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Keira
I just wanted to give you an update on how Keira (formally Abby) is doing. I rescued her last fall
and things were a little shaky at first. My other Aussie, Sammy, did not want to share ANYTHING with "that other
dog". But we kept at it, and I kept reminding Sammy that he too was rescued (from Iowa) so he needed to be patient.
Keira had obviously not been allowed in her former house very much and needed to learn how to be a primarily inside
dog. (ie - She had never seen TV before and barked at it every time I turned it on!) Sammy would give me looks
like "what's wrong with that dog?"We've all settled in and If Keira could talk... "Hi Aunt Kay, Just a quick note to tell you that I'm now happy and healthy. When I first arrived here, I was underweight and nervous. And there was another Aussie here named Sammy who didn't like me much. He would steal all my toys and glare at me. But my new Mom made sure I had food everyday - twice a day in fact - and my vet says I'm now at the perfect weight of 44 lbs. Mom takes Sammy and me for walks everyday. It took a while, but Sammy and I worked it out. I just let him be in charge (or should I say, let him THINK he's in charge) and he'll actually play with me. We run around the backyard together (don't tell him, but I'm faster) and play in snow together too. Mom takes us to agility class every week. I can do all the obstacles now but I still don't like the tunnel - it's scary but Mom's always at the other end to greet me so I'm getting used to it. Soon I'll be running the whole course like Sammy. I just wanted to give you an update and say thanks to you and Miss Hope for taking care of me and finding me my forever home." Joan |
Lucky Here is the latest picture of Lucky, he loves the snow. When we take the dogs for a walk they roll around in the snow and eat some as well. Everything is about the same with Lucky. He is still a sweet boy and he is learning more manners and understanding that he has to share attention with our other dog. He has been such a wonderful addition to our family and I could not imagine him not being with us. We took him to the vet last Friday, good news he is heartworm negative, yeah!!!!! We also saw a dog physical therapist to give us an evaluation on Lucky and he is doing good with no problems. She showed all of us how to give him a doggie massage so once a day he gets one, lucky guy! Kim, John and Christina |
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Ozzy and Maggie
To all who helped us find our forever home,Ozzy and Maggie want to thank you for all the help in arriving with the Maurer's in Springfield. We very much enjoy each other's company and find the Maurer's to be fairly easy to train. They do have some strange ideas(such as no dogs on the bed if there is more than one human body on the bed), but all in all, we have it pretty good here. Janet only works a few hours a week at the library, so for the most part she is home to cater to our every need. Several trips outside everyday, trips to a dog park, rides in the car(the bank and her favorite coffee stop both give bones), trips to "people" parks for walks, and various other duties that she can't handle without our help. Christmas brought a bunch of new treats and toys and lots of silliness and visitors who oohhed and aahhhed over us! Happy New Year to you all! Ozzy and Maggie Maurer |
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Monti
Dear Aunt Kay, I couldn't wait to tell you...I've found my forever
home!!! I knew for sure today. Mommy got these great new slippers,
memory foam and everything. Well, she laid down for a quick nap before
dinner and awoke to find that I had pulled one out of the bag. Man it
was yummy!!! She looked at me while I had half of it hanging out of my
mouth, and just laughed and then hugged me!! I thought for sure that she
was going be mad, cause she even told me not to even think about these
slippers. But you know, I can be a curious boy. Mom said, don't worry
little man, no matter what You're always going to be my monster!!!This new place is scary at times. The doorbell is way too much, but I've met new friends in the neighborhood. All the neighbor's got together and put in a play area that runs across two yards, can you believe that!! it's all fenced in with doors at both ends and in the middle. Man, you should see me run and play with my big sisters and my new buddy Linus!! He's half grey hound and half lab - he's funny looking, but even he can't keep up with me when i pour it on. Little Lucy, the neighbor girl (she's a Puggle) is really cute, but mommy says girls, like cats, are nothin' but trouble!! I still get scared at some things, but now when I do, I lean up against mom and feel better right away. Mom says in January that I'm going to go to school and get edumacated. She's been taking me to a training center that's not too far from home and I've been watching all the dogs. Everyone is really nice to me and I enjoy watching all the dogs. Thanks Aunt Kay for hooking me up with my Forever Mom and Dad~ You did great. Mom tells everyone about how she found me, and the whole story. I just shake my head and work the ladies with my big brown eyes. So far all the girls love me!!! I even got to hand out candy on Halloween, I met lots of little kids. Mom even got me to 'pose' for a picture with my big sisters. I'm on the right. I don't like getting my picture taken, but I guess it doesn't hurt. Kay~ Thank you again so very much for bringing this wonderful, gentle soul into our lives. Both Cal and I are amazed at his progress and how much he has come to mean to our family. The girls are really having fun with him and he can blow past them in a full blown run. He's just such a special, gentle dog. I still can't imagine how someone could what they did to him, and how lucky we were to find him. |
