The Moose story, thus far...

 

Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10

 

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I offer free consulations, real-world group classes at my place in Hatfield (other places too) and will soon be offering
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I met Moose about a year ago when his owner hired me to help "tame the beast". Moose is a really super happy, wiggly love bug, just dying for attention. When I got an email from his owner, stating that he'd decided to find Moose a new home, I was going to do everything possible to help. I knew it wouldn't be easy to get him adopted, given his energy level, strength and clumsiness. So, I badgered the hell out of my landlord until she allowed me to take in another dog. It's been as rewarding as it has been challenging.

He’s a really wonderful dog, so happy and loving and tolerant (also impatient, pushy, wiggly and always ready to play or learn or run or hump!). I really am falling for him but still trying to fight it because if he stays I can’t rehab/save another dog that needs my help. I’m already over the maximum capacity of pets allowed with 3 kitties and 2 dogs. Regardless, there's no way I’ll let him go anywhere that isn’t just perfect for him; he needs strong, experienced and tenacious owners. He’ll be here for a while, no doubt.

 

 

 

 

The first 24 hours with Moose - Monday May 9th, 2008:

 

Sophie and I were totally exhausted after day 1.Moose,.... well, not so much. I hated to put him in that little bitty crate for nap-time, but he’s not interested in letting us sleep, EVER, and, we all needed a good time out.

It seems like he believes that if he’s not in his crate, someone’s supposed to be entertaining him.  It's reasonable given his past, but will have to change.

 

He knows sit and down, but has no concept of stay. If he’s awake, he’s wiggling around, His energy is as motivating as it is exhausting.

He still hasn’t stopped trying to hump Sophie, even after she’s really beaten the crap out of him, making him squeal and run (then come back for more within minutes). I didn’t see any blood on either of them, but I think one of the many “battles” resulted in the little ¼ in. cut on Moose's front arm. He’s twice her size. She’s a bossy little flirt. She dangles toys, chewies and her big pretty butt in his face while clearly warning him that he can look but not touch. She postures, lifts her lip, growls then lunges. When he pushes her over her threshold, she gets him good. He stops for a second or two, but gets right back at it.

 

We practiced stay this evening. He’d stay for a second, I’d give him a treat while telling him to stay again, reach in the treat bag, give him the hand/verbal STAY signal again, get the treat out, make sure he remembers and tell him to STAY again before reaching to reward and reminded him again to stay before the next treat. That went on for about 20 minutes. Then we practiced the recall, I got about 5 feet away while he stayed. He chose down over sit while trying to control the wiggles and that was just fine with me, as long as he’d STAY! All night we just practiced"Stay".  Sophie clearly expressed her thoughts......“This is the easiest way to earn treats on the planet, I'm bored!”

 

Moose was thinking the exact opposite, for sure! The little man challenges me as much as I challenge him, and we're both proud when our little "session" is completed successfully.

We had 2 sessions so far this evening, with play and potty time in between. I’m fairly certain he doesn’t know what potty means. I waited a really long time, like 15 minutes before he went. The little buttbag pissed in my house 3 times today, even after squirting on everything he could find outside, like he was saving up the big stuff for inside. I’m not cool with that, So, he’s staying tethered or supervised until I make that clear. I was told he’s potty trained, but I know he hasn’t had much free time in the house. He doesn’t piss in his crate, as far as I know.

After potty time, I worked on body blocking all humping, from Sophie too. That little bitch tried to hump me. That’s when I realized that his insistence was wearing her down and my letting it continue made me look weak (so the alpha in her tried to take over, starting with me!). She liked sitting there while I protected her from Moose's humping attempts, it was really cute; went on for about 10 minutes.

 

I sent them out to potty again, Moose tries to hump Sophie again, she blocks him from the porch, so he can’t get in or behind her, they get loud quickly, I bring them in, they get a drink (another new word to Moose). He gets crated and now he’s whining on and off (about 30 seconds between tantrums for about 40 minutes).

 

The inexperienced overly compassionate beginner in me would have absolutely let him out before his tantrum ended, especially since we got up from nap-time only like 5 hours ago and I feel real bad how small his crate is (24*24*36 in... the 42 inch I got for him is still too small!).But, he’s been living most his life in that little bitty crate and I know a few more days won’t kill him (not nearly as much as if we were all deprived of this much needed time out!). Plus, after folding with Sophie as a pup with respect to the crating thing and the fact that it took years to get her in a crate again without totally freaking out, there's not a chance i make that same mistake.

 

 

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DAY 2 - May 10th

 

Today Sophie went into Moose’s crate, which is just the right size for her. I'm pretty sure she used it to protect her butt as much as to be a bossy flirty bitch.

 

The next few days are going to be very exhausting, for all of us, and seriously expensive for me. I expect to embed some degree of self control into Mr. Moose, before I go to work on Monday. I’ll be coming home to walk them at lunch time from now on.

 

He ran off-leash with Ed and Karen’s dog, Doyle, after our 11am walk. Moose got tired for a second. Doyle was glad to have someone to play rough with, Sophie was glad to play ball without Doyle biting her tush or Moose trying to hump her. I leashed Moose up as soon as they stopped chasing each other, just as he started to get distracted and wander. He doesn’t seem to have any prey drive at all. He didn’t seem to know how to tug or even be interested in learning (way more interested in trying to take advantage of the opportunity and hump Sophie while she’s tugging). He did fetch last night but wasn’t interested today.

 

He’s still wimpering and barking on and off in his crate about 30 seconds between tantrums since he got in there pretty willingly (directed with his collar but didn’t try to back out like earlier). I haven’t spoken a word to him since, refusing to acknowledge his reaction, Sophie walked by his crate once or twice, with no reaction from Moose, I’m sure when I walk by, he’ll start another big fat tantrum, again, I’ll ignore it, again  I do feel kind of bad, since we did have nap time earlier today, and he’s squished in that little bitty crate.  I’ll let him out for potty and a little more self control work later, after we’ve all chilled out for a bit.  My place is a mess and I’m too exhausted to do much about it.  He had 3 walks and hours of play/training/free time today.  It’s 10pm Saturday night.

 

We’ve got a lot of work ahead, no doubt. I’m dedicated, because I made a promise and because he deserves it, Moose has got such a great personality, so friendly and happy and wiggly with a big fat meathead. Sophie digs him.... when he’s not trying to hump her (and secretly likes that too I'm sure), I'm making the appointment for his Neutering and shots tomorrow. I know the little guy is definitely sexually frustrated, among other things. It’s not going to make a big time immediate difference in his behavior, since he’s about 2 and those hormones are running strong. But, I'm taking care of that asap! Sorry little man, but the balls have got to go!

 

 

 

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Sunday, day 3 - May 11th

 

Mothers day. I was out all afternoon. It was almost as if I was working, like I will be tomorrow, the first time Moose is "left home alone". We got an xtra large crate, not huge like he needs, at the Q-Mart for $45. It will due for now. Ed and Karen walked both Sophie and Moose with Doyle at lunch time while I was doing the mothers day thing. It sounds like everything went really well. I put blankies over the top and cushiony stuff inside of Moose’s new crate and did the same for his “old” crate, since it’s sophie sized, she can have a safe spot for that butt that all the males seem to loose it over. I’m feeding them in the crates now, Sophies spot and Mooses spot. Sophies spot has moved around many a times, she’s a versatile little one. Moose still freaks when crated, for a while…. Hopefully he learns soon that I’m not gonna fold!!!! It’s hard, Sophie was never crate trained, I felt like it was mean. Moose needs the time out as much as his pack needs it. He’s in the living area, so when we walk by he starts to tantrum. He’s just going to have to get over it. As soon as he stops pissing in my house and learns that he’s not going to be entertained constantly, I’d like to loose the crate.

