# Hobgoblin



## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

I have been a little uncertain about posting the new man here. I guess I'm a little gun shy since "Nubby Butt" didn't work out (still very sad about that). I was heartbroken when he had to go back to the shelter, though our shelter has changed considerably since the old days. It is large, clean, has a big kitty colony, two doggy courtyards for exercise and greeting in, they actually do vet care and are almost no kill with sponsorships and rescues pitching in (which is huge considering the pet overpopulation problem in our area). When "Nubby" had to be returned we were given a credit towards adopting another animal.  I wasn't sure I wanted to do it. I listed all the reasons it was a bad time plus the experience of having to return a dog. It just seemed so daunting. Hubby insisted we could always adopt a little puppy. I wasn't sure I was on board for a new puppy with our crew. 

Anyway, he and the boys convinced me it wouldn't hurt to go look on Saturday (cause I can just look at dogs...yeah....), with all of the adopting a dog frees up room in the shelter and saves a life...blah, blah, blah. 

This is what happened.











He is listed as a Dobie mix, anywhere between 5-8 months (the vet records from last month say 4months, the shelter says 6-8months so who knows for sure). He was 45lbs last week and he is super skinny. I can count all of his bones and see the top of his tail. The dogs love him, Freyja is a little iffy (she's sort of jealous of the attention) but his play style meshes with theirs much better. He was a little much for the little dogs, he barks at them if they don't play, but now Dove thinks he is just the best thing ever. He does bark at Hallow but it is the same as he barks at the little dogs, he is trying to make her come play, she doesn't think he is funny and swats at him, then he runs away. The past two days we have done training with him working on sitting next to her and her getting cheese for sitting near him. They can be very close with no issues so I think they will be fine. He does like to chase if she runs but so do Remus, Freyja and Dove, I don't get the impression he would hurt her as he has very loose, playful body language while he does it and when he has been close and she hissed he backed off or just barked and bowed. He does have a humping issued (he was sponsored and neutered at the shelter but yeah, still a humper) Remus doesn't correct him so I have to keep calling him away. He also is not housebroken and pees more often than I thought possible. He pees every 10minutes. I rush him outside a lot. 

Training is going well. He is super food motivated, maybe a bit too much. He will wolf down food in seconds so I may have to invest in a slow feeder. He learned sit the first day, he is doing well on down, and leave it (naturally with the food obsession that was one we needed to work on). We are also working on boundaries and just general house manners. I don't think he lived in a house before. Things surprise him but he doesn't seem afraid just curious. He has picked up leash walking quickly, he just walks at my side nicely. He does get excited seeing people and other dogs and he eats bugs (we walk at night because it is so hot). He barked at my neighbor last night so we will have to work on that. He had never been reactive to people at the shelter so I don't know if it is a new stage or has to do with settling into a home/wanting to protect me. He has become very attached to me. 

He is about 45lbs now and the same height as Freyja. No idea if he will get huge or stay on the smaller side. His ears are natural, I'm thinking Dobie x shepherd as he has some grey/tan mixed down his shoulders that looks very shedherdy (making that a word LOL). He also will sometimes stand just like a shepherd or run like one but most of the time he reminds me of a dobie. He has the softest thinnest fur on his face and paws but the rest of his coat is coarse like Duke's and his body build is like a Dobie. I do think he could stand some weight but I don't know that he needs a ton. I decided to call him Hobgoblin, Hobs for short. 

Sorry about the novel, he is just so much fun and I wanted to share him.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

He's beautiful! Very dobie to me, and I could buy GSD in the mix. In which case, the barking at strangers is breed instinct that can be worked with rather than a temperament flaw. Usually, with both dobies and GSDs, if you acknowledge what they're alert barking at, they stop. Obviously, puppies can be pains about it, but adults naturally are good about that.

My grandfather had dobies his whole life. He always said that dobies are sensitive, smart dogs who hold grudges and know where you sleep, so think really hard before you raise your hand or your voice to them.


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## BellaPup (Jul 7, 2007)

What a cutie - lookit them EARS!!!!! I always wondered what a dobie/GSD would look like.  

