Each dog breed is unique, and for every owner, their dog is the best. Bringing a dog into your home, into your family, is a big responsibility.
This is not my first dog. But when I saw curly hair on the internet, my first thought was that this wonder could not be real. An angel in the form of a dog. The distant resemblance to a water spaniel, proud posture, sad gazelle eyes, and a somewhat distant look. In those eyes shone the brave and loyal soul of his ancestors.
The first curly arrived in Kyiv from Moscow on September 30, 2007. Early morning, Sunday, warm autumn weather in Kyiv. My daughter and I were standing on the platform. The first curls in Kyiv, Ukraine, I learned about this much later, were met modestly, but with love and joy. We live near the station, and we, as a family, went home with Antar.
Watching Antar on the road, how he moves with gentle, kind steps, I thought it was very suitable for his proud Persian name. Here we are at home. And everything returns to normal life. Antar came into our life, a big, little child. As if we had known each other for a long time, just a little awkward after a long separation. We went into the kitchen as a family, trying to talk calmly, of course, discussing our Antar. And here he is. He came up to me, put his paw on my knee: "It's me. I'll sit with you." Sadness about past life in his eyes. Of course, sit, don't worry, Antar, everything will be fine. So we live. We grow, we look, we love each other. When Antar wants to play, he follows me, and rubs his wet nose, like a foal, then insists on touching his paw.
He likes to hide and hide his favorite toy. Antar runs, searches, gets upset, but concentrating, he finds, and then such a stormy joy. I think we spoil him in the family, but there is never enough love, and he gives us the same. We go to the training ground with a dog handler to become a well-behaved dog, like his deserved parents, mother Dremi and father Bjorn.
When I found out that Antar is the first curly in Ukraine, I was not satisfied with this, and even scared and very worried. It is very difficult to be the first. For me, the main thing is for Antar-child to grow calmly and grow into a healthy dog, and live long. And then everything else will come.
So, a little over two years have passed since I wrote these lines. And now I can say that a lot has changed in my life with the appearance of this wonderful dog with human eyes. In the family circle, Antar-Yantarik, Antarik. This is a thinking dog, a philosopher dog. Like any complex personality, he cannot be intimidated or broken, but this personality must be allowed to reveal itself, just gently guiding him to noble deeds. So we live to this day, Antar teaches us humanity, and we try to explain to Antar that not everyone should love him. And all people, like dogs, can be different. To live interestingly, you need to be able to obey commands, go to exhibitions, learn to be a hunter. We do all this together with Antar with great pleasure. He is a restrained, swift, relief dog, a dog-horse that constantly neighs with pleasure, a deer that runs through thickets with pleasure, and a witty, intelligent hunter who hunts for birds, hares, tireless swimmer for balls. And at home, he is calm, gentle, but also a reliable watchdog.
Training for Antar is always a joy, like for the most interesting student. However, this can also be a problem for his teachers if he is not serious at the moment. Antar is extremely intellectual, learns quickly, but he quickly gets tired of drilling, and he shows his boredom with his appearance. The main pleasure for Antar is to please his loved ones. On this wave, in the game, you can achieve amazing results from Antar. Antar can be a bit stubborn and self-willed, but he doesn't like sharp words, and waving a stick in front of his nose is generally ungrateful. Antar gets offended, his eyes become sad, the corners of his mouth droop if he doesn't refuse to work, but will do it without any mood. But if he decides that his game-training brings pleasure not only to him but also to his loved ones, he will move mountains and do it with a smile. Antar's bright expression of joy is his sniper kisses. With his height and weight, he can rise into the air from a standstill and touch his cheek with wet lips, without even pushing with his body, and even better, from behind on the run, touch the top of his head also with his lips and rush forward, so that no one can patch his emptiness. Yes, I know it's a bit rude, but you have to let the dog show his uncontrollable love and temperament. And Antar knows who and what he can allow himself to do. He is somewhat alienated from strangers, but with his own tireless citizen, and a great inventor. He can bark loudly, which can scare strangers, but he is not aggressive by nature, and he uses it as a last resort for warning or education.
Antar opened many countries for me, thanks to him I met many interesting people. I, a city dweller, began to enthusiastically hunt with him. With Antar, I traveled half of Europe, he became a champion of many countries. And finally, Antar's star brought me to England, the country where these wonderful dogs appeared. In Russia, where Antar was born, there are many beautiful, worthy, magnificent curly retrievers, and Antar is just one of them. But the paradigm of Antar is the first Russian-Ukrainian curly to have been to Birmingham and performed decently. 14.03.2010. Crufts.
Antar and I become fourth in the open class and second in the working class! We have a wonderful song about the forest deer; he comes to people to help in difficult times. In my life, Antar appears before me as a fairy forest deer, which carries me to a country where there is both being and non-being, where there is always a place for a miracle. He himself is a miracle of nature.
