12 Aug
Meet Mulder!
by Tea Nguyen
Some people might think I’m crazy for getting a dog but I couldn’t help it! Ever since my dad took my first dog away from me (7 years ago) because it pooped in the house, my broken heart had never healed. All throughout medical school, I wondered when a good time would be to get a dog but as the years rolled on by, there really was never a “good time.” So the heck with it, I’m going to live my life the way I want to. Here doggie, momma’s comin’ to get you!
My husband and I have been talking about the ideal dog for the past several years. We knew we wanted a mellow-tempered dog that is a people-pleaser. Someday, we hope to have children, so we wanted a non-aggressive, low-shedding cuddle-bug, because after all, a dog is a lifetime commitment so it had to be perfect. We found Mulder from a rescue group out here in Michigan and he couldn’t have been more perfect (he was already house trained!). The dog my dad took away from me was a black dog, and Mulder was a black dog, coincident? No, it was definitely fate.
When we first met Mulder he was in a crate and he seemed so obedient. The foster mom said his temperament was sweet and his energy level was low (how perfect for a routinely exhausted medical student, right?). After a long five minute talk with my husband, we adopted him. My life is now complete!
Mulder is a sweet little guy…but he is not low energy! This guy can run in circles in our apartment for long periods of time. He loves being outside and will dart out the door any chance he gets. Oh boy, he’s going to need some serious obedience training.
I got the dog whisperer Cesar Millan’s audio book called Cesar’s Way. He talks about dog psychology and what it takes to have an obedient dog. It’s such a fun listen to my morning commute to work. He says that dogs need a lot of exercise or else they act up by chewing on your furniture and other expensive things. They do that because they have a lot of energy reserve, not because they are getting back at you for leaving them home alone all day. They are meant to be active so Mulder doesn’t get to eat until he’s had a long day of play. He’s been more attentive to my commands now and knows I’m being very serious about his obedience training. Obedience training will make for a happy dog and dog owner.
Do you have suggestions on dog training or fun dog books to read?
Posted by Libby on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Hi Tea – I just wanted to say that I have both of Cesar’s first books (Cesar’s Way and Be the Pack Leader) and I learned so much from them! It sounds like you are being a great pack leader! I love to find people spreading the word that a dog NEEDS exercise – specifically walks. It’s amazing how eye opening it can be when you think about how crazy a person would get if they were left in the house all day with nothing to do and no way to get rid of their energy!
Great article:)
Libby
Posted by Kelli on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Tea – congrats on the new addition to your family! Dogs are great! I have a collie myself, she also has TONS of energy! I would also encourage you, when you can’t be home giving her exercise to give her toys that stimulate her mind, hidden treat toys. My collie has a blast with them, it keeps her busy trying to figure out how to get the treat out.
Also, this sounds stupid maybe, but one thing we learned when we trained Ryann, is that we not only have verbal, but also hand signal commands. When she gets older, or if something happened and she lost her hearing, we wouldn’t have to train her all over again, we could just use all of the hand signals that she already knows.
Best of luck with your new furry friend!
Posted by Barb on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Kudos to you and your spouse, Tea, for adopting a rescue dog! You might contact the Animal Rescue League, 262-9503, to learn about obedience classes for Mulder. He looks like a real sweetheart – enjoy!
Posted by webston.net on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Tea- Dogs are always good friend and the one you can trust all the way. Best of luck and take care of this cute one.
Posted by loudspeaker on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Tea- Dogs are always good friend and the one you can trust all the way.
Posted by infrared lamp on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Cute little dog, I saw the dog, I can not help their own excitement, and your words are very attractive.
Posted by Stacey on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Hi Tea, congrats on your new addition! He is such a cutie! I strongly recommend getting books from trainers who do positive reinforcement training-training that uses food/treats and toys as rewards. Victoria Stillwell and Karen Pryor are examples. I also recommend taking a basic obedience class. It’s a great learning experience and it will also strengthen your bond from participating in something together. Best wishes!
Posted by Courtney Tompkins on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Doggy daycares are also valuable for wearing off doggy energy when you are tight on schedule!
