Dogs can be the light of someone's life. These goofy animals are perfectly capable of lifting up your mood and messing up your homes. They can be your guards and best friends at the same time. Sometimes they are just the company you need when you are low or want to confide in someone, they listen attentively to your secrets and do not even betray your trust by ratting them out! A friend who is there if you want to hang out, have a fun time, talk to someone or just snuggle up in bed. We all need to get ourselves these ideal companions to have a healthier and happier life.
This is what this young woman kept in mind when she planned to get a dog to be her partner in crime. She is a believer in 'don't buy, adopt' and that is what she lived by. But the thing about adopting is that you can never be sure what or how the pet turns out to be and that is exactly what happened in this case.
In this case, the girl we are going to start talking about is not the topic or center of attraction but what happened with her when she took, what was supposed to be just a small decision. Yumna Saloojee is from South Africa and lives in Johannesburg. She loves animals and some two years ago she decided she wanted to make a little addition to her home. She decided to get a dog. She knew she wanted a breed that would grow a little bigger like a german shepherd does and not like a chihuahua. She could not have known how her decision would turn out to be.
Breeds like Shih Tzu, Pugs, Chihuahua and Poodles come in the small dog breed. They do not grow too big and are really friendly. Most dogs are. But there are some hyper dog breeds too and it can be really a handful to manage and take care of them. They can wreck your house, tear out all your soft toys and really claim more bed for their sleep and roll you down. But their cuteness and loyalty makes up for everything, does it not? Fluffy grown dogs are the best cuddle partners for sure. Anyhow, Yumna had decided that she wanted a dog who would grow a little bigger in size.
Yumna loves animals and she believes each one of them deserves a loving home. So she decided that she would adopt one instead of buying. Now the potential problem with adopting a puppy is that one never knows how it might turn out to be. It could have had some traumatic experience before which might affect his behavior in the future. Or there could be some other issue. It is a gamble of a sort which Yumna decided to play.
The purpose of adopting a pet was simple. It is a fact that it costs a lot of money to buy dogs of a specific breed. What Yumna Saloojee wanted to do was welcome a furry companion in her home and provide him with a shelter and loving family. Keeping this in mind, she went to the animal shelter and within minutes made up her mind as to who she wanted to adopt. She could not have known how it would all turn out.
Not a few minutes into the shelter, Yumna stumbled upon her would be best friend and surprise package. She took this pup up in her arms and it was just what she wanted. It was an Alaskan Malamute who kept staring at her with his puppy eyes and Yumna knew in that very moment that she was enchanted and that little guy was going to be 'the one' for her. Her life was obviously going to change but in ways she could not have expected.
This was going to be her first pet and therefore this was special. Her wish of having a new friend came true. This cute little Alaskan malamute had her under his spell and her heart simply melted after looking at him. She said in an interview, “I fell in love the second I held him." Well, we do not really blame her. Just look at the little guy! But she had no clue what she had gotten herself into and what this Malamute would grow up to be.
There are a few things that need to be known about an Alaskan Malamute so that we can understand the magnitude of the situation Yumna was soon going to face. Malamute is thought to be a wolf and a dog crossbreed because of the way the look but there is some contention over this. What is definitely sure is that they are really powerful and hugely built. They shed A LOT because they have a double coat and their bones are heavier than most dogs.
The Alaskan Malamute is the largest of the Arctic dogs. Their ears are erect on their heads that really increase their adorability quotient. It is important to note that Malamutes are not really obedient and can be really mischievous. They are known for their aggressive behavior but they are not too violent. And they need to exercise all the time or they can turn really destructive. But there is one more very interesting thing about this dog.
It is sort of funny that the largest Arctic Dogs are prone to have born with Chondrodysplasia which is a form of Dwarfism. Yumna was probably aware of all these facts or maybe not. Malamutes can be a handful. However, Dwarfism was not an issue Yumna had to deal with, what came her way not only brought media attention to her but a massive amount of disbelief from the scientific community too.
