Kailey and Jeff Brown believe that “Pesto,” their 15-month-old Danish-Swedish Farmdog, is the perfect adventure dog. The Browns and their 14-year-old son are passionate about sports and exploring nature, and Pesto eagerly shares their enthusiasm. Pesto Coolibah’s Does Your Mother Know You’Re Out, RN, DCAT, CGC, TKI, ATT, FDC is always ready for a romp, whether it includes camping, hiking, or kayaking. “We’re lucky she doesn’t like water and doesn’t jump out of the boat,” says Kailey Brown. Content to sit calmly in the cockpit and hang out, Pesto happily soaks up the sun.
An Appalachian Train Expedition
As a happy, determined 3-month-old puppy, Pesto’s first family outing was an easy, flat four-mile hike. “At the time, she weighed 5 pounds, and we were prepared to carry her in a backpack most of the way, but she kept walking with us the whole time,” Brown says.
To celebrate his 40th birthday, Jeff planned a hike along the 2,200-mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail that spans 13 states, from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, with Kailey, their son, and Pesto. The family drove from their home in Orlando, Florida, to the North Carolina-Tennessee border.
“I wore a sling to carry Pesto if she got tired, but whenever I picked her up, she wanted to get back on the ground,” Kailey says. “I even bought her a fleece-lined rain jacket.” The Browns knew they would be hiking in cold weather, but when the temperature dropped into the 20s, they shortened the trip to three- or four-day hikes with overnight stays.
One snowy nine-mile hike had the family scrambling over a rocky trail in 35-degree weather. “Pesto was such a trooper, and she loved it,” Kailey recalls. By the end of the nine-mile hike, the dog was wet and mud-caked. After towel drying, the dirt fell off, and she didn’t look dirty, but Kailey bathed Pesto in the hotel. “With her short, coarse, and tight-fitting coat, you would never know she had hiked in rough weather,” Kailey says. “You might think Pesto would be too tired to move, but she was ready to go again, as she’s always up for anything we do.”
The 15-pound Danish-Swedish Farmdog happily accompanies the Browns on road trips and flights up and down the East Coast or to California. Curling up in a travel bag under the seat, Pesto is easy to travel with. The one thing she doesn’t want to do is lie down in a hammock on camping trips. “If I ask her to do it, she will, but she gives me a look that says, ‘When are we done with this?'”
Choosing the Perfect ‘Up-For-Anything’ Dog
Kailey and Jeff had an older foster dog they were caring for at home but didn’t plan on adding a new dog to the family, especially not a small dog. That changed when their son asked for a dog four years ago, and they began their search for an active purebred dog. The couple knew they wanted an active dog to take with them on outings. Kailey called her longtime friend Aimee Parramore Kincaid, a Danish-Swedish Farmdog breeder and the President of the Danish-Swedish Farmdog Club of America, for advice. At the time, Kincaid had a litter of puppies and invited the family to visit her dogs.
“My son wanted a dog he could play with, and he fell in love with one of the puppies,” Kailey says. The puppy joined the Browns at 8 weeks, with their son naming her after YouTube chef Nick DiGiovanni’s pet hamster, Pesto.
Kailey works from home and wants a dog to be part of her daily life. “Pesto is my dog, but Pesto has a different relationship with everyone in the household,” she says. Calm and well-behaved with Kailey, Pesto likes to wrestle and play climbing games with the couple’s son. “She’s driven and motivated to make her people happy, no matter what they’re doing.”
Pesto’s Many Friends
Kailey recalls that Pesto was a busy puppy, but the dog’s sweet face made up for the mischief and some destruction. Around six months, the puppy transformed from high energy to a well-behaved little dog. “She likes to pull every pillow and blanket off the couch and pile it on the floor, so she can tunnel underneath it,” Kailey says. The dog gets short bursts of energy and loves to chase birds and squirrels on their property. “When she comes into the house, she’s relaxed and happy,” Kailey says.
The Browns also live with a 14-year-old cat who isn’t thrilled with Pesto’s attention. The Danish-Swedish Farmdog desperately wants to interact with the cat and brings every toy in the house to please it. According to Kailey, the cat gives her a look that says, ‘Please, leave me alone.'”
Fortunately, “Taco,” the Browns’ parrot, and Pesto have become best friends. They share toys through the bars of Taco’s cage, calling, “Pesto, come here, good girl.”
Pesto runs over and brings him toys. In return, the parrot regurgitates food for Pesto and spits pellets out of the cage for the dog to chase.
Expanding Adventures to Dog Sports
To help channel Pesto’s energy, Kailey began training her for AKC Fast CAT, dock diving, and AKC Rally. The dog earned her Rally Novice A title on their first weekend out. AKC Fast CAT followed, and Pesto moved through the levels quickly and earned her DCAT title. Smart and easy to train, Pesto is working on earning her championship title. “We’re learning as we go, and she makes me look good in the ring,” Kailey says. “Now I want to begin obedience and agility training and competition.”
Pesto accomplishes whatever task the Browns ask her to perform in grand style. “She always has a good attitude, makes the people around her happy, and just wants to work for whoever is with her.”
The post Danish-Swedish Farmdog ‘Pesto’ Is the Brown Family’s Adventure Dog appeared first on American Kennel Club.