Girl Rottweiler Swimming pool

So once again on the procrastination wagon. I would like you to know that Moses and I have begun 2014 in the best of fashions.
Did you know there are such things as Dog recreational centers? And that they have puppy pools. Moses and I discovered one up the street from us and have fallen in love.

Now it being a slow hot day a few weeks ago Moses and I recalled that there was a strange new place two blocks from us. It had been featured in a pet magazine that was at the coffee shop. The place that was newly opened offered dog daycare, training, massage,  and a pook. Being of an adventurous sort I looked at my panting rottweiler and said, "want to go stake out the pool?"
Moses tilted his head at that angle that is the culmination of all dog confusion, what the heck is a pool?
Thus getting his leash out, I clipped it on, and we set off on the journey up the two blocks to the puppy swimming pool.
Entering the place it was clean and friendly atmosphere. Along the wall was merchandise made here in the US out of recycled material and i gave the center a point. The woman at the front desk grinned at me, "what are you here for today?" 

I told here the pool and she went over what swim orientation was and gave me a tour of the facility. When we returned to the desk area Moses put his paws on the front desk trying to talk to the nice woman there as I paid the fee to get his orientation underway. 

This place is exciting! Moses wagged his tail and tried to pull me off my feet. 
We walked down the ramp following one of the personell who was going to evaluate Moses' swim capabilities.  She opened the white gate and Moses pulled me through. 
"Has he ever been swimming before?" She asked. 

I thought about all the times he dove nose first into the bathtub and quickly decided those didn't count, "nope."

The woman smiled at us, "well let's put the life jacket on and see if we can get hin to."

We got a bright orange puppy life jacket (used if needed and for swim orientations) and proceeded up the ramp. A little lab and his parents stood nearby, his orange life jacket shaking with tail wags. Moses entered the pool area. And wandered down the ramp, mom! Water! Mpmh! He fell off, panicked, and tried to come back up.
Well, my dogs dead. That's all I could think and the woman helped a heaving moses back onto the ramp. Oliver, the little lab ran over to the sputtering rottweiler,  okay?  You okay? Okay?
Moses shook and sputtered, fine bathtub at home tries to drown me and I defeat it daily.
Oliver licked Moses face.
Needless to say, after this mistep, Mo was dragged out to the far end of the pool and had t o swim back a few times.  Oliver also had to be dragged out for at six months old. Water was still a little scary to the lab puppy. 
Then a discovery happened.

Frisbee.

Both dogs saw the Frisbee fly across the pool to the deep end. FRISBEE!

Racing down the ramp they launched themselves into the water swimming out to the frisbee.
I want it.
No mine.
Me
Mine. 
Oliver grabbed it first and Moses grabbed it in Olivers mouth and they swum together back to the ramp.
Share
No
Share!

"Oh how cute!" The personal grinned, "I need a picture."

After taking pictures she told me Moses passed his swim orientation and could swim without a life vest the next time.

"Alright! " I grinned, "we need to go soon anyway thank you so much. "

I tried to get the dog out of the pool.

No!
"Comehere!"
Noooo!

Moses began to struggle and cry.
Needless to say the pool is Mo's favorite place in the world and we had so much fun that I had to buy a pass.

We go to Barleys to swim on Thursday afternoons. And we struggle to go home everytime.

Hallway, Roomate, Rottweiler

So as of recently my roommate and I came up with a fabulous game that tempts Momo in ways that no puppy should be tempted and puts his brains and endurance to the test. The game of Monkey in the middle.
Now you may think this is a very easy game, but you would be wrong. One rottweiler guard, one ball that must bounce at least once before hitting the other side, and two women who probably shouldnt ever be entrusted with balls or sports. My roommate and I are not the most dexterous or coordinated people. Mo however is far quicker than we are. On the plus side the basement has a long enough hallway that we can pretty much make up games as we go.
The goal of the game: bounce the ball past Mo and get it to the other human female without Mo barreling them over.
Success rate: 60%

My stats: Throw power: 90%
Accuracy: 50%
Creative bounce: 100%
Mysterious forces: 100%

My roomates stats: Throw power: 67%
Accuracy: 70%
Creative bounce: 100%
Mysterious forces: 120%

Moses' stats:  Catch prowess: 88%
Accuracy: 80%
Creative thinking: 40%
Mysterious forces: 110%

Now if we look at the stats we are pretty evenly matched over all the biggest confuser of the statistics being the mysterious forces that I refuse to call science because there is no way that the ball can disappear from one part of the room and end up in my room WITHOUT some form of magic. So My roommate being the only person capable of such magic must be amazing.

Here are the pictures.... enjoy....