Yumna had met this little bundle of joy when he was just 2 weeks old. She had to wait some more weeks in order to bring him home. During that time she stuffed her house with toys this new member would later play with. He finally came to his new home and was friendly in the beginning. Yumna knew that the Malamute grows a little bigger as he grew older, she was not looking for a small dog breed anyway. But THIS would happen, she cannot have known. This is one of the first videos recorded when he was just new.
Yumna named her new friend Tydus. Urban dictionary described the meaning of Tydus as "Giant Great Warrior". "Strong, handsome, protector of his people. Great friend. Trustworthy. Sincere." Well, some would think that this could well be describing the nature of most dogs. Tydus did grow up to be a handsome boy but Alaskan Malamute, as a rule, are not fit to be guards, being too protective is not in their natures. But this name strangely held a clue as to what was coming next.
Tydus was a friendly boy who did not take a lot of time to settle in. Soon he had his own set of toys, utensils and his own territory in the house. Living up to the name of his breed Tydus was an active pup who loved to stay out in the open. And his new home provided him with ample green space. This is him at 8 weeks old. All seemed normal until that time. He was comfortable with his new family and they adored him. It was only after a couple of months that Yumna figured that things were not all 'normal.'
Looking at these pictures it is hard to believe that the Alaskan Malamute is not a dog and wolf crossbreed. And the previous video in which he was howling, he could easily pass for a baby wolf. This wolf cum dog was starting to become a part of the Saloojee clan. He had become friendly with Yumna, her boyfriend, and other friends and he was growing bigger just when he was growing older. Just how things would go, no one from the clan could have guessed.
Just like all other dogs of his breed, Tydus was growing into a beautiful dog and initially, Yumna did not doubt anything. She was anyway expecting him to be a relatively big dog which is not unusual for the breed of Alaskan Malamute. However, this was just the beginning and Yumna underestimated a lot of things about her new guest and she did not know or could not even have guessed what was she even in for.
When you have a pup so cute, you can't help but document every living moment of theirs. That is exactly what Yumna actually did. Tydus was like her subject now and cynosure of her eyes. Everything he did was recorded and here is a visual of his stretching regime! But what this little pup would start growing into, is what Yumna did not see coming; she might have stopped this habit of his if she had any idea what was going to happen.
This is Tydus at 4 months old. When he first came to Yumna's house he could fit in the two palms but now he could climb up to the height of a Tennis Table and even the swing in the house. This rapid growth was unusual but Yumna thought that he would eventually stop growing. Most dogs grow to their maximum heights until the age of 8 months or 1-year maximum but Tydus was exceptional and Yumna in for a wild ride.
Well, looking from behind Tydus just looks like a giant cat. He is 6 months old in the picture and he already seemed like a giant. Pictures ahead show how he actually looked like a part of a cat family. Yumna was completely smitten by her not-so-little-companion and for some time she did not really mind his growth. He was manageable and Yumna thought that he would stop growing soon. She could not have been more wrong.
Tydus was an active and happy puppy and he had enough space to play. Yumna and her boyfriend kept him engaged and their friends and even people from the neighborhood came to play along with Tydus. Unlike other Alaskan Malamutes who are selective in who they socialize with Tydus got along with everyone and was a happy puppy. Until the age of 4 months, he was growing like a normal dog of his breed. Something happened after that!
Well, Tydus grew enough to look for leftovers in the sink and make Yumna's life more difficult. He could have helped her clean those dishes he spoilt but he chose to break them. Tydus had started becoming a nuisance, in the sense that he was at an age where he bit and broke everything he came across. Given his growth, he was now the size of almost a full grown dog but he still thought of himself as a puppy.
Well, there were days when Tydus could easily get in and out of the house through these openings in the wall. Maybe he just did not realize how big he had grown and how fluffed up his body was. Just like old days, he tried to sneak into the house through the opening and we can all see the consequence. He could not even get his head through rather got himself stuck. Well, he called rather howled to his mother who found him in this state. This was not even the beginning of Yumna's problems!
