ilona, to the vets because she had stopped having her puppies in the middle of labor.  Well, she started going back into labor IN the car on the way to the vets, so I pulled off the road into the bar’s parking lot.  And there dropped Arnold!  

Maybe that's why Arnold's so simple and laid back. He also enjoys a cold "sip" of beer from time to time with the boys! :)

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