On this page Being Alpha Playing and Training Rewards and Correction The dominant dog in your house Stages/phases of development Things to do with your hovawart puppy Feeding hovawart puppies Documents

Hovawart puppy rearing and training information

In order to understand hovawart puppies better, for the pup to become a good friend, and to train pups more effectively, it is helpful to learn about and understand some of the instincts and behavioural patterns inherent in the Hovawart as a breed. Hovawart puppies behave instinctively, they cannot do anything else, and when treated as they expect, rearing a Hovawart puppy is not difficult.

The instincts of the modern hovawart remain similar to their ancestors the wolf, who lived in groups or packs and hunted an area or territory. The pack leader is called the ALPHA, and this alpha is nearly always a male; he has to be big, strong and primarily resolute. In that way he can have the biggest say and influence over the whole pack. The resolute Alpha insists upon absolute obedience from all pack members, a disobedient animal is immediately punished by the Alpha, often involving the miscreant being bitten in the scruff of its neck; the underdog will roll over onto his back; this is the signal (a submissive posture) for Alpha to stop the correction. This behaviour is instinctual and works in order of rank. Discover more about Instincts

Hovawart pups think and feel much their wild ancestors did. You feed him, care for him, are with him most of the time, take him for walks, and he feels safe with you. Therefore your Hovawart puppy will see you as the Alpha (the boss). Where there is more than one adult in your human family then one of them will be Alpha, the highest boss, and one of them Beta, the second highest boss, and so on in rank order with your Hovawart at the lowest position in rank. Exceptions occur with babies and young children. The hovawart will always place the children in a lower rank than himself. As children get older they rise in rank and ultimately rise above the hovawart. Hovawarts always think in order of rank and do not understand the concepts of equality and democracy. Never leave a dog alone with young children. A toddler will not understand that he must not put his fingers into the dog's nostrils or something like that. Even the sweetest dog will defend itself when a child tries to poke its eyes out. The hovawart puppy will quicky learn to see the house as his territory and defend it against intruders, he will also consider the garden, land and cars as part of his territory. Discover more about children and hovawarts

Become a Good Alpha

"The alpha", "top dog" and "leader of the pack" all fundamentally mean respect and leadership. It is not an autocratic “do that because I can make you” or a “me against you” mentality. It is through being a capable leader that the hovawart will follow you. The more capable the leader, the more the hovawart will follow. A hovawart will work very hard to meet the expectations of a leader he respects, can believe in and trusts.

The capable leader is one who exudes confidence, resourcefulness, and competence. By acting as the dog expects and by giving him all sorts of non verbal messages in daily life you can show and reinforce your position as alpha.

The dog's social system is based on deference and not submission. Within that system they are reliant upon the leadership that comes from the hierarchy; the capable leader is automatically shown compliant (submissive) behaviours and obeyed. You should capitalise upon that.

Living with a human family in our modern world makes guidance a necessity for the hovawart, by teaching them and allowing them to experience and know that everything is under your control strengthens your position as alpha.

Only one dog, the strongest and most resolute, is the leader and it is he who makes the decisions creating unity and harmony in the pack. If the Alpha gave the command, “defend the territory”, then all the pack members would seek out and attack an intruder; and if Alpha saw that the intruder was too strong for the pack, he would give the command "retreat". Only then would the pack disengage. The Alpha also decides when the pack is to go hunting. All animals under his leadership will stalk and kill prey, with the result that the chances of a successful hunt are increased. Therefore, the survival chances of the pack with a strict dictatorial leader is greater than when each dog is able to do as it pleases. This co-ordinated approach means that individual members of the pack will feel safe and cared for under an Alpha’s strong leadership.

To raise and train a hovawart puppy you need to understand that when bringing up a Hovawart your attitude and behaviour needs to be a little like that of the wild pack leader. That means you have to be very consistent with your hovawart puppy.

The hovawart puppy will never become human.
The owner (Alpha) has got to be consistent - that means thinking in terms of black and white and acting in terms of black and white. Grey does not exist. What is allowed once is always allowed ...what is not allowed, is never allowed. Inconsistent behaviour of the Alpha will be translated by the dog as weakness. If the Alpha behaves weakly, the lower ranks become insecure and the Alpha's survival chances become smaller. In the wild pack another stronger animal that does not show any weakness will quickly take over and install his own rules.
Being consistent.
The animal world is a world of rank and order. Within that system the Alpha is the leader at all times. If your pup is allowed to lay on the settee once, then he is always allowed to lay on it even if he is in moult or if your mother-in-law is visiting. If your pup is allowed to jump up at you, then he is always allowed to jump up, even if he has just come out of a muddy pool. If your pup gets food from you at the table when you are having dinner, then you cannot be angry when it sits drooling heavily and soiling your carpet.
Make some rules.
It is important to sit down with all your family and make a list of things that your pup, from now on and for the rest of his life, is allowed and not allowed to do. REMEMBER that he will not stay a small puppy but that he will be a fully grown Hovawart with all the characteristics of his breed.
Guide their character.
Hovawarts are a friendly, happy, enthusiastic and temperamental dog. That is to say, they have an individual character which affects the manner in which they act, feel and think. From puppyhood, the hovawarts temperament should be guided in the right direction, otherwise there is a big chance that it will develop negatively. This is because the Hovawart is a dog that possesses its own initiatives.

Training a hovawart Puppy

The most important aids for bringing up hovawart puppies include: the voice - high pitched for reward; low pitch for correction; and the hands - to help the puppy with commands and as a reward to stroke it, play with it and to give the puppy toys and dog snacks.

Training hovawart puppies mainly relies upon your observation of your puppy. When he does something "wrong", you say in an angry low voice "NO". When he stops the bad behaviour, you say in a higher tone of voice “Good”. In principle, you could bring up your puppy with only these 2 words, the word "good" being the most important as it is positive. So start training immediately the puppy enters your home - You Are the Alpha.

In the wild pack when the pup is only 4 weeks old Alpha takes over the task of rearing the puppy from the mother. If the breeder was a good one, they will have taken over that Alpha role temporarily; introducing the pups to lots of different people, noises, objects, etc. In canines this is the natural learning period and it extends into the pubescent phase (approximately 6 months old), for most Hovawarts this can be up to 2 months later. During this time the pup learns very quickly. Its whole being is geared up to learning and this period will never come again. Make good use of all situations and opportunities, for example when the pup wakes up from a sleep, call him by name. He was almost certainly coming to you anyway, so he will come without hesitation. Praise him enthusiastically. Now your pup has learnt its name, come, praise and that to walk to the Alpha is pleasurable.Everything they learn is through play, which can include "bad" things if you are not a consistent Alpha.

In your home the pup will miss its brothers and sisters and the game playing, play is very important.

two young van de hoevemeester hovawart puppies playing

They play by biting each other in the neck or legs, fighting and hunting games; and take it in turns to be the hunter and hunted. If they bite too hard with their sharp little teeth, they get a growl and a snarl to say, you have gone too far, and the game is finished immediately. Protect your hands and clothing while playing, try using an old cloth with which to play. To finish the game, Alpha has to say "enough" (finish). The game must end when YOU think it is time to finish. The word "enough" will not be understood at first, so when he stops playing, tell him he is a "good dog".

Hovawart puppies should be taught basic obedience in a very playful manner. After all, they are still puppies and you cannot demand too much from them. You can train your puppy to sit, heel, sit stay, down stay, stand stay, and recall on a long lead from a short distance. Play with and train your pup frequently and ensure there are enough toys around. Always keep something special, like a knotted rope, a sock with a ball in it or a piece of material, for you and the pup to play with together, give it a name and use it when training. Always play this special game together never allowing the pup to play it alone. Afterwards, put the special game away. If you want to play the special game again, call pup by name together with the name of the game and say to the pup "watch it" or "look" or something like that. As a reward for the attention he gives you, play the game with him, contact and attention are the basis for everything. Make certain you are the one who decides when the game is over. Never allow the puppy to decide when the game is over, if he does, he wins and undermines your position as Alpha. Always end the game at a high point - not when the pup has lost interest.

Through practice like this over the months hovawart puppies learn what commands mean and what you expect of them. You need to be creative and imaginative in the games you play with your hovawart puppy because it is the quality of the game which captivates and makes the puppy attentive to you, because you (your games) are new, interesting and exciting activities. Playing with Alpha is very important. If the hovawart will not play with its owner (Alpha) then it will not work with its owner. When a hovawart puppy sees you as his Alpha, he will want and like to play with you; it is important for the learning processes, and strengthens the bond between owner and dog. If you are resolute and have clearly defined boundaries, the pup will learn how far it can go. It is very important that there is a good bond formed between dog and owner and it is equally important for the hovawart to respect his owner and to engage in activities which tax his mental abilities.

two young van de Hoevemeester pups Through games the ranking in the pack is often decided. If you and your family are consistent, then your dog will be at the bottom of the ranking. The exception to this is babies and toddlers and that is why the dog will protect the child against strangers. Never leave the dog alone with small children as children do not know and understand the rules by which the dog lives. Children must be taught to respect dogs and not to disturb them while eating and sleeping and so on.
Read more about Games - training and fun with a hovawart puppy.

