Bark bark bark! Bark bark bark! Bark bark bark! Woof woof woof. Woof woof woof.
Woof bark bark! Woof woof woof.
Translated from Dog:
Oh boy, there’s another Terrier at the dog park! And he loves to dig as much as I do! And running too! It’s sure fun playing with him. I wish all dogs liked to play with me like this.
Well, Melvin & Cabbie do! I have such great friends.
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Mocha loved this. We took him for an off-leash hike today on a secluded dog-friendly trail. Initially, he remained within view, enjoying the freedom to sniff whatever he wanted.
Eventually, he got his courage up enough to wander further and further away. But not too far. He still stopped and looked back at us every once in a while, to check in on his pack leaders, I assume.
Our hike was along a straight path, so we had to double-back. For the return leg, Mocha’s bravery was at an all-time high. Maybe it was his familiarity with the trail, or maybe it was his newfound courage. Whatever it was, he frequently darted out of view, usually go to off and explore the hillsides. We called out to him a few times so he wouldn’t wander too far. Then we checked him for lice (no lice, whew).
I should have taken a picture of the big smile on his face after the trip. He was one happy doggy, lemme tell ya. Mocha sure loves these off-leash hikes.
Another one of Mocha’s favorite toys as met with its demise today. How sad.
Mocha finally gnawed through the furry skin of the ball, tearing it asunder so the fuzzy innards could be strewn about. Gruesome indeed.
At least this one lasted several months. A stuffed, squeaky penguin we got over Christmas was disembowled in two days.
Goodbye squeaky fuzzy ball.
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Woof woof bark bark bark! Woof woof woof. Bark bark bark!
Translated from Dog:
I love to jump jump jump! Especially when chasing after this rope bone. Jump jump jump!
Woof woof bark bark!
Translated from Dog:
You can’t get away from me, rope bone!
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That was fast. It took Mocha only two days to utterly demolish and disembowel his stuffed, squeaky Christmas penguin toy.
Check out the plastic bubble, the squeaky heart of the stuffed toy. He pulled that right out.
Wow. Just, wow.
For Christmas, we got Mocha a stuffed, squeaky penguin toy. Mocha loved it. He carried it around with him everywhere he went. At night, he would lovingly cradle it in his arms. And during the day, he’d nibble on its appendages.
Unfortunately, the nibbling soon become voracious. The poor little penguin toy is now sporting mangled limbs and a chewed-up nose.
Oh well. We didn’t expect this toy to last too long. At least Mocha is enjoying it while it lasts. Merry Christmas Mocha!
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Bark bark bark! Woof woof woof. Woof woof woof. Woof woof woof. Yip yip!
Translated from Dog:
I love playing catch! Sometimes I’ll jump high for the ball. Other times, I’ll run really fast to get it. And once in a while, I’ll do something goofy like flip in the air or stand up straight to catch it. What fun!
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Bark bark bark! Woof woof woof. Woof woof woof. Woof woof woof. Yip yip yip!
Translated from Dog:
Oh boy, I love going for rides in the car! Whenever I see Mommy or Daddy open the car door, I jump in happily. It’s always fun to ride in the car with them. Everywhere we go is such an adventure. Oh boy what fun!
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Woof woof woof? Woof woof woof? Bark bark… whine. Bark bark bark!
Translated from Dog:
Hey, why did that human put the ball way up there? How am I supposed to get it? Maybe if I jump… hmm no, that didn’t work. Darn you human!
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Mocha has been a bit of a difficult dog ever since we left him in a kennel. We’re not entirely sure if it’s the kennel’s fault – they have a good reputation amongst other dog owners in the area and I doubt they mistreated Mocha in any way – though the act of leaving Mocha alone for a while may have triggered his anxieties. Since we rescued him from an animal shelter, it’s possible he was abandoned by his previous owners and started to worry when he felt we were abandoning him too.
However, Mia and I are both busy working professionals with busy schedules. At least once a month, we have to travel or leave Mocha alone for most of the day. We hate doing it, but it’s not always possible to bring Mocha along with us, especially when we’re staying with friends who are not comfortable with dogs either.
So for long trips, we leave him with Melvin & Cabbie’s parents, who take great care of him. Every time I watch them wrestle, I see a great big smile on Mocha. It’s so obvious that he loves being with other dogs.
Which leads us to conclude that his recent behavioral problems may be solvable by getting a second dog. Another solution would be more exercise and activity, which we’ve been trying. A second dog, however, could play with Mocha and give him the social interaction that he craves. Also, we’re not always able to give Mocha the exercise and activity he needs because of our aforementioned schedule. Perhaps a second dog could.
Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. A second dog presents its own challenges, such as increased costs, time to find the right companion, additional training needs, etc. We also know of a few more long trips we’ll need to take. We can’t expect Melvin & Cabbie’s parents to take care of four dogs. Placing two dogs in a kennel for weeks would be damn expensive too. And we couldn’t bring our dogs along on a trip to another country either.
So what do we do? Sigh. We don’t know yet. We’re hoping more exercise, training, patience, and love can help the little guy. Hopefully that will be enough.
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Mocha is a playful 1-year old 25 lb mutt we rescued from a local animal shelter. He loves to run, play, and eat. Don't you?
Mike is was the proud owner of this adorable little guy. We miss him terribly every day.
