Moxie and Me

Happy Birthday, Mox!

2009-11-26T20:24:00.001-08:00

One year ago, on a Thanksgiving day much like this one, Mox was one of four gorgeous pups born to a lovely show litter in Fresno. We didn't know him then, but I'm sure he came out the fattest of the bunch, and the breeder probably knew straightaway that he'd be a rather large Italian Greyhound. We couldn't be more thankful that he was too big for the show ring because otherwise he probably wouldn't have been handed over to us!

Here he is surrounded by all his birthday presents. I don't think he realized what the occasion was, but he sure wasn't complaining!

Happy Howl-O-Ween!

2009-11-01T21:48:00.001-08:00

I wuz a lion for Halloween! My costume, by the awesome Miz Holly at Hatz 4 Bratz was soft and cozy, but I still felt silly in it! Mama sez next year she and pop will go as Dorothy and the Tin Man to complete the set. Pffft. I ain't no "cowardly" lion.

I'm a Model, You Know What I Mean?

2009-09-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

Mox has been doing some modeling for our very talented friend Angela over at A&B Originals. Here he is in one of her large bow ties:
And preening in her fisherman sweater:
More photos on her blog.

Moxie vs. Donkeys

2009-09-12T23:10:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I took Moxie with us up north to Mendocino for a few days and stayed at the most dog-friendly inn we've seen thus far. They gave us a doggie care package when we arrived, and the room had a wooden pup chest full of bowls, blankets, deodorizer, you name it. Color us impressed.
We were given the upper floor of a gorgeous two-story townhouse to stay in, and it came with a large yard Mox could not get enough of. The best part of the trip, for him at least, was the inn's pair of resident donkeys. Mox snuck into their pen and challenged them, stamping his feet on the ground like he does with other dogs, and they followed him around lazily. When we left, they looked sad to see him go, sticking their giant heads through the gap in the stall and peering out after him. Priceless.

Moxie in Stars n' Stripes Neck Ring

2009-05-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

"I hatechoo mama, making me wear weird things..."

"Papa says this makes me look like I belong in the Castro. What does that mean, mama?"

"I'll never be able to face my pitbull friends again."

Vote for Moxie!

2009-05-16T20:17:00.000-07:00

I entered Mox in a silly little photo contest over at Pets Jubilee. If you've got the time, please leave a comment, any comment under his entry.

Rules for voting are over here.

xoxo,
Janine

Moxie and his squirrels

2009-04-25T16:44:00.001-07:00

We bought Mox one of those "Hide-a-Squirrel" toys a few weeks back, and oh how he loved it. Here he is with his squirrels (still mercifully intact), tuckered out after an afternoon at the Sausalito dog park:

Mox in "Falling Leaves" by A&B Originals

2009-04-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

Been too busy with work to keep this little blog updated as often as I like. But that doesn't mean I haven't been obsessively taking photos and buying outfits for Mox to outgrow! Here he is in "Falling Leaves" by the talented Angela. We can never resist her sales, and are looking forward to getting this boutique sweater in the mail. :P

Sunday at the Sausalito Dog Park

2009-04-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

With IG friend Heidi. It was blissfully sunny and the park was littered with a good variety of pooches.

New bed!

2009-04-01T23:33:00.000-07:00

Alta Vista Park on Tuesday

2009-03-26T23:57:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was Jeff's 51st birthday. :) I took the day off from work (had an expiring "personal day") and we spent the day eating (Beach Chalet in the a.m. and Lahore Karahi in the evening) and taking Mox around town. Here he is, making friends at Alta Vista park and cursing that darn leash because heaven knows he can outrun them all!

King of the Couch

2009-03-26T21:12:00.001-07:00

They warned us IGs would take over the furniture:

Video: Moxie VS. Rope Toy

2009-03-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

We picked up this rope toy from a cute pet boutique ("Furry Tales") near my office on a whim. It's now Moxie's favorite toy:

SF IG Meet-Up at Ghirardelli Square Terrace

2009-03-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

We just got home from Moxie's first SF IG Meet-up at Ghirardelli Square's closed-off terrace and we're exhausted. It was fun, especially for Mox, who played with some pretty lady IGs and romped around with older boys.

