|
"Caliban" Kristull Iambic Pentameter.
He was my dance partner, my puppy manny,a therapist to traumatized dogs, everyones happy go lucky couch buddy, and the best damn dog in the whole world.
RIP 2000-2013
|
Cal is the happy-go-lucky clown prince of Talisman. His relentlessly
jaunty, kind, and good-natured personality has made him a joy for us
to have in our lives, and his looks and charm have attracted many people
to the breed. Bred by Francie Stull of Kristull Ranch, Cal's pedigree has produced some of the top winning show dogs the breed has to offer .
|
|
|
Early on in life, Cal's rock solid, non-reactive temperament, sense of humor, and his strong belief that all dogs really wanted to just play if he could just figure out the right way to ask them, led me to have him help with my work at the local animal shelter with abused and unsocialized dogs. Caliban “speaks dog” fluently and was very helpful in teaching dog language and play skills to many terrified or socially inappropriate dogs who had never played with another dog or were very wary of other dogs after having been attacked. He also is excellent with even very, very young puppies, and eagerly steps into the role of puppy playmate every chance he gets.
Cal's work socializing those dogs made those dogs much more adoptable, and he’s done the same great job with many of the foster dogs of many breeds I have had go through my house on their way to adoption. Cal loves any kind of dog, from the biggest Mastiff, to tiny toys and baby pups.
|
|
Cal also loves human kids and adults of any type as well. He has even
tried to make friends with horses and guinea pigs, sadly for him, to no
effect. The effort he made trying to invite one horse to play did succeed
in amusing the policeman who was riding the horse to no end.
|
|
Here at Talisman, Cal's job for years was to be my puppy raiser and play impresario. There was nothing better in the world to Cal than a rousing romp with other dogs, and he has been, and sometimes still is, terrific at leading a group of dogs into a happy game of chase. He's gotten alot more laid back in his older age, and seems to be content to mostly function in a jovial " elder statesman " capacity.
|
| |
He has always been and is still brilliant with pups and raises them with kindness and a lot of tolerance. When he had his litter here, Cal immediately started happily play bowing at the whelping den as soon as there were pups. Sheba allowed him to enter the whelping box with the pups when they were just a few days old, and Cal would lay down gently with the babies and let them crawl all over him. He was there when their eyes opened, and he taught them to play.
|
|
Caliban, who has been neutered for years, seems to have managed to duplicate himself through force of will alone. In 05, in the Lost Civilzations litter, Sazi was born, and in many ways in both temperament and looks, she seems more Calibans daughter than she is Gideons. Caliban spends more time playing with his"daughter" than he does with any of the other house hounds now, and he especially enjoys running and dancing on the beach with her..
|
|
|
Cal also did a great job raising Gideon and was his constant watchful companion for the first year of his life, showing him the doggie ropes, keeping him out of trouble, and basically playing surrogate mom. They will still occasionally run and play together.
He still loves to "dance" with his humans, but won't run and wrestle with the dogs with the reckless abandon he used to. When he was four years old, Caliban and Gideon were running at top speed in the yard playing, when Cals front leg got caught in a hole, and it broke. His leg took a specialist, a plate, screws, and time to heal, but he's been much more cautious about hard play with other dogs since then.
|
|
On his off duty time from being the resident happy go lucky clown, Cal loves to lounge around on the bed, sun himself on the deck, and get cuddles and pets from his human family.
|
|
|
Cal's Pedigree
DOB:8/11/2000
Reg # 2000-64/02
MDR1: Clear
|
|
|