Ball stuck! WHYYYYyYyy????? 

Roommate! Get ball! Pwease! 

Never mind figure ball out. 

Cant run another step..... cant think... give up. 

200% done

A Girl, a Rottweiler, Winter

So, the other day my friend L asked if I would walk up to his cabin with him. Needless to say he also offered to let Mo come. So we walked two and a half miles up hill into the mountains. And man it was a rough walk (I may have complained some) but it was also beautiful and Mo had a fantastic time. I wanted to share the pictures of the puppy Joy and of the beautiful scenery. 

Enjoy! 

Snow taste fantastic! 

Water fall! 

Kaiti I found stuff! Kaiti iz a stick! Kaiti look! 

Snowmobile? 

The view! 

L impersonating Mo. Or is it Mo impersonating L? 

No snowmobile. 

Still not sure about the impersonations guys. 

A girl, A rottweiler, Getting a puppy list

10 things Moses and I discussed about purchasing a Rottweiler puppy or adult.  Things to think about.

1. Do you have the space?
- Rottweilers are pretty good in most environments however, there is one major problem about raising a Rottweiler in an apartment or a small house. Rottweilers are big dogs. Thus in a small containment facility they are more prone to bumping into things and able to grab things.

2. Do you have the time to put into socialization?
- Rottweilers, especially young ones are easily introduced to many situations and they need it. A Rottweiler easily startled is not a good dog. All dogs need socialization with children, adults, other animals, etc. The more chances you give the puppy the better dog you'll have. The reason we trust Moses with children, adults, horses, puppies, dogs, cats (well sometimes), etc. Is because Moses when little was with us everywhere so he doesn't feel the need to chase/jump on everything.

3. Do you have the time to put into training?
- Training is a must with Rottweilers. There is now way around it and it needs to be done. An untrained dog of any sort can develop into a problem and Rottweilers can cause a lot more damage than an untrained miniature poodle. Sitting when greeting someone etc, is a huge help. No one wants an 120lb dog jumping on them at the door.

4. Do you have small children?
- Rottweilers are generally good with children, however when getting a puppy they believe kids are the same as them. Always plan on supervising your children with the dog. Accidents happen and it's better to be proactive and preventative in the case of a Rottweiler. A larger Rottweiler can be a great friend for a child, but they are large, they do like sitting/leaning on people. No dog should be left alone with small children it is a recipe for disaster. If you cant supervise dont get a dog.

5. Do you have enough time to exercise them?
- Rottweilers need exercise, daily. They are working dogs who have a lazy side. Rottweilers are prone to obesity and need to have the exercise that keeps them lean.

6. Do you plan on spaying/neutering your dog?
- If this is a family pet the answer should always be yes WITH NO EXCEPTIONS. Leaving your male dog intact makes him prone to wandering, and more aggressive then his gelded brethern. Moses' personality is fine without being a "real" male. He didnt have any changes to him. Deal. Some people say 6 months is the perfect age others say a year. We waited until he was 9 months old before neutering Moses because of research we read about Rottweilers growth plates not closing until they were older than six months. (Moses is still growing according to the vet argh)

7. Do you mind dog hair?
- Rottweilers dont shed that badly, but expect to find their coarse hair almost anywhere. Food, clean laundry, mouths, etc. Rottweilers shed at least twice a year and sometimes it can be terrible. They dont shed as badly as say Labrador Retrievers or Border Collies, but they still can be sources of major falling hair. People with severe allergies should be prepared for contention, however if you have a light case of allergies you should be ok (like me, highly allergic to labs and collies but Mo doesnt shed enough to bother me).

8. Are you prepared to deal with their reputation?
- Rottweilers quiet often have a negative connotation. Are you ready to deal with the fact that some places do not allow Rottweilers residence? Rottweilers are considered dangerous by many people. They are number 2 on the most lethal list. They have major negative social status. If something were to happen to you and the police were involved the rottweiler would most likely be shot because of their negative stigmata. Most people will approach a rottweiler cautiously compared to that of a Retriever or other breed. You need to be prepared with people being fearful of your dog and be willing to tell them otherwise. You need to be able to stand up for them, because they are one of the misunderstood breeds such as Pitbulls.

9. Are you willing to share your life?
 - Rottweilers are not dogs you can let be only outdoor dogs, they are family dogs, they need family. If left out they often become unhappy and mean. They need to be a part of their peoples lives. Whether that means sitting at your feet while watching TV. Or going on family hikes. The more places they get to be with you the better.