See more photos here.

Roughhousing and Sunbathing

2009-03-07T17:00:00.000-08:00

As I type, my boys (one pup, one human) are racing around the coffee table. Mox, who is used to roughhousing with his sisters has decided that Jeff be his playmate. He lets Jeff know when he wants to play by hiding under Jeff's desk and glaring at him to start, then barking when he's ignored. Then they're off, Jeff on all fours (he's got a lot of energy for a guy who will be 51 in two weeks) indulging Mox and chasing him 'round the living room. It always ends with Mox cowering in a corner, so we're not sure why he likes to start this game. (Our pet seems to be a little thrill-seeker.)

Anyway, here are some photos of Mox in calmer times: basking in this morning's sun on our bedroom carpet. (Of course, he took a moment to steal one of Jeff's old man socks.)

Tomorrow we're going to an Italian Greyhound meet-up at Ghirardelli Square. I'll be sure to take lots of photos.

Some Photos

2009-03-07T11:45:00.001-08:00

Mox in his St. Paddy's day sweater by Angela at A&B Originals. :)

In a house collar from Iggy Collars.

His puppy pad.

Hunting for a Dog Park

2009-03-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

For such a dog-friendly city, San Francisco doesn't seem to have a fenced-off park I can take Moxie to on this sunny Saturday. Sure, there are tons of parks where one can walk a dog off-leash, but that's a huge no-no for a new IG owner, since the sighthound is known to take off after things and sometimes not come back. Mox has yet to be chipped, and even when he is, I'm not sure we'd take that chance.

Wish we had a yard. But it looks like we'll have to either move to the outskirts of the city or out of it to get our paws on one. Blargh.

My Favorite Photo of Moxie So Far

2009-03-03T20:11:00.001-08:00

We can't get over how handsome he looks in his K9 Closet "smoothie." Look at those feet - he's gonna be a biggie. Not four months old and already 11.2 lbs!

Look What Auntie Cree Sent!

2009-03-03T19:45:00.000-08:00

My sister, Christine (a.k.a. Cree) found a large lot of doggie toys on etsy.com (an addiction of ours) and sent it over for Mox to enjoy. We gave him one stuffed bone and he was more than delighted to rip it to shreds:

The bone, in happier days, next to Mox clad in one of his A&B Originals St. Paddy's Day sweaters. :)

"Gotcha" Day: Feb. 7, 2009

2009-03-01T14:31:00.000-08:00

(Kim's very cool IG weathervane.)

Kim B. (full name left out for her privacy), the somewhat local breeder we'd been corresponding with, was a breath of fresh air from the uncaring puppy mill types I mentioned in my last post. Over the course of our first phone call, she gave me an earful of dos and don'ts, cautioned me against having an IG for a first dog, and gave me a laundry list of things I would need should I decide to get one regardless.

(The pups in their pen, too fast to get a good photo of! Our boy is the one with the large white collar at upper right.)

Kim had just had her first litter in two years (bred from two of her champs), and had only done so because she wanted a few more girls for herself. Now, when the breeder is breeding for herself and not for profit, that's usually a good sign, so I was excited. She asked if I wanted a boy or a girl and I told her we were hoping for a boy but either would do. She said I was in luck, as there was one boy in her litter of four, and he was the only pup available (two red+white girls were staying home, and a seal female already had a home set).

(One of the pretty little girls who will be staying home.)

We made plans to drive from SF to Fresno two weeks from that call to see the pup, as well as an older male IG who already had a championship under his belt. While we waited, I pestered Kim for pictures, but she'd been too busy with family to send me any - "I can only assure you that you won't be unhappy. This litter is very lovely and is not pet quality so you will be very pleased with what you find," she said in an e-mail. And she was right.

(Lovely little seal girl who was already spoken for.)

Visiting with the pups was my idea of heaven. My partner Jeff and I got to sit in a fenced-off room as the little ones were freed from the pen and all four instantly attacked me with kisses. (I think they could smell that I was a big pushover.) Just as Kim said, the boy pup was bigger than the other three, and seemed a little mellower but still eager to play. We loved his temperament and markings instantly.

