Christmas

 This year Mokey posed for another Christmas picture. Of course, it took a couple weeks of training to get her comfortable in those antlers but we did it! Points to us :) I don't usually dress the dogs up - but I'm not above a cute pair of antlers.

Of course, while posing for the pictures our reindeer had to do a little pruning as well. Who hung those treats there?

Unfortunately the tree trimming didn't stop there. Once we got our real tree Mokey apparently felt like the back just wasn't quite even. Silly puppy.

Happy Holidays!

Misc.

 

At the beginning of the month my brother and I spent the day putting up Christmas decorations. Because we were going in and out the front door so much I had to put Mokey on a leash attached to the banister. I even gave her a tendon to chew on so that she'd have something to do. Still, she wasn't a fan. I've never actually seen her 'pout' before but she certainly gave it a good try this time. When we were finally all done and I came in to let her off she just stared at me from where she lay - normally she'd be all excited and happy - as if to say 'I really don't love you right now.' Conjecture of course, but then you didn't see her face. :)

At the end of the day Mokey was so tired she curled up on my parents bed and fell soundly asleep. Apparently all those decorations emerging from the basement were scary and stressful. Of course, the basement itself is distressing to Momo. Every time I go down there and come back up it's to find her peering down the steps with a worried expression on her face, like maybe I was never going to come back up, like maybe the basement just decided to eat me. So I guess I can understand why she might think strange objects suddenly being regurgitated up from such a place could be scary.

 Mom and I recently tried to take Mokey swimming again but it turns out we waited too long between visits. Mokey was just as scared this time as the last. It took us an hour but by the end of our time she was going up and down the ramp more comfortably, just not swimming. I think I'll have to take her more often for her to really get more confidence at it.

 

 We also recently joined the ranks of the dog shamming community. Mostly because we can no longer leave Chase out by himself. At first it started with counter surfing, now he's learned how to open the cabinet and pull the trash bin out. It figures that Chase, our smaller sheltie, is the one who gets into stuff while Mokey, the larger leonberger, leaves it alone.

 

Thanksgiving

Maybe because life is a little more relaxing with Mokey, I tend to not blog as much - and then my family fusses at me ;). So here are her Thanksgiving pictures, admittedly quite late.  We had a pretty relaxing Thanksgiving; just our family was home so we made our favorite foods. Mokey tends to think she belongs in the middle of everything so if we're in the kitchen so is she - usually with her nose pressed between her person and the counter. She's actually very good about not trying to grab what you have, she just insists on being there to smell and see exactly what you're up to - in case you want to give her a treat.

Mokey did get her own Thanksgiving dinner made out of the leftovers but she still lusted after ours a little.

The Land of Yard

Once upon a time, in a land called Yard, there was a fence. Well built and sturdy in appearance, this fence had been aged and weathered with the times. Over the years the cedar boards had withstood rain and snow, strong winds and flying projectiles. The fence was a good one. Many years later, after the first post had been driven the Kings and Queens of Yard obtained a new guard. At first the guard looked rather small and innocuous. The beast could hardly walk properly and spent most of her time trotting in the steps of her superiors. Yet as time drew on this guardian grew. The once toddling steps became efficient leaps, the yipping speech became strong barks and the guardian took up her duties with heartfelt joy. As the guardian grew older so too did the fence. Once strong boards finally began to weaken and creak with the strain. The Guardian of Yard grew overzealous in her duties. At last, on a overcast fall day, while performing her hourly perimeter check the guard found a person of interest. Even though the fence was aged its boards still performed their duty, still kept these strangers out, but the guard was puffed up. She overstepped her regulations and tried to scare these strangers, to send them running away. The Guardian of Yard broke the fence. In her eagerness, she overlooked the fences importance, she broke its boards and went leaping out of Yard. The rulers of Yard were most distressed and unhappy, they ran after their guard and retrieved the bouncing beast, glad to have the animal back and safe once more. Guard was sentenced to a week of confinement and the indignity of a leash. Meanwhile the King of Yard went out and sought new boards, he brought them back and loyally repaired the fence. Now the fence has brighter boards and strong nails to help remind the guard her duties lie inside of Yard. Once more the fence and guard may work together watching over the land of Yard.

