# Natalie Getting Big 17 weeks



## Bentley's Mom (May 19, 2011)

My husband thanks you for your beautiful pictures, as do I. She is just gorgeous and based on the fact that our house and yard aren't very big he has to live vicariously through you


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Wow those legs!!! She is a beauty and sounds like a true sweetheart.


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## Merlins mom (Jun 20, 2007)

I just love seeing pictures of beautiful Natalie! I can't believe how big she is....looks like eventually you may need a bigger couch.....lol!!

Does she like to swim?


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## bluefrogmama (May 31, 2011)

She's beautiful!


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

oooh, sorry about your lost keen. That's too bad. But she does sound like so much fun. Won't it be fun to take her back to the farmer's market next summer and see what they think of her then! I bet they'll remember her!


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

Merlins mom said:


> I just love seeing pictures of beautiful Natalie! I can't believe how big she is....looks like eventually you may need a bigger couch.....lol!!
> 
> Does she like to swim?


She is not much of a swimmer.. more of a wader... she is not adverse to water but is not al that interested in actually swimming.... she did splash around quite a bit that morning and when we took her up to Dog Mountain (Stephen Huneck Gallery) in Northern VT. she splashed around there as well....

We are definitely going to need a bigger couch... she is quite funny because she is larger than all my other dogs but it wasn't until the past couple days that she realized that she could even get onto the couch.... and even now she does it kind of half heartedly... its the same for getting in the car... she doesn't even try and honestly she could walk right in so we bought her a ramp.. she is just to big for me to lift at this point.... but as for the couch when she sprawls out.... which she does on a regular basis... as she really is a bed/couch hog.... she is over 5 feet long.... its not her body its those crazy legs... 

yesterday she almost fell over because she got up and one back leg was standing on the toes of her other back leg and it took her a second to realize that is why she was falling and move her legs around... those legs get tangled up all the time


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## Noah & Zoe's Mom (Jan 31, 2011)

Natalie is beautiful! I just love Wolfhounds - I secretly would like to have one, but our house is tiny!  I hear they are very sweet gentle giants. I saw them featured on a show on Animal Planet one time and I've loved them ever since.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Wow, she's getting big! I really can't imagine going through all the normal puppyhood stuff with one that's that big! That has to present some real challenges.
Those eyes of hers could really melt your heart, though. What a face!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Great pictures, I'm so in awe of her because I have never seen a pup or adult Irish Wolfhound in person. I'm so enjoying see the pictures of her as she's growing. 


I agree with *Life of Riley*-

_*"Those eyes of hers could really melt your heart, though. What a face!"*_


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

LifeOfRiley said:


> Wow, she's getting big! I really can't imagine going through all the normal puppyhood stuff with one that's that big! That has to present some real challenges.
> Those eyes of hers could really melt your heart, though. What a face!


and that is the biggest issue... 

she does all the same stuff but when she pees its a BIG puddle... when she chews the table she chews the top of the table not the legs.. when she jumps up her paws go on your shoulders... when she steals she steals off the back of the counters... its amazing... 

and yes the eyes will make you melt and they really are what is keeping her alive at this point
we call it survival of the cutest


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Shalva said:


> and that is the biggest issue...
> 
> she does all the same stuff but when she pees its a BIG puddle... when she chews the table she chews the top of the table not the legs.. when she jumps up her paws go on your shoulders... when she steals she steals off the back of the counters... its amazing...
> 
> ...


 
LOL. That's the old saying, right -- puppies _have_ to be cute, otherwise they'd never live to adulthood. 

I imagine leash training has to be a real hoot, too. I can't imagine handling a dog that's still in 'silly puppy mode' and already big enough to pull me right off my feet and drag me down the road!


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

actually wolfhounds are all about their people... so she has never challenged the leash and she has only pulled me once when hubby had one of the other dogs and she wanted to keep up... but pulling has really been a non issue... honestly for the most part except for the chewing ...she is a dream to live with ....


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Shalva said:


> actually wolfhounds are all about their people... so she has never challenged the leash and she has only pulled me once when hubby had one of the other dogs and she wanted to keep up... but pulling has really been a non issue... honestly for the most part except for the chewing ...she is a dream to live with ....


Well, that's a good thing!

