Introducing Mokume!

[feraloup]

We got our new puppy! He arrived late Monday night. He is awesome, I will give more info later, but my break is short and I know pictures will be a priority! *lol* I can do word posts from my phone but not multiple pic attachments.

We have named him Mokume" (As in, Mokume-gane, "wood-grain metal" sword making technique.) It fits with his coloration, which looks like some of the jewelry mokume seen these days, and its past as a sword art ties in with my martial arts background. (and also the tree and sword theme I've had going, I had a dog named, "Cedar" and Maiyou, which means "dancing leaves" is the name of a sword attack. A technique I'd learned at the martial arts seminar I was heading home from when I rescued her. Now Mokume, which means wood-grain, and is again, a sword tie-in.) It seemed fitting, both for his looks, and also, a nod to the fact that, like crafting a fine sword, training a fine dog requires time, patience, the right conditions, and a touch of artistry and soul. Also, like wielding a fine sword, one must take the time to bond with the blade, become familiar with it, an extension of oneself, and wield it with care.

His call name, for short, is "Moko" which also has a double-meaning! *lol* "ta-moko" is the name for the facial tattooing of Maori tribesmen... and he's got the stripey "tattooing" on his face!

There will be more pics to follow! Just haven't gotten them from phone to computer at work yet! (I hate not having a working computer at home!)

[Sugars Mom]

Awwww!

I just love the stripey patterns he has going on there on his face and back.

Congrats!

[katm4110]

Autumn he's adorable!! I bet your son is just loving him! You're totally giving me puppy fever over here too!

[leih merigian]

I LOVE his name and the whole explanation. And, what a doll!

I probably missed this somewhere along the way, but where is he from?

Wishing you all the best with him...l

[feraloup]

Thank you! We are loving him. He is bright, spunky, attentive, snuggly, quick to learn, and the devil all rolled into one! *lol* It's been sooooo long since I was around puppy-energy. As I said, Maiyou is 12, and both Cedar and Cory were older when I adopted them. (Cedar was still pup, 10mo, but not puppy-puppy, and Cory was 3yr.)

Thanks for the naming compliments! I didn't set out to follow a naming theme, but it's kinda worked out that way so now it's a thing.

Oh Laura, yes, my son is very, very excited! He's loving having a puppy. *chuckles*

You didn't miss it, Leigh, I didn't say, yet where I got him. *lol* My priority had been pictures (know how y'all are about your pictures! ) and work was busy and breaks short, (and most of break used letting Moko and Maiyou out for potty-break, Maiyou could go all day but Mokume can't yet.). Many times up with him the past few nights, have wanted to post about him but wanted to wait til I could add photos! *lol*

So, where he came from, don't hate me, but I did get him from Aachen. Lemme 'splain...

I had already begun talks with her before I found this forum, a Police Chief around hereabouts who does dog training classes on his own time, (I knew him both because I was in school w/his daughter years ago and because he partnered w/the dobie breeder I used to work for, they were old friends and he gave discounts on class prices to folks who had one of their pups,) mentioned he knew of them when I said I was thinking of getting a DS.

Thus far, my personal interactions with her by phone and email had been very positive, and so even after reading about some folks' less-than-stellar opinions here on the forum, and also other folks opinions on that kennel from working dog forum and other sources, I decided to take a calculated risk and follow through on what I'd started with her.

I am in no way negating or refuting anyone else's experiences, but I do also know that in any business, negative news travels fastest and loudest, and often the happy ones don't feel a need to talk about it as much.

She was very nice, and asked me lots of questions about what we were looking for in a dog and our family dynamic, and narrowed it down to 3 pups that she thought would be a good fit for us. She was also willing to do a partial barter on the price, which was a bonus. I have a great relationship and payment plan option with my vet, I won't take on an animal I can't well care for, but $1200, plus shipping, is a huge chunk of money to have to come up with, I am close to the bone and live paycheck to paycheck.
She liked my artwork and commissioned several hand-painted shell pendants from me, which she will give to friends and family as holiday gifts, and I will also be painting a portrait of one of her older studs for her. She said she's had many offers of barter before, that wouldn't really work for her, but what I had to offer spoke to her and she thought it worth the trade. This arrangement made the puppy attainable to me. She was sending continual video updates of him and called me the evening of his arrival to check in on how everything was going.

So, thus far, my experiences with this kennel can be counted among the positive outcomes.

I gotta run, not only am I underslept, and have to work today, but I'm also scrambling to do last-minute prep and arrangements for a craft show this weekend that I'm sharing a vendor's table at. Eek! New puppy, regular work, regular parenting, and craft show weekend all in a messy pile of "what's next? Where am I? What was I doing? Who am I?". *lol* promise another post later all about Mokume and his antics!

[feraloup]

(Sorry, Leih, just realized I added a "g" in your name where it doesn't belong! Trying to type too fast on tiny blackberry keypad! Doh!)

[leih merigian]

Oh man, I don't know how you do all that on a Blackberry to begin with!

Thanks for taking the time to give such a thorough explanation about where you got Moko. I hope he works out as well for you as the whole getting-him process did!

How you find the time to raise a baby DS is beyond me!!!

[vneerland]

I had wondered how you had managed to give a DS a name that is local slang for Amsterdam! (Mokum, without the e at the end) and thought it very clever of you.

[steph90]

I love the name. Very original. Good luck with your new addition!

[feraloup]

Oh man, I don't know how you do all that on a Blackberry to begin with!

Thanks for taking the time to give such a thorough explanation about where you got Moko. I hope he works out as well for you as the whole getting-him process did!

How you find the time to raise a baby DS is beyond me!!!

I don't have a working computer at home right now, and haven't been able to afford a new one (my old one, which was used when I bought it a decade ago, crashed about 2 years ago.) so the blackberry is all I've got. I've gotten fairly nimble with it, though I would like to have a real computer again, soon.

As for time to raise a baby, my schedule is fairly easy on me, I work one-on-one with high-needs kiddos at a school, so I'm on a school schedule, done work by 3pm, weekends off. I'll never get rich in this career, but enjoy the work and I make enough to just squeak by, financially, and I still have time to be a parent to my own child, take care of my animals and do my art. My fiancee's parents live only a few doors down from the school and they are letting me keep his crate there during the school day so I can go over twice a day on my breaks to let him out and play a little.

[feraloup]

I had wondered how you had managed to give a DS a name that is local slang for Amsterdam! (Mokum, without the e at the end) and thought it very clever of you.

Judith I love it!!! I'd love to claim that I am that clever, but nope, I was clueless to that additional connotation to his name! What a fun coincidence though! Thanks for telling me!

[johninny]

having got Mokume from a breeder, you probably have decently accurate expectations for how his personality will develop. but i have come to think that their looks are a good guide to that. and Mokume [ and my new this month SAKIMA ] remind me very very much of Tracedog. i have already seen how Saki is so much like TD in so many fine, obscure details and how my dark one is so different [ and so like others with same coat].
TD was supremely confident, calm, adventurous, and ANALYTICAL [ the last was astounding - tactical, strategic, problem-solving - better than most humans]. if i am right, your DS will blow away all expectations.
but do no harm. show him kindness and politeness; he may have a strong innate sense of such along with a belief in 'quid pro quo'. i know it sounds weird, but if i am right, you will want to be aware of the signs and want to retain, work with, and develop that sense.

[Geremy]

omg !!! so cute!!!