 Ok ok, so I couldn't help myself. My family keeps asking for an update so ta-dah. Mokey did break the fence. Again. Luckily once she got out she merely hopped around and didn't offer to injure the person or dog she was so crazy about to start with. It was actually a little reassuring - once I stopped hyperventilating with the panic that seeing a furry butt squeeze through a fence brought on. In other news Mokey and I started a 'fearful/aggressive' dog class again. She's doing well - she already knows all the tricks but its a great place to practice and people/dog watch.

Where's Momo?

Blackmailed Post

This post is rather late and mainly inspired by my sisters threats. If I didn't post soon she was going to afflict me with a rather silly yet mind infecting song so, in order to avoid that, here's a picture snap shot of Mokey's life. 

Mokey  has been going to work with me on days when we're less busy - to help her get more used to strange dog smells and sounds. When I'm done I get her out and let her run off some steam in the big yards. Then we go home and she naps for two hours.


Is it just me or does her tail look strangely lemure-ish in this picture?

Our work neighbors have a couple of goats - Mokey still isn't too sure what to make of them so she does a lot of staring and posturing. However she did finally decide the cats aren't going to kill her - now she play bows them. Yeah, that's gonna work.

Last week we had a really warm day - probably one of the last we'll see, so I got the hose out and let Mo play in the pool one last time. She was so happy she spent quite a bit of the time just standing in the stream.


On a less humorous note, she almost got stuck trying to scale the fence this week. You might wonder what was so inspiring she felt the need to leap 4.5 feet in the air - a squirrel of course.

Mokey eats an apple. Fascinating I know.

House Arrest

Last Monday, Mokey went to the veterinarians to be spayed and she did great! All of the techs & her vet said she was easy to handle (she even let them take her muzzle off & put it back on) and she did wonderfully during the surgery too!

The only minor hiccup was that once they'd shaved her they discovered she had a minor skin infection hiding underneath all that hair & her ear infection isn't quite gone yet either. So, she came home with even more meds - but luckily all of her problems are pretty easy to treat and should clear up quickly.

At home Mokey pretty much slept for the first two days & was so well behaved we never had to put the cone on her! (I'll admit to being a bit pleasantly shocked over that one). Until day 3, when she magically perked up and decided it was time to go back to her normal activities - none of which were on the vet approved list. I had been told emphatically that there was to be no running, jumping, stair climbing, squirrel chasing or other such physical activity - basically, for the first 8 days, Momo wasn't allowed to be Momo. Which meant her sudden wakefulness didn't exactly factor into our plans. But having gone through a rough time when Kilo had surgery, we'd come prepared. With the help of new toys, several different kinds of chew treats and separate rooms for her and Chase - we made it.

Today was the first day Mokey was allowed outside off leash - and she quite literally went bounding out of the house. We're still not allowing stair climbing yet - mostly because with Mo it tends to fall more under 'stair leaping' - nor are she and Chase allowed to wrestle yet, but we did go for a walk today and she was more than happy to be out in her backyard, investigating the smells without having to cart her owner around by a leash.

So, here's a few pics from today in celebration!

Mokey out on her walk - prancing of course ;)

Chase was thrilled to play ball again - he'd been cooped up too

So, just because I think it's funny. In the above picture our two dogs are waiting - both of them would like their balls to be kicked. But they also have very different ideas about how this activity works. One of them will get angry & sass you if you don't kick its ball first, don't kick it's ball far enough or dare to be too slow about the entire process. The other dog will happily leap after the ball in a completely wasteful frolic and proceed to pounce it with gusto - then said dog will laughingly wait for you to come over and kick it again. Funny how such a simple game says so much about a dogs drive - I'm also pretty sure that everyone knows who's who in this illustration ;)

1st Swim!

Momos favorite head rest.

My parents took last Friday off in order to have an extra long weekend and we wanted to do something fun. Usually it's impossible to go somewhere for the day - an antisocial, giant dog doesn't exactly equal daycare doggie bliss. So instead, we decided to participate in a Mokey friendly outing - we went swimming!

She swims!

Awhile ago Mom and I had heard about a dog training facility that had a large indoor dog pool - and (the best part) you can rent it! We've been wanting to try it out for awhile and Friday turned out to be the perfect day. So I gave Mokey her meds (I did use less than usual b/c I didn't want her too drugged to swim safely) and we started collecting everything we'd need for such an outing. Mokeys life jacket, tons of towels, a water toy, treats, waterproof leash, camera and finally - after I had enough luggage to envy that of a toddlers diaper bag  - we headed out to have our adventure.

