MOTO

With Blitz out of commission I was desperate for an Obedience pup. When Elizabeth offered to breed her lovely "Heather" (Damask Celtic Mystic Morning NAJ) to Shiloh I was very excited. This would be the first time these two great herding lines came together. Erik fell in love with Heather when she stayed with us and her sweet demeanor was a perfect pairing to Shiloh's over-the-top temperament. Four puppies were born - sadly one was born dead, and another beautiful pup lingered for a few days and then passed. Breeding is HARD and losing a pup is more difficult than I ever imagined. My sorrow pales in comparison to what Elizabeth must have felt however. The two survivors were a male and a female. Since Elizabeth wanted to keep a female for future breeding purposes and I tend to do better with males the deal was done and the pups were named Belle and Moto.

Here's a picture of him when he came home at 10 weeks of age. What an adorable little puppy! He was a rubber stamp of his dad. I enjoyed having a healthy puppy and getting to do puppy things with him. Like his dad he was not quick to bond with me. Shelties overall are not instant bonders: it takes time to build up a rapport with them so I was not concerned with this. Unlike Shiloh, however, this dog loves food more than anything in life and ate with a ferocity and intensity that left me awestruck. I knew he was going to be oversized. As he grew some body parts would grow out of proportion with others. He became a Daschund at one point:

Yes, I took it from an angle that intensified the contrast, but still, he had one heckuva LONG back. Still does but it's more in sync with the rest of his body now. Then his ears grew, giving him a Helicopter Ears presence.

We had begun training but things weren't coming along as I expected. Hence the birth of this blog so I could track our progress.

Then, the car accident and everything changed. With nothing to do but rest and recover, it was then I discovered Moto's natural ability to read weakness and show gentleness. While I loved him before, it was during my recovery time that I discovered he would be my next Heart Dog. Those are big shoes to fill as Dusty is the love of my life but Moto seems up to the job.

We are still on our journey together and the road ahead is uncertain. But no matter which direction it will take I know I have a very special dog to hug and laugh with as long as we are on this earth together. Here is my favorite picture of him as it captures his personality:

He's just so darned happy he doesn't even notice the grass hanging from his mouth. That's my boy!