Early this week, we got an unexpected call at 2 a.m from our caretaker, Suldee. He was insisting we drive to our dogs because of potential thieves looking to steal our pups. Stealing valuable dogs is common here and is usually done by the competitive dog clubs which take part in dog fighting and dog shows. Both of which we steer clear of because they only attract the wrong kind of attention. And without that attention we still get plenty of seedy guys checking out our dogs and asking to buy them. 

We stayed with Suldee until 6 a.m, as a suspicions vehicle drove around our property and raced away any time we attempted to get near. We even had the police check out the vehicle, which had been spotted several times before by Suldee. Apparently they had parked the car and walked inside a nearby ger. From the car windows, the police spotted a police uniform and an empty bottle of vodka, which apparently is pretty standard and nothing unusual, so they said to call if there was more of a lead. But regardless, thieves are a serious threat and we decided it was best to place the dogs as soon as possible. So the following day we tossed six pups in a van and drove west to Hustai.

From our previous visit to Hustai, interviewing families. We had chosen 3 hosts to receive two pups each, a male and a female, to be raised together. Our first family however, refused to take one of the tan colored pups because its similarity to a wolf. It is believed that the sheep would become accustomed to this color dog and no longer feel threaten by an approaching wolf because they would mistake it for the dog that protects them. Whether this is true or not, we were happy to give them only one dog so they would give it the attention it deserves. 

So the following evening we left Hustai with four of our pups placed with families and two tan pups returning home. Our next visit would be Terelj Park in the East and after that, the South Gobi.

Here are some photos from the first host family we visited in Hustai.

Everyone was feeling a bit confused, to this strange way of raising a dog. The sheep especially were not catching on.

We hope this behavior sticks with the pup.

Our first Bankhar placed with a host family. You will be missed son of Patches, puppy number one.