Mokey takes a break.

The facility was so nice! The pool was large and heated and deep enough so that Mokey could even leap in if she'd been so inclined (which she wasn't). They had a variety of doggie life vests available in case you forgot yours and a tub to hose the dogs off in afterward - they even had a ton of water toys! Yay! The people were pretty great too. Sometimes having a reactive dog means people can be standoffish with you, but they were very nice about helping to keep the hall clear while we took Mokey from the car to the pool room and back. :)

Mokey was pretty nervous at first. The entire place was brand new to her and even in the pool room she could hear the other dogs barking, so we let her sniff around for a while before trying to coax her into the pool. She was interested in it right away but both Mom and I had to get in before she was willing to brave the ramp down into the pool. Once she did get in we tried to help hold her up and let her have really quick swims then we led her back to the ramp so she could climb back out. She came back several times to swim again - but that first step off the ramp was always the scariest. Mokey dunked her head a couple times while attempting it and while no harm came to her - it was a little freaky. The one downside to the facility is that the ramp was only about 15" wide - which isn't very wide at all when you're a large leonberger with little bodily awareness. Mom and I had to catch her several times so that she didn't completely topple off  and get stuck b/w it and the pool wall. Mo only lasted about half an hour before she was too tired to try and swim anymore and was pretty much asleep for the rest of the day once we got home. ;)

I probably had more fun than Mokey did - but I know the next time will be better. She'll at least have an idea what it's about and the building won't be completely brand new either. At the very least she voluntarily came back to get in the water several times so I'm taking that as a good sign. I'm hoping that these kind of exercises will help build her confidence up.

Mokey's relaxes on the way home.

Happy Birthday Momo!

 Mokey turned 1 year old last Sunday! Of course we had to have a mini celebration :)

Her 'cake' was really just a mash up of tuna, chicken, non-fat yogurt & sweet potato and while that sounds wholly unappealing to me, she loved it.

 At times it feels like this year with Mo has gone by really fast, but sometimes slowly too. Even though she has issues with fear and reactivity, having her in our lives has been much more stress free than with Kilo. Obviously there has been some stress, worry and expense while I've tried to deal with her anxiety but it hasn't been the constant, aching worry we had with Kilo. Mokey has certain identifiable triggers and while she requires medicine and specific handling techniques there's hope she can eventually grow comfortable with them. Plus, I never worry about her interactions with family members - sure, she might give them a good-natured glomping now and then but she's never offered to bite or act aggressively with us. At home she's affectionate and silly. She likes to flirt with her treats and new toys, expects a drink from the tub faucet every time you go in, and is still completely in love with her baby pool. So, happy birthday Mokey - we look forward to many more!

Mokey - she was soo little!

Everybody Loves a Possum!

 

There are few things in life Mokey enjoys more than playing water hose. I have a feeling that if Mokey could talk she'd tell me her favorite days are the ones when we sit outside with her so that she can patrol the yard and chase the water hose in good company. Which luckily for her, is also one of my favorite ways to spend the day.

My sister & Mo :)

Leah went back to school last weekend, but we had a great time hanging out and it was really cute to see how much Mokey still loves her. Plus, I had a walking buddy that was capable of speech and wouldn't compulsively start barking at strangers. ;) Leah, Mokey and I went to another behaviorist appointment and received some more training tips & our vet opted to up Mokey's medication a bit. She's just not as comfortable outside as he'd like her to be and he says that mostly comes down to the medicine. So, we're watching for improvement and training and walking and eating lots and lots and lots of treats. 

Mokey also developed a yeast infection in both ears so we ended up going to see our normal vet as well. With drugs and a back door entrance, Mokey did really well. She was able to be near them without crawling out of her skin and even offered a tentative tail wag!

Leah & Mokey pause for a picture!