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Keiko
Here is Keiko on vacation in Michigan with us in August. We weren't sure whether she'd "like" the
water but we found out quickly - she loved it! Especially the kayaking - never tried to jump out; just settled in
like she was going for a "ride" in the car. When she tired, she just slinked down in the kayak and rested her head
on the edge (way too cute!). She also turned out to be a good swimmer too! Keiko is doing great - still progressing
daily. We love her! |
Attie
We have had Ms Attie-girl for over a year now. We love her high energy and her spirit (most of the time). It
is impossible to ever get bored at our house because there is always a game of fetch that needs to be played. Our
favorite thing she does is this super sassy lay down walk thing while making some Chewbaca noises.
I’m not sure there are 2 more spoiled dogs in the world that Attie and Jake. We are very thankful for them
both. Here is a rare moment of 2 very sleepy puppies who are not fighting for mommy’s attention or trying to start
a new game of fetch.Derek |
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Maggie
We wanted to let you know how thrilled we are to have Maggie. It's been just over a year now and she turned 2 on June 29th. She has fit in so well with our little family that it feels like she's been with us forever! I can't tell you how much we love her. I've attached some photos to show you how well she's doing. I don't know if you remember, but when we got her last July, her previous owners had shaved her and she looked a little strange. The first picture is from the second weekend we had her...that's our 12 year old Black Lab (Carly) playing tug with a frisbee and me in the middle! You can see how short her hair was. |
| The next one is from a couple of months after that and I actually submitted that one for a local dog calender...she didn't get chosen even though we think she's gorgeous! And finally, the last one was taken a couple nights ago - that's her deflated basketball she's bringing back to throw for her. She loves that game! Look at her beautiful coat now...we brush her every night and her hair is incredibly soft. |  |
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Anyway I just wanted to thank you again for letting us adopt our Maggie and to thank you for what you're doing for all Aussies in need of good homes. They're such great dogs and deserve the very best.
I'll keep in touch, Sandy + Denny, Carly, Boz and Maggie |
Darcy
Darcy is doing well. She is quite the charmer. Every person who claims to not be a dog person falls for her and begins to think twice about dogs.She's in obedience classes and is learning quickly. Darcy caught her first frisbee last week, and she loves car rides and her squeaky ball. Her squeaky ball trumps everything. It's amazing how long she can play catch. I don't think she ever tires of it. |
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Darcy adores littles kids, and she's been really good at not barking at people. Squirrels and other dogs seem to get her going a bit though. =) We've taken her with us to Panera (aKA Bread Co. in St. Louis). We sit outside with her while we eat and she's great. She loves the dog park and tries to herd the dogs. Her barking is only till she meets a dog...then she calms down. She got a puppy cut right after we got her so she could get rid of some of the coarse hair. As hot as it has been, we've contemplated doing that every summer. Hopefully, by the fall, she'll have normal Aussie length hair though. Thank you so much for letting us adopt Darcy. Teresa & Mark |
Lucy Lucy is doing great! We can't believe that it was a year ago that I first found her picture on the website. She has certainly been worth the effort. |
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For all the work I put into her, she has nonetheless become Jamie's girl. With me she has the daily routine of checking the horses, practicing the weave poles (with a wonderful skipping step) and going for a run through the pasture with me on my bike. After that, every evening she waits by Jamie's chair at just the right spot for his hand to rest on her head when he reaches over the chair arm. |
| She is still pretty nervous about going new places, I'm afraid that she may never really get over that ... but surprisingly she actually looks forward to car rides. She doesn't really relax in the car but must enjoy the experience because she is more than willing to load herself into the back seat of the Trooper, all we need to do is ask. Karen |  |
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Raine
When we met this cute little girl for the first time, her name was Flurry. Wanting to signify her new start in life, we gave her a new name, Raine. She was very shy during our first visit. Fortunately, we were prepared. We spent most of the time sitting on the ground at her level. More importantly, we brought some delicious treats with us. It didn’t take long for her to warm up – if only just a little bit.