Rewards and Correction - training.

When the hovawart pup first comes into your house, he will not understand what you say to him. Words like good, bad, yes, no etc will still have to be learned. Hovawart puppies will experience a word said in a high tone as something pleasant, or in a low tone as something unpleasant. You should make use of this fact in all training. Therefore, men will have to learn to use a higher tone of voice and women a lower one. You should exaggerate this when using your voice. Do not pay any attention to neighbours and people around you; they do not know anything about bringing up a hovawart puppy. With reward and correction, the tone of voice and the timing of it are of equal importance. You must tell the pup off at the moment it does something wrong. Conversely, you must praise it at the moment it does something good, and always praise a hovawart puppy when it has corrected its unwanted behaviour.

So, for example, the pup chews a chair leg and you see this. You say "NO" (low voice), and then you must give the pup something in place of the chair leg; something of its own i.e. a chewy. (Always have hidechews, titbits available.) When the pup chews its own chewy you say "good dog" (high voice). [See also Mouthing and play biting behaviour] Puppies forget quickly. Remember you will have to repeat this over and over again. You have to be patient and above all consistent. What it learns in its young life will not be forgotten. Correcting a hovawart for something that occurred 5 minutes ago is useless. The dog will not know what it is being punished for. It will become confused and could even become afraid of you; and in his eyes, clearly not a consistent Alpha.

Another example - you have been out for a little while. Your dog/pup has destroyed your settee. When you return you must greet your dog enthusiastically and kindly. You must not show your anger as the moment for telling him off has long since passed. It will be very difficult to keep your temper but just clear up the mess and in future leave your dog in a safe area where it cannot do any harm. Hitting or kicking any dog has no real effect, it only serves to make the dog afraid of you or afraid of your hands and legs. Hitting or smacking is not a form of canine correction. If you have to punish your puppy or dog severely i.e. if he has tried to bite you - you should correct in a wolf/canine fashion. That means, you grab him by the scruff of his neck and shake him; throw him on his back, stand over him looking straight into his eyes talking in a low voice and as soon as he submits (that is, he lies quietly on his back, makes licking movements and turns his head away from you) then you stop punishing at once. This is the hardest, most severe correction any dog can receive. So only use this in the most extreme cases. Normal, everyday "punishments" merely consist of the word "NO". You could reinforce "NO" with a growl, but the word "NO" should be sufficient to stop the unwanted behaviour.

The Top or Dominant Dog (Alpha) in your house?

When the hovawart enters into its pubescent phase, and does not see owner as Alpha then its instincts will tell him to become Alpha within your family because a pack cannot be without an Alpha. He then imposes his own dog rules on your family. This does not occur overnight, but, if you are not alert then it can be an unpleasant surprise to find that one day your dog rules the roost (has become Alpha).

To give an example of a dog who rules the roost ... imagine your hovawart is lying on a sofa but you want to sit there. The dog does not see you as Alpha and you want to send him away ... you are now doing something the dog does not like so the dog imposes his will and tries to correct you as you are lower in rank to him. He may growl at you and if you ignore that and pull him off the sofa, he will now be forced to make stronger more overt correction, and so he will bite you. Now you have a problem, a dog who bites its owner - a mean beast who has got to go. However, it is not the dog at fault, it is you who has been a bad pack leader. The dog could not do anything else in his situation. He behaved instinctively. He needs instinct to survive.

In reality, your pup is lucky to have you as his owner because you have taken the trouble to read about instinct and behaviour in order to make a better job of bringing up your puppy and to become a good Alpha.

Don't let your hovawart dominate and control your movements.

Consider the dog's wild cousin the wolf; the pack always has a dominant pair of animals. Wolves don't maintain their dominant position by fighting with pack members every day, they do it through subtle means. Body posture and attitude play a major role in maintaining a dominant pack position.

