One of the most amazing Rover jobs I have had to date was the two-week gig I spent caring for this "beast"-- a pit bull by the name of "Moto Moto"-- in the Sandia mountains. Although totally different terrain, and having a very remote feel, this small community of Tijares is only a 25 minute drive up the mountain from Albuquerque. Furthermore, the drive is fairly scenic, and follows the historic route 66 (Although, sadly, a major interstate--route 40-- now usurps the quaint 66.) The beauty and charm of the pine forest and mountains is in stark contrast with the dry, brownish aspect of ABQ itself, and was a wonderful change of scenery for me. It is at 6300 feet, and as such, does get a modicum of snow in winter-- hence, the delightful, light snow fall I was graced with during my first couple of days up there.
As for Moto Moto (so named by the teenage son after the hippo character in the anime movie Madagascar), he was a force to be reckoned with! Only two years old, he indeed embodied the "terrible twos", as it were... pesky, needy, chewing on everything he could sink his strong teeth into, demanding constant attention, whining and barking if he didn't get it. If I threw him outside into the backyard, his noisiness got even worse! The ONLY true methods of keeping him quiet were either to entirely wear him out with a very long walk, or play date at the doggie day care in ABQ (which I was required to take him to a few times over the course of my stay). The other panacea was giving him a "Kong" and stuffing it with treats. OR, a fresh, very large, bone to gnaw on. In short, this dog was quite a handful!
However, the worst of it was always during the twice-daily walks. He would strain at his leash (although in a harness) with all his might, whenever he saw (or even heard!) another dog, squirrel, rabbit, or bird. It was all I could do to restrain him, and it is a miracle I didn't dislocate my shoulder or do any other such damage to myself! I would yell at him, yank him with all my might...all to no avail. Yes, a badly disciplined baby, indeed!
On the bright side, he was quite loving and affectionate when not being a total terror. His long, fat tongue longed to lavish me with his slobbery kisses, and he trailed me around the house like a little, forlorn puppy; quite incongruous for a 90 pound canine bull, constructed of solid, brutish muscle!
In sum, it was quite an adventure up there on the mountain, and the ending of it was bittersweet. Happily, the dog owners--Jonathan and Monica ---were MOST appreciative of all my hard work, and sent me a very generous tip. I did let them know--God help me!-- I would return to do it again!!!
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| Just having devoured the 2 gunea pigs and numerous squirrels, "The Beast" licks his chops with great satisfaction!!! Note the nefarious gleam in his eyes... |
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| Yes, the gorgeous mountain home was a dreamy castle in the woods... surely one of the nicest abodes I have ever had the priviledge to dog sit in! |
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I must say, Moto is a most photogenic dog, and I had a great time catching him in various poses. Of course he appears much scarier than he really is! He is a big baby at heart, truly speaking.
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| One of two guinea pigs, these guys were high maintenance as well! Sadly, they wouldn't tolerate handling, but they were cute. I had to clean their massive cage daily...I would never have believed how many poop pellets these little creatures can generate in a day! (Hundreds, I kid you not!!) |
The scenery in the vicinity of the Moto Moto home could not be beat... I never tired of photographing the environs, and during our evening walks, captured many magnificent sunsets.
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| The road near their home, on which Moto and I walked daily. Unfortunately, neighboring houses had dogs on the loose...this was the most aggravating factor for me, as they taunted Moto, who desperately wanted to get at them! NOT to fight with them, mind you, but to play.... but I could not let him off leash, for fear of never getting him back again! |
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| Yes, these colors are for real! The joy of mountainous New Mexican skies, to be sure! |
What a delight to wake up to a morning after a light dusting of snow! SO beautiful!
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| Moto, pooped out at last, reposes in his crate... and I finally get a modicum of respite! |
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