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| Raine was one of the puppies born at Aussie Rescue to Breeze. We were told that she had been adopted once, but returned, because she was quite an exuberant puppy and the incumbent dog in the house didn’t appreciate her energy. That wasn’t a problem for us because we have another Aussie with some energy to burn as well (though she might have a different opinion on some days). |  |
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The first few months with Raine at home, she was very low-key. Friends that know some of the other puppies from the litter were surprised that Raine was also; she was so subdued compared to the others. But, that didn’t last too long. Once Raine figured out that she had found her forever home, her wild side began to show. Now, as soon as she sees people up in the morning, she is ready to go . . . all day long. She loves to play with toys (any kind she can get her mouth on), chase the cat (not the cat’s favorite game), and use our older Aussie as her own personal chew-toy. She is still a little afraid of strangers, but that appears to be slowly subsiding. |
| Raine graduated from Beginner-level obedience and is working on an Intermediate-level class. She is also currently taking Advanced Beginner classes in Agility. As much as she seems to enjoy Agility, her favorite part of the day is when I let both her and Princess off their leashes to run around the Agility field. If training goes well, I hope to introduce Raine to the “show” scene next year (Spring 2008). |  |
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I had hoped to train Raine on the Invisible Fence that is installed at the house. However, her exuberance will likely prevent that from happening – at least for a few more years. So, a new vinyl fence will be installed at the house very soon. Then, she can shed the leash she has been tethered to and chase Princess to her heart’s content. Raine just celebrated her 1st Birthday! We look forward to many more milestones down the road. Kate |
Beau
I just wanted to touch base and let you know Beau is still doing quite
well. He will be 14 (or maybe its 15) this Saturday. He is moving more
slowly, and a little stiff. We are going to a specialist this Thursday to
see if we can make him more comfortable.
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Here are photos from last summer - Beau and his "brother" Chizel. What a riot they are. Beau is the boss, (herder) and Chizel is the "herdee". |
Rita Just a short update on Rita, my red merle aussie that I adopted from you and the St Louis Aussie Rescue on April 23, 2006. Rita has been the most wonderful addition to my home. She gets along great with my 7 yr old Jack Russell Louie, who is epileptic. He really seems to love the extra company while I'm at work. Those two play so well together, as if they've grown up together. Louie was apprehensive at first, but they are the best of friends now. It's so heart warming to see the two of them play. Sometimes Rita doesn't realize that she's bigger than Louie when they're playing and he gets bounced around alittle, but he doesn't seem to mind. It's amazing how well dogs adapt to their new lives. She's picked up on being an inside dog very quickly. |  |
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Rita has the biggest grin when anyone comes over to visit and is happy to see new people. She instantly warms up to everyone as if she's met them before. She doesn't know a stranger! She likes to shuffle her backside back and forth when excited and it eager to jump up and give hugs! She travels wonderfully in the car and seems to like to go 'bye bye'. She seems to like going to the groomer the most! I can't imagine her not being in our lives, she's such a wonderful dog. She's absolutely beautiful, I can't imagine anyone not wanting her. Her personality is just as beautiful as she is too. We celebrated her second birthday a few months ago and look forward to a long life together. |
| Again, thank you for your Aussie Rescue. What you're doing is wonderful and you've made a big difference
in all of our lives. Thankyou! Dave |
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Cubby |
| Cubby is doing really well and has come out of his shell and loves to be around other dogs and loves
when visitors come over. Actually he had to stay at my dads the first 3 day I had him because I had no power but he did
really well. Thank you again for everything. Jim |
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Coco Hi everyone remember me I am Coco, I was adopted by this really nice family September 30, 2006. I have a younger brother who is a tri-black Aussie. He can be a bully much of the time but I don’t let him get away with too much. The frisbee is his favorite toy to play with, while I haven’t mastered the Frisbee yet, mom and dad tell me that one day I will. |
| Here we are playing with another one of our favorite pass time toys, the stick. Some times we have an even bigger one and we play tug of war with it. Who ever wins the tug of war and manages to get it out of the other ones mouth gets to run off with it and play keep away. |  |
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When we play Frisbee neither one of us will let the other one take it to our parents so we take it together.
