CP dogs in the news: Moose the intuitive

Contributed by Moose's adoptive mom

Huntington Quarterly Top Dogs

Most Intuitive: Moose

Moose, an 11-year-old Cairn Terrier belonging to Marla and David Tolley, is a little guy with a big personality. He shares the Tolley home, albeit begrudgingly, with his younger sidekick Kerwin, a dark gray dog of the same breed.

“Cairn Terriers are scruffy, earth-loving, alert and intelligent,” Marla says. “These are not lap dogs or a dog to stuff in a purse and look pretty – these dogs live to dig, chase, sniff, hunt and play. They are tenacious and stubborn and rowdy, and they have such an independent spirit.”

But it’s not just Moose’s strong will and funny personality that earned him a spot on our list. Marla says that even before he was officially hers, she knew there was something special about him. Passed around in various foster homes after his elderly owners had to give him up, Moose was rescued by the Tolley family when he was 9 years old – and he brought with him a unique gift.

“Moose used to repeatedly nudge a spot on his owner’s leg with his nose,” Marla says. “When it was checked by a physician, she found out it was advanced melanoma. Then, later on, Moose began nudging her husband’s stomach in the same way, and a colonoscopy revealed that he had a polyp on his colon. Moose was also a tattletale pool alarm; if a child ventured too close to the pool during family cookouts, he would faithfully sound his alarm.”

After settling into his new home with Marla and David, Moose’s strange behavior around a female visitor led to an early announcement from the family friend that she was pregnant. He followed her from room to room, sitting at her feet as soon as she sat down, as if he were protecting both her and her future child.

“Compassion is definitely there,” Marla says. “He really does have an understanding of people’s unspoken needs and hurts. On the other hand, he can be the most stubborn, bull-headed thing you’ve ever seen. He’s an old man now, and he’s been down a rough road, moving around from house to house. But he lives the comfortable life now. He knows where he fits in our home.”

Note from CP Blogger: Moose went home with Marla and Dave from the WV CRAP (Cairn Rescue Annual Party) in 2009. She submitted his story for consideration in the Huntington WV Quarterly Top Dogs feature and he is one of the featured dogs! You can click the link above to see all of the dogs included.