The next time your hovawart is nearby, have a look and note where he is laying. He is probably blocking a doorway, controlling access to the stairs or blocking you from moving forward. This is normal and healthy behaviour for a hovawart, but it is also a dominant behaviour. It is not normal or healthy for you to adjust your movements to your dog. In the home move around as though dog is not there. Always walk in the most direct path regardless of the dog, pretend he doesn't exist. Walk "through" him if needs be.

Ignore all demands for attention.

Only the pack leader should demand attention from subordinates whenever he pleases. Go to your hovawart to give him affection and attention, discourage any pawing, nudging and whining, and never allow jumping up as it can be another way the hovawart attempts to show his dominance over others.

Similarly do not respond to the hovawart's initiatives and requests. Responding to his directives is basically following his orders. Barking to go outside, getting treats on demand and even fussy eating can be examples of the dog giving the orders.

Eye contact is another way dominance can be established.

When the opportunity arises maintain a relaxed friendly eye contact with him. Pleasant, relaxed behaviour helps to show that your leadership is always a good thing. It is not a contest and severe eye contact can also be threatening.

Obedience training can be a way for the hovawart puppy owner to express dominance.

A well constructed obedience training program positions the owner in the leadership role in a very natural, normal and dog-like way. The commands like Sit, Lay down, Stay and Heel imitate the actions a dog would be expected to adopt as compliant postures to a more dominant dog.

Never feed your hovawart before you eat.

To the dog, food is not just about hunger, it also equates to status. A hovawart trying to establish his dominance is very likely to try to eat first whether he is hungry or not. In the pack high ranking individuals eat first, low ranking individuals eat last. So never feed your hovawart before or whilst you eat or handle food like items; including dealing with any leftovers. Try not to pay attention to him while he eats. Both food and attention equal status, so by watching your hovawart eat it can be an acknowledgement that he is higher ranking then you.

By paying attention to these examples your position as a capable leader or alpha will be demonstrably and consistently reinforced. If you are consistent with your teaching and actions the hovawart will not even think to question your position or authority.

Stages of Development

From birth to adulthood the hovawart goes through a number of developmental phases, each one having its own particular characteristics.

Phase 1. The first and second weeks after birth.
In this period the pup is blind and deaf and spends most of the time sleeping and drinking milk and making squeaking noises.
Phase 2. The third week after birth.
The eyes and ears open and the pup starts walking and begins to explore its immediate surroundings i.e. den or whelping box. Characteristically, the pup nudges at its mother's mouth to encourage her to regurgitate partly digested food. This is the start of the weaning period, changing from milk to solid foods.

In the wild pack, from about the eighteenth day, the pups try to leave the den to explore. The adults in the pack will launch themselves on top of the pups. The pups scream and lay on their backs in a submissive posture; and then return to the den and safety. This is part of the learning process and teaches the pups absolute obedience to any dog who is higher in rank.

Being submissive to those of higher rank and that the den (bed) are safe and secure are two very important points for owners of hovawarts to be aware of.
Never correct or punish a dog on or in its bed, his bed must always be a safe, secure place.
Never send a dog to its bed for a punishment; the bed is safe, not a place of correction.
Never punish a dog that has submitted to you; that is when it is lying on its back for you.
Phase 3. Known as The Imprinting Phase.
The fourth to seventh weeks, the pup is completely developed. In this short period, the hovawart puppy must have as many positive encounters with people and other animals as is possible. Begin some other human contact, such as with friends and family. If the hovawart grows up isolated and secluded i.e. in a shed out of the way, then the puppy will grow up to be an isolate and for the rest of its life will be afraid of people and animals. This behaviour can never be completely corrected. Isolated and secluded dogs can become biters, often through fear of the unknown.

Introduce a little mild stress such as experiencing the cold or short-term social isolation, and increased human contact and interaction, with older children, strangers, the potential new owner of the pup. Studies have shown that pups who experience mild stress (the puppy needs to be protected from extremes) grow up to handle stress better than littermates who were protected from all stress.
Phase 4. The Socializing Phase, the eighth to twelfth weeks.
It is now that the pup can go to its new home. During this period the pup should be gradually introduced to everything which it will probably meet again in the course of his life i.e. shops, clubs, cars, public transport, bridges etc.

This is also the period when fear can be imprinted. Read more about Fear Avoid any negative forceful reinforcements; minimize all stress; be careful to avoid any threatening situations but continue to socialize the hovawart puppy. If the hovawart pup is afraid of something, never comfort or console it, because it will mean to the dog - you are rewarding him for being frightened and the next time the puppy will be even more afraid.

