Full Name

Pavor

(meaning ''intense fear'', ''terror'' in Portuguese) 

Also Known As

Pav, Uncle Pavor, the Guard Dog, the Beast of Nome Butchery

Gender

male

Age

depending - some months older than Kodi

Breed

Majorca Shepherd Dog cross

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Build, Appearance and Height

is muscular, sturdy, stocky; has straight back, short neck; stands approx. 65 cm at shoulder; has tapering, fairly long tail; wears frayed leather collar

Fur Colours

black, white

Eye Colours

brown

Markings

white ''eyebrows''; white tail tip, lower jaw, inner upper forelegs, underbelly, neck, and toes of back feet; 

Physical Characteristics of Note

torn ears (damaged in fights); deep voice with Portuguese accent

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Family

Delmer (mate), Avan (adoptive pup), 

(OPEN)

 
Friends

his mate Delmer, his son Avan, his owner Mr Ferro, Ralph, Kirby

Foes

anybody who tries to steal meat from Nome butchery; most dogs and humans

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Personality 

Relaxed only on occasion, Pavor is otherwise aggressive, suspicious, short-tempered and easily roused, sometimes unpredictable and savage; he treats most individuals with hostility. He is also an alert dog, who prefers to listen and watch rather than speak; who is at times pugnacious, and very much so in the winter, when he is easily tired from fending off hungry dogs and wolves that frequently try to break into the Nome butchery meat stores he guards. Yet he is very brave - has got to be in order to do his job - as well as extremely loyal and protective. Obstinacy is a strong feature - once Pavor has his mind set on something nothing can shift him, although in some instances, displays of either genuine honesty, love or perhaps courage do move him to some extent.

Although it seems that Pavor is a dog who likes little, and trusts few, he does have a caring heart deep within (which tends to trigger his aggression in most circumstances); he loves his mate Delmer dearly, is a proud and attentive father towards his son Avan, and he dotes on his master Mr Ferro. All three mentioned are very important persons in Pavor's life, and he does what he can to make sure they are never in strife. He also has a small selection of less close acquaintances (he is very particular about who he befriends). 

Pavor also believes in being fair, to a degree. He will not hurt anybody weaker than himself, only give them a word of warning, or chase them.

 Likes

his family; working; spending time with his mate Delmer, his master or his son; warm weather; guitar music; when his master plays the guitar; going on walks with his master; sleeping; talking to his friends Kirby and Ralph; hearing the news of Nome

Dislikes

the cold; snow; being tethered; most humans and dogs

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Jobs

Guard dog - guarding the meat stores of Nome butchery

Home

previously lived in Portugal; current home is his master's hut, situated along the Alaskan coastline not far south/south-east of Nome

Hobbies

sleeping

Habits

chewing at his lead/tethering rope

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Background

Born on a farm in the hills of Portugal, to a female mongrel and a male Majorcan Shepherd

History

Pavor lived on the hill farm of his birth until he was weaned and sold to another farmer, old Mr Ferro. Mr Ferro trained Pavor to be a reliable flock and herd guard. Pavor, with his aggressive nature and determination to do a job well, was unbeatable; in all his years guarding Mr Ferro's sheep and cattle, he never let a single beast get stolen by man or animal predator during his shifts. He was so renowned as a formidable guard dog, there wasn't one neighbouring farm that did not ask to borrow him for a while to guard their own stock. He was named Pavor, which meant 'terror' or ''intense fear'', referring to the reaction of those victims who came face-to-face with Mr Ferro's loyal black hound.

In 1929, Mr Ferro decided to sell his farm, and after auctioning off all his livestock he moved to Nome, Alaska, to join relatives there. He also sold his many guard dogs, save one, the reliable Pavor, who had come Mr Ferro's favourite. Pavor travelled to Nome with his master.

