Mokey

8 weeks - 15 lbs

Never before have I appreciated how truly different two puppies of the same breed and age can be. Last weekend, with some trepidation and copious amounts of hope I picked up Mokey, an 8 week old leonberger. While I looked forward to sharing my life with a dog once again, I fought off the nervousness that comes after dealing with & owning a dog whose problems were as serious as Kilos. Mokey is her own dog however. She's gentle and happy, with a wide silly streak and tons of energy. Of course she's a puppy, she mouths and chews and gets me up to go potty every morning at 4am. But she lacks Kilo's temper tantrums and so far has given me no reason to worry about any anger issues. That's not to say I don't worry, because I do - I find myself trying to fight off worried owner syndrome. But in spite of that or perhaps partly because of it, everyday we get up and explore another part of the world. Mokey has many of Kilo's good qualities - she handles car rides beautifully, is very curious and smart, has tons of personality & her own ideas about what she should be allowed to do (which usually involves digging in her water bowl).

Chase & Mokey playing.

This week Mokey and I have been to the vet, a couple pet stores and her first puppy class. Just like Kilo she has a wonderful brain - she already knows how to perform sit, down & stand and has practically enslaved us with her ability to ring the potty bells.

I've come to realize that as conscientious owners we strive to do what we think is best, with the knowledge we have available at the time and while none of us is perfect or infallible, we try and we slowly improve. Kilo was a learning experience for practically everyone who met him and he taught me even more empathy for others who live with or have had dogs with similar issues.

This afternoon I found myself sitting outside a local shop with my mom, enjoying a cup of frozen yogurt in 44 degree weather with a wide eyed puppy calmly examining the world at my feet. It's time to start another adventure and Mokey is rather unsurprisingly, ready to go.