I’ve already spent close to a couple hundred on Moose. I don’t know much about his vetting and he didn’t come with any meds or anything, so I’m not sure if he’s even been on flea/tick and/or heartworm meds, so he’ll have to get tested for everything. It’s almost like I got him off the street. The fact that I know his former family really did love him, makes me really sad. His situation is so typical.

I’ve essentially “inherited” a 100lb puppy, who knows about the same amount as Sophie at 8 weeks old! He’s no dummy, but doesn’t give up the inherent behaviors easily, mostly the humping, wiggly, excited, attention seeking puppy thing. I don’t really have to un-teach much, just pretty much have to teach everything. I guess that’s not so uncommon for dogs his age, it’s good for me to feel the burn, to remember the pain, the necessary dedication to change things; it keeps me in a position to relate to my frustrated clients. It’s so easy to forget all the hard work, after your dog is just basically good. Sophie’s a dream right now. I don’t by any means forget the work involved, but it may have been “easier” to commit, since I fell in love with her as she was born and have been with her since her first breath of air. Easier to screw her up too! Moose is still trying to hump Sophie, getting the crap beat out of himself and continuing to come back for more. He doesn’t try to hump Doyle anymore, so far as I can tell. I’m not sure if it’s because Doyle’s bigger and/or male. Sophie sure as hell puts a beaten on him regularly, but I think they both secretly love it. Like the leather chaps and whip kind of thing. I try to protect her, but she keeps putting her ass in his face as soon as he’s chilled for a second, freaking little flirty bitch!

Now they’re both out back, with a baby gate between them. Moose is barking, Sophie’s laying there, sniffing the air, happy he’s not trying to rape her, but certainly just as happy to tease him. It’s a tough balance, keeping them both in line, making sure to let them fight their own battles but also to stop them when things get out of control. Sophie’s limping, she’s got arthritis from Lyme disease. She still beats his ass on 3 legs. Seems she likes to grab those big fat floppy lips the most. I watch them out the window, he hasn’t caught on yet, she knows when I’m there.

 

I think we’re going to make it; we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.

 

 

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FRIDAY, 1 Week later - May 16th

 

I’m finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s a wonderful thing. I know we’re not out of the woods yet, though.

 

I’m watching Moose make good decisions, most of the time for the past 2 days. But, I stay prepared for the next time he chooses against self control so I can immediately redirect him every single time, and I’m still making sure he doesn’t have the opportunity to do bad things without my being there to catch and scold him verbally. I give him the chance more often now, hoping I’m not expecting too much. I’ve certainly pushed him to the limit as far as practicing self control and basic obedience. Eyes glazed over, he’ll still listen but I know it’s time to end on a good note when he gets all ADD.

 

This morning and evening, I can finally leave them outside, alone and they chill for the most part. Moose’s attentions seeking behaviors are fading away and we’re all finally starting to really enjoy each others company.

 

We’ve practiced hours and hours every day with STAY. I’m essentially teaching Moose to be cool with being bored, to learn that he’s not always going to be entertained when he’s not crated and that hanging around is a much better choice than harassing Sophie and I, humping my couch cushions or marking near the litter box. I’ve done everything I can to keep him from self rewarding with those behaviors, which is why he’s been tethered to my side and under strict supervision since that all started his first full day here. I know he’s frustrated and that he’ll be much happier when he learns to just relax and enjoy being a dog! Sophie’s teaching him a lot, now that she’s finally (for the most part) won the role as alpha dog. He’s a tough case, but loosing is not an option for Sophie. He’s starting to mimic her behaviors now. I need to make sure he doesn’t take on any of the undesirables (chasing squirrels and deer, pulling on leash to charge strange dogs, barking at trucks driving by after a long stressful walk where she’s held back from charging and sniffing strange dogs, etc). So far, Moose doesn’t really seem to have any bad learned behaviors, just doesn’t really have any, well, until this past week. He’s really learning fast and it’s nice that he’s just as responsive to physical praise as he is with food. Sophie’s always been like, “Don’t freaking touch me! We’re working for food here!”. She never wanted to play with toys either. Pretty much all the behaviors that I’ve taught her have been with food, lots and lots of it for a long time. It’s easy to forget all the work it took to “tame the beast”. Maybe I secretly wanted to forget; it was seriously challenging. Fortunately, I’m not making the same mistakes with Moose as I did with her and progress is much faster than I even expected.

 

 

 

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Saturday morning, day 8 - May 18th:

 

Mooses' balls are all swollen, I let him play too much this week and I’m sure he’s been licking while crated.  So, instead of going to play paintball today, I’m taking him to the vet and getting a neckbrace style Elizabethan collar for my little meat head. 

 

They tore up the nasty cushions outside, the only thing he was allowed to hump.  He didn’t think that through….  It’s a big mess, lots of cushion guts outside, at least mostly on the patio so it won’t be too hard to clean up.  Just GROSS!

 

 

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Monday, May 19^th

 

I still haven’t cleaned up all the cushion guts. What a freaking mess! I started sweeping them up, and realized there’s a layer that’s like Velcro to the porch carpet. I ended up sweeping a pile on top of Sophie’s chillin’ hole. I’ll probably regret it. I secretly hope it will help with the dirt issue but know it’s gonna get uber gross super quickly. This coming weekend, I have to spend the day cleaning up out there; it’s totally a full day job.

Moose didn’t have to wear his backpack on our walk today, since it’s so grody muddy that I couldn’t bear to touch it. I’m letting it dry out, washing it and won’t be putting towels in there for padding when it’s repacked. They work like sponges for gross creek and puddle water. Blah!

 

He was noticeably “free” when we went for our 3^rd walk today, without the backpack, still wearing the awful lampshade. He’s still able to lick himself, but not as comfortably for sure.

Ed’s applying salve to his junk twice a day, thank god. It’s way creepy for me to touch Moose like that. I mean, I’d do it if I had to…. But I’m REAL glad Ed’s handling that job!

He’s been staying in the kitchen and so far hasn’t chewed anything up. Hopefully that doesn’t change when his lampshade is removed (not until NEXT WEEK, 8 days from now!). I hate that thing. It doesn’t seem to bother Moose all that much, he’s got such a good spirit! Anyway, I don’t want to have to crate him, or buy a bigger crate, so I hope he continues doing well confined to the kitchen/laundry room area (a big area, I’m a little scared of marking, haven’t noticed anything yet…). Sophie and the kitties are confined with him during the day, at night Sophie stays with me (kitties are with us if they come, with Moose if they don’t – there’s littler on both sides).

 

Moose is starting to bark so I let him in. I’m trying not to open the door until he’s quiet, don’t want to reward attention seeking or demand barking. Nor do I want anyone throwing poison steaks over the fence to shut him up.

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Tuesday May 20^th

 

Moose locked himself in the bathroom before and after our lunchtime walk today. He really isn’t a dummy, I swear! J I almost wonder if Sophie lures him in there, since it doesn’t happen at night. I may have to get a nanny cam or something to tape it.

 

For the next full week, I’ll regret not bathing him before his surgery. He’s got that lampshade on his head and can’t be bathed till the stitches come out, which isn’t until next Tuesday night. He stinks and so do the bathroom, laundry room and kitchen. I’m glad he didn’t catch on that we’re supposed to go to sleep in the bed, or he’d have made that stinky too.