Mr Ferro moved in to one of a few small shacks which lined the Alaskan shore just south of Nome. Pavor did not take to the cold climate of his new country too well, and during his first few months of living in Alaska was constantly in a vile temper. Besides being unhappy about the cold, he was also very wound-up about having no stock to guard, so he tried to guard his master. But this was a menace, for whenever Mr Ferro went out walking through Nome with his dog on some errand, Pavor would display extreme ferocity towards anybody (especially other dogs) who came within a metre of his owner. So Pavor had to be left at home whenever Mr Ferro went out. And Pavor was far too aggressive to be allowed free roaming as exercise - in the days when he was allowed, reports had come to Mr Ferro demanding he tether his dog, who was a danger to animals and humans alike. Reluctantly Mr Ferro stopped allowing Pavor outdoor freedom; the dog had to be chained up to exercise alone, and only taken for walks on a rope lead, out of town. Pavor loathed life on both rope and chain - back in Portugal, he had never needed to be tethered.

Eventually Pavor settled down. He got used to the Alaskan climate as well as to being tied-up (although he still detested both). Mr Ferro at last found him work as a guard dog for Nome butchery, which cheered Pavor up immensely. What made things better was the fact that he did not need to be tethered to do the job, as Pavor was known to never leave any assigned post he was given. Very glad to work again (and to be outside without bounds!) Pavor did his duty willingly and well. He became, as he did in Portugal, formidable, renowned and feared, and nobody could succeed in getting past him to steal from the butchery meat stores. To many he was known as the Beast of Nome Butchery.

Pavor's job actually helped him to gain his first Alaskan friends . . . The very first was Delmer, a female husky on a long stay from the town of White Mountain, who suddenly came to Pavor's aid one night when he was having difficulties warding off a large group of young wolves. Together Pavor and Delmer managed to drive away the potential robbers, but after the fray Pavor was in a bad shape. While he was given a rest to heal his wounds, it was Delmer who took over as guard of the meat stores (the butcher, who thought Delmer was a replacement stationed by Mr Ferro, did not object), and she visited the recovering Pavor from time to time to see how he was faring. For Delmer's helpful actions Pavor was very grateful, and he refrained from treating the husky with the same fierce hostility he did most other dogs. From merely a friend, Delmer grew to be much more. In fact, she became Pavor's mate. Mr Ferro noticed the two dogs' closeness and bought Delmer off her breeder.

Ralph and Kirby were Pavor's next Alaskan friends made. Shorty after Pavor's skirmish with the young wolves, Kirby and Ralph thought to try their luck raiding the butchery stores, as they assumed Pavor was still away, recovering from his wounds, and that only Delmer (considered ''easy to see off'') would be on her voluntary shift. But in fact Pavor turned out to be on guard, having speedily regained his strength and health. Pavor cornered Kirby and Ralph with the aim to teach them a thorough lesson. But the two mail dogs' submissive behaviour amused Pavor to the extent that he let them go, shaken but unhurt. After the ordeal Pavor often ran into Ralph and Kirby again, and each time he approached them, he did so without unfriendliness. He had accepted Ralph and Kirby as a harmless, amusing pair - so long as they treated him with respect, he never hassled them. The three eventually became friends.

Later on, Pavor was blessed with a son - not his own biological offspring, but a fostered wolf hybrid Mr Ferro had found at Nome harbour. Pavor warmed to his adopted son, named Avan, very, very gradually - really only because his mate Delmer encouraged him to. But in time Pavor and Avan formed such a strong father-son bond, neither could go a day without a word passing between them. Pavor is proud of Avan, even though it doesn't show very often . . .

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Relation to the Balto Universe:  

Lives in Nome, friend of Kirby and Ralph

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Credits

 *Pavor, Avan, Mr Ferro,  character artwork and Pavor's  profile and history (based upon the universe of Universal Studios' Balto films) (c) Windhowler (Animation Source) aka Marbles (Blogger)

*Delmer (c) White Frost (Animation Source) aka Brimstone (Blogger)

*Kirby, Kodi, Ralph, the Balto film (c) Universal Studios