Devil Dog

It’s been twelve days since we brought the puppy home.

We had been counting down the days since the demise of our beloved Porgie, waiting for summer vacation to get a new puppy. I campaigned to adopt an adult dog, teasing with promises of the gratitude and potty trained greatness that a one or two year old pooch would offer. But then someone we know went and got himself a golden retriever puppy, and the minute we met Sonny we were all pretty much done for. A puppy it would be. So we got the house ready, we bought little food and water bowls and some puppy toys and biscuits, we even inherited Sonny’s crate to ease the burden of housebreaking. We were open for business, and kept a keen eye on the shelters and the classifieds and petfinder for puppies who were ready for us. I saw an ad in the paper one day for “lab-weillers” or was it “rott-bradors”? I can’t remember, but I was interested. Porgie was a rott mix, and a better dog has never been known. So I called the guy, and it sounded great right up until he told me that they were only 6 weeks old. That was way too young for them to leave their mommas. So I let them go, but kept the guy’s number and called him back 2 weeks later to see if there were any left. There were two, and we set up a time and met them both. I did the puppy temperament tests I had read about and had used to pick Porgie out back in 1994. One of the pups did great, the other one freaked out. We had our girl!




We brought her home and the anarchy fun began!

She was so cute and nervous on her first day, and she shyly explored every inch and then cried every hour for her first two nights with us.






We got her all cleaned up




She was pensive and calm, a total dreamboat.





Then she started to get more comfortable, and began to discover new interests and hobbies



Like shoes

with or without feet inside

And cold beverages





And our broom named Sassy (with a 7 year old girl in the house, you will find that many inanimate objects have names)

And Bambi

And Barbie's giant head

And boardwalk property

Even green beans from the kids' "garden", although they're not quite interesting enough to stay awake over



Just as she has implanted herself firmly in our hearts, we are beginning to suspect that the sparkle in her eye is not so much charm as it is evil.

I sent the following e-mail out to four people today:

Hello, I found your webpage during a somewhat desperate search for "puppy training, san diego". My family has just welcomed a new member - a 9 week old rott/lab mix we call Moki. She is adorable and affectionate, but she has a wild side that worries me. She has one or two super active periods each day during which it is impossible to be near her without getting bitten or scratched. This is particularly difficult for my 7 and 9 year old children, who are becoming fearful of the puppy and react in a way that I know is reinforcing Moki's naughty behavior. I think Moki's bites are mostly playful, but she also sometimes growls when I pick her up to redirect her. We are experienced dogowners, we had another rott mix who we had to put down in January, just before her 14th birthday, for health reasons. My husband and I were young and childless when we trained her though, and this time it's a whole new ballgame! We realize that we need professional help if we want Moki to grow up to be a happy and SAFE member of our family. She is going to be a big dog, and we want to learn how to live together sooner rather than later. Can you help? It is heartbreaking to struggle like this at a time we want so badly to celebrate our new baby! I look forward to any recommendations you have for training and/or consultation.

Update: I have a phone consultation scheduled for 8:00.


[Hawaiian Dictionary(Hwn to Eng)]

mokī
vi. To spurt, shoot forth.

Yeah.