Mohr Bouviers

Shakespeare’s Phantom Othello…aka…Othello…Otapotamus, Oti -O, Wookie, Moose, Woolly Bully , Bunnybear … OTIE!!

Never truly knew what to expect from a Bouvier but it is quite a ride! From the moment I got the phone call from Linda at about 7pm on a Thursday night nearly a year ago that Lola was giving birth – to the moment my daughter Chelsie picked him out because “the best dogs have big stupid heads” (and he does) …I have been in love.

Looking in Otie’s eyes is truly looking into a soul…especially because he has no issue looking right back at you. When you speak he is listening and watching…he is also quite vocal. I never taught him “to speak” but he has no issue speaking on a regular basis…with hmpfs and murrrrs and outright barks when HE feels you have done something to displeasure him…like leaving or putting him in his dreaded crate.

Otie is not a snuggler unless it is on HIS terms. Which means he may lean on you, lay on your pillows, sit so close to you he is either pushing you out of the seat or nearly sitting on the other side of you! He can be stingy with his kisses, but when he does kiss you it means a little more;) He is a “hugger”…when you walk in the door; if you are family, he will put his paws on your shoulders and rest his head on your shoulder and you MUST hug back or he will “yell at you.”

Otie is not a chow hound unless it is watermelon, ANYTHING you are putting in your mouth or perhaps something left defrosting on the countertop, or the cat’s food. He has a few best friends: Oliver, our friend’s golden, our mini horses, who I contend since they have a fall and are the same size, believe that Otie IS a mini horse and of course Freddie our “patio cat.”

Otie is incredibly smart; he has learned that he prefers “cold” water too tepid so he is pleased that we have provided lovely porcelain water bowls throughout the house and if we should close the lid, he has learned to open them. He is multilingual and can understand commands in French, German, Gaelic, Italian, English…and “mommy is mad.” He believes ALL teddy bears belong to him, NO bed should ever be made properly as the pillows should be everywhere and mud puddles are for bouncing in. He believes that Victoria Secret panties and small socks are appetizers, and much to our chagrin no matter how we try to prevent it has eaten well over $150.00 worth of lingerie.

Otie LOVES sticks and no walk or run can be done properly without finding just the RIGHT stick…and he will search and pick up and discard stick after stick until the PERFECT stick is found. You know it is right because he will turn around and literally smile and then prance ahead doing his bear/bunny/happy dog bounce. He lays on the ground with his feet out flat behind him in the best impression of a bear skin rug or on his back, feet in the air, in blissful deep sleep. He is both smart and brilliant at the same time. He recognizes his commands and knows exactly what to do…that makes him smart. What makes Otie brilliant is when he does his tricks in slooooow motion to make YOU wait just as long as he has too!

We are always asked “what type of dog is that”; with his black mask, and grey brindle, and we have a lot of fun answering: Ewok, Wookie, Bear, Mongolian Chihuahua. But what type of dog is he? THE best kind – a REAL Teddy Bear come to life – a brilliant companion, a comedic relief, a tender heart, a staunch protector…a Bouvier! The BEST kind – my Otie!

Before I started dating Paul, I had never even heard of a Bouvier. His parents’ 9 month-old Bouvier rescue named Calvin reminded me of some sort of Jim Henson puppet. And one that enjoyed hopping around and eating flip flops at that. Coming from a Lab household, I had a hard time accepting that this crazy fluffball was an actual dog!

About a year after Paul and I got married, I finally acquiesced to his pleas for a dog. Although I was hesitant to bring another Calvin (who, to his credit, has settled down a great deal in the past four years) into my life, Bouviers were the only dogs that seemed to fit all of our criteria: big, non-shedding, hypoallergenic, easy to train, etc. Some of our friends and family thought we were crazy to get a dog, and we heard more than once, “Don’t get a puppy! Just have a baby. They’re way easier.” Boy am I glad we did not listen to them!

Although we briefly considered a rescue like Calvin, we ultimately admitted that we really weren’t ready to take on a dog with “baggage,” and figured that for our first dog, we should probably start with a blank canvas. I researched a few different breeders in the area, but as soon as I stumbled upon the Mohr Bouviers website, I knew they were different. I spent an hour reading every single article (including their forthright and honest “Raising a Litter- Our Philosophy”), checking every single update, and gushing over every single picture in the picture galleries. I sent an email just to express my interest, but certainly did not expect to receive a phone call from Linda just a few days later!

Linda told us that we’d be put on a waiting list, but that they’d likely be having another litter in the Fall and could always check back then. As a teacher, I knew the summer would be the best time for us to bring home a new puppy, but I trusted that things would work out the way they were supposed to. Sure enough, we worked our way up the waiting list, and when I finally arrived at my first Puppy Play Date to meet the new litter, Linda informed me that we would not only be getting a puppy, but a little boy at that (which made Paul very happy!).

I am continually amazed at Linda and Karl’s ability to analyze the personalities of both puppies and humans. They knew that sensitive “Chandler” would be the perfect fit for our child-free (for now) household. They knew that he just needed an opportunity to come out of his shell, and that for whatever reason, Paul and I would be the ones to give him that opportunity. It seems silly to me now that I actually cried on the way home from one of our visits because I didn’t think that the newly re-named Grady liked me. If only I had known then that I would have to step over him at least eight times every time I cooked dinner because he is always at my feet!

I cannot even begin to express what a blessing Grady has been to our lives. His personality has truly blossomed into one that is incredibly outgoing and playful, while still maintaining his sweet and sensitive nature. When I open his crate door at 5:15 in the morning, the first thing he wants to do is crawl right into my lap to cuddle (and he no longer fits as well as he did a few months ago!). Sometimes it is a downright struggle to get him out the door for his walk! Leaving him every morning still breaks my heart, but pulling in the driveway and seeing his sweet little head resting on the windowsill puts it back together again. No matter how stressful my day was, his cheerful exuberance never ceases to lift my spirits.

I could probably fill a book with funny Grady stories, from the time he built himself a little “fort” out of fallen branches in the front yard, to the time he got into my knitting bag and redecorated the living room with yarn. He also loves to jump in the car and explore new places! Just this morning I took him to a local arboretum where he took off running and leaping over logs and streams. At one point he got running so fast that his little legs wiped out from under him and he barrel-rolled right into some branches. Before I could even ask, “Are you ok?” he stood up, covered in leaves, with a huge smile on his face, almost as if to say, “That was AWESOME!”

Needless to say, we could not even imagine our lives without Grady. Thanks to Karl and Linda and all of their encouragement and support, our little family is complete (for now!). We look forward to watching him grow along with our family and becoming the stately gentleman we know he will be. For now, we are just enjoying every entertaining moment of puppyhood.