10. Are you willing to face the loss to come?
- Rottweilers are a large dog breed, meaning that their lifetime is significantly shorter than that of a small breed. Rottweilers are prone to hip displasia as well as other conditions that effect larger breeds. Thier life span is normally between 9-12 years. Molly dog, our first rottweiler, was 14 when she had to be put down because of cancer. I was eleven and I still remember saying goodbye. My mother and I decided that it was worth it to get another Rottweiler because we couldnt live without them, so we ended up with Mo. Once you have a Rottweiler you don't want other dog breeds because Rottweilers become part of the family. It's hard to loose one let alone two. But the reward is you get to have a companion who is completely loyal and loving for all those years. The answer is up to you whether it is worth it or not. We decided yes.

A girl, A Rottweiler, Eccentricities

Now Moses, as far as we know is a regular typically developing Rottweiler, though it has been argued that he may be smarter or dumber than typically developing Rottweilers normally are. He however to the general consensus of the house is far more intellegent than we often give him credit for.
He has little things that differentiate him from the common dog, an who really knows these might be normal for the common Rottweiler
 So here is a list of the top ten Moses Eccentricities.

1. The ability to open the sliding glass door. Moses without fail, opens and closes the sliding back door of the house if we leave it unlocked. He would much rather go with us then be left at home and so without opposible thumbs. (I want to go! I want to go!)

2. Baths, he doesnt mind them, in fact he almost enjoys them. He will grab whatever is on the side of the bathtub push it underwater and procced to stick his face in the water. He tries to blow bubbles and comes up snorting when water gets in his nose. After one time we thought it was a fluke but he does this continually. (did you see water comes out my nose! My nose!) 

3. He howls in his sleep. Moses is generally a very quiet dog, when barking he lets out one big bark then stops. He also rarely growls (unless my brother is bothering him). So when we heard him howl for teh first time we were rather worried, until we realized he was asleep.  (zzzzzzzz awwowooooooo!) 

4. He has a psychosomatic limp. He sprained his left front leg when he was really little and since then when he doesn't want to do something he plays it up. (We've taken him to the vet, he's fine). (SEE MY LEG? IT HURTS! DON'T WANNA!) 

5. When at the dog park and he doesn't want to leave he he wades out into the ice cold water and lays down, pretending he doesn't hear you calling. (lalalalalalla i cant hear you.)

6. The puppy head tilt is no longer a way to say "I'm confused" no it is now a way to shift the blame to someone other then himself. If he has done something wrong and you look at him, he tilts his head trying to make you feel like you are the bad guy by confusing the puppy, it works 25% of the time. (Cookies what are you talking about? I saw no cookies!) 

7. We have a large rocking chair in the front of our house that looks out a huge window. Moses sits on the chair leans it all the way back and puts his head on the back of it to look out the window. His paws rest on the arms of the chair. ( Just watching people and dogs pass by)

8. If you put peanut butter on his nose instead of just trying to lick it off, he wipes it on counters and the fridge. Because its easier to get off that way. (AHA! I figured it out!) 

9. He cheats at hide and go seek. You tell him to stay to go hide and he stays until he no longer sees you and proceeds to go the opposite direction you did. Because he assumes he can circle around and you will have not found a hiding spot yet. (Found you!)

10. And the tenth thing is.... .He turns on and off the Xbox. When he thinks you dont have enough time for him he sticks his nose on the power button and turns it on and off. (Poor you! Forgot to save? Lol. Come play with me!) 

Girl, Rottweiler, injury

So I have noticed, most dogs, when a human of any sort is crying can't stand it and rush over to complete strangers without even realizing it. Looking, bumping, licking, these people because they know something is wrong. Moses is some kind of strange hybrid of these qualities. 

If I am depressed and crying, Moses lays down beside me, farts and rolls over the other direction. Now if anyone else is crying, Moses is an attentive friend, he nudges hands and links fingers and tries to sit on top of said sad person. But within the family? He could care less.

Which brings me to our walk two days ago.

My mother had gone skiing and I said Mo and I would go and walk the dog park. Note: we live in an environment with bushels of snow. That's right, bushels. I thought the dog park would be fine. So after stretching in bed for a few glorious moments, I looked at the large rottweiler on the bed and said the five most inspiring words in the history of creation,  "Do you want to go?"
Moses jumped of the bed and wagged his tail, tilting his head at just the correct angle to say, you said go. I want to go. Go now. Stop with socks. Let's go! Are we going in the car?  I love the car! Are we taking the leash? I love the leash! Are we going to the dog park? I love the dogpark!
At this point, dressed in my college sweat pants and an anime t-shirt, I pulled on my sneakers with Lieutenant gets-in-the-way. He weaved in and out of my legs best ad he could well I tried to climb the stairs.
After another moment or two or nine, my handsome friend and I traversed the back yard and driveway to my VW Bug. He hopped in and we were off on an adventure.

