Woof woof woof, bark woof woof. Bark bark bark, bark woof woof?
Woof woof woof, bark woof woof. Bark bark bark, bark woof woof!
Translated from Dog:
Here I stand, high on a hill,
against the warm and beaming sun.
Do Mommy and Daddy have the will,
to run up here and join in the fun?
It’s fun, it’s fun, to run up a hill,
galloping at full speed all the way.
Don’t flake on me guys, don’t be a pill,
If you don’t come, then here I will stay!
This past weekend, we took Mocha up to San Francisco and went for a nice run in Golden Gate Park. The little boy loved it. Especially the off-leash area, though the sounds of the city put him on alert a few times.
I guess Mocha’s a country boy at heart; the noisy city just ain’t for him!
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We’ve been taking Mocha on off-leash hikes lately for family exercise. He absolutely loves them. He loves them so much that he’ll run run run at top speed all over the place.
Unfortunately one day, he got so excited that he ran ran ran – right over a cliff and into this ditch.
We panicked and ran over as quickly as we could, calling out his name frantically. The worst possible scenarios came into our heads. Seconds later, he emerged, unscathed and still smiling like a happy clown. He looked at us as if to say, “What? Chill out guys, I’m okay.” Then he took off and ran ran ran up a hill.
We’re so glad he’s okay. I wish I had a picture or video of him sailing through the air and into the ditch. All we could see was him leap over a mound of grass, then disappear. It was terrifying. So damn terrifying that we just had to laugh.
That’s our little boy. Indestructible (at least, in his own mind) and full of energy.
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Mocha’s loving these hikes. And I gotta give him props, despite being off-leash and running all over the place, he always comes running when called with a great big smile on his face.
There’s nothing like a happy dog running to you, lemme tell ya.
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Here is a magnificent specimen of mixed breeding. A true masterpiece of Labrador Retriever and Jack Russell Terrier intermingling. Exercised, athletic, and well-toned. He stands tall on the hills of California, poised to leap at a moment’s notice. He is loyal. He is playful. He is Mocha. Majestic Mocha.
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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.
A romp at the dog park and a three-mile run didn’t do it. A two-hour uphill hike didn’t do it. So we decided to take drastic measures.
We decided to take Mocha on a Mocha Marathon. Run three miles to the dog park, then the usual fetch, followed by a three-mile run back home. And lots of water in between, of course. That oughta tire him out once and for all!
To be totally honest, the runs and hikes do tire Mocha out. As soon as he gets home, he collapses to the floor and sleeps for a good hour or three. But then he’s up and active again, as if he’s been sleeping for days. I blame it on his damned Jack Russell Terrier half.
We could also be a victim of our own doing. Perhaps we’ve been exercising Mocha so well that he’s a mass of fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle now. Damn.
So how did Mocha do from his Mocha Marathon today?
He slept pretty much the rest of the evening. Not a peep from him. I had to poke him to make sure he was still alive. Success!
Except… next time, we’ll probably have to do eight miles to tire him out. Greaaat…
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Yup, you read that right. We did a two-hour uphill hike today. And with Mocha’s dog backpack on, you’d think he’d get tired, right?
If you thought that, you’re a fool. Like us. The darn little guy didn’t get tired at all. We think he got tired near the end of the two-hour hike, but I think we got so tired that we started to believe, truly believe, that Mocha was tired too.
“I think he’s getting tired.”
“Yea, I think so too.”
“He’s slowing down.”
“Totally.”
“We should stop and turn back now.”
“Yea, you’re right.”
“No sense in tiring the poor boy out.”
“Yea. Let’s go back now.”
Meanwhile, Mocha’s like, “What? we’re going home already? Awww…”
Went for a nice early-morning hike today with Mocha and his new dog backpack. He seemed to dig it immensely. Took a little while to balance out both pockets with water and treats. After giving him some water, one side would get lighter than the other, so we had to shift things around a bit. Other than that, it worked like a charm.
However, we think a sprinkle of pee got onto the back bottom strap of the backpack. We can’t tell for sure though. It didn’t look wet, though neither of us wanted to put our face up to his privates to sniff & confirm it.
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.
