11/29/2025
✨ Milestone brag! Yay Mocha ✨
In July I was alerted to a young red heeler marked as a Red Alert at a local Shelter. He was set for Euthanasia and listed as highly aggressive and exhibiting severe stress. If you know me than you know ACDs are my breed of choice 🥰 for whatever reason this little one tore at my heartstrings. So off we went to bring Mr.Mocha home.
He was very stressed and very frightened. He was definitely at the bottom of the totem pole in the kennel of 5 dogs that he was in. His behavior could be considered aggressive by someone who was unused to this breed and their normal responses. However, to me he was just another heeler who was misdirecting his anxiety. And I was absolutely right. In addition to this no one at the shelter caught on to the fact that this lovely young boy is stone cold DEAF. Which only increased his anxiety when his kennel mates and handlers where changing daily of course. It is what it is, I don't blame the shelter they try, the attendants try, there's just to many dogs for them to really get to know any of them.
Over the last 5 months this little boy has blossomed from a terrified street dog to a wonderful family member. He is amazing on the ranch, with all the animals, the kids, all of it.
Tonight was a huge milestone for him though. I love to hike with my dogs but the first step to hiking is learning to walk on a leash and basic commands. More challenging with a deaf dog but very possible, just takes a bit longer sometimes. My old man Mickey came along to help with forward motion and it didn't take long for Mocha to figure out how to walk fluidly, heel when requested and sit at corners and wait for my signal.
His heightened sense of smell and his constant sight seeing will be our biggest hurdle. BUT this is a fantastic start and I am very proud of him.