This picture clearly shows that Tydus himself had no idea about his size, he still thought of himself as that little puppy who could easily fit anywhere with his mom. Yumna clearly does not want to hurt his feelings and one can see her adjusting herself in the corner so that Tydus could fit in. In this image, Tydus is 8 months old and he still showed no signs of stopping his growth. He was no bigger than many dogs of his breed already and this was not the end.
Yumna is an animal lover and there is a bird which too, is sort of her pet. His name is Trez, he drops by often and is taken care of by Yumna. He is like Tydus' playmate but they still have not gone beyond an acquaintance relationship. One can even measure Tydus' growth with respect to that of this bird. Trez is much older than Tydus, 7 to be exact. Anyway, Yumna loves both and that at times makes Tydus jealous. A growing kid does like ALL the attention right?
He can grow possessive about Yumna at times and so he regularly attacks Dad to remind him who the boss really is. Also, he really likes to bite hands, even Yumna's. He would just keep her hand in his mouth and sit not letting her move. He knows the power he exercises in and over the house. At 8 months he was like a hound that could not be controlled. He was heavy for an Alaskan Malamute and outgrew a lot of dogs from his breed and there were still no signs of stopping.
Now that he is more than a full grown dog, Tydus does not have to paw the legs of his hooman family when he wants food, or attention or a cuddle or want to wrestle. He simply towers himself up and demands his food at the window. It is like being served at a Take-Away. He gets his food on the plate at the window like a boss. One got to see the next slide to really understand how this dog grew!
This is Tydus at 3 months, 6 months and 9 months respectively. He was growing so evidently and so fast! At 9 months Yumna started getting jittery. He was still handlable at 6 months but literally getting out of hands at 9 months and technically he was still a puppy. Imagine if puppy Tydus looked like this, how would full grown Tydus look like! He gave no signs of stopping to grow just yet and Yumna could only wait to see how much bigger this fluff ball was going to grow.
It was one year now and that is how much Tydus had grown up! No one could have known that he was one because his figure was that of a full grown dog. But it did not stop here. He was now bigger than all his neighborhood dogs and children and adults came flocking to see this beautiful giant dog/wolf/cat/lion. He was friendly with them and loved the attention he got because of his beauty and size but there were still no signs of his growth coming to a stop.
When the little bundle of joy came to her home, Yumna named him Tydus which means a giant Great Warrior, little did she know that Tydus would grow just into that. At one-year-old Tydus was 54 kgs (120lbs) which is a LOT for a puppy Alaskan Malamute. A fully grown normal Alaskan Malamute weighs somewhere around 35 kgs (85lbs) and can stand up to the shoulder,a height of 25 inches. Tydus was way past the normal weight and was soon gonna cross the height too, so it seemed.
Instead of becoming one with the Saloojee clan Tydus made them a part of his breed. This is Yumna's boyfriend who helps her take care of Tydus. When she is not around he is the one who indulges Tydus but here it seems like Tydus turned him into a wolf. But this is just one of the animals Tydus resembles and he had still not stopped growing. Just how big was he going to grow!? With his thick fur and humungous figure and this side view, Tydus can easily deceive anyone into believing that Yumna was actually harboring a lion. Tydus without any doubt have the majesty of one but he is really friendly, the fact that he did not tear Yumna apart from limb to limb can shell out of all the doubts of him being a lion. Nonetheless, the resemblance is uncanny, the next slides show how similar he is to the cat family.
Can you spot the difference? Of course, you can but does he not seem to have blended with the lion family perfectly! He actually can be a cross breed between different species. And this is him just one year old. His growth was not stopping and Yumna or anyone had no idea just how big this 'dog' would grow before he stopped. Even taking care of a giant like this is not easy, bathing, combing and Alaskan Malamutes shed A LOT!
Tydus is a smart dog. He knows he is beautiful and fluffy and he takes complete advantage of it by going around the neighborhood and flaunting his fluff. Consequently, he has many fans in the neighborhood, many of whom are girls who love petting him. So he especially visits them to get his daily dose of cuddle, attention, and petting. It's not too difficult anyway to gather fans when you looking like a soft toy bear who has come alive.
