Ajaci Katzer
It’s best to start at the beginning:
My human Tanja dreamed of me in the Mongolian Taiga,…but she didn’t know that everything would happen so quickly…Tanja and Denis (my humans) spent a winter with the last Tuwa nomads in Mongolia. The wolves howled at night, which probably inspired Tanja to wish for a white wolfhound called Ajaci. But she didn’t know at the time that I was already very close…so people, take care of your wishes, they can come true faster than you think! After 15 months of traveling, my people returned home to Germany. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before Denis’ parents became very ill and my two had a sad and stressful time. My humans didn’t actually want to get another dog so quickly, as my predecessor Rufus had only died in 2011. A dog means responsibility and must be looked after when Tanja & Denis are out and about… But Denis said, “It’s all so sad, we should bring life and joy back into the house”, …and so I moved into the Katzer house. Friends of Tanja and Denis agreed to look after me when the two of them were traveling again.
My puppy life was great and I learned a lot about my humans. An expedition and traveling life sounds cool, I thought to myself. I was really lucky then. There was just one thing I didn’t like at all. The plan was for me to stay in Germany. With Tanja and Deni’s friends Gabi and Tobi. They are really great, totally lovely, have a huge garden and a huge heart and would certainly feed me until I drop, but I imagine this future when I’m a bit older. I had to come up with a plan, and guys, it wasn’t difficult at all. I had nipped Gabi’s calves as often as I could with my milk teeth, which were very sharp. I have to say that it was very difficult for me. Gabi is a wonderful person. But the end justifies the means and I think you are totally on my side, considering that my focus was on the trip with Tanja & Denis! I was exhausting for Tobi because I just wanted to go out at three in the morning. It’s also a great dislike bonus if you ask your humans to walk them in the pouring rain until they’re out of breath! Well, Tanja and Denis soon realized that they couldn’t leave their rascal with Gabi and Tobi. People are not always easy, so they had a plan B. I was to go to friends. A female dog was made attractive to me, a large free run, extensive walks and nights in the house… It doesn’t get any more boring than that. Certainly an option when I get older. Hey, I’m only two and full of energy, so I quickly developed a plan. I behaved like a monster when we went for a walk and Tanja & Denis’ friends could hardly hold me. It was only with the greatest effort that they managed to get me back into the free run without any serious incidents. Operation successful, was all I could say when he called and said: “We’re getting a young dog. Sorry, three dogs are one too many. You still have time to find a place for Ajaci.” The emergency brake would have been professional rehoming. Not really an option when my humans heard the asking price.
“Why do you actually have a dog?” I asked my Tanja this very question on white Friday on my second birthday. (I call the day that because firstly I am white and secondly it was a Friday that changed my life, so it was a happy day) Normally I love jumping in the forest, chasing and fetching balls and sticks, but on this day I took Tanja aside and asked her the ultimate question: “Why do you have a dog and not take me with you?” Tanja looked deep into my eyes, stroked my head lovingly and said: “That’s right”,… Now there was another challenge, Tanja had to convince Denis that I had to go!
“Are you crazy?” Denis said to Tanja when she told us to take our beloved dog with us. “Let’s think about it constructively and decide tomorrow,” Tanja suggested. After 24 hours of deliberation, Denis didn’t think the idea of taking me on the trip was so bad. Now we had to clarify everything we needed to take a large Canadian shepherd dog with us on a bike trip. This involves the various quarantine regulations of the different countries, vaccinations, international vaccination certificates, compulsory muzzling on trains. The decision to take me along has put some stress on Tanja’s and Denis’s schedule to say the least, but it looks like it could work out now.
You can read more about my experiences in the diary of an expedition dog:
