On February 26,2005 Casey and I were married. The next morning, as we were still sleeping a phone call woke us. A girl was calling to let us know her dog had puppies, if we still wanted one. The mother was a Chihuahua and was bred with a Chihuahua but she must have got out and mated with a Jack Russell down the street resulting in a mixed litter.
When the time came for us to go pick out out puppy we drove out and picked one of the mixed breed pups. We were living in Parowan at the time and we didn't want to leave him home by himself while he was still little so I would take him to work with me in the morning and Casey would pick him up in the morning after his classes and take him home.
Moco was very smart and was very quick to pick up new tricks. He learned to sit within 3 of the 5 chicken nuggets from Wendy's. He stayed, laid down, rolled over, spoke, played dead, played hide and seek, jumped through arms, jumped over baby gates, fetched balls and much more.
When he was a puppy he slept in need with us, at first between our pillows. When we got Lula he moved to sleep under the covers with me, then between Casey and I and then finally he slept with Casey only when he was cold at night.
Moco loved the snow. He would run around, bounding through it. He lived to catch and chase after snowballs. When we lived in Cedar City Casey and I would take him over to the soccer fields and run him around forever. We would play hide and seek, tag, fetch and he loved it. He also loved to play his and seek with dog treats; I would make him wait in one room and in another I would hide his treats and he would have to search them out.
Moco never seemed really find of Lula; when we got her she was a stray and snapped at him quite a bit and I think that he was wary around her after that. Despite that caution, they would chase each other around and wrestle, he would bathe her and he would defend her.
Moco was a fiercely loyal dog. If we were playing chase me with the dogs, he would protect Lula. If Casey and I were wrestling Moco would growl and bark at Casey. When Wes came along if we were chasing him and tickling him, Moco would growl at us as well.
On occasion I would go to bed without Casey being at home. Whenever it was, wherever we were living, Moco would lie down next to me/my side of the bed until Casey got home. Only then would he go to his bed and go to sleep.
I have never wanted him to suffer or be in pain and one of my biggest regrets in life thus far is knowing that he was alone and lost when he was hit by a car and that he suffered until we were able to see him. He didn't recognize us when we were in the room with him and I hate that we haf to put him down under those circumstances.
I know that we did the best we could for him that night and I know he's not suffering. But I miss my baby. Wes still asks for 'Coco' and I think Lula is starting to not look for him.
