Things are going well.... Ace has definitely (easily) made himself a part of our family. He is a big, goofy sweetheart that keeps our days interesting. He is a constant companion/shadow that almost always has to be right by our sides. We love him a lot. He also enjoys his sister, Sierra, an 8 year old siberian husky. Sierra likes having him around too, she just goes and lays under an end-table (her den) when his puppiness becomes too much for her. We've trained Ace to an underground electric fence which he is doing great with, and has definitely helped us get rid of some of his energy. :) He loves to run and chase sticks and balls.
You won't believe what a great dog Archie is. He is very smart, we taught him quite a few tricks. He loves the attention of my grandchildren, gets along great with Shaggy and Scooby, my daughter's dog an cat. Archie loves to go places,he is very social. His foster mom wouldn't believe the change in him.
Charlie is still a crazy lab! He loves to play catch and snuggle up in bed! If i am not up by a certain time and he is awake he will jump on my bed to make sure i am okay! He is such a love-dove! He is a great dog and he is just like me,active!
Gigi is a total “mush ball.” She has adapted nicely to our family and to her surroundings. Her doggie brother and sister love to clean her up every evening, leaving no spot unlicked. She has a special relationship with my husband and at times I do get a little jealous since he sleeps curled up with her instead of me.:-) Gigi is a low-key dog and enjoys naps on the couch and spending time with us on walks, car rides, and just around the house. Gigi was initially very scared of my children and would growl or bark at them when they entered a room. Today they are all best buds and she often spends time snuggling with both my son and daughter. We cannot thank you enough for all the hard and selfless work that you do for dogs like Gigi. We often sit around with her and wonder what her life would have been like out on the streets of Kentucky . We give her an extra dose of hugs, kisses, and treats, when we imagine her days out on the street.
I have to tell you what a wonderful time we are having with Ginny. She is very loyal and mellow yet loves to play with us too. She has found herself very attached to "daddy" (my husband)- they have a very special bond which he deserves, since he gets up at the wee hours to feed her and walk her!!
Hailey is doing great. We moved this past summer and will be putting up a fence in our yard this spring. Meanwhile she tears it up in our living room with our other RR guy Griffin. She loves tug of war and fetch and goes for long walks each morning, as well as walks in the afternoon and evening. My wife trained her pretty well to go in her crate when asked, to stay under the table while we eat, to come when called, and to warm her feet on the couch. She's okay on the leash... she'd be better if she didn't have to walk with that old stubborn beagle on the other side of her, but she's bearable. We've been meaning to write her foster parents but since we've moved we've been so busy that it's been hard to remember to communicate. Here are some recent photos and a video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Dg1RruI1g
Maisey is doing great. She is so loving, full of energy, and so much fun to have in my home. I just love her.
Lily is doing great. She has acclimated well to her new home and seems to be comfortable enough to show some more personality. She has learned how to compete with her self-centered little sister for attention and has charmed all of our family and friends. The cat isn't her biggest fan but that's just the cat...she's not a dog person.
I have been keeping in contact with Scarlet's Foster Mom. Sometimes I write to her, sometimes Scarlet does, as she is very chatty! She is doing fine; has had her vet. checkups, vaccinations, grooming sessions with a professional Dog Groomer, and has met and adores her new family, friends, neighbors, and Pet Sitter. She's not so thrilled with the vet., although the vet. was very nice to her; but, I suppose that's to be expected, when the vet. gives her an exam/vaccination! Scarlet is beloved by so many family, friends, and neighbors, it was suggested jokingly, that her name be changed to "STARlet," since she's got a huge fan club! She also befriended the mail man, and looks forward to his bringing her gift boxes of treats and toys. from some of her fans! We go for long walks and runs daily, in addition to her playing outside in the yard. When the weather gets warmer, she will have "play dates" set up, with some neighbor's and friend's dogs. Her only sadness recently, was that her good friend from right next door, died. Scarlet misses visiting with the neighbor's dog. Although the other dog was much older and had medical problems, they enjoyed sniffing things on the lawn, walking slowly together, or just sitting on the porch. Many times, Scarlet would entertain the other dog, by running around, tossing her ball or toys in the air. She has a plastic toy box filled with toys, in addition to an assortment of different kinds of chewys. Scarlet and the cats share a shelf in the food closet, where all their food and treats are stored. She has three favorite blankets; one for her bed, and one for when we are watching TV in the living room, and another for downstairs when we are watching something. Or, for when she and my husband are watching football. She doesn't like the cold! We bought her a black quilted-type coat with a fake fur collar and matching boots that keep out the ice, cold, and wetness. We plan on getting her more clothing, even though she's not into fashion. But, once she gets the coat on, she's happy, since she feels so much warmer! Also, she has a good selection of collars and leashes, as well as a "Gentle Leader" harness. We take Scarlet in the car with us, as much as we can, since she likes to go for drives and to be part of things. The