Moku's "Back to the Future" Wednesday!

Daily CHALLENGE & ACTiViTY Summary

Dog’s name: Moku

Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Physical Fitness

When we first arrived back at my place, we took a .8 mile-long pack walk around the neighborhood. Upon arriving home, Moku and I hopped on the treadmill for another half mile (at a slow but steady pace of 1.9 mph). Then Moku Swam. Later, we went through the rigmarole of Moku not wanting to get into the car. For some odd reason, we make it just fine in the morning, but then getting into the car in my driveway is still an issue. It literally takes five to seven minutes, usually, for him to get into the car. This includes several “failed attempts” – which, whether intentional or not – end up being akin to “squats”, or lunges. When we went to PetSmart, we consciously parked at the far end of the lot to add a few extra steps to our daily total.

I weighed Moku today, and also calculated his BMI. I am SO PROUD of the progress he (we ALL) have made! While it’s nearly impossible to get an exact reading on the scale, I took three readings (89.9, 91.6, and 91 lbs.), and took the average, which is 90.8 lbs! That means he is down 2 pounds since last month at this time! His BMI has also gone down, from 139 on September 23rd to 131 today. Anything over 111 is considered overweight, but 131 is better than 139! Very pleased that our successful trend toward health and fitness continues! Moku just looks good, too, these days. You can actually see a hint of a waistline! Such a handsome fella.

Cognitive Fitness

Today, we played the 3rd of 4 “Inferential Reasoning” games on Dognition.com. See video for more explanation of how the game works. But – just as he did last week – he seemed to really just favor that “right cup”! I think sometimes that he might not be “applying himself”, as we might say if Moku were in elementary school. I say this because instead of focusing on what I was doing (while moving treats into cups and pretending to move treats into other cups behind pieces of paper), Moku was, at times, falling asleep. I guess maybe I need to be a little more exciting? Or maybe I’ll try doing the cognitive exercises closer to the beginning of our day, rather than in the afternoon when he’s sleepy from all the morning activity.

We also worked on Moku’s self-control at the door (heading in to see Clancy and a whining Ginger just on the other side of the threshold). And, we worked on the STOP command throughout PetSmart. He was very excited at first, and understandably so – with all the other dogs milling around as prime distractions. But once we were headed back toward the exit, and away from other animals (besides the fish in their pretty tanks), he caught on and did it really well on several trials.

Social Fitness

Unfortunately, we didn’t participate in any big pack walks or otherwise interesting social scenarios today. Moku interacted with Clancy and Ginger, as usual, but there isn’t really anything else to report

Emotional Fitness

Moku seems to be going through an adolescent phase, as indicated by his newfound habit of whining and crying. He did a lot of this while still in his run (upon my picking him up). I simply stood there in the opening to the run, not saying anything or looking him in the eyes. I waited him out. Once he calmed down, I put his leash on and we started toward the car.

I continued that “energetic trend”, only moving forward (walking through the yard) when he was calm and not pulling, whining, or scratching. This afternoon, when we left my house (as I mentioned before), we had a trying time getting him into the car. I realize this is my fault; I need to change the context, move the car to a different location, and change my own mindset. Because what’s happening is that he and I are stuck in a collective rut. And – strange though it may seem to some – I recognize it as a fundamentally emotional rut for us both. He is being stubborn and defiant in RESPONSE to my getting frustrated and being impatient. And I am getting frustrated in RESPONSE to his defiance. It’s a vicious cycle. We will change it.

To quote Cesar Millan, “Our dogs are our mirrors, but do we dare look into their eyes and see our reflections?”

Primal Fitness

Pack walking and swimming comprised Moku’s primal exercises today.