Barbara Koltuv: I was afraid I'd get pulled over by him. One time he did pull away and the leash dropped from my hands. He ran over to a neighbor's dog. We were both concerned. She yelled, "You have to control him." "I know," I said. By this time we were both in tears. I understood she was being protective of her dog and she realized I was a caring owner that would do the right thing. That evening I called my children, considering that I may not be able to keep Moishe. Hannah, my daughter, a dog lover and owner of Monster Mutt, a dog care facility, gave me the best advice, "Buy flat shoes and walk him near the outside fence of the park."

WOOF Patrol: What else changed besides the shoes?

B.K.: I embraced Moishe and he did the same for me. Little by little, he redirected the strength he used in pulling me and cultivated it into his unique eye-catching jumping. There was no longer a struggle but a sense of peace for both of us. When he goes outside, it's his job to watch dogs.

W.P.: He'd make a great CEO

B.K.: Moishe's not a CEO. He gets too distracted. If something else comes his way, he'll go in that direction.

B.K.: This is my third poodle rescue. It's important to me to let others know that you can get wonderful dogs at shelters. Many of them are purebreds and all need loving homes.

B.K.: Several people talked to me about trainers and their methods that they felt might be helpful with Moishe. The descriptions tended to fall into 3 basic negative categories:
1. Breaking the dog's spirit
2. Becoming the Boss
3. Providing Moishe with more mental stimulation

Those methods didn't appeal to me. Breaking the dog's spirit and letting them know who is boss? I didn't raise my children that way and they turned out to be very good people. What worked for me was exchanging heels for flats as Hannah suggested, placing Moishe on a gentle leader and being calm as we walked together. Greater ease and confidence followed. He took to the changes right away, adjusting his behavior. Loving Moishe and embracing him guided me to what has become part of the neighborhood landscape.

W.P.: That's when Moishe developed the trademark bounce?

B.K.: After the conversation I had with my kids when I thought about giving Moishe away . well, I couldn't. The bouncing happened after letting him be. He was reacting to my tension on the other end of the leash. Presented with another set of possibilities, Moishe took a new direction.

W.P.: Up.

Hannah Koltuv: My mother's previous dogs came with their software already installed. They were well-behaved and calm. Moishe is a real dog and I am happy they found each other. I'm also glad she traded in her high heels for flats when taking him for a walk.

B.K.: Yes. We adapted to one another. His barking is a reflection and response to being on the job. It synchs with his jumping.

Washington Square Park Fun Facts:

• Located at the foot of Fifth Avenue
• During the Colonial Era, the land was divided by a narrow marshy valley. The Minetta Creek ran through it.
• The land in the mid 1600's was farmed by Dutch settlers and in April 1797, the Common Council of New York purchased the fields for use as burial grounds. It was mainly used for burying unknown or indigent people. When New York in the early 1800's went through the yellow fever epidemic, most of those who died were buried there, away from town, as a hygienic measure.
• Between 1829-1833, a row of houses were built on at the North side of the square. They were prestigious homes known then and now as the "The Row".
• The park includes statues and monuments of:
  George Washington, Italian patriot and soldier Giuseppe Garibaldi, Alexander Lyman Holley, a talented engineer who helped kick-start the American steel industry after the invention of the Bessemer process for mass producing steel and is home to The Washington Square Arch.
• Washington Square Park has served as the setting in a number of literary works, including William S. Burroughs' The Naked Lunch and Henry James' Washington Square. As well as in Joan Baez' 1975 song "Diamonds & Dust"

Barbara Koltuv, like many WOOF Patrollers, rescued her dogs. You might be surprised to know that there are many purebreds looking for good homes. Today's dog trend is growing in the classic Heinz 57 direction; part this, part that and pure joy.

The following sites may be helpful if you are looking to adopt a dog:

North Shore Animal League - http://www.nsalamerica.org/
American Kennel Club Organization - http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm
Pet Station Rescue & Adoption Center - http://www.petstation.com/central.html

Photographs in this newsletter provided courtesy of Barbara Koltuv and WOOF Patrol. Thomas Fransioli's mural hangs in the lobby of the Brevort East Condominium.

Monster Mutt (http://www.montstermutt.com/) offers dog owners daycare, overnights, training, grooming, playgroups and much more. We especially loved the SDS seminar - (Small Dog Syndrome). It offers a little guy convinced of being a big guy a new leash on life.