Congrats on the new family member! Keep us updated :becky:


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

He's gorgeous and he sounds amazing.


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

He is absolutely gorgeous. Congratulations on the new addition.


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## luv mi pets (Feb 5, 2012)

Hahahahaha. I did not think that for a moment that credit would go to waste. You should not have been afraid to post about him. We are such enablers around here. I know Nubby Butt did not work out but you tried and gave him a chance. You have to consider the safety of the animals that already live in the house when you bring in a newbie. The humping could be insecurities or excitement and might reduce drastically he feels more at home. or we can just hope it does 

when I saw the first pic, I thought OMG she got herself a kelpie and I am jealous! Defiantly see Doberman in him the other half or quarters, so many to choose from. He looks like he will be an 80 to 90 pounder. hard to tell from the photos. Great looking dog.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! I love his ears!! And his everything! He is so cute, congrats 

Call me crazy, I wanna say I see bull terrier in there. Like the functional kind, not the mini stubby weird show kind. I know he's way bigger than an EBT. Maybe a grandparent... maybe I'm just crazy.


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

I love his ears. I love big perk ears. It is that and the grey/tan mixed on his neck and shoulders that make me think shepherd is in there somewhere. He looks a lot like the Dobie X GSD my friend had when we were younger. 

Amaryllis, He seems sensitive but not overly soft if that makes sense. Freyja shuts down if you don't treat her every time she offers a behavior, even if that wasn't what you were requesting, he isn't like that at all. I do have "mommy voice" but not yelling so much as just the big serious voice. Of course I also baby talk about half the time with the animals (more the cat than the dogs, she's my stinky face). He has been super for training with the clicker and some basic body blocking "be the tree" when he gets too wound up and in to personal space or on things. I've done some tethering him to me to keep him out of stuff or keep him from having accidents since he really is just a big baby who I don't think has ever lived in a house before. He learns super fast. I am on the fence about barking at people. Obviously I don't want him barking at my neighbor, I like him. However I walk and skate late at night and having him just makes me feel a little safer (he just looks "scarey") like Duke always has. Duke was my skating buddy when he was well and I think Hobbs will be good for it when he is old enough. However barking at everyone wouldn't be ideal either. Tonight we passed a teenaged couple and he ignored them so I guess we'll watch it and see how it progresses. 







I wanted to get some pictures of Freyja and Hobgoblin together but Freyja was unimpressed. The truth is Freyja will only hold a sit for about 5seconds before she slips into a down, she is lazy. She is also still a bit less than thrilled with Hobbs, but they got up to some good playing today. I wanted to do an outside shoot but it is hot and Hobbs doesn't like playing outside. He won't leave my side, just follows me around. I was going to work on recall but he doesn't leave. I actually kind of love it. He's been great.

I was most nervous to post for the first few days because I just couldn't feel confident after "Mr. Nubby". I kept watching him interact with the little dogs and looking at the cat and trying to decide if it was going to be ok or not. He is doing so well though. He still barks at Blue some, she just won't play and she is a bit off on doggie social graces (she makes a lot of eye contact, I think it is unsettling for some dogs). She just ignores him so he wanders away. He is interested in the cat but he can sit on opposite sides of the gate from her and take treats while she eats cheese with no issues and he has stopped barking at her (as long as she doesn't hiss and swat him which seems fair). He doesn't even chase her if she walks slowly and he has something better to do like chew a toy. 

He has just been a lot of fun to train because he picks things up fast and wants to do things for me. I think it is the wanting to work as a team that Remus is missing and the slightly harder temperament than Freyja. He is definitely sensitive but not quite so soft. His temperament sort of reminds me of an AB or pitbull but not nearly as energetic (as a pittie anyway). He is very tuned in and super food driven. We've been working hard and his self control is getting much better. He has a leave it now and he can walk past a food bowl sitting on the hearth without jumping up and emptying it. I did buy a kong for his evening meals though, didn't want him to choke. It also seemed like something nice to put him to bed with. His morning meals are all training sessions. His walking is amazing. I've never had a dog learn to loose leash walk so fast. He's getting better about the humping. Remus doesn't correct him but either he is getting over whatever made him do it or the constant redirection I've been doing has worked. I just call him to me whenever he does it. The big hang up has been housebreaking. He is getting it but he needs to pee every 10minutes or so. It is like an 8week old puppy. I am not sure if we are looking at marking or more that he never lived in a house so he has no idea about holding it. He does not go in a crate (he is excellent in a crate) so I don't think it is that he can't hold it, more he doesn't. Hoping he catches on to that soon. I've written a ton again, I am just loving this dog and how well he fits what I was looking for.

