Markus' 2nd Gotcha Day

Markus looking at us wondering if we’re done taking photos so he can eat his pupcake already

In our development with Markus, we’re constantly pushing for the next thing. We’re always trying new things to train and work with him - so much so that when something doesn’t go the way we expect it to, we can become discouraged or even frustrated.

Taking the time to reflect where things began helps us to appreciate where we are today and it gives us the boost for another day. Putting in perspective that Markus was a rescued dog who had difficulty being adopted because he was labeled as aggressive helps us to appreciate how far he’s come in his time with us.

The Paws & Reflect series is our way of pausing to appreciate all the progress Markus has made from his days as an aggressive dog at the rescue shelter. We revisit his past to help us put into focus all the great things he’s already accomplished with us.

I can't believe it's been two years since that day we were at SEATAC picking Markus up. I remember the day so vividly like it was yesterday. During these last two years, so much as happened that I'm extremely grateful for and reflections like this help me to appreciate those times. Markus has done so much training and he’s come so far from the dog that went a full year at a rescue shelter without being adopted.

We didn’t get to do this last year because, well, we didn’t have very many dog friends. This year was different. This year, we’ve made so many new friends that we wanted to hold a Gotcha Day party of sorts. It's like a birthday party, but at a dog park with dog friends. Ours was at Renfrew Park and day was a bit murky so we didn’t stay long. We're so grateful to all our dog friends who made it out. We had a cake and treats from 3 Dog Bakery and it was a lot of fun letting the dogs get together and run around!

What we're thankful for

It's Thanksgiving this weekend and we wanted to take the time out to list some things we're thankful for with Markus. Looking back on the year that was, so much has happened and there’s so much to be thankful for.

5. Markus the Ring Dog

Markus looking dapper in his Ring Dog getup

Markus got to be the ring dog in a wedding earlier this year, which was a lot of fun for us. Heading into the day, we were confident in his ability to deliver the ring and he didn't disappoint! The boy looked great in his little get up and we were happy that Markus was invited to be part of the fun as well.

4. We finally found food that Markus likes

A bowl of Markus’ raw food from CRUDO with a splash of pumpkin on top

All of last year, we had been trying different types of dry dog food with Markus and we never really landed on anything he liked. There were foods that we felt Markus liked more than others and there were days where he would actually finish the entire bowl and we thought we were making progress.

It really wasn't until this year when we switched him over to raw that we had finally found something that he truly enjoyed eating as his everyday meal. It's nearly been a full year now and he's still enjoying it as if he was having it for the first time and that’s a great sign. We’re glad he likes anything that much - enough to be that excited for it twice a day.

Throughout the year, we tried different types of protein with him. We started with chicken, switched it up to beef which he didn't enjoy and we've also tried turkey and duck since. He seems to like his birds, so we've been alternating between chicken, turkey and duck. Between the three, I can’t tell which he prefers more, but as long as he’s still excited and eating all of it, we’re going to keep letting him have it.

Although it's a little bit more work, it's not bad for all the benefit he's getting from it. From our end, we just have to get used to the blood and making sure we're defrosting tubes in advance and we're good. Having done a bit of the number crunching, it’s also not that much more expensive from the food we were feeding him previously, which was perhaps our biggest hesitation for making the switch in the first place.

At the end of the day, Markus is really enjoying his food and that’s all that really matters. He hasn't missed a bowl except for when we switched him onto beef, which he clearly didn't like it. We haven't gone back to dry dog food since (though we find that if we’re at a friend’s house and they have dry dog food lying around, he’ll eat it) and Markus also hasn’t left food in his bowl.

3. Markus' progress with training

Markus pulling off a good sit during doggy training classes

When we first adopted Markus, we were concerned that he was going to be a hard dog to train. We were told he was a dog with aggressive tendencies by the rescue organization and he had gone unadopted for over a year there for that reason. When we adopted Markus, it was a leap of faith and a real with a commitment from our end to take him to classes and spend the time to train him.

And it certainly hasn't been easy. Training takes a lot of time and work, but Markus has vastly improved in his two years of living with us. Seeing his progress reminds us that all the time we’re putting in is worth it. There are still tendencies that we see here and there that we'd love to train out of him, but the fact that we get to take him to dog parks and travel with him all the time now speaks volumes to how much he has improved during this time.

Beyond behavioural training, Markus has picked up a lot of tricks too! We find him to be an incredibly quick learner, which is not uncommon for Jindo and Shibas. One day we’ll put up a video of all the tricks he’s learned.

2. Travelling with Markus

Markus in the car excited to see where we go next

Travelling is something that we love to do, so when we adopted Markus, we weren't sure how our travelling was going to be affected. Prior to adopting Markus, we made a lot of road trips throughout the Pacific Northwest - weekend trips, overnight trips, shopping trips, etc.

We got to travel so much this year and I’m happy to say that Markus was in all of the trips. We even have one more trip lined up before the year is done and we're looking to that one as well. Markus has become as much of an explorer of the Pacific Northwest as we are.

For us, thinking about the contrast of everything can be overwhelmingly happy. Two years ago around this time, Markus was spending his second year at the rescue organization in a cage and not really doing much in his days. Fast forward to now and he gets to do hikes and experience the Pacific Northwest - to walk through forests and end up high up on a rock somewhere by the water watching the sunset. That is the West Coast experience and we're so glad that Markus gets to enjoy all of this with us.

1. All of Markus' dog friends

Markus (middle) taking a stroll with a couple of his Shiba friends

One of the things I didn't expect when adopting a dog was all the friends and dog friends we'd make. Since it was easier for Markus to meet up with dogs he's familiar with, we made an effort to regularly meet up with his dog friends this year. Adopting Markus didn't just get us more active in going out for walks and hikes, but it's also gotten us to go out and meet other dogs and their owners.

Meeting new dog owners has also been helpful because there's always more to learn about training and taking care of our dogs. To be able to share experiences with one another is something that goes a long way for us. Most of all, you can tell from the dogs' response that they enjoy seeing and exploring together as well and that's lovely to see.

Now that we’re done listing out things that we’re thankful for, we hope you’ll join us and list out the Top 5 things you’re thankful for as well!

We’re so grateful for your support of The Markus Project. We mostly choose our locations through searching and word of mouth. If you know of a park, trail or location you think we should check out, please share it with us. We’d love to know!