(Our pup on the way home.)

We attempted to meet the older dog, but he refused to come out of his pen -- it was just as well, Jeff and I were goners for that little boy pup. After a helpful tooth and nail demo, we signed the papers and Kim sent us off with a collar, leash, bully stick, bag 'o kibble and and a fleece puppy sweater. We loaded him into the kennel we'd purchased and drove off with puppy names on the brain. They'd dubbed him "Walker" (short for "Walk Like A Man") but I wanted something close to "Moxley" after an investigative reporter friend and all-around mischievous character. "Moxie" was the compromise.

(Mox in the kitchen.)

When we got home, we set him up in the kitchen, which is the only part of the apartment without carpeting. Mox inspected the litter box (which he quickly learned to use to our delight!), had some kibble and was well-behaved till we left him to go to bed. Poor baby cried all night long. At around 3 a.m. I decided I couldn't take it, and climbed into the kitchen where I slept with him in fetal position on the floor for a few hours. Eventually, I moved him too the couch (which was better for my poor back!) and we dozed off. Jeff found me knocked out cold with Mox snoozing across my neck a little later.

(Mox in a down blanket on the couch.)

I know spoiling him from the start probably wasn't the best idea, but I think it won him over. He's been like glue ever since.

Saying No to the Puppy Mill

2009-02-28T22:53:00.000-08:00

We came -this- close to unwittingly purchasing a pup from a mill-type operation. You know - those folks who breed their bitches over and over, who have multiple litters available at the same time (sometimes from various breeds), who obviously raise pups for profit and don't really give a rat's ass about where they end up as long as the cash comes in. Sounds awful, yes? But it really is too easy for the uneducated buyer to fall into the trap, and the puppy millers really are clever about sounding legit and luring you in with beautiful photos and glowing testimonials. Here's how that almost happened to us:

My partner and I had just gotten word from our landlady that we could have a dog as long as it met building requirements and was 25 lbs or less. So we giddily started our search, and after days of internet research and debate, decided the Italian Greyhound would be a good fit for us with its low-to-no-shed coat, people-loving personality and drop-dead gorgeous form. Punching "Italian+Greyhound+Puppy" into Google brought up a long list of available cuties from sites like puppyfind.com and dogs ranged from $200 to over $1K, sometimes with shipping built into the cost. Weeks of cruising puppy porn in this manner led us to a pup listed as "Timmy" from a kennel (name pictured above) in MO.

His dark coat, tuxedo-white chest and sweet eyes tugged at our heartstrings and we put down the nonrefundable $100 deposit, blind to the obvious red flags. These, in retrospect, were:

How the site had ELEVEN breeds listed, each with available pups at the time; lots of "created" breeds like peekaboos, cockapoos and labradoodles were specialties.
The kennel was USDA licensed (mark of a mass-producer).
Dogs were registered under the ACA and not the AKC. (The breeder told us in an e-mail that they "preferred the ACA" when we requested AKC papers.)
One could purchase the dog with a credit card and put the reservation fee down with PayPal without so much as e-mailing the breeder beforehand:
The breeder had zero questions for us outside the "shall we ship him via ground or air?" inquiry.
Questions about the pup's parents and their histories were answered with one-liners like "oh, they're healthy" instead of anything revealing.

E-mail correspondence with the breeder made us uncomfortable, and increasingly so as we continued to research the breed and started reading up on puppy mills. So even as she sent us adorable pix to mark Timmy's growth (at our request), we decided to walk away, $100 deposit be damned. What helped us do this? Among other things:

Joining breed-specific message boards and reading the sub-topics extensively. Thank you Iggy Planet and IG Post. Reading threads in which newbies were ripped a new one for buying pups from pet stores and mills were a true eye-opener.
Reading through the IGCA website and finding the contact info. of local breeders. Sending out inquiries led us to ethical folks like Vikki of dfollyigs.com who answered questions in-depth and helped us find the first-rate Fresno breeder who brought the right dog into our lives.

But that's another tale for another blog entry. :)