Posted by Courtney Tompkins on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Doggy daycares are also valuable for wearing off doggy energy when you are tight on schedule!
Posted by Seth Stevenson on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
This is a test.
Posted by Seth Stevenson on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
This is a test
Posted by Seth Stevenson on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
This is a test.
Posted by Des Moines University on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
This is another test.
Posted by Seth Stevenson on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
This is a 3rd reply.
Posted by Katie on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Thank you for rescuing a dog. I also like positive training methods, being a fan of Karen Pryor (clicker training). I adopt dogs from shelters and always take them to training classes. It helps me having assistance from a trainer and also gives my dog a lot of socialization and exposure to other dogs
Posted by Katie on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Thank you for rescuing a dog. I also like positive training methods, being a fan of Karen Pryor (clicker training). I adopt dogs from shelters and always take them to training classes. It helps me having assistance from a trainer and also gives my dog a lot of socialization and exposure to other dogs
Posted by Msn on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
very cute
Posted by Msn on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
very cute
Posted by Pbpari on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Dogs are great – when we first got ours it was almost a surprise what we were going to get because one of my coworker’s neighbor didn’t want him and I said sure I’ll take him without even knowing anything about dogs. What a great risk but it paid off big time. I got him when he was 6 months and he is now 13 yrs. He’s part of our family and so will Mulder be to you. I read many books but found Cesar Milan to be great – his DVDs are awesome. In terms of training programs, try secrets of dog training at http://www.havanesetraining.com/go/dog1.
Good luck
http://www.havanesetraining.com
Posted by Pbpari on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Dogs are great – when we first got ours it was almost a surprise what we were going to get because one of my coworker’s neighbor didn’t want him and I said sure I’ll take him without even knowing anything about dogs. What a great risk but it paid off big time. I got him when he was 6 months and he is now 13 yrs. He’s part of our family and so will Mulder be to you. I read many books but found Cesar Milan to be great – his DVDs are awesome. In terms of training programs, try secrets of dog training at http://www.havanesetraining.com/go/dog1.
Good luck
http://www.havanesetraining.com
Posted by Marc on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Mulder is really a beautiful dog. I love these type of dogs with long hair over their face. It was a good decision to take a trained dog as the task of handling it becomes more easy. I know it was mainly your decision to adopt a dog and I really appreciate the effort of giving shelter to a rescued dog.
Posted by Marc on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Mulder is really a beautiful dog. I love these type of dogs with long hair over their face. It was a good decision to take a trained dog as the task of handling it becomes more easy. I know it was mainly your decision to adopt a dog and I really appreciate the effort of giving shelter to a rescued dog.
Posted by xiaopywsp~ on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
nice post !!
Posted by xiaopywsp~ on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
nice post !!
Posted by RiVonn on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Such a cute one, your Mulder!
Take good care of your fluffy bundle of energy. I once rescued a collie puppy and managed to obedience train him quite easily. So enjoy yourself, stick to Cesar Milan and everything is going to be alright with your new friend. I also recommend you have a look at secrets to dog training. You can find a link on my site http://www.collieproblems.com
All the Best,
Ricky
Posted by RiVonn on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Such a cute one, your Mulder!
Take good care of your fluffy bundle of energy. I once rescued a collie puppy and managed to obedience train him quite easily. So enjoy yourself, stick to Cesar Milan and everything is going to be alright with your new friend. I also recommend you have a look at secrets to dog training. You can find a link on my site http://www.collieproblems.com
All the Best,
Ricky
Posted by Jake on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Hey, that’s great about your new dog. A site I found helpful with my dog was http://www.smalldogtraining101.com
There is a free ebook that is really great about all the issues you are talking about. I hope you find the site helpful like I did.
Posted by Jake on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
Hey, that’s great about your new dog. A site I found helpful with my dog was http://www.smalldogtraining101.com
There is a free ebook that is really great about all the issues you are talking about. I hope you find the site helpful like I did.
Posted by speed optimizer on 12.08.10 at 6:56 am
nice dog, me friend used to have a similar dog