Mouse update 11.14.09

He's gorgeous! Cheetah clearly mated with something BIG.

Thought we would send you some recent Mouse photos. He was at the vet the other day and he’s a little under 50 pounds. Obviously we don’t know if he’s done growing but we don’t think he’s going to be too much bigger.

His personality is still very big however! He’s all about fun and play and being happy. He loves to play catch in the backyard and the kids have even taught him some agility tricks. He jumps through hula hoops and tries to play soccer. All said and done though he’s just a big baby because he’s also perfectly happy snuggling on the couch or bed watching television.

The whole family recently had some training (I say the whole family because the humans needed as much training as Mouse). Mouse is walking better on the leash and [daughter], who just turned 10, is actually able to walk him. He’s so strong I swear if we put a sled behind him he could probably pull the whole family! He’s also more comfortable around other dogs. Some dogs he likes, some dogs he tolerates and some dogs he flatout isn’t happy with. I don’t think he’ll ever be a dog that likes everybody but if he learns to tolerate most dogs it will be good. Humans, however, are never a problem – any shape and size – and that’s a great thing. We just had [daughter]’s birthday party and the house was full of little, loud, giggly girls and Mouse was in heaven. “Look at all the people who want to scratch my ears and rub my tummy!”

I’ll end on a funny story. One day Mouse was in the backyard and the boys had just come in from playing with him but Mouse wasn’t ready to come in yet. I looked out and he was out there running around throwing his ball up in the air and chasing after it himself (he does this when he’s not done and there’s no one to throw the ball to him). A couple of minutes later I saw him doing the same thing but he looked like he was having even more fun. I went to the door but didn’t see his green ball anymore and I couldn’t tell what was being thrown around. I opened the door and called his name and he stopped and gave me a look that only a mother knows. One that says “uh, oh – BUSTED”. He came running to me whimpering and then he stopped just short of the garden and gave a look toward a giant whole where my new flowering Camillia bush had been planted. Not only was there no bush, there was no remnant of a bush either. It was in hundreds of pieces all over the yard. I had to step away from the door so he didn’t see me laughing because the look on his face was priceless. I didn’t want him to think that he made me happy but it was hard to be mad at him because he knew he did wrong. He just got caught up in a moment and went a little wild and crazy – like he is. Meanwhile, a new bush has been planted and Mouse ignores it! He rarely destroys anything that’s not his so we’re very lucky.