Rather, make light of what it was afraid of. A useful ploy is to quietly go back to the feared object and enthusiastically say "oh, that's nice" or something similar and play a game with him to distract him. Be consistent in your upbringing, what is allowed once is always allowed and what is not, is never allowed.

Reward and Correction must happen exactly at the moment of the particular behaviour, never too early or too late. Allow the hovawart puppy to discover and explore as overprotection is never good or useful.

In contrast to the adult hovawart, a puppy needs a lot of physical contact, so take your hovawart for as long as it is possible, onto your lap and cuddle him, often.

For the first six months, the puppy only needs a small amount of walking and exercise. The reason is to protect the muscles and bones, etc. A hovawart puppy needs not more than 4 walks of 10 minutes each day. It is a good idea to find a pleasant place to sit while the puppy plays, you do not have to walk as the puppy will happily frolic about near you. Playing with other dogs is fine but not for too long and watch out for your puppy playing with young but much heavier dogs. It may be better to let him play with adult dogs of about the same weight.

Avoid any negative forceful reinforcements. Allow the pup to observe everything from a safe distance. Gradually exposing him to possible stressful scenarios as his confidence grows. Avoid anything that unnerves him until he is ready. Demonstrate to the dog that you have confidence in him and allow him the freedom to investigate on his own.
Phase 5. Fourth to fifth months.
This phase is especially important for animals living in the wild. Brothers and sisters from the same litter will now decide amongst themselves their rank order. This phase continues into the sixth phase - the Pack Order phase.
Phase 6. The Pack Order phase
This is when the young dogs are ranked within the whole pack. They are now able to take place in the hunt and are fully fledged pack members. Everything is done together because as a pack you are stronger.
Phase 7. The Pubescent and Adolescent phase
Occurring at approximately 7 months in canines, but with the Hovawart it is usually up to 2 months later. The dog may rebel against its owner, may be disobedient and become very selectively deaf. Hovawarts can defy their owner (Alpha) and try to become Alpha themselves. You must be resolute and remain absolutely consistent in your handling at this time.This can be a very trying period for both dog and owner.

When the dog does not want to obey or complete an exercise, you must help/encourage him to do it. Reward him only when he has done it properly and do not become really angry with him as he cannot behave any differently. The hovawart has got to pass through this stage, and with consistent handling you will help your Hovawart through it.

Hofmeester Chananigans and daughter Flair van de Hoevemeester, training together.

Toilet Training

Is easily accomplished - puppies usually need to relieve themselves immediately after they wake up - also, a short walk outside after a meal will usually be timely.

Trim your puppy's toe nails regularly, if left untrimmed, the “quick” will continue to grow down into the nail, making them longer and longer and impossible to cut short without hurting or causing bleeding.

Hassle free lead training

Get your partner or whoever, to take you and puppy in the car and drop you off a few hundred metres away from home. Then when you are on your own, the pup will look to you for guidance and security and should quickly respond and walk alongside you. Don't pull, use a very soft lead and offer lots of encouragement.

The short car trip itself helps to acquaint him with car journeys, teach him not to jump straight out of the car when the door opens, have him wait and give him a word of command to get out of the car.

Feeding the Hovawart puppy

These hints and tips are based on our experience of breeding Hovawarts. There are many sources of information available through the internet, books and national Hovawart Clubs can all assist in providing information and experience.

We feed a good quality all in one dry dog Food. We prefer to use a variety of the good quality products that utilise natural ingredients and do not contain artificial preservatives or artificial colourants.

Most commercial foods are complete and balanced, but do check ingredients. The puppy formulas contain higher protein levels, which are necessary for younger puppies though anything in excess of about 26% protein is not recommended. It is not advisable to supplement the diet when using professionally formulated dry dog food. By six months of age, your puppy should be on adult food.

Young puppies do better on four meals per day, early morning , midday, early evening and late evening. Feeding times can be varied according to personal circumstances; just so long as a routine is developed and frequent feeds are offered at regular times. As your puppy gets older decrease the number of feeds per day, and from around 12 months should be fed twice daily.

Feed your puppy from his shoulder height. This can help promote a good straight front line and may help to minimise the risk of Gastric Torsion commonly known as Bloat. A chair, an upturned cardboard box or a bucket that the bowl fits snugly into all provide easy ways of accomplishing this.