 

He’s still really wiggly but chills out sooner and easier. I need to take him to meet new people (and also to NOT MEET new people). He gets as excited about people as Sophie does about dogs (charging them for attention and/or dominance). We’ve all got some work ahead of us, boot camp for everyone!

They’re doing really well, still challenging but totally worth it.

 

 

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Saturday May 24^th

 

I got up at 6:30 and cleaned up the cushion guts (and Moose poo), as best I could, before our 7:30 walk. I didn’t get all the cotton that’s woven into the carpet, but it’s a whole lot better. Turned out the best way to do it was scrubbing it into balls using gardening gloves with traction…Finished round one of porch cleaning, will have to go back at it….

 

 

 

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SUNDAY May 25, 2008

 

They spent most of the day outside, either walking or hanging in the yard. I got lots of housework done, the stuff I haven’t had time for since Moose moved in a few weeks ago. I cleaned up most of the pillow guts mess that was velcroed to the outdoor carpet on the back porch, using garden gloves to scrub it up and roll it into balls so I could detach and dispose of it. I re-homed my soft-tub, so Moose isn’t tempted to chew it up like my moms dogs did to my last one (which was way better!).

 

About 8pm, I bring them in, they go to their spots and lay down for a chewy rolls (cheapest I can find is about $1/each), but it’s worth the quiet time. I’m going to have to start eating their food, gonna run out of money to pay for my own….

 

Sophie stole Moose’s chewy and ran upstairs to bury it. I called her back, she went to her spot, and started chewing on hers. I took Moose’s back, called her a bitch, smacked her with a pillow and called her a bitch. I admit, I did it with a smile; wouldn’t have if she’d considered growling at me the way she did to Moose. She’s such a little bitch; knows just what she can get away with… She’s waiting to eat her chewy until Moose finishes his. She watches then he has to watch her. He doesn’t really care though, he’ll just find something else to chew on. I have to make sure it’s not one of my pillows!!!!

 

8:35, she took his chewy again… I gave it back. Not sure what happened to hers, but know they were different colors…

 

10pm, Moose is passed out on the floor, next to sophie. I think he’s finally gotten tired, after 3 weeks. I’ll be making my much needed trip to the grocery store as soon as I’m done weeding through emails..

 

10:05, I spoke too soon, should have known better….. Moose is awake. He pawed at and jumped on me for a minute, I invited him up on my chair but wasn’t trying to pet him (I’m trying to work!!!), he got halfway up and changed his mind, got a drink, dumped the toy box and pulled out a nasty old marrow bone to chew on. He’s such a cutie!

 

Lots of work to do around here, and glad to have the opportunity to do it. Moose is really coming along, he’s so sweet. Last night I invited him up on my chair for the first time. He slept under my legs, I passed out too. it’s a good way to make sure he stays out of trouble anyway. He totally thinks he’s a lap dog, so different than sophie.

 

 

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Wednesday May28th

 

We came across an old lost dog on our walk this morning. I ended up chasing him, stopping traffic, ran through the woods and into a development I'd never been in before. I had no idea where we were, but knew there was no way I was letting him get back in those woods. We danced a little, as I blocked him from entering the woods again, then he finally gave in and I caught him. I threw my jacket over him and carried him like a medicine ball so he couldn't bite me. All out of breath, I knocked on the first door with cars home. The woman apparently didn't have a single thing I could use to walk him home with. I was annoyed. Fortunately, the next woman who's door I knocked on, was a really nice helpful person. She got me a leash and the phone and we called the number on DAWG's tag. The woman was so happy to hear from us. Apparently dog snuck out the night before and she couldn't find him. He's 16 years old with hearing and seeing issues. He lived several miles away, not a chance he'd have made it home. I left him at the nice womans house for his owner to pick up right away and found my way home so I could get to work. without being too late.Fortunately, my boss is an animal lover and understands.

 

When I came home for our lunch walk, they had a pillow fight. I saw they had broken out of the gate, then I saw the mess. Millions of little beans, everywhere! There's beans in every single room of the house. I'll never get rid of all of them. He ate our treat bag too. I filled up the vacuum twice, walked the dogs and went back to work. I'll need to pull the whole house apart to get most of the beans. They were even sticking to the television via static cling. What a mess!

 

 

 

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Thursday May29th

 

I brought the dogs in to leave for work, a little early. As soon as Moose got inside, he puked 3 times, As I'm cleaning it up, he stands up on the dresser to steal the peanut butter treat he gets as I leave for work. I yelled NO and LEAVE IT, he cowered, but it didn’t work, he got right back at it as soon as I turned my head. Finally, I had him lay and stay, that worked. I cleaned up the mess as best as I could, gave them their treats and left for work, late again.

 

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Friday May 30^th

 

Today, Sophie and Moose were both were locked in bathroom together. All the padding in his crate was scattered all over the kitchen/laundry room. He dumped the laundry basket and scattered dirty clothes everywhere too. Good news, since I switched to using plastic plates for their peanut butter treat when I leave for work, he's stopped eating the plates! I'm pretty sure that's why he puked yesterday. I hadn't seen any plates (or plate pieces) in days.

 

 

 

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Sunday June 1st

 

We took Moose to the dog park for the first time. He did so well! He just wanted to meet all the people and dogs, mingling like a pro! Then, he got beat up by a boxer who was trying to solicit Moose's attention since we arrived. It was kind of ugly. That boxer tried to start trouble when another dog was entering, but the owner got it under control quickly. The "Moose attack" seemed almost unpredictable. He stood his ground but when we got the boxer off, he rolled over on his back and panted away as I rubbed his belly. I didn't leave until hej oined the group again,and stopped hanging out in the corner by himself. He's so sensitive! He was messed up for a while. I'll need to take him back again next week to remind him it's a positive place, for the most part. At least the boxers owner got him leashed up and when he didn't want to stop fixating on Moose, they left. I wouldn't tell her to never come back, especially since she was attentive, for the most part. Her dog needs some self control training too.

 

 

 

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Tuesday June 3rd

 

On our lunch walk, Moose almost got a groundhog. I dropped Sophie's leash but fortunately didn't loose it. I watched in complete disbelief as the ground hog that was clearly wrestling with Moose, stood on his back legs, standing his ground to both my nutso dogs. Sophie started turning on Moose, displaced anxiety like usual. It took a while to get them under control; we doubled back and as soon as they realized we were taking a different trail to the same spot, they started acting like hunters again. After we got past "the spot", everyone cooled out a bit. Moose's tongue was a little bloody, but I'm pretty sure we all walked away just fine, even the ground hog.

 

 

 

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Wednesday June 4th

 

The lunchtime walk went way better than yesterday. I kept them on a short leash for most of it, they did pretty well.

 

When I got home from work, I saw a kitty in the window. It hadn't yet occurred to me that if the kitties pried the door open to sun in the mudroom, the dogs got in there too. Moose had a party with the recycling. C'est la vie ; This is one of his smaller messes....

 

 

 

 

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Thursday June 5th

 

Last night, we went for a walk at about 8, just after it stopped raining. When we got to the end of the trail, the water was up to my waist. We all got soaked! Moose and Sophie swam for a minute (not Sophie's favorite thing to do). They were so cute.

 

I have no idea where Moose's collar ended up, the one with Sophie's old name tag on it (at least it's got my phone number!). I've got to get him his own tag....

 

I fell asleep before Moose did... another pillow bites the dust. There's one left; I'm finding it a new home...

