Moose

Oh hey, blog. It's only been a few months or so...

I know that I am not often here. I keep telling myself that will change and I keep getting busier, which means my blogging time is continually diminishing. I was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the choir that I sing with. Getting used to that has taken a lot of my computer time. I'm also in school and tend to be writing or reading for homework assignments whenever I'm at my desk.

Anyway, I wanted to stop by and dedicate a little post to the newest member of our family...

For a few years now, we have been going back and forth on getting Tucker a buddy. We wanted him to have someone that he can play with and, for obvious reasons, Hazel wasn't cutting it. Colt and I went back and forth with different breeds and weighed the pros and cons of adoption versus getting a puppy. We would have loved to get a pup from the Humane Society but didn't want to risk any behavioral issues since we were bringing him/her into a house with two dogs, including one that is very small, and a bunch of children. We kept a close eye on the Humane Society of Utah's Facebook page for a few months and every dog that we were even slightly interested in usually had some stipulation about not being good with children or small dogs. We considered another ridgeback but decided that we didn't want a dog that was quite as big as Tucker, who weighs in at over 100 pounds. Colt and I agreed that it would be best for us to get a dog that was smaller than Tucker but still big/strong enough (50-75) pounds) to hold his own with him.

Colt has wanted a German wire-haired pointer since he was a little boy, but I had my mind set on either a goldendoodle or a labradoodle. We were also open to the idea of a mutt since they are oftentimes healthier and live longer. Imagine our excitement when a litter of German wire-haired pointer/goldendoodle mutts popped up on KSL one afternoon (a shock to the owners, who are goldendoodle breeders... apparently, six-foot fences aren't that much of an issue for their neighbor's GWP). Colt sent me the ad and I was immediately interested. We visited the pups that evening and fell in love with one of them.

Two weeks later, he came home. Harper held him on the way home and told us all about how she was going to love him and take care of him but never going to take him on rollercoasters or to get a shot. She was pretty obsessed with him for a few days. Once his initial bout of puppy sleepiness wore off and he turned into a little shark-toothed monster, she informed us that Tucker was her dog and the new puppy was all Colt's.

His name is Moose Buns Junior (we chose the name before meeting him and added the Junior when we learned that his dad was also a Moose). He's growing faster than any weed I've ever seen (just look at the pics below- he went from 12-60 pounds in just a few months!) and is definitely as naughty as he is cute. And we love him, even if he eats our socks and tears up my garden.

When Moose met Tucker, it was love at first sight. When Tuck met Moose, it was not. It has taken some time for Tucker, who is now five, to get used to having a spunky little puppy around (us, too... Moose is wild and tests our patience at every turn). Tucker has started warming up to Moose. I'm sure that Moose losing his puppy teeth has a lot to do with that. I love to look out the window and see them playing. They are learning how to go on walks and other fun adventures together. Tuck may not act like it, but I know him, and I know that he likes having a brother. 

Hazelnut likes Moose a lot. Initially, they played constantly but have slowed down now that Moose is so big. I do find her sleeping next to the boys' kennels during their nap time each day or whenever we have been gone from the house. She's still the queen Grinch around here and can kick both Tuck and Moose right out of their own dinner bowls whenever she feels like it.

 

(I have a dream of all three dogs snuggling on a daily basis and will not give up on it.)

Moose will be six months on August 7. We are hoping that he stops growing soon. If his growth rate doesn't slow down soon, he's going to be bigger than Tucker (we get the irony of that situation since not wanting a dog as big as Tucker is what kept us from looking for another Rhodesian ridgeback). We are also hoping to see a change in his attitude. Right now, he's as sassy as a tween and as naughty as a toddler. We are all looking forward to a more mature Moose, but are trying to enjoy his puppy stage too.