The four minute drive to the dog park (which is more like a short canyon hike), seemed excruciating for the puppy. He wagged his tail, panted, made the Big Dog stance at dogs on the street. I pulled into a parking spot and let him out.

That's when I noticed the sheet of ice below my feet. Three things went through my mind. 1. That's ice. 2. My rottweiler weighs 120 lbs. 3. Crap.

I felt Moses pull in excitement and my body skid across the ice. After using my butt and weight as anchors Mo eventually stopped. The bruising and bashing I felt just made me a little grumpy.
"Dum dum!" I screeched. 
Moses looked back at me, yes?
I stood up and tried, semi successfully, to reach my car door. Luckily for me, a nice man in the truck next to me slammed it for me. I looked at him in appreciation, "thanks!"
He grinned, "don't forget to lock it. And careful on your way down the hill."
I clicked the button and again, Moses and I were off.

But not very far.

At the beginning of the dog park there is a little trail and lots of trees and wouldn't you know ice, buckets, layers, blankets, of ice.
Moses, who Is normally quite good on a leash, pulled hard. I felt myself about to fall. And I made a split second decision. My face is more important then my hand.
I reached out and grabbed the first tree I could. Moses stopped and I swayed. The lurch hurt. I glared down at the dog who sensed my mood and turned away.  It was only the beginning of the walk and I had fallen on my butt once and now I was clinging to a spindly tree.

A women and her two male companions that were on the little trail behind me asked, "Are you alright?"

I laughed, "I'm fine!"

"You sure?"
"Yup, I got it," I pulled my hand off the tree and slid the rest of the way down the way. Moses kept giving me strange looks, we usually run this. Why aren't we running?

I glared down at the puppy, "you sir are completely useless."

He wagged his tail. Eventually we got to the off leash area and I let him off leash. And being the good dog that he is he moved to my left side and walked beside me for a bit. Just to make sure I was ok with him running off. He licked my hand, and I let out a little (okay) a big shriek as pain shot up my arm. He ran off like it was hilarious and I looked at my hand. My hand which I was pretty sure shouldn't have a stick in it. My hand that was bleeding profusely.
I stared at it. And clapped, "well doesn't that explain everything?"
Clapping hurt. Bad. I'm not saying I'm a highly intelligent individual.... i just loose my brain on occasion.
I pulled the stick out of my hand and cried, while my helpful little brother bounced around trying to play with any dog that came up the path. Several of those dogs, came up and loved on me. But not my dog.

Can I say I'm a little bitter?

A girl, a couch, and a rottweiler

So again I have procrastinated on writing this blog and again have some things to post. So as of currently, Moses and Vahan, are not currently allowed in the coffee shop because of the habit of being wrecking balls. However this does leave some entertainment for me at home.

This morning I woke up and got out of bed like every other day in preparation for work. I walked out of my room to be greeted by an unfamiliar sight. My dog sitting on the couch ( a couch that until recently was off limits to said puppy dog). Being a year old now, Moses is at the point where he knows the rules and chooses not to follow them. So i stood there for a few seconds and stared at the black blob on the couch.

I turned back into my room and grabbed my phone eager to take a photo to send to my wonderful mother and turned on the light ready to go. He looked up at me, his eyes glazed and I saw the thought pass through his brain. Click.  If I can't see her, then she can't see me. And I won't get kicked off the couch. Click.
Moses turned away from me and payed his head down perking one ear toward me. Click. Several pictures later I had the incriminating evidence against him. I promptly send my mother the text, "Your abused son, first thing in the morning."
My mother's response was, "he has such a hard life."

Moses agrees his life is difficult, indoor dog with a huge back yard, regular trips up the mountains and to the dogpark, and frequent play dates with his brother. His life is extremely difficult. 

Why you turn on light? 

You cant see me. 

Hello 1 year old!

Puppy birthday party! Moses and Vahan playing in the snow together in my backyard. There is nothing better than a little rottweiler madness to lighten the heart for the holidays. 

A girl, Rottweiler, Dog Park

Moses and I have many activities that we participate in together. We go to work together, we sleep together, we cuddle together, we play ball together, I yell at him to stay out of the garbage (he complies ninety percent of the time), and we wrestle together.  He wakes me up in the morning (if I am running late) and we generally just enjoy each others presence ( that said he can be extremely aggravating). But the thing we enjoy the most is going to the dog park together.

