Keesh the Dalmation/ Lab

Sorry for the delay but I wanted to let you know Keesh is doing fantastic. She settled right in and made herself at home the first night she came. We haven’t had any issues and she is getting along just fine with the kids. The only issue we had at first was it took her a day or two to eat but now I can’t get her to stop. J Thank you so much for all of your help. She is such a sweet dog and has made a wonderful addition to our family. I will be sure to check in from time to time and send pictures as well. Also, I wanted to return the leash but I’m not sure where I can drop it off or mail it. Where would be the best place for me to drop it off? Let me know when you get a chance. This is my work email address so if you ever want to check in on her, feel free to write. Talk to you soon! Thank you, Kristal

Sherri the Chinese Crested

Cherry (formerly Sherri) and Mercy. My husband and I brought Cherry into our home on Thanksgiving Day 2009, and six months later, on Memorial Day 2010 brought home Mercy. While both came to us with some of life's "battle scars", they are both so very sweet, good-natured, well-behaved and forgiving. Cherry and Mercy have given us the privilege of providing for their needs - love - attention. We are now a typical family (!!) of 4 ... a home where each member is accepting of the other's idiosyncracies. While this photo is fuzzy, it should be clear that these 2 sweethearts belong to us and we belong to them. Thank you Judy and Amanda.

Duke the Boxer

Yes we did adopt Duke. It was quite funny actually. We were looking at Freddy and there was a girl bringing in Duke and I could tell she was having some difficulty. She comes in the back room and then says that Duke has been growling and barking at any guy he sees and is being a bit difficult. No sooner than I turn my head to look at the girl, Duke is licking my face. Everyone including Renee is saying that the dog chose me instead. He is a joy to have around. He is great with Andrew and our only problem is getting Andrew to respect the dog. A few times, Andrew has tried to take his bone while he is chewing on it, pulling his tail while he is eating or drinking, kicking his head repeatedly and flying off the couch with an elbow. Mind you he is only 2 years old and Duke calmly just lies there. Now obviously every time he does this we put Andrew on time out. But Duke has been surprisingly good, only a small growl once or twice with him. He is a great dog. Currently we are trying to leash train him. He is doing pretty good, that is just going to take some time though. We walk him about 3 times a day. He plays fetch and brings back the tennis ball, and he likes to swim. I let him off the leash for a small man made pond near the apartment to let him exercise and to see how he would react. I wanted to know would he completely ignore me, run in the street or run away. He did neither. He jumped right in the pond and swam for a bit going in and out. That wont happen again as I am afraid of gators, snakes, ecoli, bugs and other things. He had fun running but he did come back with no problem. Sometimes though, he gets the idea of play so he will come to me and then dart the other way wanting me to chase him which could be dangerous. Now, to be safe, I take him to our tennis courts which is all fenced in and play fetch with him off the leash so we are in a safe and control environment and he can run freely and play as well. Oh, and we changed his name too. Since I was in the Navy, I am the Admiral, Andrew is the Captain and Duke is now Lieu for Lieutenant. We call him Lou for short and he responds and likes the name. We will send you some pictures soon. Thanks Yvette for everything. We really appreciate you helping us find a new family member for our family. Now we are complete. For now anyway until Renee decides she wants another baby. Hahahaha. Thanks again. I with you and Jerry and your family nothing but blessings, happiness and love. Warmest Regards, Joseph

Coconut the Lab Puppy

Hi Janie! I am so sorry it's been this long since I have updated you on Coconut (her name is now Brooklyn)! You were her foster mother last year and gave me a lot of great advice. I wanted to write and send a few pictures so you could see what a beautiful dog she has become and let you know what she has been up to! Attached you'll find some pictures of her titled by date taken. The graduate picture is from her puppy class, which she did great in. You'll notice she now has black spots!! I get asked quite a bit if she has any dalmatian in her. Brooklyn has become such a wonderful dog. Surviving puppyhood had its challenges, but overall, she did great with learning everything from walking well on a leash to now sleeping out of her crate at night on her very own bed. A few weeks after I adopted her, I reconnected with a friend I knew several years ago. This May he became my fiancee and Brooklyn has changed both of our lives for the better. She gets us out every morning and every evening for a mile and a half walk each time and just this past weekend we took her swimming in my parents pool! She did so well and seems to enjoy swimming with her two golden retriever cousins. ;) She keeps us active and we are planning on taking her camping up in the North Carolina mountains this October. She is such a friendly, loving, cuddly dog and she doesn't miss an opportunity to cuddle with "mom and dad" up on the couch for evening tv after our walk. She is truly a family member and we love her to pieces. She's laying here at the foot of my chair as she often does while I'm working at home. I just wanted to thank you for touching her life and helping her to become ours! Sincerely, Jenny S. and Albert B.

Francois the Poodle

Dear PRBJ, Here is an update on our adoption of Francois the Poodle, for your Success Story web page, if you wish. I have also attached a recent photo. Francois the Poodle We adopted Francois, a medium size Poodle mix, in December, 2008, renaming him Pascal (after the French philosopher). Pascal came to us perfectly house and crate trained, and bonded with us very quickly. From the beginning, he behaved well in our house and yard. But there were some rough patches in the early months, especially on walks, when Pascal's anxieties and fears led him to bark and lunge at cars, bicycles, children and other dogs. We started using the Gentle Leader, and Stuart worked patiently with him, using clicker training and rewards. After a few months, Pascal calmed down and learned good walking behavior. Now he thinks that a noisy passing car or a bicycle flashing by means he should sit and get a treat. The lesson to be learned is that sometimes it may take time and patience for a rescued dog to feel calm and secure in his new environment. We went to a Basic Manners course, where Pascal learned come, sit, down and stay. He has learned how to be good at the vet, at the groomer, and at the kennel. Now that he is secure and sure that he is safe, he loves to go on walks, run at the dog park, play with the dog next door, jump through a hoop, shake hands, and to go on trips with us. He enjoys human and dog visitors, but thinks that his basic job in life is to stay beside Stuart. Each day, he brings joy to our home and our lives. Thanks to everyone at PRBJ! Stuart and Joyce L. August, 2010