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.