Updated, December 11, 2020
We would like to welcome the newest member of our staff and family Mara-Mut. Her friends just call her Mara.
Mara joined our family/staff on December 19th, at 8 weeks of age. Mara is an Alaskan Malamute. She knows what big paws she has to fill, so she started right away, meeting people and other dogs and assisting in class on her second day. She hopes to attend public events as soon as she is fully vaccinated. Under the tutoring of her big brother Ranger and the guidance of her angel Enya, Mara hopes to be an effective enforcer in a few months.
Note to my new readers: On my first birthday, in keeping with Native American tradition, when a child (dog) becomes an adult, mom officially changed my name to Moira which means the “Mighty One” or “Princess”. Many of my friends still call me by my baby/puppy name of Mara, and that’s ok with me.
The Mara papers:
Miss Mara has decided in her spare time (between eating , playing and sleeping) she wants to be a blogger. Her mom, who has to translate from Malamute to human speech, asks her readers to be patient.
Day 1
I am outside playing with my three sisters, and these two humans walk over and watch us – like what? You never seen a puppy dunk his sisters’ heads in the water bowl before?! Next thing I know I am in a jail cell, strapped inside this noisy monster – and it’s moving. I start screaming. The female human— I have since learned her name is “mommy” — keeps telling me it’s ok. I just got swallowed by this huge metal monster and now it’s moving —it’s ok? Then the monster finally stops, I get let out of the jail cell, and carried into a building. At least that nightmare is over.
Wait, what is this game called? “Pass the puppy around!” Hey! Wait a minute! The puppy is me!
So pass the puppy is not so bad. A lot of hands, but a lot of snuggles, pets and kind voices. Now back in the moving monster. At least mommy person is sitting beside me now. More roaring and moving. We stop again.
Wow! Big open room, and open space – COOL!! What the…. It’s big, it’s black and white… It kinda of looks like me but a lot bigger. Its nose is in my face, and the nose is as big as my whole face-EEEKKKK! Wait a minute, there is two — no three, or four? — of those monster puppies all sticking their face in mine. I’ll go back in the belly of the moving metal monster!! Take me back please!
OK, so I finally learned that the big dogs are not going to kill me. Not to sure about this whole playing thing. It looks pretty rough and scary. Off to class with mom. This is pretty cool! Pass the puppy is major cool – lots of snuggles and belly rubs. Wait a minute. That is one very big (Newfoundland) nose in my face. Hey dude! Don’t open that mouth. I will disappear in it. Wait a minute … the Newfoundland is bowing to me. Wow!! I am a princess and he is bowing before me. I reach out and tap him on the forehead, accepting his sacrifice. My first sacrifice to the little malamute goddess. This is seriously fun. Next sacrifice.. You, little cattle dog, want a piece of me? Mom will lie you on your back and let me sit on your head — literally.
Life here is going to be so cool!!
Week 1:
Mom brought me downstairs to the basement. While hanging out in my playpen, I see this huge (ok, bigger than me) orange monster. It just keeps staring at me. Mom…Help! I start screaming (Mom says I sounded like a dying parrot), try to get out of my pen and under the sofa. That thing is going to eat me, I just know it.
At last, Mom comes to rescue me. Wait a minute, she is picking me up out of my pen and she has the monster in her other hand. No…don’t put it on the floor next to me. It is terrifying. Mommy person holds me on one side and the monster on the other.
At least it does not attack me. Mommy gives me a treat and pets me, reassuring me that this thing is not going to hurt me. Gradually, she brings us closer together. So far it hasn’t attached me, but I am still unsure.
Mommy says this thing is a cat – whatever that is – and that it is my brother Eddie. My brothers never looked like that. Ok, well, if I ignore it, it leaves me alone. “Just walk by and don’t look at it and you will be okay”.
Week 2:
First bath. Ranger told me how horrible this is. It is doggy water torture. Why would mommy person torture me?
Okay, into the shower, the water comes on…start screeching! Claw, scream and…wait a minute, this is not so bad. The water feels good and mommy is rubbing me.
Ranger lied to me. This is pretty cool. Mommy gets in the shower everyday, maybe I can join her and get more loving and feel good! (A bath monster has just been created)
Week 3
Mommy is taking me to the puppy-atrician. Sounds scary. So I get to ride in the car, pretty relaxing. Naptime.
When I wake up, we go into this building. Oh, this a vet office. This is where we play lots of pass (and pet ) the puppy. When can I come back ?
While at the doctor, I am in mom’ s arms, looking over the counter ledge. A small spaniel, not much bigger than me, climbs up and sticks his nose in my face. I growl. She stays in my face. I swat her on the head with my paw — “getting in faces is rude”.
The spaniel jumps down. “Mom, is that what an enforcer does? My angel Enya told me that’s what I am supposed to do with rude dogs”
Week 5
Back to doggy school. I met a new friend today, named Dax.
A hard day in school. Had to meet a weird hard-shelled cat (at least it hissed like one,) with scaly skin, in class today. I tried to paw at it and it hissed at me. Eddie taught me that sounds means sit down and don’t touch me. So, I did. The other puppies in class followed my lead and did the same. Mommy says the hard scaly cat is called a turtle — whatever that is. But I did leave it alone.
Then I went to socialization class. Here I am being a sweet polite little girl and not staring at the other dogs, and this little hairy dog named Poncho keeps barking and snarling at me. I play bow to him, and he still keeps doing the land shark thing at me. “Chill dude and enjoy life, It is just one big play game.” “Keep barking at me, you are half my size, I am going to stand over you and bark back. Not so brave now, are we?” Finally the little piranha on paws turns his head away, and surprise, surprise I return the favor and we are all good.
Of course Mr. Zeus who thinks he is a husky god has tried to lunge at me. Mommy told me to be brave and stand my ground. Zeus’s dad made him lie down and mommy held me over Zeus. Ahh a husky sacrifice to the growing Malamute princess. You would think he would get the picture after being sacrificed to a terrier and then Eddie; but the power of the Malamute finally got through that thick husky skull.