Still in love

It's been almost 4 months since we've had Mobitz and those days of frustration with walking and housebreaking seem like a dream. He is such a good boy we consider ourselves blessed to have such a well-behaved dog. Other than his stranger anxiety and freak-outs with little kids (which is I guess a big deal), we can't complain. Mobitz has brought a lot of joy into our lives it is simply amazing how such a little thing can make such a large impact on your life.

And in the 4 months, he has upgraded from sleeping in the kitchen, to sleeping in a crate in our room, to sleeping in his own bed outside the crate in our room. And now, he has upgraded to a larger condo, complete with a "living" and "dining room". Lucky dog. Lucky us.

No-mo'-bits Mobitz

Well we did it. We turned our puppy into a dog, ironically. The decision to neuter Mobitz was not made without a lot of flip flopping, both before and after the big deed. I never thought I'd get so attached to a dog but I did. And when I left Mobtiz in the hands of the vet I kept wondering whether we were doing the right thing. But in the end, Mobitz is no less of a dog. We decided against neuticles, though I'm certain I'm the only one who actually seriously considered it. And in the end, I miss his bits.

Cap'n Mobitz

Mobitz got his second full grooming this weekend. It seems our pup likes to keep us on our toes. He came back with one very swollen, red, and teary eye. As you can see in this pic, although it's better, he certainly does favour it closed.

We also changed up his food a bit, gradually introducing the new food but we're not quite sure if it's making a difference. He just doesn't seem that interested in his food anymore. But he is certainly not starving. Maybe he had too much chicken yesterday?

Well next weekend Mobitz will hopfully graduate from puppy school. It will be a big week for Mobitz as he will go for major surgery to get his bits off. He'll stay at the vet's overnight. I'm hoping he'll do well with it. I'd be lying if I didn't say it is going to make me nervous to send him off to be with people he doesn't know, after big surgery but everyone has to grow up sometime, me included!

Stay tuned for updates on how Mobitz does with his surgery. Poor boy!!!

Welcome Back, 'bitz

It's funny how you come to know the small nuances about your dog. One of the things we notice with Mobitz, is how excited he gets with his meals. He taps his little front paws impatiently on the floor, looking longingly at us, probably wondering why we're taking so long for his food. Not to mention he is a very careful eater, almost to the point where I'm sure he takes one piece of kibble gingerly in his mouth, and savours every morsel before swallowing and moving on to the next.

So when I got the phone call that Mobitz didn't eat his breakfast, I was nonetheless worried. Part of me chalked it up to the fact that it was neither Darren or me who fed him. But when he turned away from his breakfast the next day, and scoffed at his dinner, I was certainly worried. The mucous in his stool sent off warning signals we could no longer ignore. We took him to the vet (where Mobitz probably felt the most violated since never), but not before he polished off his leftover breakfast - and walked away with probiotics - who knew such a thing existed for canines? Anyway, he is 7 kg (15.4 lbs), and the vet said he is a bit too lean for a puppy. So, doctor's orders - we have to pack on some puppy pounds!!! All good news to my ears, and by the time we got home, Mobitz got his groove back.

I'm very happy to see him hopping and skipping to his crate to receive his meals, and go bopping along after his hoof. He had us both worried, and now I'm wondering if it was just a stress colitis that caused all this hoop-la? Regardless, we're glad to have our 'bitz back. Welcome home, boy.

We're Loving It!

I think anyone who knows me can attest to how much we absolutely love our puppy. Mobitz has certainly become the core around which our lives now revolve (well, mine at least). From the way he taps his front paws when I come home, to the way he taps his front paws while he's waiting for the word to begin eating, to the way he taps his front paws when we play "Squirrel" with him, to the way he taps his front paws when... well, you get the picture. Loved everywhere he goes, Mobitz has certainly filled our lives with happiness.

I'd say we have almost mastered the walking. We have yet to master the come when called, which we will soon, as we are still testing the off leash thing. Although I'm dreading the day, I think once he becomes "Mo", ironically he will get to taste more freedom, and explore areas of the house he has never been allowed to before.

Happy Mobitz's Day!!!

It's been eleven days since Mobitz's last pip in the house and we couldn't be more proud, of the fact that he seems to be able to communicate his needs to us, and also that we understand what he's trying to tell us. All pipping aside, this weekend was nonetheless an action-packed fun-filled, Fans of Mobtiz weekend.

Saturday started off with a quick romp in the unofficial "off leash" park across the street, where Mobitz met new friends. Unsure at first at how this small dog would measure up to the Big Boys, Mobitz was met with some apprehension. He quickly proved he is not your typical small dog with a big dog mentality. He can keep up (well, as fast as his little legs can take him) with the bigg'uns, and takes care not to use his voice unnecessarily - a respectable trait, I might add! After this, he took a long car ride to the grandparents' house where he was lavished with attention.

Sunday started off with a quick romp again. Despite a few flakes of snow in May, this was not going to deter Mobitz from having fun. This was also where I learned we have to practice some more "Come when called", as he was perfectly happy to chase another puppy home. What a disaster that would have been to go home with a leash and no puppy!!! The other grandparents came to our house, where he was lavished with what else - more attention.

To cap it all off, Mobitz also lost two puppy teeth this weekend. A molar and a canine.

Our baby's growing up!!!

Mobitz's New 'Do

Here are a couple of more recent pics of Mobitz and his new 'do. We debate between which cut was better - the shaggy look or the new buzz cut. But in the warmer weather, it's clear which is the real winner. Anyway - who can argue how happy he looks with his shorter cut?

Hormonally Challenged?