 

 

 

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Friday June 6th

 

Still haven't found Moose's collar. I'm doing a major cleaning this weekend; if I don't find it,I guess I'll just have to buy him another one. He needs a name tag too.

Tonight was the Animal Lifeline First Friday event in Doylestown. It was huge! Karen, Ed and I manned the kitten "booth". They were soooo cute! We only got 2 adopted. Ed and I wanted to keep all of them. Karen wouldn't let us. It's a good thing for her, otherwise I could never afford all the animals I'd try to save.

 

My TV bit the dust. Guess the storm last night did it in. I've got to find a way to get it out of here and bring the one from my bedroom down. Due to the TV crisis... :) Moose hung in my bedroom and slept with us all night. He was so cute, kept snuggling up to me, nose to nose, all stretched out on his back. He totally felt like a king!

 

Tonight, we'll hang up there to watch some TV, but he'll probably end up back in bed. We'll sleep together again, just not all the time. At least not till after he gets a bath! That's high on the priority list this weekend!

 

 

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Saturday June 7th

 

I put a small dent in the mess of a house between last night and today; intend to have it "averagely clean and organized" by the end of the weekend.

 

Moose slept in my bed again last night. I wasn't going to allow it, But, I hadn't changed my bedding yet (or given him a bath!). So when I got up to go to the bathroom and he followed and then went straight back to the bed (after ramming the door open with his big fat head; his tenacity is adorable), I changed my mind.

When we got up, as usual, Sophie and I had our regular noisy "time to get up and go to work" wake-up routine (snugglin, nuzzlin and whining while she buries her head up against me). Moose joined the fun. It gotso loud that Karen and Ed heard us from their house (there's at least a half acre between us!) It was all in good spirits though; I could tell by the way they were snugglin and wiggling around with each other, both displaying non-combative body language(just really super LOUD vocalizations, mostly from Sophie,butMoosechimedinwithhisdeepgrowlysoundtoo) . They were actually spooning at one point (with Sophie barking directly in his hear, which he didn't mind at all) It was really cute and, as always, a pleasant successful way start the day.

 

After the am walk, I went out and got Moose a new collar, leash, harness (for the car), a name tag,andlotsofchewiesthathecan'tswallowwhole.While I was out, he got the tub of mini bones, they're all gone. Hope he doesn't get a belly ache, or worse!

 

On our mid-day walk, we met a neighbor with his dog. Moose got both the dog and the dad all dirty, he just couldn't help himself, bucked around like a wild horse for a minute like he used to do regularly. Karen tried to adopt him out to the neighbor dude, but I really don't think he's ready, unless it's a really experienced handler; and I'm not ready to let him go.

 

I need to make an effort to introduce him to other people and dogs more often, a lot more often, to desensitize him from being such a pushy attention solicitor. He just gets so happy he looses control. It could be worse (aggression or anxiety), but still needs work with basic manners, no doubt.,

 

I filled up the little baby pool (will need to pull out the bigger one since he doesn't quite fit in this one). He wasn't into it at first; but once lured him in, there was no stopping him. He lied down (something Sophie has yet to do, maybe never will), splashed around and just absolutely LOVED IT! Then, he ran off-leash with Doyle for a bit (while Sophie and I played soccer); followed by another session in the pool.

 

We'll be attending a group class starting July. It's at St. Munchkins in Quakertown where Sophie and I took Freestyle and Rally. This class is designed for my friends and clients and will be a mix of obedience, agility, rally, freestyle and hopefully some utility (where they sniff out the barbell you touched, etc). It should be pretty fun to be a student with my students. I'm really looking forward to it. I hope to work them both at the same time, but it's likely that one of them will have to be crated occasionally, while i work with the other...

 

Tonight, I had to coax Moose into the baby pool at Karen and Ed's. Once again, after entering, he loved it!!!

 

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Monday June 9th

 

Well, I got a lot done over the weekend, but there's still lots of Moose mess to fix up around here. It's all good though, spring cleaning time anyway.

 

Moose has been sleeping with Sophie and I upstairs, sometimes on the bed, sometimes on the floor. On the weekends at nap time, he's staying in his own bed in the kitchen because he hasn't figured out what nap time means.

 

Our wake up ritual is hysterical. I'm going to try and get it on tape. Sophie and I have always had a noisy little cuddle time when we wake up. She buries her head under my leg or arm and makes whiney noises while she stretches and kisses and I scratch her ears or back. Since Moose has been sleeping with us, she's so much louder. She rolls all over Moose, even exposes her belly. Mooses whining is deep and burly. Sophies voice is ear piercing. Moose gently chews on Sophies neck and throws his feet around. Sophie cleans his ears and licks his face, when she's not screaming and barking into them. They were totally spooning each other during the little love-fest yesterday morning. it was sooooo cute!!!!! They're totally opposite in so many ways, but seem to be really digging each other.

 

 

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Tuesday June 10th

 

I'm almost scared to put this in writing, but Moose hasn't destroyed anything in about a week. It's very nice.

 

We need to practice Moose's recalls in a bad way, but he's doing incredible with his default sit and leave-it. I walk him on a flexi a lot of the time, teaching him how to maneuver his way back through the trees without getting stuck (so I don't have to go in there after him!). He walks on a short leash when I'm feeling lazy or preoccupied with something else. When he gets on a scent, he doesn't care how hard I pull or loud I yell, he totally tunes me out. Hence our need to practice more recalls. He's a strong little man at 83ishlbs.!

 

I got video this am, of our morning ritual. But, it was pretty benign. I guess they were extra tired because I was up tossing and turning all night.

 

here's a couple pics from when we went to bed last night. Ahhh, air conditioning..... They're so cute!

 

 

 

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Wednesday June 10th

 

I should have known to keep my mouth shut! Last night, Moose had a party in the upstairs bathroom with the cat litter. Apparently, he only likes the poo cookies, he left some urine soaked chunks laying on the bathroom floor. That's what I get for passing out on my chair, leaving him to explore. I need to clean and reorganize the bathroom anyway; so, WHATever!

I captured our morning ritual on my camera that records short video. It's gets out of focus at one point, but you get the idea.....

 

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Friday June 12th

 

Last night we were playing fetch (inside) and Moose squatted and started to pee right in front of me. I yelled NO and he stopped and went outside. He stayed out there by himself for about an hour, didn't hear a peep from him.

 

This morning's wake up ritual was extra noisy, it's a shame I didn't have the camera available.

 

When I got up, I saw that Mr. Moose had torn a bath sponge to shreds. He had to lay and stay while I cleaned it all up. I had to remind him to stay several times.

 

 

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Sunday June 15th

 

Fathers Day:

I decided to surprise my pop and step mom (and the rest of the family) by takingMoose, unannounced, with a red ribbon tied to his neck.  I introduced him as a fathers day present. Everyone LOVED him! He was so good, especially with all the kids (playing with his tongue and rubbing his belly). He was too scared to go in the pool (even after I shoved him in a bit), I'm sure Sophie's anxiety didn't help (she runs around the perimeter barking, hoping for someone to splash her because she's too scared to jump in).

 

Just before I was about to leave,Moose took off. After a while, I got close to panicking. I was about to getin the car to look for him on the side of the busy road, about a half mile away, when my step mom went out, called his name and clapped. Moose came barreling towards her, then past her, then stopped. She grabbed his leash and brought him back. She loved him! She's not quite ready for another dog, but when she is, Moose just might be the one. I sssssooooooo want to keep that little meat head in the family!

 

My uncle almost had a heart attack when Moose jumped up on his convertible (not sure what kind but it certainly costs more than I make in a year!). He loved him too! That big fat smiley meat head gets everyone! He's just the happiest most easy going little lover on the planet!!!!