ETA: Sibe, I don't think you are crazy at all, sometimes when I look at him I see something bully in there and bull terrier is one of the things I see. We have a population of bull terriers around here and they are the athletic variety (you see them run agility) and considerably less extreme. His personality is towards the bully side but then the dobie x GSD I knew was bully like and 90lbs of dog (super tall and lean). I can't wait to see how big he winds up.


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## Rowdy (Sep 2, 2007)

Love, love, love all those ears!

I'm glad he's working out for you.


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## Perrin (Feb 7, 2014)

very beautiful and it sounds like the addition is going very well!


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## momtolabs (May 27, 2012)

Gorgeous dog!!


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## JeJo (Jul 29, 2013)

Congratulations! Hobs is a handsome pup and sounds like he will be a far better fit for your crew. And that's what's important, a proper fit where the entire fam can be safe, be happy and thrive. I'm glad you decided to share Hobs with us after all (we *do* understand) and look forward to many Hobgoblin posts and pics to come! Enjoy him (sans guilt!) and thanks for sharing him with us!


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

Sorry the pics aren't better, he sort of always does the same thing when I take pictures of him. He is such a good boy he just sits. 

Hobgoblin had his first trip to the pet store, and acquired a new harness while there. It is really pretty plain but it has a ring on the front so I can use it as a "no pull" if I want and I liked the color on him. I swear it is so bright it practically glows in the dark. He was so good at the pet shop, no barking or misbehavior. He was excited and pulled some of course, he's only been in training for a week (I doubt he had any kind of training before we adopted him). He was able to sit, down and watch me even in the store and he greeted people and other dogs politely (no jumping or anything else concerning). He was able to pick out a toy which he and Freyja promptly destroyed. 

I put the new harness on him for his walk last night, he didn't even miss a beat his walking was just as nice. I may try it out as a "normal" harness vs clipping the leash to the front when I walk him tonight. He follows me around the back yard still, he will play fetch or sniff at something but he runs right back to check in constantly. So far he has learned sit, down/stay, leave it, watch me, touch, circle, stand, go potty, and get it. I need to figure out how to teach him "target" he doesn't like to touch things with his feet.


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## CandyLeopard (Oct 14, 2013)

I looooove him soo much! I want him! 
It sounds like he's doing really great so far! That's awesome


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## d_ray (Nov 5, 2013)

I don't know how I missed this. So happy for you! What a cutie. LOVE the ears! I love dobies so much!!!! He sounds like a great guy.


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## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

Sooo handsome!!! Glad you found him


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

I have always wanted a Doberman, he is everything I hoped for. A little food obsessed and still a work in progress on house manners but he is just doing so well learning everything I want to teach him. 


Made him a collar


it is so hard to get a picture of him not sitting like this


so I put him in a down


on his mat next to the couch, he is trying to get to my feet. He loves to lay on my feet.


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## pinksand (Dec 11, 2013)

Aw, he sounds like such a perfect fit for you! He's such a handsome dog and I love his new collar