I have never thought life with a leonberger was boring. Ever. But Mo apparently thinks I've got it too easy because she keeps coming up with new ways to spice up my life. Take for instance this past Monday night: I come home from work and get a friendly greeting. Mokey goes outside to go potty and, as is her unbreakable routine, sprints straight for the back fence and then around to the side of the house. Not unusual - just a crazy leonberger being crazy. Two minutes later she's returned to the back fence and is barking. I call to her but she blatantly ignores me. Huh. She knows that if she starts barking she has to come in. Well whatever it is, it's better than usual. So I put my shoes on and start trudging through the yard to intercept her and find out what has caught her eye. But as I draw near, her bark turns frantic - a screaming, crying bark that we only ever hear when she is in hot pursuit of something furry and it's slipping out of her grasp. Though really, it's not a bark at all - if you heard it you'd be convinced someone was torturing her, it's that loud and instinctively worrisome. So I hurry, and I see it. It, is a opossum - possibly the most stupid opossum in the world because instead of climbing the tree or going in the neighbors yard it's simply sitting on the fence and staring down at Mokey's approaching jaws. Jaws which were only an inch from snapping down on it when I caught her collar and pulled her back. Even with me hanging on, Mokey's still desperate to have it - so desperate she keeps crying and lunging - and I'm stuck in place b/c I'm not strong enough to drag a 80 lb leonberger away from what could be a very tasty dinner. But does the opossum move? No, it sits there. Staring. By this time the neighbors are in fact at their windows. I can see several of their silhouettes highlighted against the light in their houses, squinting out into our backyard - probably wondering if they need to call some kind of local authority. Oh, hello! We're just out here torturing the dog! My dad has made it to the back yard by this time and is able to grab Chase (who's also been contributing to the racket) while my mom runs out in her nightgown with a flashlight - worried something terrible has happened to both me and my screaming hound. At last, only after I've been wrapped around a tree and Mo has completely worn herself out - the opossum calmly walks away. Don't think I wasn't tempted to let Mokey have it. However, the idea of Mokey getting bit by it and then having to go to the vet held me back - well, that and the fact that it's just nasty. Immediately afterwards, we all slunk back into the house and pretended not to notice our neighbors staring. At this point you'd think they'd be used to it.

Mokey doesn't usually cuddle, but when she does - there's no need for a blanket!

Sisters, Little Cars & Training

Leah (my sister) came home from college a week ago. We were a little wary of her homecoming, just because Mokey hadn't seen her in several months and we weren't sure how that meeting would go. But our worries were unfounded. Mokey didn't even blink twice, she just took a sniff and Leah was welcomed back with happy wags. Phew.

Mokey has also been going on car rides - they're a good way for her to see people without being super close. My car has a barrier separating the front and back to help keep Momo where she belongs. My sisters car doesn't have such a divider and Mokey really likes the air conditioner. The good news is that once you get her settled, she stays in the back, but she still rides with her head on the middle console - soaking up the cool air. Car rides are also a great way to lull her to sleep. Ten minutes and she's out.

Beginning of the ride.

End of the ride.

Mokey on her mat

This week we've also been training on our walks and in the house. Mokey can now go to her mat and is learning to accept a gentle leader. She'll also put her head down if you ask her 'Are you sleepy?' - even though she probably isn't very sleepy. And she's about to get an award for fly extermination - yay summer.

Certifiably Crazy

Lately, Mokey and I have been waiting. Yes we've been training and performing our normal routines but we - I - have been waiting. On a vet visit. Perhaps the only vet visit I have ever looked forward to. But, our normal veterinarian referred us to a veterinary behaviorist a month or so ago and that's where Mokey and I found ourselves on Wednesday. We had to drive an hour to get there and I won't even mention the bill, but in the end I'm glad we made the appointment. However, if this doesn't warrant a few jokes about her being certifiably insane I don't know what does.

I'll admit to having a few fears about the appointment as well. There are so many changing theories on behavior and training that it's hard to know which kind people are going to push and some of the 'old school' training methods would only serve to frighten Mokey further. Luckily, all of my fears about seeing a behaviorist were wonderfully put to rest. Nobody pushed Mokey to do anything she wasn't comfortable with, they didn't recommend anything I felt would damage her, we made it in and out of the building without her erupting and we have hope.

From a personal standpoint it was nice to hear an accredited professional say we've been doing the right behavior modification programs with her. We just apparently need medicine to help that training work. So, Mokey is now on drugs. One of the drugs she'll be taking every day, the other is as needed - for more stressful activities like vet visits and walks. I'm relieved because once Mo is on the right dosage neither of the drugs will make her 'drugged' - she'll still be able to function, will still be herself, but with better stress control.

Today I gave her both of her morning medicines and we actually made it through a walk. She took her treats and responded to her cues and could actually look at a stranger without losing it. I think for her next walk I'll dial back the second drug a little, just because she seems a bit lethargic and it's a medicine that I'm allowed to increase or decrease based on the stress involved. But what a relief! We can go for walks again!

