the mojo monster

mojo’s been on a diet.
don’t tell her, but it’s really a lifestyle change forever thing. she’s not going back to the open bowl of kibble she once enjoyed.

montana jones (mojo) was our first dog. she came to live with us in 2003 when she was about 9 weeks old.
our only purebred - hot -off -the- press- from- the -breeder-samoyed.
she is fluffy, white, funny and gorgeous, inside and out.

well, she was gorgeous on the inside until we cut back her food. now she is a monster.

first of all, she feels better - her hips were diagnosed as moderately dysplastic. she used to whimper & sometimes cry just to stand. now, after losing 6 pounds and taking glucosamine for a year, she rips around the house barking and complaining and begging for food. if you haven’t lived with a nordic breed - their language is something to behold. wooo wooo ahhh ahhh hhha hhhha rahr arrrooooooo. sammies can chatter and complain nonstop for days when not happy.

i’m sure, like the rest of us, when she was heavier she didn’t feel like moving too much. now she walks around kicking us with a fuzzy forefoot- “feed me.”
kick kick “pet me.”
kick “feeeed meeeee.”
“hold this bone so i can chew it.” kick kick “RIGHT NOW.” she doesn’t even say “please.”

mojo grumps, huff and puffs nudges her empty bowl, flips it over, stomps her fuzzy feet, and harrumphs. grabs a toy, pokes somebody with it, and runs away begging for a chase. play growl, poke, play bow, poke, nudge, tease, tug, tug.

i do believe on several occasions she has created false distractions outside during meal time so that her siblings would run to the window to see what’s up. meanwhile, mojo can be found snacking out of everyone else’s dinner bowls.

it’s so awesome to see her so miserably active and happy, playing like a puppy and enjoying her life on her feet with a strong opinion about her lack of food rather than lying around chubby and in pain. i’ll take this lippy monster every day of the week.