Tydus could be any of these. His fluff makes him a cuddly bear, his howl makes him a wolf, his giant figure and mane make him a lion and his bushy tail makes him look like a cat from behind. But his shenanigans definitely proves him to be a dog because only dogs are as goofy and active as Tydus is. He literally gives his family a run for their money. At two years old he stands taller than his mom. I did not believe it either until I saw the picture on the next slide.
Yumna used to measure Tydus' height in terms of her own. At two years old, he surpasses even her. He has exceeded the normal 25 inches height that makes Alaskan Malamutes come till human shoulders. In this picture, Yumna and Tydus are like the Beauty and the cutest, furriest beast. Yumna just does not want him to grow anymore because taking care of a lion- dog is a much bigger headache than you could imagine.
Just to give a little idea of his size, here is Tydus, with a 'normal' dog. In an interview, Yumna said, "His fluffiness is the first thing that catches attention, then his size." She further said, "Wherever we go, even just for a walk around the block, we get stopped and asked about his size, age and most often, 'What breed is he?' I guess it's not often that you see a lion-dog walking the street." True Yumna! We don't see lion dogs walking down the streets. But sometimes Tydus acts more than a lion.
When Tydus does not feel like creating a mischief or being notorious and sees his mama Yumna working intently, he patiently sits alongside her watching her work. In these rare times, he takes on the garb of an adult instead of the cute little (umm, not really) puppy he is. Even in this picture, his towering figure dominates. For all, we know they are watching the videos of his goofery together, it might explain the happiness on his face
Alaskan Malamutes are active and need constant exercise and walks otherwise they can turn really aggressive and violent. Thankfully for Yumna, she could provide Tydus with enough green space to walk, run, jump and even fly! It is amazing how he can carry his weight because most dogs who grow overweight turn lazy and keep lying around but Tydus keeps wanting to be taken out for walks. He is really an exceptional dog.
Tydus takes quite a lot of interest in Trez when he drops by but not because of the beauty of the bird or it's smartness but because he finds him tasty. One can see how Yumna is trying to stop Tydus from literally pouncing on Trez. She wrote in one post that she does not leave the two alone together, ever even when they have been acquainted for over 2 years now. She really does not trust Tydus with the bird. But sometimes he is nice with Trez as can be seen ahead.
Well, that must what Tydus would be telling Trez in order to trap him to come out. If his intentions are really to play along with him or simply gobble him up one cannot risk knowing. There is always a cage gap between Tydus and Trez and trez even teases him from inside, knowing he is secure. This is how Yumna keeps Trez around Tydus. We do not really blame her, better safe than sorry!
This is what both Trez and Tydus seem to be saying to each other in the picture. It is surprising that even after knowing each other for over two years, the two do not seem to have crossed the acquaintance phase. They both are wary of each other, always watchful. In here though Trez seemed to have been able to convey to Tydus that he is going to entertain no notoriety. Well, seems like Tydus cannot dominate all with his giant figure!
You know what lions do if they find some other animal trespassing their marked territory? They either kill them or maim them seriously just to drive home the message that they welcome no one to their area. Well, Tydus is just acting similarly. He found this monkey to be threatening his place or maybe his faced just annoyed Tydus. Anyway, Tydus fiercely tore this monkey apart. One can see the anger on his face!
Tydus still thinks he is the little puppy he used to be. To be fair to him, he is just two years old but everything about him seems to not agree with his age. He is lying on his mum, probably making it hard for her to breathe but he has his priorities straight. He will cuddle when he wants and frankly Yumna does not mind. What would I give to have a cuddle partner so fluffy! She acts as his pillow sometimes and most times he is hers. Mutual dependence!
Now that Tydus is bigger than his Hooman caretaker he can easily overpower her. Consequently, he makes sure he gets everything he wants even if it means he has to harass his human best friend for it. He takes full advantage of his height and bulky figure to get his way, especially the treats he loves the most. No wonder he is growing bigger.
Have ever been a part of a pack and a flock? Well, Yumna and her boyfriend are a rare couple who are part of it. The four of them really make a weird clan but definitely set goals. Let's hope Tydus does not grow up anymore, or he might definitely overpower Trez.