I now have a forever home and it is the best. Thank you Kay and Tina for all of your support in my first two years
of life, it was a little bumpy but now it is smooth sailing with my FOREVER HOME. Mom says there is no way I will
ever go back. I really love her and Dad. Love to all Coco |
Lucy
Lucy has settled in well with us, she is such a charming girl, still a scaredy-cat sometimes .. but we're working on that.
Within the last month we have celebrated her first birthday and her graduation from her first class with her CGC certificate.
Being "petted by a stranger" was a challenge for her, but she passed with absolutely no problems. We have started on our
second class and after only two sessions of "pre-agility" she has successfully done all of the equipment, including the
tunnel, chute, weave poles and mini-teeter. |
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"Buck-up girl" has become a favorite expression at our house when Lucy balks at something new .. but her recovery time gets shorter every day. She takes so many cues from our other dogs and quickly learned that if Marguerite thinks it's OK, it's OK. They have become fast friends and both will initiate wrestling and chase matches in the yard (and sometimes in the house, unfortunately). Lucy and Hobbs get to playing pretty rough but if we tell him to quit he will simply ignore her when she bites his hocks. Eventually she goes off and looks for something else to do. |
| Lucy is incredibly good in the house. Every day she empties the toy basket all over the floor, but she never touches
anything that she's not supposed to. She is well housebroken, not a single accident. Nights she sleeps like a log, right
in the middle of our bed with her head on the pillow.
We can hardly believe that Lucy has been with us for only four months. There were some unsure times during her trip to NC
but now she is settled in and anchored in our hearts forever. Kay, thanks so much for trusting us with this "special needs"
girl. Karen |
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Buddy You will be happy to know that Buddy is doing just great. From the start he has been a happy and loving little dog, very intelligent, eager, and yet mellow. I have only heard him bark several times, and that was when we were out walking and I got him running around in huge circles at top speed (one of his favorite things to do--along with chasing squirrels, geese, and any kind of bird). He is slowly but surely getting past some of his fears, especially all the unfamiliar loud and sudden noises of the big city. Or any sudden noises for that matter. He likes everyone, including other dogs, although he is usually tentative at first. When he is off leash, he always comes immediately when I call him, and most of the time when we are walking he is a little shadow about two feet directly behind me--unless I have him pumped up to run as I mentioned. |
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We go out every afternoon for over an hour, and he gets to be off leash along Lake Michigan where there are acres of grass and shoreline and other fun places to explore. It seems to be his favorite time of day. When in the house he has a favorite chair where he stays. It has a direct line of sight to my work desk, and he always makes sure he can see me. Like I said, a little shadow. He loves to travel, although he is not much of a "looker." Likes to be on the floor directly behind me. (Actually, his favorite place is in my lap, but I don't let him do that!). Whenever I have to leave him in the car while I go inside somewhere, he always ends up waiting for me on the floor under the steering wheel. Kind of cute, actually. |
| As you can tell, Buddy is an absolute delight, a super companion. He
likes my two housemates and enjoys being cared for by them if I have
to be gone, but he always appropriately misses me! He is still a
"kisser and a licker," but I don't really care. Whenever I leave him
alone, he usually finds his way into the dirty laundry basket and
drags some socks and underwear out, which he puts on the chair with
him. So endearing. And, of course, he insists on sleeping on the bed.
Luckily for him, I'm the only one in it! Thank you for making it possible to have this wonderful dog in my life. Sincerely, Richard |
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Beau I just wanted to let you know Beau is doing fine. Its hard to believe he turned 12 this month. He has been my constant companion (including in the office on weekends, but thats our secret!) He is great traveling to horse shows, and still enjoys our walks in the park. The walks are slower, and he needs a boost getting in the car, his eyes are a little cloudy, but he is still just as ready to go as always. |
| We have enjoyed him so much we adopted another Aussie this fall. He is an extra large Blue
Merle. Chizel is a bottom of the totum pole type of dog, which is good, he lets Beau be the boss.