 

As soon as we hit the road, Moose was passed out. Sophie was chillin too. It was a good day.

 

Linda sent me home with some marrow bones. So, after I brushed the majority of the gizzilion tag-alongs off of Sophie,they each did the "down,stay and leave it" for their treats. It kept 'em quiet for at least an hour. :)

 

 

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Tuesday June 17th

 

I FINALLY gave Moose a bath (quite possibly his first ever!) I had to pick all 80some lbs of him up and maneuver him into the tub at he flailed his limbs about. Fortunately, I have those awful glass doors, so once he was in, he couldn't really escape. He was scared to death of the water, seemed to bother him less if I sprayed directly into his coat, as opposed to on it... By the end he was alright. Besides the fight, he's a whole lot easier to bathe than Sophie with all her Aussie fur. I used to have to drag her to the tub on a leash, now as soon as she hears the word bath, she runs up the steps and waits for me (unless I don't follow in a few minutes, then she comes back and stares at me until I'm ready). She still takes a good half hour to bathe, And forget about the brushing.

 

Anyway, hopefully Moose doesn't smell like my sneakers now.

 

 

 

 

UPDATE Friday 6-20-08: Moose still smells like my sneakers... I suppose he'll need several more baths.....

The video above was supposed to show you his cute little "beggin' eyes" while he "leaves it" at breakfast time. I'll have to try again with more light. Regardless, it still shows that he's increasingly learning the self control.

 

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Friday June 20th

 

 

 

 

Moose tore up a few minor things in the past few days (including his favorite toy, dumbass!).

 

He also discovered that the kitty litter box serves yummy poo cookies. He left me the#1clumpstopickupoffthefloor, apparently they're not nearly as yummy as #2 style.!

Ed let him off-leash on his birthday the other day (always having too much faith - in every species..) Moose had a private kitty poo cookie party at Susie and Baxter's litter boxes until I caught and leashed him. GROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

But..........................all in all, he's been really coming along.

 

He's still challenging me, but respects me when I step up to the plate. These dogs both teach me a lot about how to just keep truckin' and change my strategy if necessary. They make me giggle all the time and I love them for that!!!!

 

Moose is like "Sophie's Little Brother" on so many levels, it's hysterical. She teaches him her "bad" behaviors as well as her "good" ones. We both teach him what we expect of him and what we'll tolerate. (sometimes by accident).

 

He's SO cute, with those floppy ears, galloping through the tall grass on our daily walks!

 

 

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Sunday July 6th

 

Well, no news is good news as far as Moose is concerned. I've been recovering from a ruptured appendix. I got sick at the Brookline Lab. event on June 21st and had surgery June 24th. It was pretty awful but I'm getting better,planning on going back to work on Tuesday.

 

Moose and Sophie have been really good. He's still a big dope that occasionally jumps up on people and tries to use me as a springboard when he and Sophie have their wrestling matches (on the couch, floor, wherever). He's a playful little guy, Sophie likes it sometimes.

 

He's been sleeping downstairs in the kitchen because we can't have the "morning ritual" while I've got a big hole in my belly.

 

All the dogs handled the fireworks really well on the 4th of July.  We got pictures; Moose didn't really dig the hat thing....

 

 

 

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Tuesday July 9th

 

Moose had his first group class tonight and he did really well (as soon as he figured out what the heck I wanted). We're going to be superstars! The whole class has a great dynamic, I'm really pleased. It will surely be fun!

 

 

We're going to practice a new rally sign every day to build on the last class and be totally prepared for the next one. I can't wait to see everyone show off their improvements from practicing new things throughout the week. Group class is beneficial in so many ways. My favorite bonus is that we learn new things to practice on a weekly basis. If we're bored, our dog is probably bored too. They learn to work in different places with different distractions and build on the behaviors that they've already learned, keeping them focused and grateful for the rewards they have the opportunity to earn.

On a less positive note, Moose got loose this morning after our walk and ran like the wind for about 25 minutes until his flexi got stuck to a tree. HAHA buttbag!!! I'm surprised it took so long! By the time Ed found him. Karen had already called the neighbors to keep an eye out and we were planning how to find him and get me to work. After Ed untangled him and we started walking home AGAIN, I called him a few ugly names (of course he had no idea what the heck I was talking about; all happy and wiggly after his adventure). I got to work only 15 minutes late (at least the 5th time this year Iwas late because of a dog!)

 

Moose will be walking in a heel on a regular leash with a back pack for a while. I totally forgot all about the back pack when I stopped using it because of the whole lampshade episode (because I'm a weenie and felt bad for him - which didn't do him any favors!) He needs the extra exercise mucho grande! He's been walking a real nice heel if that's his only option but at class today, we established that he's not actually paying attention to me - an important ingredient in my plan to balance the beast. This week, I'll be teaching him what "come" means. It turns out he thinks it means "RUN, you're FREE!!!"). I thought he knew because he'll follow Sophie from a stay/come to the other room inside the house, but truly he has no idea what come means, yet. It's top priority now; I'll learn him real quick! :-)

 

After all this time, he's decided to ignore "leave it" when I feed him. I will prevail in this battle of the wills!

 

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Saturday July 12th

 

Yesterday whenI came home, Moose was locked in the bathroom again (haha!) and a nice big mess again. One of the monstershad broken the ceramic dog treat jar that my sister got Sophie for Christmas a couple years ago (It was more than likely Moose-but Gia the kitty broke the lid a few months ago. She likes to push stuff off the counter tops.) There were pieces of broken glass everywhere; the big ones carried into the laundry room. I'm pretty sure they helped themselves to several piggy rolls too. Sophie didn't even want the one I offered her later in the evening.

 

 

I'm thinking about getting a nanny cam or something so I can see what they do all day while I'm gone (mostly to figure out who I need to bait and catch in the act but it will also give me piece of mind to be able to check in and make sure the house hasn't caught fire or something).

 

I've been walking Moose on a short leash with his back pack, working on getting him to pay attention to me which is not so easy when we're outside. I almost felt bad for him the other day, thinking he's wondering why she gets to walk on the flexi. Then, I thought(like a typical parent would say) "Well, life's just not fair Mr. Moose. When you start walking nicely, then you can have more freedom." That was it; the pity party lasted about 20 seconds. He's walking real nice for the most part, but forget about getting his attention, even with treats. That's going to be tough but we'll keep working on it and I'll suppress those feelings like "But, he's just so happy to have so much freedom and has never had the chance to explore like this before; there's so much to see and experience for the first time, etc."

 

We've been practicing some of the moves from our class last week. He's getting better at watching me inside and is also staying while I walk around and over him. We've got lots of work to do still, but I'm pleased with the rate of progress. I'm definitely getting out what I'm putting in. There are things that he suddenly decides not to listen to now and then, but that's just how it goes. I don't back down and he figures out I mean business.

 

 

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Thursday July 17th

 

Moose did really well in class last night. He definitely had twice the energy than the other, much younger dogs, but, was willing to work and followed my lead wonderfully. Of course Sophie was a super star, she's already been through this class. I'm so glad she waits her turn w/o flipping out. Group class was seriously exhausting for over a year (not to mention embarrassing).

 

 

I'm getting heat from Animal Lifeline to make a decision about Moose. My sister won't be ready for a dog until next spring, so I'm hoping my dad decides to adopt him. If not, I may (still keeping my options open). Except for his surgery and the first month of heart worm and flea/tick meds, I've been footing all the bills; even got him a dog license. I really love him. I still hope to find someone else who loves (and leads) him at least as much as I do, so I can feel good about letting him go to save (and learn from) another well deserving dog - more than likely a "bully breed", as long as they pass the kitty test of course.

