Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 9, 1995 TAG: 9501200029
SECTION: NEWSFUN PAGE: NF-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: NANCY GLEINER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Sounds like a pretty unusual device, doesn't it? It also is covered with fur, is getting bigger by the day, and barks.
Noah's present was a golden retriever puppy, which he named Mohawk because a ridge of darker fur runs up his nose. Noah was hoping for a pet, but ``I was thinking about a lizard or something. I didn't think Mom would get me something that big.''
As Noah found out on his first night with Mohawk, pets, whatever their size, need lots of care and attention. Noah slept (or tried to) on a bean bag chair next to Mohawk's special crate, but the puppy's crying kept him awake until midnight.
``Then Mom took over, because I had to go to school the next day,'' Noah said. Mohawk was fine after that.
Having fun with a pet is only part of the deal; the other part is taking responsibility for its life.
Each day, before he leaves for school at Bent Mountain Elementary in Roanoke County, Noah has to let his puppy out to go to the bathroom, feed him and make sure he has plenty of water. After school, he gives Mohawk some exercise and, of course, love and attention.
From the first day, Noah, with some help from his parents, has been responsible for taking care of and helping to train Mohawk. Noah taught him to sleep in the dog crate at night, and now the puppy goes right in and sleeps there even when the door is open. It's become his special place.
Noah helped teach Mohawk to go to the bathroom outdoors. ``He got the hang of it pretty quickly,'' Noah said. ``Sometimes, he still makes a mistake, though.''
He also taught Mohawk to come when called. ``I'd have a treat in my pocket,'' Noah said, ``and not be very far away. If Mohawk came when I called him, I'd give me a treat. Then, I'd move farther away and do the same thing. Now, he doesn't need treats very often.''
Sometimes Mohawk does wander off and Noah and his mom search for him in the woods surrounding their house. Sometimes he doesn't come when Noah calls him, but ``he looks at me like 'Why don't you just come and get me?,''' Noah said.
Sometimes when Mohawk doesn't listen, Noah yells at him. ``The hardest thing has been to learn not to lose my temper,'' Noah said, ``and to be kind to him. When I was younger, sometimes I wasn't kind to our malamute, Cloud.''
Noah read a book about training puppies and, when Mohawk was 12 weeks old, he and his mom started taking him to ''puppy kindergarten,'' a beginning class in learning how to build a relationship with your puppy, taught by Canine Consultants.
There are three important parts in living with and training a dog: trust, communication and partnership. The class also teaches basic commands, such as sit, come and down. When puppies are a little older, they're ready for the next level of training.
``We took him to puppy class so he'd learn his manners, like not jumping on you and not biting,'' Noah said, ``and so he could learn to be around other dogs.''
Mohawk is already Noah's second best friend, runner-up to his best human friend, Tyler.
``It's really nice to have a living thing you can play with that's not human,'' Noah said. ``I think it's a good idea for kids to have pets if they care take of them.''
``I'm having a great time with Mohawk,'' Noah said.
NewsFun will check in with Noah and Mohawk in the late spring to see how their relationship and training are going - and to see how much Mohawk has grown.
by CNB