Here are some photos of them playing. Keep up the good work, and thanks again for my solemate! Susan |
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Chip The baby red dog turned 4 on Monday! (OK so he's not really a baby anymore) Chip was afraid of a lot when we got him. He was a real basket case. While he was not the dog we had in mind when we adopted him, we were the family he needed. In these last 3 years, Chip has learned that most people aren't bad, especially agility people. Even men are nice, as long as they have cookies! He's learned that lure coursing is the best thing, ever! He's learned that sheepies are cool. He's even learned that agility isn't so bad. |
| In the last 3 years the baby dog that used to snap at people who tried to pet him passed his CGC and TDI tests. Even after
finding out he had 'not so great' hips, he completed not 1 but 2 CPE agility titles jumping 20"! He's now going to be
running in Specialist in CPE and jumping 12". He quickly and easily earned his Herding Instinct Certificate. He also earned
his most favorite 'title' Lure Coursing Fanatic-Advanced. Thanks to everyone who helped with Chippy's social skills, his
training, his issues & to his foster mom & rescue rep who gave him another chance! Pic #1 is Chip's Rescue photo. Pic #2 Is Lure Coursing! (it's his fave) Thanks Uncle Mike & Aunt Lauri for taking it! Take care, Jooly & the Recycled Aussie Mob Chip CL1-R, CL1-H, HIC, CGC, TDI, LCF-A, Jr Handler High in Trial, RACE Agility 10/04 |
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Timber Here's an update on Timber. We celebrated his 1st birthday on March 15th (best guess). He is doing very well. We've been through level 1 and level 3 dog [should be called "owner"] training classes together (he skipped a grade). He is smart but continues to get very nervous (and sometimes stubborn) in new situations. The master dog trainer I am working with suggests that this will dissipate as he gains experience and confidence over time. So far this seems correct. He absolutely refused -- several times -- to go up on the see-saw in dog class. But once he got his confidence, he did just fine. He is just starting to pull my manual chair. I had a special harness made after consulting with his vet and the master dog trainer. He does VERY well indoors. He knows "straight, right, left and back-up' to name a few. We are slowly building up his muscles and stamina for outdoor pulling. We've been weekend camping a couple of times as well as attending classes at SIU and making trips to stores, malls and even the Science Center in St. Louis. He is also retrieving: Something else he balked at in the beginning. Now he seems to love picking things up. The other day, when a friend of mine dropped his cell phone, Timber voluntarily picked it up and gave it to me. Last week he retrieved a cue ball that fell to the floor during a pool game. I think he is 1/2 Border Collie and 1/2 Collie. The dark brown fur on his back is variegated (sp?) with blonde high-lights. His hair also crimps when wet. It seems like every time I take him out I get comments on how "stunning" he looks. He is 46 lbs. Physically he is healthy and mentally he seems very happy. He is a delight to have in my life. Thanks again for everything! You did a wonderful thing! Burt |
Hunter
Wow! If Hunter could talk, he would have some unbelievable stories to
tell…before he came into aussie rescue he had been through the gulf
hurricane, from there he went to a dog sanctuary in Arkansas, then he
went to a Missouri Humane Society shelter, and finally he ended up with
us! Of course, the most interesting stories would be surviving the
hurricane and living at the sanctuary for over 2 months. We don't know
anything about his experiences with Hurricane Katrina other than he was
found swimming in the flood water, but we do know that the sanctuary
that Hunter was sent to after the hurricane was seized by the sheriff’s
dept for animal cruelty. The conditions at the santuary were awful and
after the seizure rescue groups were brought in to care for 470+ dogs
until the dogs could be legally released from the two acre property. It
took over a month before the animals were released and distributed to
different humane societies and rescue groups. Later, the owner of the
sanctuary was charged with 20 of 28 animal cruelty counts then right
after her sentencing she was arrested on an outstanding felony warrant
from Lawrence County, Missouri for stealing animals and she also had
six outstanding misdemeanor warrants from Baxter County, Arkansas
ranging from theft of property to tampering with evidence (1/17/06 The
Baxter Bulletin).