 

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Here's a little something that Ed made:

 

 

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Monday August 4th

 

Well, Moose has really been doing well. He's still a big happy puppy at heart, but learning boundaries and rules quite. well. He's doing a great job in rally-o class too.

 

We went to the vet last week to get all his shots, etc. We've got to go back again next week to finish up. He didn't want to get up on that vet table, but once there, he did really well. He lost 11 lbs since his surgery a couple months ago so I've upped his food.

 

 

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Wednesday August 6th

 

Moose has officially figured out to avoid getting stuck in the trees and for the most part,how to back out when he is stuck while on his flexi. We're still working on remembering that there is an end to that leash. I have to pay close attention to be prepared for him to reach the end at full speed.

 

 

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Wednesday August 13th

 

Tonight's our last Rally-O class. Moose has been doing super. We're totally going to continue with the group classes. Not sure what we'll do next. I've done freestyle, agility, rally, obedience, flyball and herding with Sophie. I'm trying to get a real world class going soon.

 

 

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Monday August 18th

 

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Friday August 22th

 

moose broke out and ran free like the wind the other night as I was getting ready for our evening walk??? He jumped up and opened the screen door and took off like a banshee w/o his leash, etc. He had sooooooo much fun. I saw flashes of him as he ran through the field a thousand miles an hour. I thought about letting sophie free to get him, but realized she didn’t give a shit he was gone and probably would have just taken off herself after a deer or something. I snagged him and attached his pinch collar and leash when he got a little tired and started grazing on the tall grass nearby, NOT because he came obediently. At least he went out back and not towards the road out front…

 

Karen and I are planning on starting to practice the “COME despite distractions thing”, etc, on the regular now that schools officially over, and as soon as I fix his busted zip line. Moose did surprisingly well in school but still needs lots of work with the “we’re out in the woods with all kinds of critters you gotta IGNORE” thing, Sophie too for that matter!

 

 

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Sunday August 31st

 

I took Sophie and Moose to Ed and Karen's mountain house for memorial day weekend. It went really well! Moose stayed in the crate while we were out and barely bothered the kitties. We were hanging on the deck after I packed the car, as I dreaded the ride home, when Moose broke out and ran for his life. I chased him through strangers porches and yards and finally when I found him, and got a brief second of eye contact, I ran back to our place. He followed! As he pondered the thought of taking off into the 80some acres of woods, I practically tackled him to get his collar. I so wanted to yell at him. It sure woke me up.... then it wore me out...

 

The ride home went well...

 

 

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Wednesday September 3rd

 

We've been practicing having everyone possible grab Moose's collar, since he's suddenly gotten all collar shy. He's getting better, and sometimes worse, then better again.

 

Karen, Ed and I started our group class today. We practiced sit, stay, come; the basics. At first, I couldn't walk more than a couple feet away before Moose broke his stay. By the end, I was able to walk to the other end of his 100ft. zip line, then recall them. I had to be a little closer to keep them in their stay while Doyle was recalled. It was very rewarding for me to see so much progress in one session. They'll do just about anything for hot dogs. I just need to practice EVERYTHING more, with hot dogs and w/o, in lots of different situations with different distractions, dogs and people, and we'll be all set.

 

 

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Wednesday September 10th

 

The second day of class went really well. At first we had to start out as if we've never worked on obedience type stuff before. By the end, I was able to move much farther away than the first class.

 

 

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Wednesday September 17th

 

Moose's collar came apart on the walk this morning while we were watching 2 young male deer head but each other. Ed and I went after him, calling and walking and searching. I saw some fawns running away in one direction, walked the other way, saw a glimpse of Moose and that was it. I ended up standing, watching, listening... I was about to cry when Karen called and said she got him, in the same area he took off.

 

 

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Saturday October 4th

 

Moose has been doing real well walking with the halti head collar, except when he really wants to get to something, like deer poooo... I'm a little shocked, for a minute, because it was so ineffective with Sophie, but they're just polar opposites. It's awesome, requires me to learn every possible strategy for all the different types of personalities...

 

We had group class today, started working on our TDI certification requirements and also using the whistle for recalls. I did a jackpot reward towards the end, before our short leash walk. Moose and Doyle got into it over the tidbits while we weren't paying attention. It was ugly, noone got hurt. I hope they've both conceded that they're equals now. It was inevitable, given that they're both middle ranking males with something to prove......

 

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Sunday October 5th

 

Sophie took off after a fox this morning, could have totally killed it... chose to herd into the barn. I shook for about a half hour.

Then, I took them both to my pops place. Moose did well, tethered to me the whole time. He's getting much better with meeting new people, only wiggles like a maniac for minutes, rather than hours now.

 

Sophie went off for a strole while we were chilling on the porch. After about 10 minutes I started to worry. I went out with Moose and Princess, my pops lab, looking for Sophie. Then me and pop went out on the quad looking for her, hoping she'd be there when we got back w/o her. She wasn't. I was starting to worry that she'd gotten to the road and gotten herself squished. I went out with the dogs again, met the neighbors and their labs; they hadn't seen her but said they'd call if she stopped by. After we crossed the creek again, I heard her one of a kind, ear piercing bark.  It sounded like she'd had something cornered like the fox this morning, barking like a banshee, deep in the woods.  Turns out she was stuck on the neighbors barbed wire fenced, her car harness was all twisted up on the top wire.  HAHA!!!!!! I got her on a leash and all's well.

 

Geezo, whatta day!!!

 

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Saturday October 25th

 

I'm volunteering at a couple rescue events in the city today.

 

The other night, I fell asleep while eating my dinner. Sophie and Moose were nice enough to be very gentle as they stole it off my lap and enjoyed it for themselves. Brats.

 

We've been holding outdoor group classes and it's been going really well. I've finally decided on 2 official class times on the weekends.

Last weekend I dog sat Doyle. It went way better than expected. There were no fights at all. And, Sophie was a lap dog the whole time Doyle was here. I knew it was wrong, but I ate it up. I love when my little lady snuggles up on me and lets me pet her and stuff. I even found 2 ticks! Anyway, as expected, as soon as Doyle went home it was all over. Back to normal. Sophie chilling on her own somewhere and Moose snuggling next to me on the couch.

Moose is still really smelly. I gotta get him groomed. I tried using baby wipes but that's not a substitute for a real bath, possibly only the second one he's ever had in his life.

 

I got his front nails clipped the other night. He was all sleeping next to me, so I figured it was the perfect time. I had the clippers ready so I didn't disturb him. Well, it took a while. As soon as he felt that metal on his foot, he'd start thrashing it around. He was still laying on his side/back, still somewhat relaxed, but clearly a little annoyed. He was making his usual frustration groans and whines. I spent about an hour, tapping his toes with the clippers, every now and then taking a good shot at actually clipping one. Eventually, he only flinched when he felt the clippers touch his feet. With each clip, he got a little less disturbed with it. Next time, it's the back feet. Haha! That'll be fun. I need to do it like I did with Sophie, one nail cut per session is considered success, eventually desensitizing her completely. She doesn't like it, but she respectfully lets me do it. It probably took more than a couple/few months before I could do all her nails in one session. It still surprises me how those challenging early days were so easy to forget.

