Mollie Update

I can't believe that I haven't written about Mollie for three months. Each day is an adventure with her. She has become such a part of our family and a truly loving dog. She constantly wants our attention and will quickly grab (and run) anything that she can. We have chased her up and down stairs in our attempts to retrieve a napkin, sock, pen or bra. She is also a great watch dog; ever vigilant to movement outside our home. One of her favorite positions is to stand on the settee and look out the window. Now that spring has arrived in Vermont, we are looking forward to long walks. In fact, last week we climbed Black Mountain. She had a wonderful time with all the outdoor smells. Speaking of smells, Yael and Jessica decided it was time for her first real bath. I am not sure if she enjoyed it but, for the most part, she stayed still.

Mollie is Feisty

Thanks to Lorraine and Jacque, we think we have discovered Mollie's breed. She appears to be a feist dog, a wonderful breed of dog that has been around for hundreds of years in America. They're very well-known in the rural South, (i.e. Mollie was born in Kentucky) where they've always been prized for their excellent hunting skills.

The more I researched the breed, the more I am convinced that Mollie is a Feist. [NOTE: I am posting a photo of a Feist dog albeit not as cute as Mollie]. For example, I discovered that Feists have lots of energy, but around the home they aren’t likely to bounce off the walls—in fact, they are more than happy to cuddle on the couch.

Like Mollie, Feists have gentle, adaptable personalities, and they know when to adjust the energy level. Their solid terrier genes can make them slightly territorial, but they are generally good with new people. However, they do have nose when it comes to intruders—they will bark and alert the family if they sense a threat.

Because we love Mollie it really doesn't matter what she is but it's still interesting to know.

Happy New Year, Mollie

We spent a quiet New Year's Eve at home with Mollie. She has really grown in the last six months and is a real joy to have around. However, she constantly wants attention. When I am on the computer she will nudge me with her nose or bite on my fingers until I play with her. She'll bring out all her toys to find the one that I will play "fetch." She's gotten really good at catching her green rubber ball in the air. Mollie is always searching for anything she either eat or chew. A piece of paper within her reach is automatically gone. This week I got a $5 coupon from the pet store so I bought her another bully stick. It kept her busy for about six hours. While I shopping at the supermarket, I noticed bully sticks that were only 6 inches long and cost considerably less. So, today she got one of those. It kept her busy for about an hour. I looked at the ingredients and found it was pure steer pizzle. A quick google search revealed that pizzle is another word for penis. Oh well it sounds disgusting but she enjoys it.

Yael and I took Mollie for a New Year's Day walk. It was the usual three mile route. Mollie remembers where all her animal friends live. She likes to stop by the horses. When we arrive, they always come over. They just stare at each other. Mollie just takes them in without barking.

Proof that Mollie is making me healthier!

DECEMBER 14, 2009, 12:27 PM

The Best Walking Partner: Man vs. Dog

By TARA PARKER-POPE

Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times

Is it better to walk a human or to walk a dog?

New research from the University of Missouri has found that people who walk dogs are more consistent about regular exercise and show more improvement in fitness than people who walk with a human companion. In a 12-week study of 54 older adults at an assisted living home, 35 people were assigned to a walking program for five days a week, while the remaining 19 served as a control group. Among the walkers, 23 selected a friend or spouse to serve as a regular walking partner along a trail laid out near the home. Another 12 participants took a bus daily to a local animal shelter where they were assigned a dog to walk.

To the surprise of the researchers, the dog walkers showed a big improvement in fitness, while the human walkers began making excuses to skip the workout. Walking speed among the dog walkers increased by 28 percent, compared with just a 4 percent increase among the human walkers.

“What happened was nothing short of remarkable,” said Rebecca A. Johnson, a nursing professor and director of the Research Center for Human Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “The improvement in walking speed means their confidence in their walking ability had increased and their balance had increased. To have a 28 percent improvement in walking speed is mind boggling.”

Ms. Johnson said that because some people are afraid of dogs, the participants were given the choice of walking with a human or a dog as the companion. Ms. Johnson said the dog walkers were far more consistent in sticking with the program than those who were walking with humans.

“In the human walking group, they were regularly discouraging each other from walking,” she said. “Missouri is a hot state. We would hear them saying: ‘It’s hot today. I don’t want to walk, do you?’ ”

The response from participants in the dog-walking group — and their dog companions — was very different.

“When the people came to the animal shelter, they bounced off the bus and said, ‘Where’s my dog?”’ Ms. Johnson said. “And the dogs never gave any discouragement from walking.”

Ms. Johnson said she suspects differences will show up in other areas, like depression and anxiety, although that data are still under review and the final study has not yet been published.

But there were also other subtle indicators of improvement among the dog-walking group. Many people in the dog-walking group stopped using canes and walkers. “They would say, ‘Now I’m physically fit enough to take my dog for a walk,”’ Ms. Johnson said.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/the-best-walking-partner-man-vs-dog/?em

Mollie's First Snow Outing

We had our first major snow fall of the season -- about 8 inches of fluffy white snow. We put Mollie's jacket on her and took her outside. She had a ball. The snow was so deep that you couldn't see her legs. For some reason, she decided to burrow into the snow. After we went back inside, she would go to the door pretending that she had to pee. Once outside she would frolic and burrow. She also enjoyed eating it.

I made a short video of Mollie walking/running in the snow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phYErQRQph8

We are thankful for Mollie

Today was Mollie's first Thanksgiving. She spent the day hanging out in the kitchen with us. I think she really enjoyed the fact that we were all together. As we went around the table before eating our delicious meal, we discussed things for which we are thankful. Each of us included Mollie. She is such a sweet, smart dog. All you have to do is mention the word "ball" and she is off to find it. She loves playing fetch with it. We also put a treat inside the ball. Within minutes, she figures out how to get to the treat. Usually, she bites down hard several times to break it up and then she simply shakes it out.

She has brought a lot of joy into our lives. Even when she misbehaves we have to smile. For example, one day we were cleaning up and discovered that Mollie created a cave for herself under the sofa. We found a bathing suit of Yael's, a pair of Jessica's socks and a variety of shredded papers (mostly receipts that we for which we have been searching).

In a couple of days we are going to visit my sister. My niece will be there with her two kids. They had met Mollie back in July but I am looking forward to reacquainting them after these four months.

Loving Mollie definitely has strings attached

While I was at a BAJC Board meeting last night, I got a panicked phone call from Jessica, "Mollie threw up and there's a string coming out of her butt!" I raced home to find Yael on the phone with an emergency call Vet. The decision was to bring her to the animal hospital in Deerfield, MA or take a "wait and see" approach.

We all tapped our fingers on the keyboard searching the Internet for an answer.

Meanwhile, Mollie was bothered but wagging her tail.

Our collective decision was to wait until morning. But, as recommended by a number of sites, we gave her some whole wheat bread.

In the morning, the string was visible. Mollie ate some more bread and, for added fiber, pumpkin mix. I took her for a walk and she pooped although she was clearly not comfortable.

I called our Vet and scheduled an appointment.

Mollie cheerfully entered the office. The string was getting longer. It took two assistants and the Vet to examine Mollie. The verdict was she had a string up her butt. Because she is not a "pull toy", the Vet cut off the visible rope and told me to give Mollie her regular food but add some pumpkin and whole wheat bread.

The Vet was confident that this too shall pass. The damage for the visit was only $37.

When we got home, Mollie wolfed down her food. I think she really enjoys the pumpkin.

With Thanksgiving only a few days away, we have another thing for which to give thanks.