We didn't know it yet, but today was our first sighting of Thurmon, our future dog. We drove out to Kyon Kennels to meet their Norwegian buhunds.
There were two puppies available, from two different litters. The older male pup was wildly friendly with us, and the smaller male pup was a little more preoccupied with the other dogs (the mothers of both litters were also there for the pups to play with). It was hard to choose between them, but in the end we went with the smaller pup - he seemed a little calmer in general, which might be the most important thing in getting our first dog! They've had a great life so far, romping around on the farm and playing with many other dogs and people.
Here's a bit of information on the breed:
The Norwegian Buhund dates back at least 1200 years, and is one of the oldest purebred dogs in the world. They are medium-sized, bred for herding livestock. Buhunds are therefore biddable, eager and alert. In spite of being an active breed they are calm and relaxed indoors as a family pet, and get along well with children and other animals. They are a sweet-natured dog - Kyon calls them the "golden retriever of the spitz family of dogs". Being a spitz they have a wolf-like appearance, with golden fur and dark markings (which fade as they get older).
In two weeks we'll pick up our pup!
