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!