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

We have a Hot Air Balloon Festival locally. I have been going since I was a little kid and I've been taking my boys since they were born. It is pretty busy with vendor booths, live music, food, and of course the hot air balloons. I decided to take Hobs along, he has done so well with everything we have thrown at him so far and I figured if he didn't cope with the vendor area then he and I could just sit in the grass to watch the balloons and we could all do vendors tomorrow sometime. I am just going to say for probably the millionth time how much I love this dog. He has so far exceeded all of my expectations for him. I have only been working with him for about 2 weeks after he was found as a stray, then lived at the shelter, obviously had no prior training. He was able to walk around the crowded grounds with me, not in a perfect heel but pretty close. When I stopped he sat. He didn't bother any of the people walking around him, the noises didn't spook him (and there were tons of odd noises out there), none of the surfaces threw him off. He was completely focused on me, what I was saying and of course the food I was carrying. We got so many compliments on him, not just how pretty he is (though that too) but how well he behaved. I was able to talk to several people about how he was just 6months old, recently adopted and talk up the shelter and their "clear the shelter event" tomorrow. He was a great ambassador for shelter pets. Plenty of little kids stopped and petted him, most asked first but at least one little one escaped and grabbed him or bumped him (everyone was so packed together at some points that he did get jostled by people some, he never responded at all, just moved closer to me) he never even noticed them. When little kids asked to pet him he would greet them politely and allow them to pet his ears and back. He was so good. I'm very proud of him. 

Enough bragging, how about some pictures. 


getting some water


what's happening out here?


faces


derp!

EXTRA:


because balloons are cool


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Love the collar! He looks good in bright neon colors. Extra balloon pics are awesome


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

We love the balloon festival, the boys look forward to it every year. Unfortunately we were only able to go Friday night, the rest of the weekend was rained out. My youngest really wanted to see the Wiener Dog Races on Sunday morning but it stormed super bad. The weather here has been crazy, it almost never rains in the summer. 







I made a quick fleece tug toy. Hobs approves. Dove wanted to get in on play time too. They love playing together, it is really funny when they play "bitey face" but it gets loud. They are both pretty vocal, not with the howling/yodeling like Freyja and Remus but with all kinds of yipping and growling sounds (all play noises, just loud). They get me every time, particularly when Hobs rolls around on the floor and Dove jumps on him. 

Hubby went to the skate park for Derby practice and the kids, Hobs and I tagged along. I did discover that Hobs is afraid of the sound of skate boards, we will need to work on that. So we spent about an hour walking around the ball fields working on turns at heel, walking on bleachers (he has never seen them before) and walking without a leash (I just dropped him and had him drag it). Then I decided to take him into the dog park for a bit since we still needed to kill time and the kids were getting bored. The city built all of the parks about 2 years ago, skate park, ball fields and dog parks (on for small dogs one for large) together next to the new city shelter. It is all really nice. Hobs did great at the dog park, seemed to really enjoy it. He made some friends, checked in routinely and always returned when I called. Next time I will remember mosquito repellent though, it was bad. I will also try to make sure he drinks less water. Despite peeing at the park, as soon as we got home and 10minutes later he still managed to have two accidents in the house within 30 minutes of getting home. We are so close to house trained, he just needs to work on control. 

I noticed some bumps on his stomach and he started chewing on his feet. Looks like hot spots/some sort of allergy. Just to be safe I flea treated him (because of the bumps on his stomach though I have not seen any fleas). He did not have this when we adopted him and I am wondering if it isn't a grass allergy. The shelter has astro turf, not grass. I suppose it could be a food sensitivity but between living as a stray and then at the shelter if he had food allergies I would have thought they would have shown before now (not like he was on LID foods or premium kibble). He also doesn't seem to be having tummy issues. Hubby is out of town for a few more days for Derby so it will have to wait (I don't drive). It is just the skin irritation so I'm not too worried. I figure allergy pills, maybe a therapeutic bath, and he should be cleared right up. I admit the weeds in our yard have gotten pretty bad because of the weather lately. 

Anyway...

His new tag arrived. It glows in the Dark! LOL


So I made a collar to go with it. I've become obsessed with making him collars. 


More sleeping time. He loves his mat.


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## BostonBullMama (Apr 20, 2013)

Love your halloween-themed collar! Where did you get a glow tag?


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## momtolabs (May 27, 2012)

Great pics  who is the little white dog trying to play too?? Adorable little thing!!


