Mose

Allow me the pleasure of introducing the world to 18 month old Mose, the mini Goldendoodle (Golden Retriever/Min Poodle mix).

When this pint-sized doodle first arrived at his foster family’s house, he was a bit of a mess.  He had spent all his short little life in a barn, which means he’d never been groomed so his fur was at least 3” of pure matting all over is body.  Amongst the pelt was sawdust, straw, ticks, a chest full of drool (more on that later) and at the very bottom was a scared and confused pup who had no idea that this was the first day of the best part of his life.

We quickly got him into the wonderful hands at Furever Loved Pet Salon and when his foster dad went to pick him up, he had to double check that he was picking up the right dog.  Wouldn’t you know it.  That night, he came home and we were finally able to decide on a name… Mose.  If you’re a fan of The Office, you’ll quickly understand how well the name suits him.

Once Mose was all cleaned up we discovered he was a svelte boy with legs for days, with a little nub of a tail, and floppy triangle ears.  He has the most beautiful blonde coat with little patches of light and dark that catch the light just right and make his a beautiful boy that gets second glances.  With his fur as short as it is and the curl pattern coming back, we like to say he looks like a bucket of friend chicken.  Mose weighs about 30 pounds so he’s the perfect size for any adventure.  He’s just tall enough to reach his foster mom’s hand with his nose and give a little love-boop when out on walks.

His next big hurdle was going to the vet for his check-up, vaccines, deworming, and neutering.  But he took it like a champ and the vet said he’s a healthy boy who just needed to gain a couple of pounds.  So we got him on a healthy diet of kibbles with a bit of yogurt and scrambled eggs as treats and he’s a strong young man now.

Walks are when Mose really shines!  For some reason, as soon as Mose discovered that putting on his martingale collar and leash meant he was going outside, he was an instant professional.  Always staying right beside his human with a loose leash and a confident stride.  His foster mom thinks he’d be an excellent jogging buddy and we bet he’d be able to build up quite a bit of stamina and it would be the perfect bonding for his new human.

Mose’s other super-power is his unwavering ability to self-soothe.  This is a difficult thing for pups to master, but somehow, he’s got the confidence to chill out, even if the zoomies kick in and he needs a little time out.  He’s able to turn his energy off and just relax in his pen.

Mose’s current schedule starts at 5:45 with his first bathroom break with his pup-siblings and then inside for breakfast.  Then he’s given the option to come and cuddle-puddle back in bed with his foster mom, but more often, he chooses to go back to his crate and sleep-in.  After everyone is up and dressed, we go back outside to play, and check on the chickens.  He’s an excellent chicken-checker and takes pride in his gentle demeanour with the ladies.  His foster family works from home for the morning and Mose is content to just chill out on his bed or play with his toys.  At lunch we would all pile in the car and head into town to go and visit a dog-friend where Mose finally found someone to play with him.  Then back home, to relax until dinner time.  After dinner was done, Mose gets to do his favourite thing – CUDDLE!  At bedtime he goes back to his crate, gets tucked in and waits for morning to do it all again.

Poor Mose has asked all his pup-siblings to play with him, but they’re all a bit too old for his level of play.  So Mose would really love a brother or sister to do dog-things with.  He exhibits excellent play manners with lots of give-and-take.  He takes cues when the other dog wants to stop and take a break and we’re very proud of him.

Mose has developed a habit of stealing things his sibling-pups’ toys to add to his collection.  Luckily, he has never destroyed a toy, we think he just likes to add them to his nest.  Unfortunately, when Mose has tired of collecting toys, he’ll get creative and steal other things around the house that he will possibly destroy, shoes being his latest fascination.  For this reason, Mose spends his unsupervised time in a pen with lots of room to stretch out and his crate and a window to watch the birds.  Being the good-boy that he is, Mose won’t protest if you take something away from him that he’s not supposed to have, especially if you trade for something appropriate.

Mose can be wary of new people and will bark for a few minutes.  But we’re working hard to introduce him to lots of new people in different situations.  Once he’s regained his composure, he’ll start to investigate new people and even let strangers pet him.  Please don’t be offended if you come to meet Mose and he barks at you, he just has big feelings that he’s trying to work through.  Don’t forget, Mose lived in a barn and likely didn’t see humans that frequently, especially lots of different people.

Mose has developed a special attachment to his foster-mom, likely just because she’s home more than his foster-dad.  But having found someone he trusts means that he’s game for any adventure she throws his way.  He might be nervous or scared, but he’ll follow her lead and take reassurance in her guidance in this big world.  

Mose is always down for a car ride, however, it’s a bit of a water-works show.  Unfortunately, Mose drools like a water-fountain in the car, likely caused by a combination of stress and nausea.  But he never freaks out, or barks, and often he’ll fall asleep in the back, but that doesn’t mean the drooling stops.  We go for a car ride almost every day and he drools every time.  So get ready to put lots of towels down in the car, and maybe even a bib, because he tends to drool all over his chest and legs.  Word of warning, don’t roll down the windows in the hopes that fresh air will help, it just sprays the drool.

Mose is mostly housetrained, and has had only a handful of accidents. As long as he’s given breaks to go outside he’s never had an accident in his daytime pen or his crate.  He does not currently alert to needing to go outside, so his new human will need to be observant of his behaviour to avoid accidents and successfully eliminate outside. Praise gently for having bathroom breaks outside because big praise can be overwhelming.

Mose’s new human will need to be gentle with him and give calm praise and treats.  Speaking of which, he has impeccable manners when it comes to accepting treats from people and is so gentle you will barely feel him.

Mose has requested we find him a home that is active and is willing to take him on lots of adventures.  He would love to have another dog (doesn’t matter the size) just as long as they want to play with him by chasing outside or having the zoomies together.  He’s met children and treats then the same as other humans, cautious at first then fine so long as they treat him with respect, so he’d be happy to have older children (over 10yrs)  in his new home.  He would very much love a fenced backyard to he can really let loose.  His foster family doesn’t have fenced yard, but he does get to have an extra long leash to experience a little taste of freedom.  Most importantly, Mose wants love.  

His absolute favourite thing is cuddles and boy is he ever good at it!  His preferred position in resting in your lap with his back on your chest so you can rub his whole belly with both hands and give him kisses while we watch tv.  Mose hasn’t given us a kiss back, but I suspect he’s waiting for his forever family for that milestone.

If you’re considering Mose as your new family member, remember that his fur will need to be regularly groomed by a professional and if you let it grow longer he’ll need lots of brushing to avoid matting.  Luckily he doesn’t mind being touched all over, so it could be another bonding experience.  If you’re going to keep his fur as short as it is, he’s going to need coats, poor guy was pretty cold when he first came back from the groomers until the weather warmed up.  And please remember that even though his short hair doesn’t shed, it does NOT mean he’s hypoallergenic and his fur will fall out in small tuffs as it gets longer.

Overall Mose wants to create a happy life filled with love and adventures.  He’s sweet and  curious and a companion animal through and through.  Mose is going to make a family VERY happy and will be a great addition to anyone with an active lifestyle who has a lot of time and love to give.