 

Here's some pics that Ed took at our last class, we're practicing socialization, obedience with distractions, whistle recalls and preparing for the TDI (therapy dog) test. Toby doesn't look real happy about it. He was already kind of pissed at Ed for poking him with the crutches earlier. Everyone else looks surprisingly relaxed. There were to newbies that day.

 

 

*BTW, I'm clearly the only one who wasn't ready for the pic. I probably still wouldn't have been happy with it, but at least I might have had a fighting chance! *

 

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Sunday November 9th

 

It's become a regular routine for Moose to grab a toy and race around the house after our morning and evening walks. As I prepare their food, they run and bark and usually Sophie end ups with the toy; then chases and barks at the Moose, toy clenched in mouth.

 

Moose is starting to foll0w Sophie's plan, to hang on to a chewy, waiting till the other's finished theirs, so they can eat it in front of each other. They make me laugh a lot!!!!

 

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Tuesday November 11th

 

Moose pulled a houdini today. The first time, since the last "escape" that I consciously chose not to attach his leash to both collars for backup. I thought maybe he'd respect the head halter more, pull less....

We're about 5 minutes into the morning walk and all the sudden I'm holding a leash, but not the Moose. He was off! We sent Doyle after him, but he came back alone. I knew not to bother sending Sophie from our prior escapes. She'll just chase all the deer/fox/bunnies/groundhogs that he stirs up on his gleeful little escapade.

He tore through the entire 18 acres, thankfully just going a little out of the property line (multiple times). In the first 2 minutes, I heard a car screech, I was terrified! Then, finally, he came tearing through the path by the creek where Ed, Sophie and I were looking for him. He ran directly passed Ed who was a ways behind me. I kneeled down, so he couldn't knock me off my feet, and called out with great excitement for him to come. He ran right at me, I had my hands on him for a quarter second as he flew by!!! SOB!!!

 

Karen got the golf cart and loaded up on hot dogs and we all scattered. He tore past all of us several times, despite the hot dogs waving around right at his face as he ran by at blinding speeds. He was SO happy! He didn't come back till he was tired.

 

Of course he got some hot dog (despite me wanting to smack the crap out of him ). He relaxed in the field as soon as he was double leashed again. I told him what a freaking jerk he was in the "i'm so happy you're back, good boy, thank goodness you didn't get squished" tone. It was all behind him and soon me as well. He had a little boo-boo, think it was probably from all the pricker bushes he weaved through. HAHA! That's what you get! His satisfied look and demeanor made it pretty easy to laugh at the little butt bag and then move on...

I told him, though, he lost all the points he earned last night in our incredibly productive training session. I was sooooooo totally proud of them both! I had one waiting while the other one did tricks, Moose learned touch and practiced spin, then we celebrated with a tug/drop/sit/fetch/tug/drop/sit/fetch game. Nothing I worked on took more than 10 minutes to explain and accomplish, with both dogs together. It was amazing.

 

Needless to say, Moose will be double leashed for an undetermined amount of time. And, I'll be teaching him how to run on that treadmill by the end of the weekend (after I recruit help to bring it inside).

 

We'll keep on keepin' on! I love my little monsters!

 

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Friday November 14th

 

OMG!!! So, I was in the city tonight, doing volunteer training for a pittiepup I helped get adopted a few weeks ago, when I got a call from my friend. He said he pulled into my driveway and was greeted by Moose running up to his car!!! I almost peed my pants!!! I abruptly ran to my car and raced home as he captured the Moose (Moose jumped into the car when he honked his horn??? weird but fortunate!). My friend got him inside and put a big old cement thing in front of the door so he couldn't break out again.

He ate about a pound of hot dogs and had a party tearing up the mud room;theroom between the 3 freaking doors he had to open to escape, which he had apparently done long before my friend arrived.!!!He couldn't get back in one of those doors, and though the Sophie was still inside, even if she totally knew how, she wouldn't let him back in...... I'm sure she helped him tear up the mudroom too. Surprisingly, there are still lots of treats in there, but no sign of the hot dogs. He may have eaten the baggies they were in too.... I'll know for sure when I clean up the mess. Whatever! I'm just happy he didn't get squished by a car!!!

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Saturday November 15th

 

Well, I've officially established that the Moose doesn't want to step out into the rain (or wet ground) to go potty. He's taken to going on the back porch again. BUTTBAG!!! Needless to say, I've got to get more natures miracle and scrub the crap out of the indoor/outdoor carpet,AGAIN, and he's not going out there AGAIN for a a while, certainly not w/o supervision orwhen there's any sign of rain. He'll have to go on his walks or hold it till the next one. Nasty boy!

I watched for it and caught him mid wee stream this evening. I banged on the window, opened the door and scolded him, then showed him where he's supposed to go. Then I took them out back on leash. He didn't go again. He'll have to wait for our leash potty later or the morning walk now. Fortunately, he's learned to hold it in forever. Sometimes he wees for like 2 full minutes, and man it's stinky!

 

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Sunday November 16th

 

We had a great group class today. I love seeing all the progress from week to week and our "aggressive" member made friends with one of the newbies!

 

Things I know about Moose:

• If I speak to him with frustration, he tunes me out like a nagging wife. I have to speak to him firmly but not harsh and he totally loves the baby talk.
• He chooses to wee and poo on the screened in porch when it's raining or wet.
• He can drop several horse sized loads in less than an hour.
• He needs to meet many more un-exciting people before he stops getting so worked up and wild when someone new comes around.
• He calms down a lot faster than he used to, but he can easily hurt someone by accident with his exhuberant face to face greetings.
• He takes up the whole freaking bed so I'll only share it when we take weekend naps.
• He's learned that he's big enough to protect himself, but not that he's too big to buck around like a bronco.
• He's a 6 month old lap dog at heart (yahoo! he's grown up since moving in).
• It will be another year or two before he acts his age, maybe longer....
• He's very smart, learns new behaviors in minutes and enjoys learning.
• He loves to run free and when he escapes he doesn't return until he's exhausted. It's even better when we all get in on the "chase game"; he doesn't get caught, ocassionally tackled when taking a break. It's hard to be angry with him too; he's just soooooo satisfied,relaxed and smiley after his adventures.

 

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Monday November 24th

 

Well, the other day, Moose decided to chew up a basket while I was away at work.

the evidence:

 

Today, I tried to enter the house and felt something behind the door.  It was all dark, but I knew it was the Moose and first I had to make sure he didn't sneak out.  Once I got in, shut the door and turned on the light, I saw the mess.  He had broken into the mud room and gotten into the trash.  I made him stay in there while I put down my things, made out with Sophie for a minute, then let her outside.  I had the Moose lay down and wait while I cleaned up his nasty mess!  

The evidence:

 

here's the Moose, locked in the mudroom....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click below to see the lovely cleanup video, where Moose waits and watches until I'm done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sunday November 30th

 

 

 

 

Please email me regarding group classes....

 

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Wednesday December 3rd

 

This is what I came home to today!  I should have known better than to get dog beds!!!!

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Thursday December 4th

OMG!!!!!  Moose totally passed his Therapy Dog Test today!!!!  

 

 

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Friday December 5th

 

After cleaning up most of the feathers, I made the mistake of leaving a bag of them in the bathroom.  When I came home for lunch, they had scattered them about again.  JERKS!!!

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Saturday December 6th

 

We went to the dog park again today.  Moose was running around, having fun.  Then, all the sudden he fixated on a young male chocolate lab.  He threw him to the ground several times and though he wasn't out for blood (didn't even scare the lab away) it was ugly and could have escalated.  So, he ended up being tethered to me, until everyone left....pretty sure we chased them all away.  Therapy dog my ass.  :)

Group class went well.

