Grouse Rouster's Moses

Grouse Rouster's Moses - a story with a very happy ending!

October 2006 Moses passes Delta Society evaluation and is now an official therapy dog! He got a 36/42; only 3 from class of 11 passed so he's really something! The evaluator commented a couple of times on how "bonded" we (Joy and Moses) were as a pair and couldn't get over the fact that we'd only been together for a year and 9 months. That made me feel really good. In her overall comments she said, "Moses is calm and outgoing, very social! Handler does an excellent job working as a team." Off the record she said he was so sweet and steady and biddable. She thought he was a very handsome specimen of a Spin--she's been around a few because she hunts and does trials.

Moses was whelped on September 4, 1999. His first family contacted us about 4 years later to say, much to their regret, they could no longer keep him. It was a difficult decision but they felt they had to give him up because it would be better for Moses. Of course, being one of our pups, we were more than willing to take him back and find a new home for him. Life does change for people sometimes, things that are beyond one's control. We are always here to help out if that should happen. We care about our pups and really want them to be in the right setting.

We had him for several months and finally placed him with a family. He was only there for a few weeks, when we received a call from them, telling us he wasn't working out. So back he came.

Poor Moses! We felt so badly for him. He is such a sweetie pie! We really wanted him to be happy somewhere soon. We then posted his picture on the website and as fate would have it, a woman from Madison saw it on the first day it was posted. She didn't waste any time calling and came to see him 2 days later. Well, to say the least, Joy was 'overjoyed' to team up with Moses. They just passed their 1 year anniversary in January! She is crazy about him and he, about her!

Here's what she writes about Moses:

Moses enjoying an ice cream cone.

Hi Mike and Marge,

For Moses' 6th birthday, I took him down to McDonald's and got him an ice cream cone. He was so darned excited, this was the only picture that wasn't completely blurred--once he realized what he was in for, he couldn't contain himself and was wriggling all over the place!

He continues to delight. He had a big weekend over Labor Day; we went home and he saw lots of family. He lives for people and excitement. He's the best-natured thing I've ever seen. He's so good around babies and children.

You must admit he really is the cutest spinone you've ever seen, isn't he?

Moses, with those beautiful eyes!

I was also going to email you on the 22nd of January because that was our first year anniversary! We were too busy celebrating so the day went by without my writing to thank you, once again, for such a wonderful guy. I love to just sit and watch him sleep. He is truly the best natured dog I've ever run across. My brother just got a basset hound puppy and they met for the first time this past Sunday. You should see them together--it's so cute! Moses recognized that this "dog" was different and he was so gentle with her. He melts my heart.

Here's another Moses incident from May 2006:

We had gone to Milwaukee and were on our way home when I spotted a sign for Retzer Nature Trail just off Hwy 18 in Waukesha. Well, I'm always looking for fun spots to take Mosie (he so loves to get out and "sniff" around!) so thought we'd go for a short walk. I pulled up and studied the sign to see what the rules were and didn't see any prohibitions for dogs so figured we were okay. We didn't even get started when Moses started sniffing around the base of a tree, then went into his typical soft point. He managed to flush out a bird who ran across the lawn with Moses in hot pursuit. Of course, he didn't listen to me at all but I figured he's soon lose interest when she flew away. They took off behind the nature center building and about one minute later, here comes Moses, trotting straight back to me with a live, female turkey in his mouth!!! He came straight to me with it, pleased as punch with himself and stood there waiting for further direction. A young boy was on the trail and witnessed the whole spectacle and was understandably upset by it (as was I). He was screaming and I was worried about what the fine would be for mutilation of a wild bird in a nature center. But lo and behold, Moses let go straight away and off she ran, none the worse for wear, save a few missing feathers! He tried chasing her again for a short way, but I was able to grab him and make him heal.

I decided that we'd overstayed our welcome (within five minutes!) and that we'd better go. I was making him heal back to the car when what should be coming straight at us than a Delafield Sheriff! I couldn't understand how somebody could have gotten law enforcement out there, in the country, in such a short period of time!! But he just waved and smiled at us as he rounded the parking lot--apparently, he was just making his "rounds"!

I really thought we'd pulled the whole thing off with great aplomb and without suspicion until I got him back to the car, only to discover a mouthful of telltale feathers dangling from the left side of his mouth! I don't know how the sheriff could have missed them.

I was so impressed with how soft-mouthed he is--he didn't hurt her at all (unless she went into shock out of sheer panic!) I was telling a guy (a hunter) today at work about it and was saying that I couldn't understand why she just didn't fly away when she easily could have. He explained that she was probably on her nest and females will stay on the ground in order to lure the predator away from the nest. I think that's really sweet! :)

So we always manage to find excitement of some sort or another. Mosie went through the ice a couple of months ago and I had to inch out on the ice to pull him out. I wasn't the least bit shaken up about it until we were both back on the shore--it's that "maternal instinct" that kicks in, I think--you don't think about the possible risk involved to you; you just know you have to do something!

So I'm convinced that I really must get Moses out to do some real hunting--not just sniffing around which is what we basically do all the time. I ran into a hunter at a DNR area just south of here a couple of months ago. He had his springer spaniel, "Millie", out and was working on commands with her so I hung out with him. Well, Moses responded to the whistles that Rick was giving Millie! That tells me that Moses must have had some training in his "former life", don't you think? I know he has good instinct but I'm thinking he must have had some formal training as well.

Joy