Mokey's behaviorist also said that she wouldn't get better without medicine, that for whatever reason she naturally/physically cannot cope on her own. So, this will be something we'll always have to deal with but he also said Mokey can make a lot of progress towards becoming more comfortable around her triggers - partly because he was seeing her when she was still young ;)

So, I'm relieved. With medicine and a behavioral training program we have hope. In the future I may be able to sign her up for a normal obedience class and while my dreams of doing therapy or agility are probably out the window, we may be able to pursue less public events like carting or sniff work. But right now our goals are small: Go to the vet on Saturday for blood work. Become comfortable with a head halter. Learn to go to a mat when people come to the door. Take a short daily walk. Invite strangers over to become treat dispensers.

I've decided working with a reactive dog is all about patience and pep talks. Being patient with yourself and your furry companion but also about giving yourself and your pet a much needed pep talk because progress is generally slow and measured in inches.

Mokey after our behaviorist visit - passed out!

So, on a slightly related note. Last week my cousin came and stayed with us for a week. It only took Mokey 3 days of treating and staring for her to finally let him pet her chest a little. But! He was able to pet her! Insert pep talk here! And by the end of his visit she could walk around off leash with him in the same room and was actually seeking a little attention from him - granted it was somewhat hesitant and easily disrupted attention seeking, but it was progress! She was even comfortable enough to sit for a commemorative picture. I'm quite happy and very grateful to my cousin for his patience and nerves of steel ;) I also love the picture to the left because when I grabbed him he had an ice cream sandwich and Mokey is unabashedly lusting - something she would not have done earlier in his visit.

Behold! The Barbecue Tray!

Look! After taking forever to post again, it's a video! Of Momo! Ok, so it's really not that impressive. But I do have a certain little sister who I know wouldn't mind seeing the big furry dog again - So here ya go Leebee ;) These were two new toys she got - we did get a defective goldfish but it's still one of Mokeys favorite 'sucking' toys so the money wasn't exactly wasted.

Lately I've been at work a lot so Mokey's been hanging out with my parents in the evening - which is actually good for her in a way. We've also been practicing our everyday training and not barking at the neighbors while out in the yard (we've got a ways to go on that last one). We are making progress, although it's extremely slow. This week I was able to clasp her muzzle in back and leave it on for 5 seconds (which seems like something really small, but has actually taken us weeks to accomplish). I don't know if I've mentioned her muzzle before - it's something I tend to pass over just because of all the negative assumptions people make about muzzles and rabid, man eating dogs. But in reality Mokey is a fearful dog - a large fearful dog - and scared dogs are responsible for most bites that occur. When she does go to the vet and they're forced to get up in her face and do things that hit her crazy meter, I want to be sure that she won't injure anyone if she does lash out. Do I like putting a muzzle on her? No. In fact, I call it her 'mask' just so I don't cringe every time it comes up and subconsciously set her training back. But it doesn't hurt her to wear it, it's sized appropriately so that she can pant and get treats, and really, what is a little extra training going to hurt? So far I've taught her to willingly put her face inside and wait while I latch it in the back. Now we just have to work on length. I'm pretty sure it's going to take the vet more than 5 seconds to look her over. ;)

Mokey & Mom have a polite greeting at the door!

Recently, we've also found a solution for one of Mokey's other bad habits. Jumping. We've never encouraged her to jump on us, in fact we've always actively ignored it. But as Mokey has gotten more anxious she's also gotten crazier at the door. Her enthusiasm and anxious energy is overwhelming and often unintentionally painful. Trust me when I say having a 70lb dog give you a crazed love mauling isn't as fun as you'd think. So, since turning our backs and ignoring her hasn't worked, we've moved on. Now we have magical, plastic barbecue trays! They're wonderful. The best money we've spent all year. We have trays by the entrances and couch (because, if she comes down in the morning and low and behold a family member is already awake then of course, they must be greeted. with enthusiasm.). Everyone knows that they must grab a tray when they come in the door or when Mo gets overeager and silently use it as a shield. A few people in my family were skeptical. Why should a plastic tray and silence work when ignoring her wasn't working before? But victory is mine! The plastic trays have forced Mokey to use her brain. Jumping up is being blocked, not by a coveted human body part but by an infuriatingly unresponsive plastic object. She can't get to our faces and say hello simply by mauling us anymore, so she has to curtail a little of her excitement and figure out what will get our attention. Of course she's not perfect yet, she still makes attempts at jumping, but she is slowly getting the idea and we're no longer getting bruised. Now she wriggles around our legs and gives half jumps while whining. But I'll take that over a Mokey glomp any day of the week. :)

Liver. Yum...

