The Adventures of Mookie the Mudi

Monday FUNday!  Well wait ... so was the rest of the week!  And we were glad for the weekend to stay home and catch up. We trained (which is really played) at Winchester Town Hall, Winnegamie Dog Club twice, Bonnie's where we met ducks, and Marble Park in Winneconne .  Since all play is training for something, we did a whole bunch of things!   Notes from Mookie's perspective: PLATFORMS are great and I do all sorts of stuff on them...  SITS and STANDS, TOUCHing mom's hand, making EYE CONTACT, FRONTS and even I walked BACK a few steps. And round disks are a fun challenge!  Ramps are cool...  they get me on a table to do stuff  she calls cooperative care but mom needed to block off the side so I wouldn't jump off. Mom calls them RECALLS...  there is a WHISTLE and she also calls my name.  And sometimes she has someone hold me which makes me run faster!! Sometimes it is so easy to work.  All I have to do it touch a little thing that smells really good and mom treats me.  S

 What a week!   So much he is learning and so much to do!  What a SMART puppy!  I try to go somewhere each day and this week we went to the Winnegamie Dog Club 3 times.  The building has 2 super sized rooms, several storage rooms, 4 bathrooms and a kitchen so Mookie had lots of new real estate to explore! The 1st time it was just 2 other dogs so he got to snoop around on his own to check things out.   The 2nd visit was for the drop in rally that I help with and there were lots of dogs and distractions.  He sat calmly in his crate with Jake by his side.  For those who knew Jake, it's almost hard to believe that he is a calming influence but age has mellowed him more than I could have ever imagined!!   The 3rd visit was during classes where I help.  Again, he sat quietly in his crate between Jake and 2 Aussies like it was something he has done forever!  And when students were gone, he checked out all the rooms again, this time very confidently!   We also went to Winchester Town Hall

 4 days and this is where we are... (from Mookie's perspective) Lunging on mom from the back and hanging on her leg doesn't work out well and she stops and takes me off. Jumping on mom and guests just gets me gently pushed off so I put my butt on the ground instead. Howling or barking in the crate doesn't get me out of it. Wearing a harness and GPS tracker isn't all that bad after you get used to it. Sleeping in to 6am is fine! I can never get to Jake so I might as well not try to crash through the soft crate he's in. Mom likes to toss things so I bring them back, even sticks I find in the yard. The food here is amazing especially the mackerel! Running all out in the wet grass in the morning feels really good.  Trucks, traffic noise or the vet, is no problem. Puppuccinos... I want more! It's not the end of the world to walk into a crate on my own. Sometimes mom throws food in the mat I rest on..  she calls it a snuffle mat.  I thought it was  a snuggle mat! Mom

So tracking will start slow and be a 3 season sport because there are way too many things I like to do that don't require that I train outside in a Wisconsin winter! My method is Schutzhund/IPO/IGP footprint tracking.  Here is some good info about that method and there is lots more available according to Google!  :) Basically, this info below is for me to keep a log of what I do with Mookie for future reference (in reverse order). 2022.6.30 Several tracks over the last few weeks - nothing special.  More interested in Scent Work than tracking so at this time not focused on it.  2022.6.7 Several 6 ft. tracks at home this week and did fine but not so much with distractions of dogs, birds, sheep and ducks!   2022.5.30 Scent pads with short track about 5x this week in 3 different locations. 2022.5.23 Scent pads at Winchester Town Hall in sandy dirt. 2022.5.20 Scent pads in grass in front yard.  Ditto next 2 days.  He seemed to get it.   

How it began What is a Mudi anyway? Bariguard Kennel Momma and Poppa Who is Mookie? (photos from Hungary) Puppy Videos from Hungary It pays to have thrift shops and friends with small dogs! It's really happening!  Hungary to Poland to Chicago

Yup!  May 11th!  It's really happening!   7:30 or so Mookie arrives at O'Hare in Chicago!  My friend Brenda who lives an hour from the airport and is really familiar with it will go with me so I'll pick her up on the way there!   So, in preparation...  I thought I would mow the training field which hasn't been mowed in several years since there was no dog to train there!  Now it looks like a field of mowed leaves and weeds (which it is) but I'm sure in a week it will be as green as the grass in the upper left of the photo!!   And now...  a word from Hungary.... May 10, 2022!   Mookie leaves Hungary on an airplane - Destination Warsaw Poland for a layover before the big flight!    May 11, 2022!  Mookie leaves Poland and arrives at O'Hare airport in Chicago at about 8pm!  At 9pm he is available for pickup along with 16 other dogs and 8 cats from Ukraine!!   What an adventure!  It was a super smooth process and many thanks go out to Aliz at Barigard Kenne l who ar

What is a Hungarian Mudi and what DO they do?       Follow along and you'll find out! The Mudi (pronounced “moody”)  is a herding dog breed from Hungary. It is closely related to the Puli and Pumi, from which it was separated in the 1930s. .  Mudis have a lifespan of 12-14 years with proper care.  Adult mudis are 14-18 inches and usually weigh around 18-29 lbs.   The mudi has a medium coat length and a curly coat type.  Mudis are born with various lengths of tails from bobtails to long full length tails. The Mudi is a very active breed. They will benefit from a large safe area where they can run free and benefit from a lot of running and other exercises to be in good condition. They love to play and will excel in all kinds of dog sports such as frisbee, agility, obedience, rally obedience, schutzhund, dock diving, scent work, flyball, tracking, and herding events.  For more information, remember that GOOGLE is your friend and you will find lots to read there about this amazing bree