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In the first week of December, Hunter was sent to a Missouri shelter and this is were I went to evaluate him for the rescue progam. If he passed the evaluation, he was going to be my 2nd foster dog. As soon as he came into the room, he came over to me, sat on my lap, and then put his head on my shoulder! He was about twenty pounds under weight, his hair coat was like wire, and he was dirty, smelly, and scared. But I knew I couldn’t leave without him. Because of his prior experiences, I wasn’t sure what to expect but he turned out to be an unbelievably great dog. So good that when Kay found a suitable home for him in December, my family and I couldn’t let him go. I had no intention of keeping one of my foster dogs—but there was something about Hunter! Maybe, it was the big, trusting, blue eyes, or the traumatic events that brought him to us, or maybe it was just that he fit so easily into our home. |
| Hunter has now been a part of our family for five months. At first, he
didn’t want to be left out in the fenced yard by himself or with the
other dogs but that has improved-he now does his business, plays in the
yard, and comes back to the door when he is ready to be let in the
house! Also, we have made it through some pretty good storms without
any major problems-so, for now, his storm anxiety is not as bad as we
thought it would be! Considering his history, he has adapted very well!
Everyday that he is with us he shows us more and more of his charming
personality—like his Elvis lip-curl or his playful rabbit hop-you would
think that he has springs instead of paws! Even though he still needs
to gain about 10 more pounds, his appetite has improved and he is
starting to look healthy and feel good. Before I close, I would like to
thank Kay for letting me foster and for letting our family adopt
Hunter. Amy |
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Misty Misty (formerly Gypsy) is doing wonderfully, with the exception that both she and I have gained some weight this winter, and are now working to remedy that. What a great dog she is. She is an incredible busybody, and has attracted a stray black cat that at her insistence I have been feeding all winter. They are inseparable when she is outside. She also has her own indoor cat, Sarah. My old cat (under the table in the photo) had to be put down at age 17 a short while ago. |
| Misty is border trained now, and all the deer in the world haven't been able to change that. She has a little
harder time with squirrels, but still comes to a screeching halt just a few feet into the woods. (Oops, that is
usually me doing the screeching.) I am so blessed to have her. She is a happy, affectionate, well adjusted girl
who thinks that every human being must be thrilled to see her. As I tell her all the time, she is the best dog on
the PLANET! Nancy |
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Freckles Freckles is wonderful! She has become friends with one of our cats. They both sleep in the family room at night - one on the couch and one on the recliner. The only thing the cat does not like is when Freckles tries to give him one of her kisses. He looks disgusted as she tries to lick his face. When Freckles goes outside, Shadow sits by the window until she comes back in. |
| She has her own stuff toys but every once and a while she will sneak into Zanni's room and take one
of hers. Freckles also loves to lay down on the floor by us and watch the fire in the fireplace. She even puts her head
on a pillow. Freckles is a love-bug and we think the world of her. Thanks for everything, Jerry and Amy |
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Austin We adopted Austin back in the summer of '03. I had been looking for a female blue merle Aussie to adopt, but hadn't been able to find one. Austin is a male, blue merle Border Collie. Not exactly what we wanted, but after reading his bio, I thought we should take some time to meet him. We went to visit him at his foster home with our long-hair mini Dachsie, Roxie, to see how they might get along. Well, they hit it off splendidly and it was love at first site for me. He was so friendly and affectionate, you couldn't help but love him. We took him home and he quickly became part of the family and got into the routine. He and Roxie love to play chase around the living room and share each others bones. It was hilarious to see him take the small bone and her take the big bone. They're pals for sure. |
| We took him to the beginning and advanced obedience training and he was
the fastest learner there. He's very smart and loves to please so
training him has been pretty easy. Getting him to stop barking at
lightening and fireworks is the biggest challenge. He loves to play frisbee in the back yard. If you throw it, he will chase it. Over and Over again, till he's worn out and needs a drink. Then he's ready for more. Just say the word "frisbee" and he's at the back door, ready to go. Austin has become a welcome, loving part of our home. Thank you. And thanks for doing what you do and helping unite these wonderful animals with homes. Craig |
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