Moose, of ReJoyce Whippets

Moose flew to Texas in December 2005 to live with Gayle and Corvin Alstot of Houston. Gayle says "Moose is a hit everywhere he goes. He's so confident, and so absolutely, effortlessly charming. He's the easiest dog we've ever had... Everyone adores him, (friends) commented about how quickly he became a member of the pack with the dogs at work. He arrived so well socialized and so incredibly sociable. The one thing that truly mattered to both of us was temperament, and Moose's just shines like a diamond!"

About Moose's first day in his new home, Gayle wrote, "When we got home, I carried him into the bedroom to release Tigger. As soon as she saw him, she let out a shriek. She jumped and leaped at him until we got to the back door. I put him down, and she immediately bowed, with lower body down and bottom up, tail wagging madly. Moose leapt squarely on her head, she rolled over and play-nipped him. Then they chased each other around the yard for about 30 minutes. She hasn't gone more than 2 feet away from him since we got home. I had to put Moose in his crate for 15-20 minutes while I unloaded my car. When I got back, Tigger had curled up next to his crate door and was murmuring and licking at him through the bars. Judy, our trainer, said that Tigger would be especially unhappy without another dog, since she's never been an only dog, but only today did I realize just how unhappy she's been. She's acting like a puppy again."

Moose (left) and his new friend, Tigger
(who is just plumb tuckered out, from trying to keep up with the Mooseman!)

"We love him. He's perfect. We've never had a puppy that didn't shake and wail for the first few hours with us. He is so mellow and so much fun. We love how he tries to scratch at his collar and run at the same time. He doesn't really pull it off, and he looks so surprised when he falls over. He's fascinated with fallen leaves. He's chased them all over the lawn, biting them, chewing them, jumping on them, etc."

From Gayle's January 27, 2006 update: "Every Thursday through Saturday, Moose goes to work with me. The first hour is spent walking with his work friends, Audrey, Murphy, and Max, all of whom are aging and short-tempered. In true Moose fashion, he refuses to acknowledge that they might not adore him. They will eventually have no recourse but to love him as much as all his human friends do. They're doing a pretty good job of resisting at the moment, though. Moose likes to put a paw on the window of the door to greet all arriving customers. It's so totally cute! He's got a very high awwww factor. Everyone calls him Moosie now."

"Moose has taken to sleeping in Tigger's crate most of the night. He only crawls on the bed at about 5:30 am to finish his sleep. Tigger tends to kick him out about that time. He hates his own crate, still. I think he's just going to scream for the rest of his life."

Moose wasn't always so big.
Here he is with ReJoyce's 4-pound puppy trainer / show Chihuahua, Elliott.

"He's continuing to grow, including his giant lasso of a tail and his tree trunk legs. He's really, really gorgeous, although he's a big, clumsy galoot of an adolescent. He was out trotting on his walk yesterday morning, when he realized that the clients and dealer across the street were watching and talking about him. He got even prancier. Again, so totally cute."

"He's currently eating us all out of house and home, both here and at work. Murphy is a blind, 9 year old toy poodle. Moose actually licks the food out of her mouth before she can chew it. She whimpers a little whenever he's around, especially at meal or snack times."

"Every morning during Moose's walk, one of (the shop's) neighbors makes eyes at Moose and plays with him. Today she said that she and her husband haven't had the heart to get another dog for the last few years, but they've decided that they want one just like Moosie McMooster (which is his Scottish name, by the way. He's Moosito in Spanish, Moosimo in Italian, Le Grande Mooses in French, Moosie Nach Moose in Irish/Celtic, Moosevitch in Russian, Moosus Maximus in Latin, and Igbay Oosemay in Pig Latin, but I digress)."

"I know you don't plan to rush Phoebe to another breeding, but when you do decide to breed again, could you let us know. I think we're going to need another little boy around the house. I may never get a little girl again. The boys are just so goofy and open-hearted. I'd really like another Phoebe/Casey puppy if you're trying that again. This is just a charmed, magical litter if Moose is any representation." (Many thanks, Gayle -- we think so too!)