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

BostonBullMama, I found it on Amazon. I have been hunting everywhere for a tag shaped like a pumpkin or something similar for him. http://www.amazon.com/Pet-ID-Tag-en...=1408937924&sr=8-9&keywords=halloween+dog+tag 

momtolabs, that is my youngest son's girl Dove. She is 7lbs of pure trouble, we call her the wonder mop. She is half poodle and half chihuahua. He is hoping to do 4h with her this year, probably agility. She has some fear issues though, we adopted her off of CL and her first family didn't really socialize her at all. She has energy for days, is quick to learn and loves to snuggle though so I am hopeful. She is just completing a basic obedience class this week and she did decently.


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## kellykel70 (Aug 8, 2014)

Looks like you got yourself a watchdog! All your dogs are adorable! congrats on your newest family member


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## momtolabs (May 27, 2012)

4-H is really really fun!! I enjoyed dog dog Obed sadly Bentley did not  I would make sure to let the instructor know she is shy. A lot of kids take the class and let there dogs(that have DA issues) go up to any dog. So if you let the instructors know they should put him by someone with a calmer dog ad know what tere doing  at least my instructors did! Well Bentley was the calm dog so we had reactive dogs near us which took the fun out of it for Bentley  but the dog didnt like people either and just shouldn't of been there(te dog I was by not bent)


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

momtolabs said:


> 4-H is really really fun!! I enjoyed dog dog Obed sadly Bentley did not  I would make sure to let the instructor know she is shy. A lot of kids take the class and let there dogs(that have DA issues) go up to any dog. So if you let the instructors know they should put him by someone with a calmer dog ad know what tere doing  at least my instructors did! Well Bentley was the calm dog so we had reactive dogs near us which took the fun out of it for Bentley  but the dog didnt like people either and just shouldn't of been there(te dog I was by not bent)
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


She has decided that she likes people now luckily. She runs up to them to solicit pets and food. Occasionally she still barks from far away but when she gets close she is friendly. She seems to like other dogs she is just really socially inept. Last week she was finally able to make friends with one of the other dogs at her obedience class. He is calm and super dog friendly (according to his owner he loves all girl dogs so that probably doesn't hurt). Her problem is that she is nervous so she always approaches with a lot of bluster and snapping, when the other dog doesn't hurt her then she can make friends. Of course a lot of dogs won't put up with that sort of greeting and not many people want their dog growled and barked at even though she isn't really biting (she sounds awful, and she does that poodle mouthy thing) which I can understand. I hope to hear back about the dog project with our local 4H soon. I will be sure to talk to the instructors about her. He has been so excited to do this.


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

I have been terrible about posting to this. 



What is in the box?




mmm box of goodies

I decided to have some fun and let Hobs try to open the box with the new Nylabones. I think he had almost as much fun with the box as with what was inside.


this was also in the box


and this is how we keep Hobs busy for half an hour. It is a bit loud on the floor but he sure does love it. 

I am actually begining to wonder if he isn't a bit younger than we thought he was. The vet papers said 4-6months, the shelter papers said 6-8months (the vet papers were from 2 days before we adopted him when his neuter was done). I just guessed at 6months. He has some behaviors, a difficult time holding urine which seems more in line with a younger dog (he holds it fine in a crate but not loose and you can tell he knows he should, he just goes a tiny bit like he is trying hard to hold it) and some of his teeth still look like puppy teeth. He is 23inches tall now and 41lbs. I think he needs to put on a bit of weight though.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

My dogs really like the Kibble Nibble. Weak plastic and they're starting to chew the purple rubber off, so not the sturdiest and I have to keep one ear/eye on them to make sure it doesn't get ruined. I just ordered a Bob A Lot, Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball which is soft rubber and quiet on hard floors, and Ethical Contempo Tessa Food and Treat Dispenser. Been borrowing the Bob A Lot from a friend to see how mine like it (they love it) and that thing is indestructible.