entire middle seat of the SUV is hers, and there is a blanket, chewy and toy there for her, in case she gets bored. But, she never does get bored! She has her own room, which otherwise used to be known as the "Guest Room," but is now "Scarlet's Room." But, she sleeps on the couches or wherever else she feels like; we all watch TV together. Currently, she enjoys watching football regularly with my husband (all that action back and forth, with a ball being tossed in the air, she can relate to that!) Her favorite movie is "Eight Below," because of all the dogs in it. She was upset to see that one of the dogs was dying, but no, the dog recovered! Scarlet was sooo relieved and happy, then, to know the dog would be OK! Unfortunately for me, she does not like "Lifetime - Television for Women" movies, as she finds these movies dumb and boring! So does my husband! They both will roll their eyes or doze off, until he says: "There's a game on...!," and off they both happily go, downstairs, to watch football on the big TV and have a snack. I don't like football! At least she likes to shop, as I do; but, not for clothes! We go to Pet Smart or one of the local pet stores where they allow dogs. A new coffee shop opened in town, and they put outside tables and chairs for people, with a water bowl and treats for dogs, on their porch. So, when it's nice out, we will walk on the hiking trail near the restaurant, then we can have all have something on that porch! During the day, she sometimes listens to a "lite jazz" station. She seems to really be fond of music, so I played various kinds, until we found one she was happy with; I'm going to get some tapes made for dogs or of programs she'd like, so she can have that on in her room. There is a small TV in there. During the summer, she'll be going back to my aunt and uncle's summer house for a daily or weekend visit with us and them, which she LOVED - the people and the place - and she has invitations to winter in the South, which my family says she should do, since doesn't like the cold. She also gets invited to hang out at trendy night spots in NYC, by my husband's co-worker who loves Scarlet and has connections to various places. We thank everybody, but have to tell them, no, you can't have her with you for the winter, no, she's not hanging out in Manhattan clubs until all hours, no you can't have her as your dog, no, no, no...because people are so nuts about her, they want her around in whatever they're doing or wherever they live! I asked my husband one day, if he realizes that our dog gets invited to more places than we do...?! We suspect we are having people visit "us" at the house, really, because they want to see Scarlet! My uncle even said: "You know who we REALLY want to see, don't you?!" We know, we know! Well, she's sleeping now, because she usually can't stay up too late! She goes to her room, bleary eyed, to sleep. Then, she'll be tucked into her most favorite blanket and be snoring loudly! Her snoring can be loud, as can her burps! Yesterday, I was leaving a message for a stranger, a referral for landscaping work, and Scarlet came up to me. As I'm on the phone, she's removing something from her teeth: Smack, smack, smack..I motion to her to move away, and she gets all excited: "OH, you calling me over there?!" Then, she's right at phone level, while she coughs then lets out a very, very loud BURP! It all sounded like an extremely large man was doing this! I think I was cracking up with laughter, as I was hanging up! The guy never called back, but I'm sure he's just busy and not that he thinks I'm weird. Right?
Everything has been going very well with Shakespeare. He fits into the family very well (though my cat may have a different opinion). He is happy and healthy though maybe a bit overweight as he is fond of eating things not meant for his consumption (kitty litter, kid's unattended leftovers etc..) He continues to take his amytriptolene (sp?) What we like to call his "nerve pills" (ha ha) and is doing great with them. My vet says the dosage is very low and he is tolerating them well. He even lets us leave the house for short periods without having to crate him. This is much better as the crate still makes him nervous and fear abandonment :) Tell everyone at RR "Thanks". We love our Shakes.
Tank is a wonderful dog. She is very attached to me, although she also loves my wife and the kids. But I'm her favorite by far. She has pretty much made peace with our cats, but will chase them occasionally. She has also learned to play with toys--something she never learned to do before. Since August I have been taking her out for a walk every day. Although we have plenty of land on our farm, the walks are special. We have many great hiking trails nearby, so we are out there every day. We have done up to five miles, although most days we do one or two. We have missed only a few days due to weather. She looks funny riding in the back seat of my Ford Escort, but doesn't seem to mind. She has put me back in shape! Everyone we meet says how beautiful she is, and she loves to be petted by any kids we meet on the trail. I just love Tank to pieces and am so happy I adopted her. I very much appreciate the work that you do. Dogs like Tank have much love to give and deserve a good home.
Zoe is nearly perfect. She trained easily, knows commands, wants to behave, and has never had an accident in the home. She works fairly well on a leash on her daily walks. She is crate-trained at night. During the day is confined in an area in our home and uses a doggie-door to roam our 2 acre property. We feel fortunate to be able to give them such a good life. She has even learned to stop jumping up when we come home. She does give us a hard time about cutting her nails, but with alot of patience and paw-touching, I have been able to cut them. (usually just one at a time.) But I can tell you its not something my husband and I look forward to. We feel very blessed to have such wonderful dogs.