Progress! Last week I was able to put Mokey in a run directly next to another dog without her freaking out!! But don't get too excited, there were a lot of reasons why it worked on that particular day ;) For one thing, I'd exercised her quite a bit before taking her in. I also chose a day when we had very few dogs and so the kennel would be relatively free of barking, I also chose a 'companion' doggie who is quite old and relaxed and unlikely to get upset by anything Mokey did or didn't do. Still, Mo had a good experience being around two dogs that are well adjusted, calm canines so I say: Yay!

Because of all the dog food/treat scares going on lately, we recently decided to just make our own treats. The dogs were getting high end treats anyway, just because I'm generally opposed to giving them stuff with a lot of filler ingredients, but even some of the more trusted brands are having issues. So, here we are. Last week I dove into making dehydrated liver and chicken strips. I'd never worked with liver before. The humans in our house don't eat it and the canines always received it prepackaged and delightfully dry. To be honest, I was a bit grossed out by it and will admit to wearing gloves while cutting it up. Just to be extra safe I cooked all the meat before tossing it on the dehydrating trays and rather predictably, Mokey and Chase drooled the whole time. We were all rather happy with the finished product :)

Mokey 'relaxes' on Marks bed. She's such a goof.

Big Silly Puppy

Mokey and I have been taking it easy lately. We train off and on throughout the day and play outside while I try to get her to the point where she can be handled more comfortably by the vet - just taking it easy for a little while. But what's funny about having such a big yet scared Leonberger is that she's so emotional. My family has always had dogs, but we've been big Sheltie lovers and sheltie's aren't exactly 'wear your heart on your sleeve' kind of dogs. Most of them are of the 'play it cool' variety. Mokey is most definitely not cool and nonchalant - anything this dog feels, she expresses. A lot of the time it's hopeful expectancy - if you get a drink with ice in it, then to be polite you aught to give her an ice cube as well. If you decide to go outside, should you not play with her? Some of these things are like action and consequence for her - tied at the hip and unbreakable - and if you dare to interrupt the cycle her little head tilts and her body pauses, as if to say "what is this crazy person doing?" Of course, this means that she has also recognized my 'going out' routine and will flop down on the floor and sigh as if resigning herself to her fate. Sometime I'll try to get a video of her with one of her 'special treats' - she gets soo excited over them - play bowing and pouncing and shaking her head - we laugh and say she's 'flirting' but it is really cute. :)

Mokey with rice stuck to her nose :)

Now for something that's not really cute:


Last weekend Mokey got diarrhea and was getting up every two hours to go out. Ugg.
It took several days of a rice, chicken & pumpkin mixture to get her stomach back to normal and even now I'm easing her back onto her normal diet slowly. I wish I knew what had her guts in such a twist but my best guess is that it was a piece of cheese she had earlier in the week as a special treat. Won't do that again!

Good Job Momo!

This week was Mokey's last 'special' dog class. They had a little non-reactive sheltie come in and walk around the room. Mokey actually did pretty well - there were a few hyped up moments, but overall I was really pleased with how she did. We're going to take a break from dog classes for a little bit, so that Mokey can get spayed, but in the meantime Mokey and I have a lot of training to practice. Once Mo is fixed and her stiches are out I'll probably sign her up for the class again, just because it's a safe place to practice her behaviors - I know no one is going to run up or try to hug her and that they won't let their dogs near her either. So, now I just have to tackle the vets office. Yuck.

Mokey's favorite way to ride in the van.

On another positive note, we had a family friend stay over one night this week. Guests are really hard for Mokey and this one was especially so because: 1. He was male and not pasty white like the rest of us. 2. He's very tall. 3. He has a deep voice. After a relatively quick freak out Mokey was able to settle down. She had to be on leash at all times and I always kept her at the opposite end of the room, but she did really well. The second day she was even offering sniffs and could look at him without getting tense and worried. So, progress!

Momo also recently discovered a new way to cool down and take a snooze. My sister and I were in my room chatting when Mokey suddenly stood up, walked out the door and we hear this 'thunk, thunk' as she climbs into the tub and lies down. She's so cute!