This week, the Moose tore up the seat to the barstool on the back porch, the back off my salon chair, chewed up his water bowl and tore the cushion off another chair I had on the back porch.  

 

 

 

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Sunday December 14th

 

We took group class to the dog park today.  Moose was a a-hole again.  It started with big dogs but he also tried t dominate a freaking jack russel and a basset (which i've known to defend themselves as well as star trouble - but it' s unacceptable  either way.  I was glad i kept a  tab leash on him; ended up tethered to me again.   I'm happy to have made him confident; but now i need to help tone it down.   I have to continue taking on the challenging situation, not avoiding them, as embarrassing as it may be.

 

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Tuesday January 6th 2009

 

OMG! There's alot to update about the Moose! I'll get on it asap!!

 

I did get him on the treadmill tonight, after feeding and treating him on it for the past week. it'll take time, but i think he'll dig it.

 

He's been going in his crate while i'm at work, i hate to do it but he busted up about everything i own. he's an 11 month old puppy in a 110lb 3 yr old body.

 

I've helped him become confident, so confident i need to help him tone it down a bit. he's a sweety with people, getting a bit dominant with other dogs. we're working on it, he's improving.

 

Moose is a stinky dog by nature i think. i won't know for sure till he's gotten more than 2 baths in his life... but , well, he smells like my old summer sockless sneakers again. it's nasty.

 

I'm scared to say it out loud, but he hasn't gone poo or wee on the back porch in a while. I didn't let him out there for sometime and make sure i see him go off the porch before i stop watching, especially when it's raining (at which time he acts like a delicatel little flower).

 

The other day he pooed on our lunch walk.. highly unusual. he struggled to get out a 10ish inch hemp necklace he apparently ate when i wasn't watching. I patiently waited while he worked it out.. it was gross.

 

i'm expecting to see a squeeker or two soon too.

 

click here to check out our most recent class album

 

below are our "chistmas pics"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sunday February 1st

 

Since it was so icy out back of my place.... we had group class at the Walmart shopping center today. It went really well, especially since there were lots of newbies (either new all together, never worked with each other before, or hadn't seen each other in a while).

 

I have so much more to write, will do asap...

 

 

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Wednesday February 11th

 

Ok, still haven't had much time to write. Fortunately there's not all that much to write about with regards to the Moose Man. He's been crated (in a 42 in. wire crate, the second to biggest available as far as I know) while I'm at work. I usually come home at lunch time, but haven't been walking them lately, just sending them out in the back yard with a chewy so I can weed through a million emails.

 

He's played nicely with 2 dogs at my house , which made me extremely happy. There was a point with the one dog last weekend, after being here for a while, that Moose felt it necessary to pin him. But, like a responsible owner with a giant breed... I was right there, saw it coming and made him lay down, despite all the distractions and the youngen jumping around licking his face. He stayed for about 10 minutes or so, only attempting to break once or twice. The rest of the night rocked!!! They had chewys, playtime, chill time, training time, no further potential incidents.......

here's some pics from "training time" that night (sophie always has the red eye! someday i'll figure out how to fix that....)

 

 

 

 

He also tolerated another newbie, a very shy rescue dog, who took "his" spot on the couch. He probably would have eaten her face off had I not been around, especially once she got a little more confident and sassy, flaunting the fact that she knows she's in his spot, up and down a few times, and brushing him as she pranced past him. Needless to say, it's my freaking spot! Moose wasn't allowed up there again until they all left...

She's in the group class album, the photo name is "Kailey, Shannon and Campbell 2-8-09". Here's the link:

http://goodownertraining.com/Class%20Pics/Class%20Pics%2012-08/ , it's towards the bottom at this point, from Feb 8th (she was at her second class that day and they came here afterwards).... She does well if you play hard to get, very people shy, ok around dogs but doesn't really know how to interact with them.... Someone shot her with a freaking beebee gun!!!! You can't blame her for being hesitant or for protecting herself. I told Shannon and Campbell that it was ok she gave the warning signs (lifted lips, teeny growls, etc,) when the other dogs invaded "her" space in "Moose and Sophie's spot" (think hoola hoop), especially since she was in a strange place with strange dogs and most horribly, a strange person. It's not her resource to guard, she's just protecting herself. Moose on the other hand, has growled at dogs from the same spot, not cool, totally resource guarding his spot... I've got my eye on him!!!!

So, when Kailey was here, I did my best to not look at her and sat on the couch next to here, where mommy was, for a while... She took chicken treats from moms and dad (who she's been having a hard time warming up to)... i didn't try to treat her, just pretended she wasn't there even though we were practically touching.

 

On another note, Sophie, Moose and I are going to be on the front page of the Hatfield township newsletter for the pre-opening of the dog park. We'll be holding classes there in April and May, before the park opens to the public in June (hopefully helping to promote a dog park where people are responsible and dogs are considerate...). I'll post the info when I have it.

 

 

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Thursday February 12th

 

Well, of course after that wonderful, "not much to report" update from yesterday.... I've got something. It's totally my fault.

 

For the past 2 weeks, I've been eating dinner earlier and Moose hadn't gotten his opportunity to steal it as I dozed off while eating... (I've got a sleep disorder and a lot on my plate, so cut me a break! :-) )

 

 

Anyway, the last couple nights, I've been real busy, not making dinner till 11 or later... So, of course I'm running the risk of dozing. Moose lays quietly next to me on the couch (should be in a crate when there's a risk of me falling asleep but I feel bad, don't want to put him in there till we all go to bed, which is likely to be about 3am when I wake up on the couch.) It's a really bad, long term habit... not going to bed at a set time...

 

So, the past couple of nights I've seen his strategy in progress. I'll be eating and he just sleeps. Then, after a while, he gets up and starts checking out his options... I was starting to doze, but he went in for the super gentle swipe and run when I caught him. Sunday night, I caught him on the prowl at least a few times and told him to leave it. Tuesday night, started dozing and he went in for the kill but didn't get much but a piece of perogie or something and a tap on the nose with "NOT FOR MOOSE!!!" Last night, he got about half of it. Granted, there was definately more than I could have eaten... have been trying to be more careful about that but wasn't... but he got about half of it.. He definately ate the whole paper plate too (i know, i'm a classy girl) but I was worried till i just got home from lunch that he'd eaten the plastic cup my cheesy sauce was in... that's got to be more damaging to his iron intestinal tract.

 

The good news is, we've had a couple weeks incident free, and I'm sure we can do it again, for a long time, until he stops with that sneaky a-hole behavior. I've got to work on catching him in the act more, like pretending to doze and reminding him "NOT FOR MOOSE!" when he decides to try and go in for the kill.

I need also practice more with the counter surfing thing too. Up to this point I've just been managing it with a baby gate... It's definately time to start working on that, now that we've got a pretty good obedience thing going, and he's running on the treadmill most days (only for about 5 minutes - I still have to be there, food rewards are fading but still in place... it's so funny too, if i walk towards his behind, he totally falls of the back.) The good thing is, he hasn't had much opportunity to countersurf since he's lived here, and when he does, i'm usually there to catch him in the act. The bad news is, i have to catch him in the act and that his face is almost as tall as the countertops.....

 

Haha, and, I got a new roomy last month. I forgot to tell him about Mooses food stealing issues... I actally cooked us both some dinner. Mine went in the microwave for safety because I was still working on some things. Frank put his on a table and

and Moose totally stole half of it like a flash of lightening. I laughed my ass off, then he got my most dinner later.

 

 

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