Tanner Dog Park is a mere seven blocks up hill from my house. It is open year round and has flowing water and enough space to let your dog run off leash. While this does present problems such as aggressive dogs and fearful humans most of the people and animals that frequent the park are friendly and not judgemental. The parking lot is rather small so lots of people park along the road in the summer time.  This being said preps scene.
Now for characters; moses and I are in fact the main characters of this story. The side characters are a man, a woman, two Yorkshire Terriers and a man I have met more than once who's dog is a hyperactive husky.
For props.... it's just better if I tell you the story....

Now it's a snowy day a few weeks ago and Moses and I both agreed that going out in the snow is a far better option than going out into the heat. So i bundle up, while Moses bounds around, I put on my long johns, an under armor cold gear undershirt. Utes sweatpants (stolen from my human brother) and a sweatshirt are part of my attractive winter wear for the dogpark. I grab Mo's leash and a few treats (baggies are provided at the park) and we are off. When I get outside I feel how cold it is and decide that we will drive up to the park and enjoy the hike with the knowledge I have heated seata.
Moses and I get into my car. He takes the passenger seat and gives me the directions by tilting his head. turn right here no! Your other right! Wait you turned left this looks right?  Where are we going dog park? Dog park! All the while his tail fwaps (the cross between flap and thwack) against my leather seats.
I pull into the parking lot and luckily for me there is indeed a spot today. I park my car and watch as a man, his wife, and their two terriers begin to walk by. I open my door and step out. They both smile at me, sensing a strange kindred spirit as we are both driving small cars not suited to the weather.  Mine a VW Bug and theirs a Prius. I broke their smiles a few seconds later as my a hundred and ten pound one year old rottweiler burst from the car. 
Another man, a regular at the park and someone I chat to often started chuckling
."I didn't know you drove a bug." He says holding his little female husky back from trying to pounce on Moses.
"Of course," I snort,"it's in my color"
He's shaking almost as much as his dog is. The two Yorkies at this point in time realize that the black monstrosity that exitted the green car is, in fact, another dog. They begin to make that strange high pitched sound, that people claim is barking, at Moses. The couples eyes are wide as they walk past Mo who, due to some quirk in his personality, proceeds to try and stomp on the closest Yorkies head.
"Moses no!" I say too late as the paw comes down. And the little dog yelps and shuts up. The other Yorkie continues, Moses tilts his head then looks up at me. What is that things problem? And why did the short one take the other friend away?  Did it do something?
The woman scoops up the dazed Yorkie and leaves the other one to commence with its chatter. Her husband also burst out laughing (my male friend with the husky is now in death throws, trying not to suffocate himself or his dog).

Can I get out now? 

How about now? 

"He didn't try to bite her." The husband told his wife and grinned at me.
"He wouldn't, " I said smiling an unsure grin, "he just wants to step on little dogs heads."
"Why is that?" Asked the man.
I explained that my aunties have two small dogs. One aunt  has a midget of a Jack Russell terrier who is nine or so years old and the other auntie has a chihuahua and neither of them are very nice to Moses.
"He's such a pushover," I say, "he doesn't know when someone is being aggressive or he just doesn't care. We've been attacked twice and he's nice enough mannered to hold his head up and back up towards me."
The woman put the dazed dog down, "so he's not mean?"
My friend, the cackler, says, "Moses has been trounced before and has never fought back. He doesn't even realize that if he tried he could clean the other dogs clock."
I grandstand and wave my hands as jazz fingers, "My dog everyone."

I had fun at the park. Now sleep.

A girl, a rottweiler,destruction

The stuff Moses has destroyed in our backyard...

He feels no remorse.

A girl, rottweiler,and rain

While there are many dogs out there that  love water, the Rottweiler is not one of them. Rottweilers do not have the want to be wet gene  that many other dog breeds have. but as I have said before, Moses is not a stereotypical Rottweiler.

Moses believes that all wet and all water is good. This causes problems as he likes to drag rain,snow, ice, water, through the backdoor into the kitchen through the living room and up to his throne.

Moses when it snows goes from being a mild mannered, sleepy airhead, to a typhoon of horrible manners and strange activities.  He also becomes like this after a bath and if it is windy.

Moses will ask to be let outside in the snow, rain, wind etc. And for a brief time (at least twenty minutes) all will be quiet. There will be not barking, no growling, no trampling through the house just peaceful bliss.

Then the horror begins. It starts with either a scratching at the door or a pounding on the glass. You hope desperately it is the scratching for that means that you will just have to stand there as he drags his toys in and out. However pounding is a different matter.