At first we celebrated the first time Mobitz lifted his leg to "mark" a vertical surface - a sign to his loving parents that he is a "man's man" (in doggy terms, that is). But when Mobitz decided to lift his leg on our couch, no one was celebrating. The house training has its moments, and as Mobitz's hormones hit an all time high (from lifting his leg, to humping someone else's), things can certainly be tough. I am both eagerly waiting and dreading the day when Mobitz just becomes "Mo", and we remove his bits. I never thought I'd be so overly concerned about the fact that we are removing his "manhood" that I'd even explore the possibility of: Neuticles. If you've never heard of them, they are silicone implants for neutered pets. It just doesn't seem right to remove them, and not replace them with something else!

Why is Mobitz afraid of drainage grates?

He's fearless when it comes to dogs 5 x his size, but when it comes to drainage grates on the road, all his courage goes away. What is it about those grates? Is he afraid that he's going to be swallowed up by them?

It's actually kind of funny - he doesn't notice them until they're about 1 foot away, then he suddenly scrambles way out of the way to avoid them.

GO MOBITZ!

Mobitz and I spend a morning of bliss

Mobitz and I are getting to know each other better and better as I spend more time with him. Thankfully, my work hours are flexible so I get to spend some time with him at home. Yesterday we got to sit outside in great weather on the grass in the park! maybe tonight when we have our BBQ, we can sit out in the park and have our dinner with Mobitz there. hopefully the weather will hold up!

Mobitz has grown so much - now he's 12.5 pounds, up from the 10 when we first got him nearly 3 weeks ago....

GO MOBITZ!

A bell rung - and Mobitz got his wings!

We were doing so well on a pee-free streak and then Mobitz had a big accident. Who can blame a puppy as cute as Mobitz? We knew there was a point when we had to teach Mobtiz to ring a bell, we just weren't sure when that would come. Last week in training class, we started to teach Mobitz to "touch".

To my surprise tonight, I heard the lovely sound of bell!!! So out we whisked - straight to his spot of heavenly bliss. Mobitz did his business like a good boy!!! Maybe it's fluke - maybe it's real. All I know if - Mobitz got his wings!!!

Top of his class

He knows how to sit, lie down (kind of), and is getting better and better at loose leash walking. We're also teaching him how to stay, although that's still a work in progress.

We love Mobitz!

Even though it was pouring rain this morning, Mobitz did such a great job. He's finally learning to walk properly....well maybe 70% of the time. Thanks to our neighbours, he gets a mid-day walk which I think helps a lot with his pent up energy.

Training wheels

Well it has now been only '0' days since Mobitz's last accident (previously 5 days!!!). And I must admit, any accident he has had, has been entirely our own fault. While I am disappointed that our previous winning streak has officially ended, I am cautiously optimistic that the training perhaps is not all for naught. My sense of defeat has been re-inflated yet again, as I read the magic words: "Use treats liberally at first", thereby giving me permission to lavish him with nibbles of peanut butter flavoured treats to his little heart's content. Minis are supposed to be "wizard" dogs, but stubborn to the core. We both tell him on occasion that there is no way he can be as stubborn as we are, but sometimes, I don't even believe ourselves.

After failing miserably to walk him after work, I was determined to go back to square one. My first mission tonight was to try and master the "Watch Me" command - to increase his attention span to greater than 1 second. We mastered 15 seconds!!! Then, we tried the down command. After getting into some creative contortionist movements, I was able to get him into the down position with treats, and then with no peanut butter treat but with something better - a belly rub (who doesn't enjoy a good belly rub every now and then?)!

The next test was the ultimate test. Tag-teaming it, we both ventured out today, two pockets full of treats, and a clicker and leash in hand. After doing several about-faces, circles, etc. (and what dorks we must have looked like), Mobitz is now somewhat resembling a well-mannered dog on leash. However, we've decided that he still loves to run home and doing dead circles in front of the door seems rather dizzying. They say perseverence is the key to proper training. Only time will tell.

True to his name...

Mobitz, Woldemar: a German physician who identified two types of atrioventricular heart block (type I & type II). And for those of you who are cardiac savvy, you'll understand how our puppy lives up to this...

Mobitz: our miniature schnauzer who has identified there are two ways of following commands (follow them, or follow them sometimes then not at all)

After our first day at puppy school, we were armed with the knowledge that Mobitz loves those peanut butter doggie treats, but not enough to work very hard for them. He will sit (which is an easy treat for him), but not lie down. It doesn't help he has the attention span of a tsetse fly. Perhaps he has doggie ADD (does that exist?)...

The homework we were assigned from puppy school, is loose-leash training, where we get him to walk on our left, with only about 2 feet of leash allowed. The point is to get him to eventually walk when we walk, without him pulling us. He seems to walk well on the busiest street in our neighbourhood. We haven't mastered the art of walking nicely on the leash in our complex. Schnauzers may be smart, but they are certainly stubborn to the core! Sometimes we forget that he is still a puppy, and puppies need plenty of rest. And like all little kids, without rest, they get cranky.

This weekend, Mobitz met the Grandparents on both sides. One of the grandmas brought him a nice squirrel which squeaks. To Mobitz, it is the next best thing since puppy kibble. Here is a picture of him enjoying his squirrel (sorry about the quality of the pics - non-berry ones to be coming soon!).

We're not sure if the introduction to this new friend is possibly contributing to his devilish behaviour (likely not). Keep checking back to see how our quest to tame Mobitz is going!

Mobitz loves his crate!

Mobitz loves his crate. Look at that plush bed!

Mobitz has arrived

It's been one week and Mobitz has become the star member of our family! We've figured out that he loves peanut butter, but doesn't like chicken. A dog that doesn't like meat???!

We're well on our way to being housetrained - 3 days in a row! but we're still keeping a close eye on him.

Here's a picture of Mobitz sunbathing yesterday!