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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Whine whine whine. Woof woof woof woof woof woof. Bark woof woof. Bark bark bark? Bark?
Whine. Woof woof woof. Whine whine whine.
Translated from Dog:
This is boring. I don’t want to just sit here and wait for Mommy to shop. I want to run around and play fetch. Can we play fetch Daddy? Pul-leeze?
Aww poop. I don’t like sitting and waiting. This is boring.
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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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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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Uh oh… Looks like somebody’s been playing in the mud.
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Yesterday’s post made me a little sad. Mocha has been frustrating. He scares our friends and neighbors. His 2AM barks disrupt our sleep. Exercise doesn’t seem to be helping. It has definitely been frustrating.
But for all that we are frustrated with him, we are also very thankful for him. I’ve seen other dogs that are a handful and a half. Mocha has lots of great points. So here is a list of why we are thankful for Mocha:
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.