Pound. Pound. Pound.
My mother looks at the door.
Let me in! Look what I have!
"Moses you can't bring the croquet mallet in the house."
Pound. Pound.
My mother goes out and takes the croquet mallet from him and puts it back with the others, "No."
"He'll jus t go get it again." I say.
Pound.pound
Let me in! It's not a croquet mallet!
"Where did he get the snow shovel?" I go outside put the shovel away and forget to shut the door. At this exact moment Moses races indoors holding a croquet mallet in his mouth.
Which leads to a chase. Which leads to two very grumpy women .

Girl,rottweiler, disappearance

So the other day I got home from work and called Moses name. There was no skittering of puppy feet there was onlu silence. This worried me because Moses is notorious for getting out of the back yard.  So i searched the house for him. I was about to give up and go outside and wander the a atreets for my dog when I heard what I like to call "moses dreams" from our guest bathroom. I walked in and this is what I found. 

Girl, Rottweiler, play date

Today,Vahan came over to play with Moses. For two whole hours on a sunny August afternoon. While watching the two I discovered something, Rottweilers don't really run around when they play. they much prefer to lay down and bite at each other.

Moses and Vahan are prime examples of Rottweiler play . Neither of them are ambitious enough to run the yard but both of them believe that it is a good thing that they can lay down in the shade and nip at each other. There are no longer bowling balls of fur , they are wrecking balls. Both puppies now weigh over 90 pounds , and Vahan is still a bit bigger,  but Moses is A barrel of muscle. This play date is more even than one would expect.

Vahan chomps down on Moses' leg, he pulls but to no avail. Moses neatly jump over the offender. Vahan does it again but this time Moses is prepared he leaps forward but his much bigger brother does the unthinkable. He dodges and uses a distraction technique, picking up a soccer ball and running with it. Moses tries to defend against the oncomming soccer attack but it takes up too much energy so he promptly lies down in the shade. Vahan seeinh how comfortable the shade looks also decides to lay down but with the soccer ball. It seems we have a stale mate folks.

I'll update you when it ends, if ever.

Girl, Rottweiler, list o warning

Top Ten Things People Dont warn you about when you purchase a Rottweiler. 



1. They are bed hogs. It doeskin matter if you train them off furniture eventually they find a way to be in your bed and kick you off in the same evening.

2. They release winds of death regularly with great accuracy. This causes several rooms to become caustic at once. There is no escape.

3. They are fantastic jumpers. At eight weeks old Moses jumped over a four foot baby gate, tumbled down the stairs and did it again just to prove he could. (We decided it was better to let him fall down the stairs instead of jumping then falling).

4. They eat everything. Doesn't matter if its food substances or building materials. Moses thinks its fair game.

5. Your Rottweiler puppy is the equivalent of a bulldozer don't be surprised when things get ruined.

6. They are stubborn as all get out. Smart enough to know how to behave and all the tricks. Stubborn enough to not follow directions.

7. They like to talk. Moses whines, to let you know how he feels that you left him alone for so long, and you should be sorry.

8. They like to bring you presents while you are trying to do something else just to show how much more important they are then homework, housework, cleaning, writing, etc. Moses likes to bring squeaky toys, sticks, dead things, orange peels, etc.

9. The garbage is not safe anywhere.

10. They absolutely adore sitting/leaning/sleeping on you. Like giant lap animals.

Girl, Rottweiler, Unconditional happiness list

So this is the list of things/habits Moses has that just bring me joy, plain and simple joy.

Top Thirteen Moses Unconditional Happiness List.

1. When he doesnt bother rolling back over after you rub his belly. (No, if I stay stomach up maybe you will come back)
2. Playing fetch and he gives up halfway to the ball (It's not worth it to run that far, you are just taking the ball away again)
3. When he puts his paw on my face first thing in the morning. ( You need to feed me!)
4. When he jumps on my bed and sleeps with his head on the pillow (totally human)
5. When he cries when I get home, so over joyed to see me. (It's PTSD)
6. When he meets a smaller dog how he feels the need to bash it's brain out with his paw (I was just saying hi!)
7. That moment where he goes all spastic after being in water (BATH!)
8. When he growls at my cellphone (It's possessed I tell you!)
9. When he greets my friend Beth (She is the bestest human eva!)
10: When the giant moose plushie is laying on top of him and he doesnt bother to move (You are just going to put it on me again, what's the point)
11. That moment where he bounces on the counter pretending he is the barista (I am arent I?)
12. That moment when I stick an icecube in the corner and watch his huge head and paws try to get it out of the corner (I have a big head and little arms, I dont think this was planned out too well)
13. That moment when he looses a ball under the couch and he first tries to get it out by himself. Then he sits down and whines. (Get it for me PLEASE!)