I've only met a Wolfhound once. Actually we met three of them at the same time. We walked into PetSmart one day and there was a woman in there, by herself, with three Wolfhounds. I remember thinking, either that woman was very brave, or those dogs were extremely well-trained! 
Her females were sort of aloof. Nice, friendly dogs... just not that interested in getting attention. Her male, on the other hand (Duncan - still remember his name) was a total lover. He just couldn't get enough attention. What a sweetheart! It was just a little tricky staying on my feet as he was leaning against me. : I'm only 5'2", so it was a challenge!


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

LifeOfRiley said:


> Well, that's a good thing!
> 
> I've only met a Wolfhound once. Actually we met three of them at the same time. We walked into PetSmart one day and there was a woman in there, by herself, with three Wolfhounds. I remember thinking, either that woman was very brave, or those dogs were extremely well-trained!
> Her females were sort of aloof. Nice, friendly dogs... just not that interested in getting attention. Her male, on the other hand (Duncan - still remember his name) was a total lover. He just couldn't get enough attention. What a sweetheart! It was just a little tricky staying on my feet as he was leaning against me. : I'm only 5'2", so it was a challenge!


While Natalie adores my husband and I, I find that Natalie is fairly aloof to others... she will allow herself to be petted but she honestly doesn't care about strangers... not at all like the retrievers who are all about the attention... and yes leaning is a wolfhound thing...they all do it... they want to be touching you all the time so they will lean on you if the yare standing or sit on your feet... Natalie likes to go between our legs when she is on the way to anywhere... 

here is a picture of Nattie from this morning


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## DaisyGolden (Jan 4, 2008)

Wow she is so big. I love seeing the pics of her.


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## Lisa_and_Willow. (Dec 18, 2007)

I love her! She has such a pretty coat.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Shalva said:


> While Natalie adores my husband and I, I find that Natalie is fairly aloof to others... she will allow herself to be petted but she honestly doesn't care about strangers... not at all like the retrievers who are all about the attention... and yes leaning is a wolfhound thing...they all do it... they want to be touching you all the time so they will lean on you if the yare standing or sit on your feet... *Natalie likes to go between our legs when she is on the way to anywhere*...


Aww... I bet she won't be doing that for very much longer!

They really sound like great dogs! 
They probably need a lot of exercise and room to run though, don't they?
And I'm curious - if they're so bonded to their people, do they have a tendency to get a little protective, or a little too wary of strangers?


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

LifeOfRiley said:


> Aww... I bet she won't be doing that for very much longer!
> 
> They really sound like great dogs!
> They probably need a lot of exercise and room to run though, don't they?
> And I'm curious - if they're so bonded to their people, do they have a tendency to get a little protective, or a little too wary of strangers?


I have never met one who is protective... they do get attached and they seem to be aloof with strangers.. just not all that interested... where I have seen that is that a loose dog won't go to a stranger ever... I am always asked to hold hounds ringside and they get fairly anxious when their person walks away... but I haven't seen aggressiveness or protectiveness at all in any of the hounds I have met... I have noticed that Natalie is getting more and more attached to us and cares less and less about other people... 

as far as space and I am not expert ... my understanding is that they need to have a place to stretch their legs but they are not generally active dogs... they are very low key and honestly while they certainly will run and play they are really more apt to just find a shady spot and relax... we were talking the other day about how if they see something in the sun that they will stand at the edge of the shade and you can see them deciding if its worth walking out there...

and being a sighthound you have to be very careful about having them off leash anyway...this has been the hardest part for us as we are used to having our dogs off leash all the time... especially at our farm where we have 600 acres for them to run and play but natalie is not able to be off leash as those legs can cover alot of space fast... so natalie is in our fenced yard and she drags a long line when out in the fields at our farm but she is not off leash often... while they are not an apt. dog. honestly my goldens and flat coats need way more exercise and space than natalie does. 

I am absolutely smitten with this puppy... my goldens are fairly high energy and thats not even my flat coats who absolutely vibrate with energy... so having a low key easy pup .... she is probably the easiest puppy I have ever had....


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

That's interesting. I guess I've always assumed that the bigger the dog, the more space and the more exercise they need. 
But no, from what you've said, I couldn't see one living happily in an apartment. Our unit is big, but we don't have an area where a wolfhound could safely stretch his legs. 