Puppies enjoy the occasional fresh meaty bone, make sure it is large enough not to be swallowed, and they will also help with teething.

Hovawart puppies grow quickly. Pups increase in weight by around 1 kilo, and in height by approximately 1 centimetre, per week for the first few months. A pup should weigh about 1 kilo for each week of its life up to 26 weeks; thereafter weight should be proportionate to height.

Do not expect your puppy to walk for miles or play all day with the children. Ensure that the puppy always sleeps after a meal and does not get too active on a full stomach. If you maintain a daily routine of sleep, exercise/play, eat, and then sleep again, you will give his young bones a chance to develop correctly.

We care about where our puppies go

We never knowingly misrepresent or mislead people regarding the characteristics of the hovawart, and make buyers aware of their responsibilities.
We conscientiously plan each litter of puppies, selecting the stud dog and bitch to be mated based on their pedigrees, conformation to breed type, health, temperament and also consider their zuchtwerte.
We are aware of inherited health problems and carry out appropriate health checks. Copies of these health checks are available for prospective owners.
We only breed with hovawarts who are both physically fit and mentally mature, and do not breed from any male or female beyond the appropriate stipulated age.
Puppies offered for sale at van de hoevemeester hovawarts will be registered with Sint Hubertus (KMSH).
We will only place a hovawart puppy when it is at least seven (7) to eight (8) weeks old. For overseas buyers the age at which a pup may be "shipped" will depend upon the local rules and regulations.
We do not sell hovawarts to pet shops or to any person or organization for resale.
just for information - the average price for a hovawart puppy in Europe, from a known breeder who follows the breeding regulations, lies between 900 and 1100 euros.
We maintain records; of the stud agreement, of pedigrees, of all the puppies and dogs sold.

Hofmeester Chananigans

Documents

The official pedigree document (certificate) may be may not be available when you collect the puppy. Paperwork has to be forwarded to KMSH who then issue documents in the name of the new owner.
We will provide you with a "home" written, three or four generation pedigree (the registration documents from KMSH will contain the official pedigree)
You will get the pet passport (health record), details of inoculations and parasite control.
We will give you basic dietary and care information, and some of the food which the puppy has been eating.
As responsible breeders of the hovawart, van de hoevemeester hovawarts utilize a contract which buyers must agree to, sign and adhere to.

Things to do with your puppy

Take your hovawart into a busy shopping center, railway station or market place and let him stand or sit and look around. Let everyone who wants, say "hello and cuddle him". You might cause a queue with your "ball of wool" but the puppy learns that in principle, people are friendly beings. If your pup reacts in a frightened way to a stranger, ask the stranger to give him a biscuit, which you will have with you.

Walk your dog off the lead in a safe place away from traffic. A pup will never run away from its Alpha, but do not call your puppy every few moments as he will become resistant to you and not respond and in the end it will not "come" at all. Never command your puppy to "come" to you, invite it to "come"; returning to the owner (Alpha) must always be pleasurable. Always have some titbits in your pockets. If you want to call your hovawart puppy when his attention is focused on a particular thing, and you are not 100 percent sure he would "come" to you anyway, do not call him. Do not take the risk of being ignored. Throw a toy or something to attract him, keep your eye on him and when you see that you have his attention, that is the time to call him. As a reward for coming to you, play with the dog.

Become the center point of his world. Never chase him. He is much quicker than you and he will think that "this is a nice game to play". Do not be concerned when your pup meets adult dogs; a normal adult dog will not harm a puppy, a lot will ignore them. When your puppy meets different dogs and people make sure that the lead is long, and loose; a tight strained lead conveys tension.

It is paramount that Alpha and pup do things together. It is equally important for the dog to engage in activities which tax its mental abilities. In the wild, dogs have tasks or jobs, such as protecting territory, hunting and so on. Hovawarts need work in order to stay both mentally and physically fit and alert. Since your Hovawart is not living in its natural wild state, it is your responsibility to ensure that he has adequate mental and physical stimulation.

Take your hovawart puppy obedience training, commencing with puppy classes and later to the intermediate or follow-up classes. Obedience training, and later for the mature dog, agility training all help with this responsibility. It is something which must be continued throughout your dog's active life and is of the utmost importance in keeping your dog completely healthy and fit.

Original Source: Hovawart Club Nederland - translation by Hester Oxborrow.