Girl, Rottweiler, Children's Books

I have known about the children's books about Rottweiler's since I was a child with "Good Dog Carl" being my absolute favorite (and still is). I remember hugging my Rottweiler Molly as my mom would flip through the pages and say "The little girl looks like you". So today I felt like sharing a list of children's books about Rottweilers.
Here it is my list of Children's/ picture books about the Rottweiler.

1. Good Dog Carl by Alexandra Day (my first rottie book. And most people ask if Mo is the same type of dog.)
2. Puppy Trouble by Alexandra Day (really who doesnt love rottie puppies?)
3. ...... Anything else by Alexandra Day (no this is not a book title it really just is Alexandra Day has a coin on Rottweiler picture books so read anything by her)
4. Max Goes to the Moon by Jeffery O Bennett (found it in the library while trying to find something to post about)
5. Max Goes to Mars by Jeffery O Bennett (found on amazon while searching for Max Goes to the Moon)
6. My Dog Rosie by Isabelle Harper
7. Carl and the Puppies by Alexandra Day ( I know I wasnt going to put more of hers on the list but this isnt a picture book, it's a young reader)
8. Rottweilers are the best by Elaine Landau (or something like that... I have no idea about her last name.

Hopefully this will tide you over for the next installment about Mo!

Girl, Rottweiler, Embarrassment

Why I wear t-shirt?

So, I haven't posted anything about Moses for awhile. Partially due to laziness and partially due to the huge embarrassment he has been for the last ten days. I mean really really not pretty.
So Moses got neutered twelve days ago and wore an obnoxious plastic 20 inch cone. A cone so fearsome that moving past Moses caused you to collide into cabinets, get bruises as he pushed you down the stairs, and make sure that you had to either jump out of the way, or brace yourself. Ideally it was best to wear long pants in the presence  of the cone of peril, this thing was way beyond the cone of shame. He only wore the cone for six days but those six days came with an interesting plot twist.
A smell.
A terrifying smell.
A dark powerful essence wafting through the air.
Sweet sticky sickening.
And my mother being the good parent discovered a stiff unknown substance on his neck. Initially she thought it was pitch, a chemical, being dipped in the bog of eternal stench. So she set out to remove the wonderful goo from poor Moses' already en-coned neck.
My mother started out with just plain water, cold and hot. Neither worked
Dish soap? Nope.
Curry Comb? Nope, Moses snarled at her as she pulled some fur out.
Hoping it would go away she left it for twenty four hours.
The next day the quantity of the dried honey like substance had multiplied  My mother pulled up her britches, put her serious face on, and went into the garage searching for the miracle worker goo-gone. (Thank god she didn't choose turpentine)
The substance of unknown origin was goo gone resistant  As a child she recalled she could remove pitch from her hands and feet using butter or peanut butter. The small experimental section didn't seem to go away.
She rinsed washed and repeated.

Easier than drinking with cone. 

Being an emergency room nurse in a former life, she began to think there was probably was a explanation for it so she ran it by a pediatrician friend, who happens to own a chocolate lab.
"Hot spot!" Said the pediatrician.
Which activated my mother's maternal instinct and she called the vet clinic demanding to be seen that day or she was going to change her patronage. (She obviously felt guilty)
On initial examination, the vet couldn't see anything through Moses previously healthy coat. However when they shaved a 6 in by 12 in swatch they found a significant Hot Spot.
Now hot-spots are caused by moisture accumulating in the folds of skin, Moses being an adolescent Rottweiler who is never kenneled and seldom left alone, reacts to being in a kennel by drooling profusely. One neutering  eight hours in the vet kennel, drooling, plastic cone, all of this equals a petri dish that is a force to be reckoned with.
So now Cone head Moses also has to wear a t-shirt, as well as is required to stay dry, not lick or scratch, take antibiotics orally, have the antibiotic ointment applied twice a day, steer clear of other dogs, while ideally not wearing the cone of shame and being supervised. That supervision is to prevent scratching his chest area, licking his iv site or his newly neutered scrotum.
Needless to say, Moses was not very happy with us. For the next week he would not come when my mother called. Actually he quiet often went the other way, or hid in a closet, anticipating that she was going to come to hurt him one more time. Or maybe it was a diabolical scheme to scratch without intervention. But either way he hid.
Now Moses' trust issues are mostly fixed and he can make appearance at the coffee shop again (without looking like he has leprosy).
We are pleased to report, hot-spot is 98% gone, scrotum has healed nicely, and he has some hair growth on the bare chest of his. We think he'll be no worse for the wear.
My mother on the other hand is traumatized.

My mom bought me a ball to say sorry. Not forgiven yet. 

