About myself:
I was born on May 25, 1999, at least by human time standards. I am what the Germans call Hovawart, originally used as guarding dogs. I bark at anybody who enters our apartment very loudly. I can’t really remember my father, his name, however, was Theodor. My mother Daisy had to feed me and my siblings, of course. I had a great childhood with a lovely lady who loves dogs quite a bit. I heard that I was originally planned to be trained as a therapy dog, probably because I look so cute and am rather friendly with people. She would have trained me herself, but one day somebody came and looked at both me and my sister. She had slight walking problems, so I was the chosen one.

I did not know that what I went through then was a four-week assessment center. I was put into various situations, and I later heard they wanted to see how I reacted. I had to walk over a see-through metal bridge that was rather high, climb equally strange stairs or go into an elevator. I was exposed to loud noises or sudden bangs, but nothing could really harm me. My new owners were also happy that I knew dog basics like “Sit” and “down”, and that I am quite sociable with other dogs. Of course, I always know who is the dominant one, either myself or someone really respectable, like my current play-mate.

Then came quite a bit of hard work, since I had passed the assessment. I learnt to wear a signal jacket whenever I went out, and later came a harness on top of that, with a person attached to it. I had also found a friend to share my apartment with. Fanny was nice, great to play with, and a slow eater. So they separated us for the meals, so I would not steal her food I learnt more advanced stuff, like showing doors, curbs, stairs, turning left and right upon command, staying at one spot, but most of all I love looking for benches, for then the human at the other end of the harness has time to PET! The most difficult task was understanding that I had to take care of an extra part on my right, but eventually I understood that if my owner hits something I would not have a great time either.

I once had an encounter with a person who looked at me very closely, and also petted me a lot. That one left after a day, but then returned to work with me. That was a year ago. Her name is Chris, and she is the one I am faithfully serving now. I admit I was stubborn and did not see any reason why I should obey to her orders all of a sudden, but she and the trainer made me. It was bribing all along, Chris would always treat me with food and pets if I did something right. And if I did not, she would keep repeating until I did what I was supposed to, and then again came food and pets.

Then she took me home, and there I had no choice, because for the first three days there she was the only familiar person. Then the trainer came for another week, and then I was left alone with her. She is generally a nice girl, this tall lady, but she always wants to win over me. I guess in a way that is good, so I don’t die of being too fat. When she travels, she puts me in a nice hotel, as nice as it can be without her I have found a friend there, too, a Labrador who is even crazier than me. Playing with him is so cool, much nicer than with the grandfather Ajax outside. He is ten, and he only rarely plays with me. However, he is much stronger than me, and a bit taller and bigger, so I respect him. Whenever we are walking, Chris and me, we pass his food bowl, and there is always food in there. But when I even look at that delicious food, she gets angry and roughly pulls me away, what a waste!

I have told you a lot about myself now, don’t you think? Next time, that’s for sure, I will introduce Chris, I might need two sessions for that, for she has many more years to talk about. How would you like that? Anything else you want me to tell? My secrets are Yours , byebye, Yours, Hapoo.

Hi outside world:
My name is Hapoo, as you may have guessed. I have decided to write about myself, my owner and all the bullshit she does and talks about.

Can you imagine? She has just stopped throwing a bone out in the corridor, and I am stupid enough to run and take it back, only for her to take it from me and throw it outside again. And I am so stupid to run after this thing again and again! One of these days I should bite her arm instead of the bone, wonder what she would say...

Well, but she gives me food and pets every day, and I know if I do my work well she will be happy about me. Please excuse any writing mistakes, but if you know how the paws of a dog are shaped, you will find it easy to understand that typing on a computer keyboard that is designed for my owner's piano fingers is not at all pleasant. Another flaw, humans don't think of designing human equipment for dogs. They don't give us regular bowls for our food, but ones to put on the floor or into a special holder, and we are not supposed to have beer or even coke

If I can convince my owner and the guy that has lately followed her like her shadow, they will find a picture of my breed and show it to you. I am a cute little black Hapoo with brown spots above the eyes. My owner is very proud of those, she says they are fortune eyes. If my actual eyes are closed, the brown fortune eyes will still see and watch, so they say. I have loads of fluffy hair, and getting pets is my favourite occupation after eating. My owner only feeds me once a day, just before she goes to sleep. And she never pets me long enough. Visitors who like me pet me 20 minutes, that's fun.

I am tired, let me go sleep! Next time I will tell you about my childhood and the time before my owner, agreed? And then I will also tell you why my owner calls me Hapoo and not Elsa. Good sleep:-)

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