Back to Happy Tails Index

She made 2 visits to the hospital last month and was so well behaved, sat and let everyone who passed by pet her. She did go up to one of the hospital workers, snuggle up to her, then rolled over, feet in the air and nuzzled her. The lady sat on the floor and held Maddie and petted her quite a while. She later told us that her dear old cat had died in her arms the night before...... Someone asked me "What kind of dog is that?" I told them part Border Collie and part Golden Retriever. They asked,"Where do you get a great dog like that?" I told them, "Just lucky, I guess." Just lucky? No, it was meant to be. Thanks to all who helped rescue Maddie and bring her to us! 0103

Maddie has done very well. She is a very sweet dog and friendly, especially to children. She desperately wants our cats, Mr. Buzzy and BeeBee to love her. Mr. Buzzy hangs around with Maddie most of the time, which is quite friendly of him. Maddie is especially good at going on errands in the car with us. Weather permitting, Maddie and Dad like to wait in the car together. Of course, they both expect treats! Maddie never barks when the piano students ring the doorbell, but she does bark for delivery men. How smart is that? She keeps Dad company while I'm teaching (her job), but otherwise plays around all day. She especially enjoys her frisbbee and balls outside, and inside, her nylabones, Intellibone and IQ cube for paw-eye coordination! HaHa.

Maddie also loves to go to the dog park. She likes to meet her best friend, Dylan, a Golden Retriever rescue, and run and wrestle with him. She runs like the wind and can turn on a dime. She did herd the other 6 dogs into a group just a little. She and Dylan laughed and ran off. Although she is rough and tumble out of doors, she has worked on her house manners, and can be a very polite young lady. She had excellent behavior at the vet's and K9 dog store. Although she did think at first that the bins of dog treats were an "all you can eat" buffet. Maddie does clicker training at home and is looking foward to dog class.

She has gotten very used to my Dad's wheelchair and walker. First thing in the morning she puts on a little show with her toys for Dad which is very funny. What a great way to start the day! Maddie is excellent at following commands involving getting in and out of the minivan with Dad and his wheelchair. Sometimes, Maddie does think she is a little cuddle-bunny, and she knows that she can be a "lap-dog" in our favorite chair. She has started rolling tummy up for rubs and is very open and loving.

02/10/2008 After a shaky beginning we have had the pleasure of having Molly as an integral part of our family for five years now. She is the sweetest dog we have ever met. She loves everyone, especially kids.

We just wanted to again thank GLBCR for bringing her into our lives. 1202

"... A guy had rescued Misty when he was up north one winter and some nice person put a box of puppies outside to freeze. She was the only one alive when they got them to the vet. Unfortunately she was too much for him and his elderly mom to handle and they were going to send her to the H.S. ..."

Misty ... Mischievious? Misty? THAT'S FOR SURE! :-) Whenever she is bored, or something, she comes from some other room with something in her mouth to give us, like a glove, or a sock, or Fred's slipper. Oh, and she loves butter, did you know? I have a bad habit (or had) of leaving a partially used stick of butter on the counter in the kitchen, instead of putting it away. Misty has found 3 sticks of butter, and the end of a cream cheese package, and eaten them before I found out. Needless to say, I am watching more closely what I leave out now!

The best story of all happened about a week after we got her. She actually caught 2 different mice in our house, on 2 different days!!!!! I've never heard of a dog catching mice, but I'm sure glad she did! She didn't want to eat them, she just kind of mushed them to death. She was keeping one paw on the mouse, and if it got out, she caught it again and held it in place till it quit struggling. This was against the wall or the stairstep. Fred was actually watching the first one. The second one happened a couple days later, but she kept looking for them in the same place for a long time. So far, no more mice. She seems to love us, too. 0103

Walter 0103

Adoption Date: 1-26-03
Foster Name: Laif
Adoption Name: Walter
History: Walter and his brother, Satchel, were an accidental litter of a female BC and a male Lab. The owners never bothered to have the parent dogs altered. The litter was given to acquaintances, who were first time dog owners and inexperienced in the BC breed. It wasn't long before they realized they did not have the time to devote to a BCx pup.

3-4-04 Walter has grown into a handsome 45# boy, with a gorgeous glossy, wavy coat. What a beautiful pair he and Scout are. Walter and Scout get along famously. Their favorite game is for Scout to "hide" behind the sofa, Walter sneaks up to surprise her, nips her tail, then they round the dining room table and start over again. Or he'll grab a toy, run around tossing it and growling at it, until Scout is lured into chasing him. Walter is a big sissy about water and wants NOTHING to do with the lake, unless he sees Scout go in. He'll follow her into the shallows, then come crashing out and roll in the sand dry off. He steers us away from puddles and he WILL NOT go outside to potty if it's raining. He politely holds it until the weather lets up and then jumps across the yard avoiding wet spots. Gus jokingly calls Walter my stalker because he is constantly by my side. He is a very busy boy in the house, bringing me toys, playing hide and seek, helping sort laundry, watching for the enemy Chihuahua down the block, etc. He adores our long morning walk and is bananas for a fetch in the park. If I'm reading and he needs a pat, he plops down, and grins with that goofy smile I can't resist. Our obedience class joked that Walter was 'blowing the curve' because he picked up everything on the first try. He likes agility, mostly because he loves to jump over anything, though not overly fond of the teeter or weave poles. Just a look or a word is all he needs for correction. Walter runs up to everyone, attempting to give kisses. With kids, he is very gentle, sitting patiently for pats, then kisses them madly to make them laugh.

