Posts from: Mike
Today is a sad & happy day. Sad for us because we had to say “Goodbye” to Mocha. Happy for Mocha because he’s found a great new family to take care of him.
We met the other couple today at Mocha’s favorite dog park. He took an instant liking to them, and they to him.
We took our time and searched long & hard for the right family. It makes us so happy to see that we’ve found the right family for him.
As we drove away, we watched Mocha playfully catching & fetching tennis balls with them. He was so happy that he didn’t notice we had left. Part of us wanted him to look over and notice our absence, but part of us also wanted him to be happy with his new family and accept them right away. It seems he will be doing that.
Goodbye Mocha. We love you, will miss you terribly, and will always remember you. We hope & know you will have a wonderful life with your new family!
Someone’s a happy dog today!
Awww, look how happy!
Even his tail is happy! Today’s a Happy Dog Day!
Mocha had a stay at the kennel again the other day. These are the kind folks who put a bandana on Mocha after each stay. It sometimes kinda looks like a cape. Kinda like Mocha is… Superdog Mocha!
So here is the mighty Superdog Mocha! Lounging in his Superbed with his Superball, ready and eager for some… superfetch… superyeah!
Mocha is so out of it right now.
He just came back from the vet. They gave his teeth a good cleaning. This was his annual dental cleaning. Doing this requires being sedated. Though he’s awake right now, the sedatives are still swirling around in his little body.
So Mocha is just kinda wandering around, looking at nothing in particular and going nowhere special. Every so often, he’ll lean up against our legs or the wall. Or he’ll wobble for a moment, then slide to the ground and just stare. It’s like he’s high or something. So naturally, I had to take a picture of our lil drowsy doggie. Hehe.
Cesar was right! Give a dog plenty of exercise (and socialization) and his behavioral issues go away!
(To be fair, any dog trainer will tell you this; I don’t mean to single out Cesar specifically.)
Here he is, sitting by a curb. It’s one of the rules we give him. When we stop at an intersection and need to wait for a walk signal, we make him sit first. When we allow him through a doorway, we make him sit first. When we play fetch with him, we make him sit first. It’s good doggie discipline.
I took Mocha for a nice hour-long walk today. Sometimes he’ll bark at bicyclists and skateboarders. Other times, he’ll growl at pedestrians and other dogs. Occasionally, he’ll lunge at someone he probably perceives is threatening, perhaps because of his protectiveness.
But during this walk, he was totally fine. Hurray for exercise and doggie discipline!
I had the leash high up on his neck and kept him by my side the entire time. This is what I do whenever I walk him for bathroom breaks and exercise. Thankfully, I’m beginning to see a change. The protective behavior is subsiding.
What does this mean? We need to walk him more often. Like every day. Our jobs don’t always allow us this free time, but we try our best. We take him on long hikes once a week and 3-mile runs about two-to-three times a week.
For some dogs, that’s probably enough. For a Jack Russell Terrier mix like Mocha, it’s not quite. And ironically, the more we exercise him, the more fit he becomes, and the more exercise he needs. On the plus side, we’re also getting more fit too. (Need to lose weight? Get a Terrier!)
Now that it’s getting nicer outside, perhaps I’ll start working in a downtown cafe and take Mocha with me. It’s a nice 1.5 mile walk away, which ought to give him the exercise and socialization he needs. And, of course, the exercise I need.
Although Mocha has had some aggression issues, he is certainly one protective dog. That’s partly why he lunges at strangers, we suspect. He’s trying to protect us – as evident by this picture.
Here he is, standing guard by the patio window. Astute and alert. On guard for any sign of danger.
While walking him one day, Mocha lunged at a neighbor. The neighbor, to his credit, wasn’t fazed and just remarked, “He’s one protective dog. Train him well, and he’ll be a great dog.”
We definitely agree.
Today feels like a day to be lazy. Ahhh…
Part of our training regime for Mocha is to have him sit before we let him throw a doorway. He learned this rule surprisingly quickly. It took him only three tries before he understood what he is supposed to do at the doorway. Good dog.
Oh no she didn’t.
We left Mocha in a kennel this past weekend. When we picked him up, he had on an additional garment. A bandana. Around his neck. Which Mommy later fashioned into an old lady head scarf.
Poor, poor, poor lil Mocha… Does he look happy? I think not.
You know what’s great for traveling with a dog? A dog hammock car seat cover. It drapes over the rear seats, so your dog can sit back there without falling into the foot-space below the seats. These covers are also generally water-proof (for potentially wet accidents) and washable (for those same accidents).
They work better in sedans and SUVs though. I have a two-seater with small rear seats. The dog hammock seat cover just barely covers those rear seats. If Mocha’s not careful, he can still slide into the bottom foot-spaces. Or, if I’m not careful and stop short. Fortunately, whenever that happens, Mocha just gives me a goofy look, then returns to the seat. Good ole’ resilient boy.