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

The problem I have been having so far with the kibble nibble is he can unscrew it in 2-5minutes so I am jumping up to make sure it is still securely closed every few seconds it seems. Once he gets it open he just stares at it because we did so much "leave it" training with giant jack pots of food but then I have to clean up the mess. I was wondering how long it was going to hold up to him as he does chomp on it and sometimes it sounds like it might crack. Freyja and Dove play with Starkmark treat balls (which are soft and quiet) but when I gave it to Hobs he would pick the whole thing up in his mouth and crunch away at it which was causing the kibble to break into a powder and fall out. Really messy and I was afraid he was going to tear it up. He has destroyed several rubber balls in the past couple of weeks. I was looking at the Bob A lot and Ethical Contempo trying to decide which was the best bet for him for next. If the Bob A Lot holds up well I will try that one. Is there a certain size kibble that fits it better or is it adjustable?


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## Skipper'D (Aug 18, 2014)

That is one awesome dog-you really got lucky-I always like to think everything happens for a reason and this special dog was meant to be with you for some reason.

I can see both the Doberman and German shepherd in him-his face and ear structure look GSD and body looks dobie-I have owed both breeds and have trained many for other people and IME-those two breed are two of the smartest. With the mix he is going to one smart cookie with hopefully limited health issue from either breed.

Look forward to watching him grow up to what he become-I bet he will get at least 90lb or better....


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

Skipper'D, I missed your post, thanks so much. So far he is very bright, super food motivated which makes him easy to work with most of the time, if he doesn't get in his own way trying too hard to get the food. He has limited toy motivation but I am trying to work on that in the hope we can use toys for at least some training. He's still got puppy all over him LOL, a bit of a goof really and starting to have some adolescent stuff going on blowing me off here and there but we try to keep things interesting and come back to it later when he has better focus. Working on body awareness now, too much dog to be so clumsy all of the time. 

I've been meaning to post more pictures to this for a while and just haven't managed to get good pics of the goof ball. Mostly we've all been stuck in the house due to the heat but the weather is improving plus nothing calls for pictures quite like Halloween. Hobgoblin is now 26inches at the shoulder, that is 5inches growth since I adopted him. I need to take him to Petsmart and weigh him again but he is still very lean. 


not the best pic but they really amuse me. This is how Freyja plays tug with Hobs, she lays down and lets him drag her around the floor. 


So....yeah I can't justify this other than his coat is scratchy and hurts my skin but he likes to lay on me. Also I love this shirt and my son was getting rid of it so I kept it for Hobs to wear. 


this is just what they do, they own my couch. Also they sort of look alike in a weird way. 


Howl-o-ween event and Costume #1, my youngest wanted Hobs to be a vampire with him. That whole event was a comedy of errors but they all had a great time. The cape did not stay on and Hobgoblin wound up as a "hell hound" instead. LOL


you can see his costume better in this one, Freyja didn't like me helping her straighten out her costume.


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

Costume #2 I bought this cause it was on clearance cheap and I actually intend to use it as a coat this winter. It was just cute. 


Costume #3 he wouldn't stop trying to chew on this


Costume #4 he stole Freyja's "were-woof" costume though most people thought it was a zombie dog costume. Works either way. I thought it turned out cute for a last minute costume.


working on down stays at the baseball field


and on a stump on the hiking trail at the lake


sorry I just like this face



Ducks!!


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

He is adorable - and gorgeous - and looks like he's fitting in really well and you're having fun with him. Awesome, all around.


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

He is so handsome!


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

Thank you. He is doing so well I am really proud of him. I was actually worried at first he and Freyja wouldn't learn to get along, their play styles don't mesh well and she doesn't like dogs that come on really rough and sort of rude (he can be really rude). With some careful monitoring of their interactions and time he has learned to play with her in a way she is comfortable with and they get along well now. He isn't her favorite buddy, I think that will always be Remus, but they can play without her snapping at him. 

I am having so much fun with him because he just wants to learn and work. We can do goofy tricks one right after the other. It seems I'm always trying to think of something new to teach him to keep him occupied. Even body conditioning games have been a lot of fun to teach him. He is a lot of goofy puppy still but he can be serious when he wants.


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## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

Great pics! He's so handsome!


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## BellaPup (Jul 7, 2007)

Awww...I love him!! The pic with him on the stump and the ducks is great


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