Walter loves to come to work with me at the animal hospital and my coworkers adore him! In fact, he loves to go anywhere with us and LOVES to do anything you ask of him, especially if he gets a kiss or FOOD as a reward. I have told many people about GLBCR and breed rescue in general--at the animal hospital we often get people asking us for recommendations for breeders and whenever possible we suggest that they look into shelter adoption or breed rescue. Walter is our clinic "star example" of a perfectly wonderful dog who ended up in rescue because of someone's wrong decision to get a puppy. I cannot imagine anyone not wanting him, but we are so lucky they gave him up. I could go describing all of his silly antics and loving ways, yet cannot describe what a precious gift he has been to us. I can't imagine how we got so lucky to have Walter in our lives. We are so blessed to have him complete our little family. We will continue to support GLBCR whenever we can and spread the word about our wonderful experience. Keep up the great work!

07/03/2006 We haven't updated in a looooong time and we've had some big changes since Walter came to live with us.

First of all, the dogs bugged us enough that we were forced to move out of the big city to 6 acres in the woods of Wisconsin! Well, we really moved for Gus's job but we were all excited to have a little bit more room to roam. Walter and Scout adore it out here and we couldn't be happier. Scout has systematically removed all of the gutters from the house and outbuildings to inspect them for chipmunks. Walter spends his days chasing his tennis ball or when he's lucky, chasing the garden hose. For a dog that doesn't like to swim he sure likes hose water!

Walter will be turning 4 in August and we can't imagine what our life was like without our handsome man. We tell him all the time how handsome he is and everyone who sees him admires him. I feel terrible for all of the other dogs that we may have in our lives because Walter truly is the perfect dog. He is so polite and yet he can be a total goof when he wants attention. He is always game for a hike or a walk or a chase but will settle down immediately when asked. He never barks unless his big sister does first. He never strays far from home because he always wants to be with us.

We couldn't be happier with the move and we think the dogs would agree! I'm sending a few pictures. The winter picture is of Walter catching snowballs. That dog can jump! I'm sure we shouldn't encourage it--someday his knees are bound to rebel.

Our next step will have to be sheep, I suppose if the dogs ask really really nicely....

Thanks again for bringing Walter into our lives. Keep up the great work!

Gibson (Ippian)

Adoption Date: 1-27-03
Foster Name: Ippian
Adoption Name: Gibson
History: Gibson was a stray puppy, about 5 months old. He was taken to a Humane Society, whose staff members know the challenges of properly placing a BC and called GLBCR.

3-17-03 Gibson is doing very well! He loves to run around outside and fetch balls and Frisbees. He's met several neighborhood dogs and enjoys playing with them, although some are old and don't have much interest in doing more than sniffing him! He's also met some of my friends' dogs who are as active as he is, and they've managed to wear themselves out with constant play!
I did have an episode with Gibson the other night. I left him home with my girlfriend Lisa's dog, who is very old an not very active. When we got back from dinner and a movie, Gibson had shredded 5 books from my bookcase! I think he was just fired up about Lisa and Zodi visiting, then we left the dogs shortly after and he had all that enthusiasm to burn up. The funny thing is that one of the books is titled "Living With a Border Collie"! The irony is so amusing, I now have that book on display. Aside from this and a few similar stories, he's been a joy. He's got such a great temperament. He'll play all day if there is someone to play with or he'll lay around if there's nothing going on. As I said, he's been a lot of fun and he seems to be learning things quickly, whether they're taught directly to him or not. I couldn't be happier with any other dog.
9-10-03 Gibson is doing fine. He's is staying active, often running or biking with me. Took him to the beach a few times this summer but he's still not sure if he likes the water or not. He's got the best temperament and personality, and every bit as smart as advertised! Although he seems to want constant attention and rarely leaves my side when I'm around. Last spring I built him a fenced in area next to a large shed and put in a doggy door. He now has a lot of space to be outside and safe. Seems to work out well for both of us!

(No Photo)

Jack 0203

Feb. 19, 2004

Lucy is 1 today... OK, not really, but it is her one-year anniversary with us! We celebrated with some Frosty Paws, extra peanut butter and a tiny bit of fancy ham. We're keeping it low-key tonight, it being a school night and all, but we have big plans for this weekend - lots of time at the dog park and we'll probably end up with some new toys - 'cause we really don't have enough :). At any rate, Dan and I wanted to send a HUGE thank you to all of you! We've had such fun and learned so much this past year with Ms Lucy - we can't remember what life was like without her (I think there were fewer slobbery tennis balls, but that's about it). We love what you all do and we are so grateful to be a part of it! So... THANK YOU!!! This really was a perfect match by GLBCR! 0203

Sierra 0203

Orla 0203