Girl, Rottweiler, Q and A 2

Now Moses and I have decided to start answering questions about Rottweilers, Espresso, and other things that are commonly asked of bloggers  (neither of us knows what this means so we are working on it). Moses will answer to the best of his little puppy ability, and I will answer as a Rottweiler geek. All questions are considered (within reasonable boundaries) and if I can't answer them I will come up with a clever answer that can be debated by scientists for years on what it's purpose is. All answers are my own personal opinions, or Moses' and are from our experiences  They are in no way affiliated with the coffee shop, the Humane Society of the United States, or any other organization or peoples who know more then we do. Just type a question into the comment boxes, and I will try to respond within the two week time period that Moses is superimposing on me.
Second Question: I heard Rottweilers are hard to train, are they?

Kbgroot: Well no, but yes? Moses was very easy to train. So yes he was easy to train. Will he obey his training? Depends on how he feels at the time. Moses can sit, lie down, roll over, stay, and come. He does these things most successfully with treats. If you dont have a treat the likelihood that he will do these things is next to none. He is stubborn and thinks his own way is the best way (think a teenager) we are hoping that when he hits two he will be a obedient adult. Cheers to dreaming!

Moses: *Blank look* I follow food, not directions.

Girl, Rottweiler, List

Found something delicious!

Now as many dog owners know, food is one of the best ways to get said dogs attention. Moses (stereotypical rottweiler that he is) enjoys nothing else then chewing and swallowing whatever is in his path. While this means that the puppy never goes hungry it also means he smells terrible for days. Releasing what we owners call "the winds of death" from his backside and aiding global warming. Moses being a Rottweiler had the fault of eating everything.
We will start a list.
Top 20 things Rottweiler puppies eat!
1. My roommates empty chip bag. Left in her garbage
2. Empty sushi container
3. Building materials - concrete is a favorite of the Rottweiler puppy shorty followed by drywall
4. Dead things - haven't found many yet, but the dead bird in the backyard added so much wonder.
5. Rotten Grapes - from the backyard.
6. Basketball shells - we were extremely displeased with this as it meant I had to by a new basket ball.
7. Plants - oh my the plants! Drag them through the house set them on the bed, drag the dirt through the hall. So fun it is
8. Brother's old shoes - Not my shoes, not my mother's shoes, but my brothers shoe. They must have a distinct smell.
9. Tissue paper - absconded with from the garbage, normally distributed in itty-bitty pieces throughout the bathroom.
10. Toilet paper rolls - chewed into gerbil sized confetti
11. Tangerines - we are not sure how or why but stolen from the neighbors kitchen and inhaled so we could not get it back.
12. Pine cones - another quandary into the how and whys? Where was another reason here as it was apparently in our basement where he could get it.
13. Stuffed animals - none are safe, the amputees limbs are found in the most interesting places, their innards flung throughout the living room
14. Sticks - while most dogs chew sticks, Mo feels it is best that he not even let the stick try and get away.
15. Tennis balls- I think it used to be a ball, I'm not sure though.
16. Cardboard boxes- the bane of any existence  the worlds most fearsome foe, the only thing standing between a puppy and conquering the world! Torn to shreds in self defense.
17. Plastic Flower pots- make a great crinkling noise when they are torn to bits and hidden in the backyard.
18. My Volleyball - making me very angry, apparently being hit with said volleyball four times causes it to be an enemy that must be destroyed.
19. Muffin Wrappers - found at the coffee shops trash can then distributed to the coffee shops floor adding an extra five minutes of work time for me as I try to sweep it up.
20. Duct Tape - the sticky side is just as fun as the silver side.... which means more mess

Moses chewing on shoe, Vahan laying down.

So many things for a puppy to destroy. In every puppy book they tell people to hide the wires, hide the chemicals, take the plants off the floor, to make sure the puppy could not get to anything that could give him problems. Those books obviously were dealing with less puppy genius than Moses, for no matter where you hide something he will find it and destroy it.

Girl, Rottweiler, Comparison

The first three pictures are what I like to call "The Evolution of Moses Sleeping on Red Couch"

 Mo at four months

Mo at Six Months

Mo at Seven Months

The Next Set of Four is what I call "The Evolution of Mo Sleeping on My Bed" I like this set best as it describes the human male journey from child to teenager...

 Mo at Two months

 Mo at four months

 Mo at six months

 Mo at six months ten seconds later...

This next collection is the most varied of the four collections... I call it "Mo sleeping on the floor".

 Mo at four months

 Mo at six months

The final Collection of pictures is "Baby Moses!"

Sorry it wasn't a story today, but I hope you enjoyed the pictures of Moses!