It's funny how you mentioned that your flat coats just vibrate with energy. I just saw that someone recently moved in here with one of those. A younger one. And yeah, that boy is just _bursting_. I've seen this woman trying to walk him on-leash and he just can't contain himself. Since there really isn't anywhere nearby where you can safely let your dog run off-leash, I don't know how he's going to make out, living here. I feel sorry for him. You can see this poor boy just wants to take off and RUN.


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

LifeOfRiley said:


> That's interesting. I guess I've always assumed that the bigger the dog, the more space and the more exercise they need.
> But no, from what you've said, I couldn't see one living happily in an apartment. Our unit is big, but we don't have an area where a wolfhound could safely stretch his legs.
> 
> It's funny how you mentioned that your flat coats just vibrate with energy. I just saw that someone recently moved in here with one of those. A younger one. And yeah, that boy is just _bursting_. I've seen this woman trying to walk him on-leash and he just can't contain himself. Since there really isn't anywhere nearby where you can safely let your dog run off-leash, I don't know how he's going to make out, living here. I feel sorry for him. You can see this poor boy just wants to take off and RUN.


one of my flat coat puppy people lived on the 20th story of a high rise in NYC (down the hall from Bruce Willis) and the had a flat coat and the dog did great... but the husband worked from home and would take the dog for a walk in riverside park and central park in the morning when it was off leash and then he would walk about 5 miles a day throughout the day so that dog got alot of on leash exercise and a bit off leash... I think a wolfhound would be fine with that.... as long as they got lots of exercise... and the dog park of course is an option... I honestly think that my retrievers would have a harder time with no place to run than natalie who is sacked out on her back in the dining room.... she really is a slug lol


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Shalva said:


> one of my flat coat puppy people lived on the 20th story of a high rise in NYC (down the hall from Bruce Willis) and the had a flat coat and the dog did great... but the husband worked from home and would take the dog for a walk in riverside park and central park in the morning when it was off leash and then he would walk about 5 miles a day throughout the day so that dog got alot of on leash exercise and a bit off leash... I think a wolfhound would be fine with that.... as long as they got lots of exercise... and the dog park of course is an option... I honestly think that my retrievers would have a harder time with no place to run than natalie who is sacked out on her back in the dining room.... she really is a slug lol


Wow, I never would have imagined a flat coat being able to live happily in a highrise!
Huh - that's no more than I walk Riley, most days. We do 2-3 miles in the morning, a shorter potty break/get some fresh air stroll around mid-day and then we usually end up doing another mile or two later in the afternoon, with additional potty breaks thrown in there, of course. He's never off-leash, though. (With his temperament, I couldn't let him off-leash even if we had a safe place to do it.) Fortunately, he's a mellow guy and doesn't care to run too much, anyway, so it works.

That's really interesting, though. _Not that we're going to be adding another dog anytime soon! _ But it's interesting to learn about other breeds in case we ever DO get to that point. We kind of figured that we'd be limited to adopting an older dog (probably a senior Golden) or a little dog. It's interesting to know that there could be other options in addition to those.


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

LifeOfRiley said:


> Wow, I never would have imagined a flat coat being able to live happily in a highrise!
> Huh - that's no more than I walk Riley, most days. We do 2-3 miles in the morning, a shorter potty break/get some fresh air stroll around mid-day and then we usually end up doing another mile or two later in the afternoon, with additional potty breaks thrown in there, of course. He's never off-leash, though. (With his temperament, I couldn't let him off-leash even if we had a safe place to do it.) Fortunately, he's a mellow guy and doesn't care to run too much, anyway, so it works.
> 
> That's really interesting, though. _Not that we're going to be adding another dog anytime soon! _ But it's interesting to learn about other breeds in case we ever DO get to that point. We kind of figured that we'd be limited to adopting an older dog (probably a senior Golden) or a little dog. It's interesting to know that there could be other options in addition to those.


I agree that it is interesting to learn about other breeds I definitely have learned to appreciate breeds that I never thought I would like... some I could live with and some I couldn't but I can definitely appreciate them more than I did before I started showing and competing and being exposed to them


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

She is too adorable! I'm trying to imagine a dog the size of an adult Golden, but still such a young puppy... wow, I'm sure she's quite a handful. It's a good thing they are so darn cute


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